Episodes

In all fairness, the title of this episode should be what all caregivers need to know. This episode, however, is with a millennial caregiver. She had to learn quickly all the forms, legalities, and financial planning that goes hand-in-hand with caregiving. One example of the necessary information we need to know is banking accounts, logins, etc. When my Dad suddenly lost his short-term memory and ended up hospitalized, his finances didn't enter my thoughts. If it weren't for my husband's twenty ...

Dr. Park chats with us on how we can help our brain span match our life span. How do we make our brain span match our life span? Most people are living with undernourished brains. There are many reasons for this. Despite many options, it's common to choose what's quickest, not necessarily the healthiest. I live in an agricultural area which makes me aware of how our food is grown. Maintaining a farm, growing nourishing food can sometimes be at odds with each other. Soil depletion is typical, whi...

Dr. Snyder of the Alzheimer's Association spoke to me about long-term cognitive effects from Covid-19 and diversity issues in clinical trials. I was honored to interview two renowned people from the Alzheimer's Association before the start of this year's International Conference. The AAIC is the largest and most influential international meeting dedicated to advancing dementia science. Each year, AAIC convenes the world's leading basic science and clinical researchers, next-generation investigat...

Rebecca M. Edelmayer, Ph.D guided me through topics on air pollution, education and Transgender risks for Alzheimer's. I was honored to interview two renowned people from the Alzheimer's Association before the start of this year's International Conference. The AAIC is the largest and most influential international meeting dedicated to advancing dementia science. Each year, AAIC convenes the world's leading basic science and clinical researchers, next-generation investigators, clinicians, and the...

Helping Kids be effective caregivers helps everyone. Many people assume kids can't be caregivers. As an older adult family member progresses in their disease, some of the things they do can be scary for younger kids. Children can become confused when Grandma forgets how old they are or GrandDad asks the same questions all the time. Adult caregivers struggle with how Alzheimer's affects their loved ones. A person who used to be warm and friendly can suddenly become angry and unreasonable. It woul...

Does Exercise Really Prevent Alzheimer's? Does exercise prevent Alzheimer's? It can. When you combine the results of 11 studies, it shows that regular exercise can significantly reduce the risk of developing dementia by about 30 percent. For Alzheimer's disease, the risk was reduced by 45 percent. Your next question is probably, how does exercise help prevent Alzheimer's? Exercise stimulates the brain in a way that helps maintain neural connections. Regular aerobic exercise can also help the bra...

How does the new Alzheimer's treatment drug affect our search for a cure? In the 90s, Alzheimer's researchers were full of optimism that they would find a cure for the disease. Genetic studies all pointed to one culprit—hard clumps of protein, called amyloid, that litter the brains of people with the disease. (Scott Small, MD, Columbia Medicine) More than thirty years later, we're still looking for a cure, a treatment, or even prevention. Much of the research is still focusing on amyloid and tau...

iAlly is a Millennial Caregiver Tool About one out of six millennial caregivers care for someone with dementia, with an average age of 27 years. Because these caregivers are at a different life stage than older, spousal caregivers, their needs are widely different. Many young adult caregivers put their careers on hold, move back to their childhood home and become 24/7 caregivers overnight. Loneliness and depression are common. Almost all caregivers feel isolated, but this is worse for the younge...

Caregiver guilt was a constant struggle for Lauren while caring for her Mom. Most of the caregivers I've spoken to have some level of guilt. For many of us, the guilt is significant. Why is this? The answer may not be surprising. Caregivers tend to neglect their own emotional needs. Taking care of a significantly needy adult, especially if that person is our parent, can quickly suck us in. One day we're living our lives, doing all the things most working-age adults do, and then suddenly, our wor...

Being death positive has many benefits. It doesn't make us callous. Despite its name, the death positive movement isn't a yellow smiley face–substitute for grief. Instead, it's a way of moving toward neutral acceptance of death. It's embracing values that make us more conscious of our day-to-day living. Having death anxiety can help motivate us to “live life to the fullest”. It can encourage us to make our mark in the world. Focusing on our legacies is another positive impact of a natural fear o...

Running All Over the World – A Race Against Early-Onset Alzheimer's What do marathon runners do when one needs open-heart surgery and the other is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's? Would you believe, retire from their jobs, sell their home, and become nomads running all over the world? That's exactly what today's guest, Tony Copeland-Parker, and his partner, Catherine Popp did back in 2015. Since then, he and his partner Catherine have traveled to 82 different countries. They have run at l...

Don't let yourself down, get the savvy guide to burial insurance. If you are considering burial insurance, then pat yourself on the back. You are thinking ahead — and beyond. For most of us, retirement planning involves deciding how to make our money last until the end of our life. One crucial part of the plan that it is easy to overlook is figuring out how much money will be needed to cover the expenses required to wrap up our affairs after we’re gone. So if you are working on figuring that out...

Streaming Happy Things with Joygage Last year (2020), streaming our entertainment became one of our coping tools. Even our social lives essentially became streaming events. When the pandemic restrictions started lifting, many of us were eager to return to live concerts, movies, and seeing loved ones in person. For many parts of our society, streaming much of our lives is still an important coping tool. Family caregivers frequently struggle to find ways to engage and entertain their loved ones. C...

Everyone has a story, this episode talks about how to get it ready for publication. Everyone has a story to tell. Back in early fall 2017, I had an experience with my Mom that was funny after it was all over. Retelling the experience online garnered a fair number of comments that I should write a book. I thought the same thing, but I thought it would be a better book if I waited for Mom's Alzheimer's journey to end. Three months later, I had a crazy idea to start a podcast. That's been a signifi...

Falls can be deadly for older adults. Fall prevention is an important part of caregiving. Most of us have probably heard a story about someone who is healthy, vibrant, active even, falling, breaking a hip, and dying within a few weeks. If you haven't tuned in to the episode on Frailty, that explains a lot of the “why” this happens. This week, Dr. Elena is back talking about how we can prevent falls from happening in the first place. There are many good reasons to do what we can to prevent falls,...

Becoming more me with EFT is another way of learning coping skills. What is EFT? Your body is more powerful than you can imagine. Filled with life, energy, and a compelling ability for self-healing, you can take control of this power by engaging in a tapping practice. Having been documented extensively, the benefits of tapping (EFT) include the ability to shift our thoughts and mood more quickly than conventional therapies. Tapping is a gentle form of soothing touch. Brain wave studies show that...

Learn Positive Coping Skills through an online study. Are you wishing there was a way to learn to be happier, to have more positive coping skills? Listening to this episode might be just what you need! Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s Disease may make you eligible for the LEAF Study. Researchers at Northwestern University and the University of California San Francisco are testing an online positive emotion skill-building program to help caregivers cope with stress. Living through the insa...

Food is an important part of our brain health. Does food affect our brain health? Our brains are always working, always turned on. It manages everything that happens in our lives; our thoughts, movements, reactions, emotions, and the mechanics of staying alive. It's working hard even while we're sleeping. Understandably, because of all this activity, our brains require a constant source of fuel. This fuel comes from the food we drink, and like grades of gasoline, higher quality can make a big di...

If you have 5 minuets, you can destress with a quick yoga practice. Yoga practice is probably something you think you don't have time to start. If you have five minutes, my guest can show you ways to help relieve stress, anxiety, and more. As with most of us, my guest, Jo Bregnard, had to learn about caregiver self-care the hard way. Despite a healthy lifestyle, and just three months after her husband suffered a severe burn injury, Jo was diagnosed with breast cancer. While her health issues wer...

Activities are an essential tool for caregivers. It all started because of a lack of activities. If it weren't for today's guest, there might never have been a Fading Memories podcast. I searched for ways to engage with my Mom and came up short every time. If I had had the list you're about to hear; it might have been a different story for both of us. Activities are an essential tool for caregivers. Our loved ones need the stimulation. Suitable, engaging activities will provide them with enjoyme...

Telling our caregiver stories has many benefits, both for those who listen and for us when we tell them. Learning how others managed their journey as Alzheimer's caregivers, what suggestions they have for self-care, and navigating challenges are essential lessons.

Medications often help maintain health and well-being, studies have repeatedly shown that many older adults suffer from medication problems. As caregivers to an older person, the chances are they are taking a number of prescription medications. Have you ever wondered if they are on the proper medications? Do you worry about how side effects and interactions may contribute to other health problems? These are practical concerns to have. Although medications often help maintain health and well-bein...

Using a Medicaid professional can be the difference between success & failure when applying. Medicaid is available under many circumstances, but the path to get there is filled with challenges. Did you know, there are services available to assist families through the Medicaid application and planning process.? Why use one of these services? Knowing what documentation is required is needed is vast. Understanding what you can do and what you should do can be daunting if you're not a professional d...

Health literacy skills allow patients to control their well-being by making intelligent healthcare choices. Do you have good health Literacy? Unless you're a trained medical professional, I feel confident that you've likely encountered challenges when dealing with the health care system. Communication with doctors and family while also dealing with your health struggles surely makes you wish for a better solution. Understanding the medical situation you are in, whether as a patient or a caregive...