I am a Dementia Caregiver
Over 25% of the 53 million family caregivers in the US are caring for a person with some form of dementia*. Dementia is a condition that results from brain disease and progresses through various stages. It’s most common in older adults and interferes with activities of daily living. Alzheimer’s is the most common type of dementia. There are several other types including: vascular, lewy body, fronto-temporal, and mixed.
Podcast Episodes
Creative Care
Loretta Woodward Veney cared for her mom Doris, who lived with dementia, as well as for her aunt, sister, and husband. Loretta’s care experiences prompted her to write a few books, become a trained LEGO Serious Play facilitator, and inspire others through her speaking events and engaging workshops. Loretta Woodward Veney cared for her mom Doris, who lived with dementia, as well as for her aunt, sister, and husband. Loretta’s care experiences prompted her to write a few books, become a trained LEGO Serious Play facilitator, and inspire others through her speaking events and engaging workshops. In this episode, we talk about how creative play with Legos can help care partners connect and remain calm, why identifying those in your care village is critical to your success, the financial strains of caregiving and frustrations around the Medicaid Waiver process, how her faith community surrounded her with goodness after the loss of her husband, and why Loretta’s current self-care mantra is ‘stay and play’.
New Perspectives
Matt Perrin spent eight and a half years surrounded by dementia as a member of the sandwich generation. He was caring for his mother, Rosemary, who was living with Alzheimer’s Disease. And, simultaneously helping his wife Lindsay care for her father, Steve, who was living with Lewy Body Dementia. Steve lived in Matt and Lindsay’s home along with their three girls and their dog. Matt’s lived experience gave him new professional purpose and unlocked a passion for creating that he never knew he had. He found solace in writing and continues his practice with his popular weekly email series. In this episode, we discuss unearned caregiver guilt, win/win perspectives, social connections that led to being in a documentary, and new career paths inspired by caregiving.
Communicating with Persons with Dementia
Meet Teepa Snow. In this show, we learn how Teepa’s experience caring for grandparents shaped her career focus, the language and visual cues to use to better communicate with our care partner, her self-care rituals, where she obtains her trusted dementia information, how her training may also help better communicate with persons with developmental disabilities, and the story of how she got the name ‘Teepa’.
- Creating Your Self Care Team – Nikki Nurse
- Caregiver Mental Wellness – Kris McCabe
- Recovering from Burnout – Usha Tewari
- A Nomad Caregiving Life – Anthony Copeland Parker
- Long-Term Care Crisis – Susie Singer Carter
- Visual Storytelling – Gina Martin
- Navigating Care Resources – Alyse Dunn
- Emotional & Social Self Care – Carlos Olivas III
- Loving Through Dementia Ministry – Sheila Welch
- Working, Community Care, and Advocating – Aisha Adkins
- Fun Activities with Your Care Partner – Patti Lafleur
- Supporting Millennial Caregivers – Lucinda Koza
- Advocacy During a Pandemic – Mary Daniel
- Rural Caregiving – Meghan Swope
- Should you Lie to Your Loved One? – Jennifer Fink
- Caring for a Loved One with Dementia – Lauren Dykovitz
- Living Without Regret – Rayna Neises
- Early Onset Alz – Pat Moffett
- Caring for Difficult People – Susanne White
- Incorporating Dad in Wedding Plans – Lisette Carbajal
- Celebrity Journaler – Leeza Gibbons
- Creating AlzAuthors – Jean Lee
- Navigating a Fragmented Healthcare System – Nicole Rochester
- Working Daughter – Liz O’Donnell
- Caregiver Advocacy – Lisa B. Capp
- Changing Care Policies – Lynnette Whiteman
- Sharing Care Responsibilities with Siblings – Lenore Tracey
- An Alzheimer’s Love Story – Marianne Sciucco
- Advocating for Our Loved Ones – Beth Suereth
- The Dutiful Daughter – Judith Henry
- Transformation after Loss – Colleen Kavanaugh
- Spreading the Care Across Family Members – Beth Phillips
Articles & Event Replays
From Our Gift Shop
Books
Dementia Friendly Products
- The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People Who Have Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias by Nancy L. Mace
- Weeds in Nana’s Garden by Kathryn Harrison
- Still Alice by Lisa Genova
- A Relationship Contract for Dementia Caregivers: Navigating the Complexities and Challenges by Debra Hallisey
Other Dementia & Self-Care Resources
- Teepa Snow – Dementia Care Videos
- Be Light Care – personal care videos & consulting
- Virtual music groups for persons living with a neurodegenerative disease
- Carewell – Care Products
- Connected Caregiver Caregiver App – Coordinate Care
- AlzAuthors – Dementia Book Store & Podcast
- An action plan to share with your faith community to establish a dementia friendly environment and caregiving ministry
- Respite for All Foundation
- Dementia Support Groups and Memory Cafes at Dementia Spotlight Foundation
- Virtual Dementia Support Groups at HFC
- Short animated video to introduce children to dementia
- Relevate – Brain Health Supplement (HappyHealthy Saves 15%)
- Zinnia TV
- See complete list of current HHC Discount & Promo Codes to help you with dementia care including the variety of games and pets from Ageless Innovations
- Frontotemporal dementia community
Source: AARP and The National Alliance for Caregiving report: Caregiving in the US 2020