After visiting Morocco this Thanksgiving, I have been reflecting on how travel has become part of my healing ritual after losing both of my parents in this season.

Seeing families care for their elders reminded me how universal caregiving is, especially in places like Morocco, where dementia cases are expected to rise 367% by 2050.

This trip reminded me why caregiver health is a global issue, and why Ask About Care exists.

This episode is my most personal one yet.

Thanksgiving has never been the same since my dad passed away 27 years ago, and losing my mom four years ago layered a new kind of grief onto the holidays.

I share what those memories feel like, how caregiver grief shows up years later, and why I created my own Thanksgiving tradition of traveling to honor them and give myself space to breathe.

If the holidays feel heavy for you too, I hope this reminds you that you’re not alone and that it’s okay to create new rituals that protect your heart.

In this first episode, Usha shares the personal health journey that led her to create Ask About Care. After nearly 20 years as a dementia caregiver, she opens up about the weight gain, rising A1C, asthma flare-ups, anxiety, perimenopause, and heart disease risks she faced while caring for her mother .

She explains why caregivers rarely disclose their role, why clinicians rarely ask, and why this gap is a public health and policy issue, not a personal one.

Usha also shares how Ask About Care is now engaging healthcare stakeholders and elected officials to bring caregiver identification and visibility into clinical practice.

A powerful introduction to the mission behind this movement and a reminder that caregiver health matters.