Caregiving can be one of the most loving roles we ever step into, and one of the most intense, especially in retirement when you are juggling your own health, finances, time, and relationships while showing up for someone else. In this episode of Beyond 60: Unscripted, Ruth Williams-Brinkley is joined by entrepreneur and caregiver advocate Alexandra Drane, co-founder of Archangels, for an honest, practical conversation about what caregivers actually need, not just what people assume they need. Together they talk about why so many caregivers do not even identify as caregivers, how easily isolation and burnout can creep in, and why “care for the caregiver” has to be part of the plan. Alex shares concrete tools like building a “red phone” person you can call without shame, using a caregiver intensity score to name what is driving your stress, and the powerful idea of “outer circling,” which explains why caregivers need their own support system to hold them up while they hold others. They also dig into the complicated realities of spousal caregiving, the loneliness that can happen even in a full life, and how grace, community, and small supports can change everything.

About the Guest:
Alexandra Drane is the co-founder and CEO of ARCHANGELS, a women-owned public benefit corporation working to better recognize and support the millions of unpaid caregivers across the United States. A serial entrepreneur, Alex has founded multiple mission-driven companies, including Eliza Corporation and Engage with Grace, and she is a nationally recognized voice on caregiving, community health, and public-private partnership. She serves on several influential boards and advisory councils, speaks widely on the future of health and caregiving, and has been recognized with honors including the Care100 list and Entrepreneur of the Year distinctions. Known for her energy and candor, Alex brings both strategic insight and real-world humanity to everything she does.

https://www.archangels.me/