The Caregiver’s Journey: Surviving to Thriving – Susan Wahlers

Joni and Friends Ministry Podcast

Susan Wahlers is the founder of Makers of Care, a nonprofit that provides resources and support for caregivers, and equips churches to proactively serve them. Susan understands the exhaustion, loneliness, and discouragement that caregivers face. When her husband Dave was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at 55, their life went into disarray and caregiving became consuming for Susan. Following Dave’s passing in 2019, Susan founded her ministry to caregivers, providing a path from surviving to thriving in Christ.

The Six Stages of a Caregiver's Journey | Comfort Keepers:

• Stage 1: The Expectant Caregiver—In the near future, I may help an aging relative.
• Stage 2: The Freshman Caregiver—I am starting to help an aging relative.
• Stage 3: The Entrenched Caregiver—I am helping.
• Stage 4: The Pragmatic Caregiver—I am still helping an aging relative.
• Stage 5: The Transitioning Caregiver—My role is changing.
• Stage 6: The Godspeed Caregiver—My caregiving has ended

Access Caregiver Resources & Workshops | Makers of Care

KEY QUESTIONS:

• Where is God in your story?
• Where are you in God’s story?
• How can churches support caregivers?

KEY SCRIPTURE:

• “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” 2 Corinthians 4:16

Find more encouragement through Joni Eareckson Tada's radio podcast and daily devotional.
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Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Founded by international disability advocate Joni Eareckson Tada, we provide Christ-centered care through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, and Retreats and Getaways, and offer disability ministry training and higher education through the Christian Institute on Disability.

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Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Founded by Joni Eareckson Tada, we provide Christ-centered care through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, Retreats and Getaways, and disability ministry training.

Find more encouragement on Joni Eareckson Tada's Sharing Hope podcast and her daily devotional.