Fading Memories

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 … Read More Read More

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, … Read More Read More

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 … Read More Read More

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 … Read More Read More

  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 … Read More Read More

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.

  How can getting eldercare for someone with Alzheimer's be better in Peru? To begin with, the cost of living is so much lower in Peru than in the United States. Instead of $600 a day, Barabra Drakes father lived like a king on $600 a month. If you're listening to this episode, you may … Read More Read More

Because of our aging population, more people over the age of 65 are facing caregiving & employment struggles. A significant portion of people at retirement age are at risk of 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, … Read More Read More

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, the opportunity to connect with another person, relaxation and more. If you're caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's you may struggle to … Read More Read More

  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. … Read More Read More

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 … Read More Read More

  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 … Read More Read More

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 … Read More Read More

One of the biggest caregiver challenges is managing difficult behaviors. 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. This … Read More Read More

Conflict is a natural part of human interaction. As we age, all of us face difficult decisions that affect our loved ones and often bring up strong emotions. Many of us avoid talking about the subject because we are afraid to cause a family conflict or even a legal battle. This delay can force us … Read More Read More

The loved one you're caring for is still around yet you feel their loss. Some think this is depression but it's actually a form of caregiver grief. It's commonly referred to as anticipatory grief and it's very common when caring for someone with an incurable disease. This podcast episode is a discussion on how to … Read More Read More

At what point did we become the parent to our parents? For some of us, this transition happened slowly over time. Others have been thrust into the role because of a crisis. Regardless of how the role-reversal happened, it comes with a host of challenges we may not be ready for.