Delia Chiaramonte, MD
You don't have to lose yourself while caring for someone you love
Practical help for the emotional and logistical realities of caregiving
Serious illness changes everything.
And often you're the one trying to hold it all together.
You’re sorting through medical information, making high-stakes decisions, navigating family dynamics, dealing with your loved one's physical limitations, and missing the life you had before.
You're carrying a heavy weight. And you probably have less support than you need.
No one trains you for this.
You don't have to struggle this much.
And you don't have to do it alone.
Caregiving is hard
You love the person you're caring for. But somewhere along the way, you've started to lose yourself.
You may feel exhausted, overwhelmed, or unsure of what to do next. You might feel guilty when you rest and resentful when you don't. You may wonder whether you're doing enough, even though you're already carrying so much.
I'm Dr. Delia Chiaramonte. I’ve been a physician for more than 30 years, and I've seen how quickly life can change when someone you love gets sick. I've seen families come together, and I've seen illness strain relationships, expose old wounds, and leave one person carrying much more than their share.
Caregivers tell me:
"I feel guilty every time I take a break."
"I get angry at them, and then I feel terrible about it."
"I don't recognize myself anymore."
"I can't keep going like this, but I don't see another option."
"No one understands what this is really like."
If any of that sounds familiar, I want you to know something.
You're not failing.
You're not selfish.
You're not a bad caregiver.
You're a human being trying to do something extraordinarily difficult.
And you deserve support too
Looking for ongoing support?
THE INTEGRATIVE PALLIATIVE PODCAST
Caring for someone who is seriously ill is hard. Not because you’re doing it wrong. Just because caregiving is hard.
What do you say when the stakes are high? How do you make decisions you can live with? How do you manage guilt, resentment, and exhaustion without becoming someone you don’t recognize?
In The Integrative Palliative Podcast, Dr. Delia Chiaramonte, physician, educator, and guide for family caregivers, offers practical guidance for navigating serious illness with clarity and integrity. Each episode explores the emotional and logistical realities of caregiving, from difficult conversations to boundary-setting to the mental load that makes life feel harder.
This is a podcast for capable people who want to care well without losing themselves. Palliative care clinicians and other professionals will also find thoughtful, clinically grounded insights to support the families they serve.
Want to go deeper?
COPING COURAGEOUSLY
Engaging Stories
Each chapter begins with a story, many drawn from my years in clinical practice. Through these patients and families, you’ll see how serious illness unfolds in real life - the decisions, the missteps, the turning points. I also share stories from my own family because I've been there too. I understand what it's like to love someone who isn't well.
Practical Strategies
Coping Courageously is practical. It offers concrete tools to help you think through difficult decisions, manage the challenges of caregiving, navigate family dynamics, and show up to caregiving as your very best self.
Humor
Serious illness is heavy. The book doesn’t pretend otherwise. But it also doesn’t treat you like you can’t handle the truth. There’s room here for candor, dark humor, and the occasional irreverent comment - because sometimes that’s what keeps us sane.
Prefer to listen? Coping Courageously is also available on Audible.
A Guide for People Who Love Someone With A Serious Illness
7 answers and 3 questions for when caregiving feels hard