Care, Compassion and Comedy: The Web Series, “Things Not To Say To A Caregiver,” Helps You Better Understand Those Who Are Caregiving

You may be familiar with Former First Lady Rosalyn Carter’s famous quote about caregiving: “There are only four kinds of people in the world: those who have been caregivers, those who are caregivers, those who will be caregivers, and those who will need caregivers.” If you’ve been (or currently are) a caregiver for an aging parent, spouse, or someone else, you know how challenging that life can be, balancing the needs of the care recipient while living your own life. It’s especially hard when those not “in the trenches” with you don’t understand the balancing act you’re undertaking, or say something hurtful that reveals how little they understand your situation. Even if someone professes to be supportive and wants to help, their words can underscore how little they comprehend what you’re going through. 

Fortunately, Katrina Love Prescott not only understands, but she’s doing something about it. You may know Katrina from our previous agebuzz interview with her, or from her recent blog post about the challenge of dealing with an emergency room when a loved one has dementia. What you may not realize is that Katrina is also the producer of a highly successful web series, Things Not To Say To A Caregiver, that’s had over a million views on YouTube in Season One. Season Two of this series has just been released, and we encourage anyone who’s been a caregiver or who supports a caregiver to watch for free the 12 new episodes of this series and share them widely with your family and friends. You can watch a trailer for Season 2 of the series here.  

This thoughtful and funny web series is helmed by a “Care-y Godmother” who will pause an awkward or hurtful conversation, critique its problems, and offer better words and ways to support those who spend so much time and energy as caregivers for another. As the series describes the “Care-y Godmother’s” work, “(In) each episode, a no-nonsense Care-y Godmother freezes the offender mid-fumble, delivers the reality check they didn’t know they needed, and rewrites the moment into something actually helpful. Blending sketch comedy with real caregiving insight, TNTS (Things Not To Say) turns cringeworthy into teachable moments — and reminds us that the right words can change everything.”

The topics covered in the new, 12-episode season range from the unequal distribution of caregiving tasks among siblings to the hurtful words someone may say in response to a caregiver grieving a loss, along with the suggestion to a caregiver that her loved one with dementia won’t remember if she’s present or not. There’s even an episode when a caregiver has a precious break from caregiving, but her conversation with others about what she’s going through is not welcome, as they feel her stories are a drag. These are scenarios so many of us have lived through, when others think they are being supportive or compassionate yet instead make awkward or unhelpful comments that can make the caregiver feel worse. 

While the amazing “Care-y Godmother” is only a fictional hero, her wisdom comes from the direct caregiving experiences that Katrina herself has lived through, both as a hands-on caregiver for her mother with dementia and as a caregiving consultant who provides compassion, wisdom, and practical guidance to current caregivers struggling in their roles. 

Being a caregiver is no joke. But humor often helps others understand a situation and allows for thoughtful conversation about difficult topics. We encourage all of you, but especially those who are now, have previously been, or anticipate becoming, a caregiver, to watch and share Season Two of “Things Not To Say To A Caregiver” and help others better explore and understand the complexities of being a caregiver in today’s world.