Episodes

They say Alzheimer’s is a series of goodbyes. And It’s true. I have said goodbye to so many things I had with Mom. What has been a surprise is that the very last goodbye has been harder than I ever expected. I said goodbye to Mom knowing who I was on my 51st birthday. Then I said goodbye to understanding her conversations late last year. Finally, I said goodbye to walking in the regional park, watching kids at the swimming pool, or even going out to eat. What I didn’t expect, and surprisingly wa...

How could I resist a humble fundraising assistance request? When it comes from a young man that wants to cure Alzheimer's, I couldn't. Instead of just resharing posts on Instagram, we created this bonus episode. In this bonus episode, I talk to Akum Dhillion. He is a young man who was inspired by his Grandmother to go into Alzheimer's research. When he reached out to me to ask for assistance boosting his Instagram account, I asked if he would also like a bonus episode. Of course, he said yes. I ...

Being able to feed our brains while on the go is enough challenge. Doing so in a healthy way is even more so. This podcast episode talks about healthy brain nutrition and a new product that makes on-the-go brain health eastier.

Caregiving has enough challenges. Adding in our new challenges due to the Covid-19 virus is almost too much. I've been checking in with past guests to see how they're coping. This episode is with Richard Creighton. He was one of two guests on the Caregiver Grief episode. Richard is caring for his wife Kate. Our conversation details how the Shetler-in-place mandates are affecting their daily life. Both he and Kate are handling the changes well, However, drastic changes in daily life for someone l...

Most of us see a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s as the beginning of a journey that will be filled with frustration, sadness and possibly worse. There are very few positive stories we can read. But, what if, just by the way we approach caring for our loved one we can actually help keep their mind stimulated?

When it comes to caring for your loved one, do you feel like you are the expert? Do you ever feel like the medical profession has no idea how to handle a person living with Alzheimer’s? Have you had to educate doctors, nurses, and every medical professional you encounter? What’s been your experience after you’ve politely tried to help them help your loved one? If you’re like me, it hasn’t been a great experience. Navigating our health care, caring for someone with a serious diagnosis, and then b...

Covid-19 has upended our world. As if Alzheimer's weren't bad enough, now we have to contend with more uncertainties than ever! I thought it would be helpful to check in with past guests, see how they're coping and get tips to share. This bonus episode check-in was with Susan Straley the author of “Alzheimer's Trippin' With George”. Her husband is no longer with us but we discussed how she would have handled his needs in this crazy time. Certainly, some of her ideas will be ones you can implemen...

Can we use food as a medicine? My guest, Dawn Renee has a compelling story of self-care & recovery. After a debilitating month in bed and a lifetime of chronic illnesses, Dawn believes you can. She has spent the past decade learning from others while assisting them with their daily health issues. Their experiences demonstrate that nutritional support and detoxing the body are crucial to maintaining good health. Dawn Renee is currently devoted to the care of a woman with stage 4 ALS. Focused care...

A caregiver's journey is not an easy one. There's stress, frustration, sadness, even anger. There are many ways to cope with these feelings, some good, some not so good. Learning mindfulness from my guest helped me tremendously. Mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. Tune in to learn how mindfulness can help you with your caregiver stress reduction.

When Cindy's Dad threw up the white flag & asked his kids to find a care home for their Mom, the entire family stepped up and formed a family caregiving committee. This podcast episode is a conversation with Cindy and her son Cory about the loved ones the committee has and is currently caring for.

My Family History film creates personalized movies based on your family history. The process works wonders for older family members, letting them relive their memories not just by helping to make the fils but by watching them.

Visiting Mom, trying to connect and give her pleasant times is a bigger challenge than I ever expected. Trying to connect with her and failing, researching better options and coming up short was the impetus for creating this podcast. Not only did I realize that family caregivers didn't have time to do such in-depth research, I knew that a podcast would be an easy way to get support. It's what I looked for and not finding it, I created it myself. Equally important, I want to dedicate this episode...

Brain trauma is a topic that the host of Nooks & Crannies podcast knows all too well. Matt joins Jen in this episode to talk about brain trauma, brain health and a little bit about how podcasts can change the world! I've personally had at least one, probably two concussions. That's enough to worry me about the possibility that I've increased my risk of developing Alzheimer's. My family history is enough risk. It's not completely clear if there is an increased risk of cognitive impairment from on...

Two-Lap Books – A Great Way To Connect! Two-Lap Books are Read-Aloud Books for Memory-Challenged Adults, People with Alzheimer's disease (and other forms of memory impairment) gradually lose their ability to initiate communication with others. As a result, Lydia designed these uniquely adapted books to “give voice” to them. Using the book's large, simple text and colorful illustrations we can initiate conversation. Notably, reading books together can make meaningful connections with our loved on...

Alzheimer's & intimacy may seem counter-intuitive. It's important to realize that everyone has a need for companionship and physical intimacy. Couples living with Alzheimer's may have to find new ways to show love and affection. Sometimes as the disease progresses the caregiving spouse has very little desire for intimacy from their spouse. Due to the daily activities involved in caring their normal desires. Granted, the person living with the disease may never lose their need for sex. With this ...

Ever wondered what a conversation with a neuropsychologist would be like? Even if that wasn't on your list you'll enjoy hearing from this soon-to-be doctor who has a passion for brains and how health disparities effect our most precious organ.

Caregivers need a moral movement so health care addresses the full range of needs of caregivers and those they are caring for.

Because of our aging population, more people over 65 are facing caregiving & employment struggles. Many people at retirement age risk having to care for a parent. Some of these workers may also be caring for a spouse. Caregiving is largely an unpaid family responsibility. However, this responsibility is already causing a decrease in employment, productivity, and innovation. Neither of these facts is sustainable. Currently, 22% of retirees left the workforce early due to competing caregiving and ...

Activities are important for keeping someone living with Alzheimer's engaged and productive. However, as their disease progresses activities, they once loved become impossible to manage. Activities offer important benefits like cognitive stimulation, connecting with another person, relaxation, and more. If you're caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's, you may struggle to find activities they can do without adding stress to your day. What options do we have to keep them busy and happy? Finding ...

Tea is my go-to drink every day, every part of the day. Having read that regular tea drinkers may have better cognitive health I knew I had to do my own research and learn more. I was excited to learn that drinking black tea regularly may give us better cognitive function than non-tea drinkers. In this episode, I discuss the research and many of the lesser-known specifics of brewing and enjoying this brain-healthy drink. I wanted to bring you this lighter topic as part of my brain health episode...

Dementia dogs are an asset I wasn't aware of previously. Having had dogs all my life I was surprised to learn that many breeds make great caregivers for those living with dementia. A dog trained to be a caregiver can perform many tasks and be a substantial help to their human counterparts. A dementia dog can break repetitive behaviors, calm anxieties, give someone a purpose, or return a lost loved one home. These are just a few examples of what a furry caregiver can offer. Since learning about c...

Medication adherence is a fancy term for taking our medications as they've been prescribed. While adherence is an important part of our health care it is one that is often overlooked. It's too easy to improperly take our medications. Just the other day, my husband was out of town, and I realized I had neglected to give our oldest dog his arthritis medication for two days! Talk about failure to manage medications properly. When I went to give him his morning pill he waited till I was out of his l...

When you love someone with dementia it's not uncommon to feel like you're losing your mind too. In this episode, I talk to Beth Friesen about practical tips for coping with this problem. Beth is the author of the book "I Love Someone With Dementia, So Why Am I Losing My Mind?". She's also a nurse in a family of medical professionals. If their family struggled, we shouldn't feel bad about our struggles. Some families have a member who doesn't fully understand the disease which leads to negative s...

Managing difficult behaviors is one of the biggest caregiver challenges we face. People living with memory loss don't realize they're being unreasonable. Difficult behavior is an unfortunate by-product of their disease. Navigating our loved one's behaviors and our own emotions is crucial to caregiving success. However, no one has a clear path to making that happen. In this episode, I talk to Dr. Natali Edmonds and get specific advice on managing difficult behaviors. I started with one that I'm c...