"When You Know Something Is Wrong and No One Listens" with Rikki Jo Neyer

About this episode

All Home Care Matters and our host, Lance A. Slatton, were honored to welcome author and caregiver advocate Rikki Jo Neyer and her mother, Elena Bindas, for an extraordinary conversation about their nearly nine-year journey through a devastating medical mystery, the realities of family caregiving, and a daughter's determination to find answers. When a steel truss struck Elena at work, the resulting traumatic head injury changed her family's life forever. Over the next eight years, Elena experienced debilitating symptoms as medical professionals searched for answers. Diagnoses included depression, a movement disorder, and chronic pain, but none fully explained her condition. Throughout those years, Rikki served as her mother's primary caregiver and advocate. She navigated medical appointments, unanswered questions, and the emotional toll of watching someone she loved struggle with an illness no one could fully explain. Refusing to give up, Rikki continued researching her mother's symptoms and eventually identified information about catatonia following brain injury. After eight years, five months, and eight days, one dose of an appropriate medication brought about a remarkable