💖 From Early Detection to Estate Planning: How The Family Healthcare Playbook Brought Caregiving Conversations to Martha’s Vineyard
👋🏼 Hello, Hello! I'm interrupting our #SummerSandbox series with a special dispatch from Martha’s Vineyard!
💞 Earlier this week, I spent an incredible morning partnering with Lyndsay Levingston and SurviveHER Breast Cancer Awareness Nonprofit for our first #FamilyHealthcarePlaybook activation on the island. The energy was high, the sun was extra hot, 🥵☀️ and if there's one takeaway from my first 48 hours here, it's this: vacation is actually the perfect time to talk about caregiving, health, financial, and family preparedness.
⛔ You don't necessarily need a formal boardroom, an HR conference, a clinical panel, or worse -- an actual medical emergency -- to spur important conversations. Sometimes all it takes is a casual coming together: a moment where you're off the clock and outside of the daily grind, so you can slow down, catch your breath, and spend time in fellowship with family.
💓 SurviveHER's mission is "to inform, inspire, and empower through access, wellness, and education," and the organization works "to improve breast health outcomes by providing education, financial assistance, wellness resources, and access to life-saving screenings, especially for uninsured and underinsured women."
🌻 This week's event was focused on education, and between laughter, celebration, and yoga, the women (and men) who participated were open, deeply engaged, and committed to taking charge of their health. In between downward dogs and mimosas, we dove into critical life topics that touch every single one of our families, including:
🌸 Early Detection & Prevention: Underscoring the importance of self breast exams and other critical medical screenings. Pushing past any potential fear one might have about getting tested, and advocating for yourself and your loved ones in clinical settings.
💼 Financial Preparedness & Protection: Planning early for the true costs of healthcare and caregiving, researching life insurance, and protecting generational wealth. Educating ourselves and our families on the importance of advance directives for healthcare and finances, and prioritizing working with an estate planning lawyer to develop those key documents before they are needed.
🤝 Supporting the Caregivers in Our Lives: Recognizing that caring for others starts with caring for ourselves, and building a circle of support so no one walks this road alone.
I am so grateful to the SurviveHER team and to everyone who stopped by to purchase a copy of The Family Healthcare Playbook, share their stories, and commit to getting their healthcare house in order this summer. As I always say, "Stay Ready So You Don't Have to Get Ready!"
🔜 What's next? A few more days in Martha's Vineyard and then The Family Healthcare Playbook heads across the pond to London! 🇬🇧
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