About Island Treasures Podcast and Host

Alison van Schie has a diverse and extensive background in social work, and has lived in several prairie provinces before moving to British Columbia.  Once she moved to Vancouver Island she entered private practice with a specialized focus on caregiver consulting and eldercare. Her interest in supporting caregivers was deeply influenced by her prior work in long-term care and further solidified by a profoundly impactful encounter with a caregiver seeking urgent assistance. This pivotal moment inspired her unwavering dedication to address the needs of caregivers and that’s when she became a Caregiver Consultant.

When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, Alison was determined to find a way to reach caregivers and that was when she started the Island Treasures Podcast – bringing stories from caregivers over the air waves into the homes of caregivers who may be feeling isolated, alone and even discouraged.  This podcast’s vision was for the guests, caregivers themselves, to encourage other caregivers by providing their insights on what worked best; thus empowering the listeners on and through their caregiving journeys.

Alison van Schie, BSW

We are still going strong.  Over the years we have covered many topics relating to caregiving, so scroll through the episodes to find one that speaks to your caregiving situation.

We introduced mini podcast episodes, recognizing that caregivers often don’t have the liberty to sit back and listen to a full episode.  The minis provide a sampling of the full episodes.  Then we introduced the ‘treasure chest’ to provide nuggets from the content of episodes.

In 2025 we had a slight change in focus as we now are addressing life after caregiving.  Again, with caregivers sharing their post-caregiving stories, challenges, successes, in order to encourage and inspire others as they enter this stage in their caregiving journey.

As the podcast originates from Vancouver Island, we will also be providing the occasional episode that highlights places on Vancouver Island, Canada.