Dementia Resilience with Jill Lorentz

On this show, February 18, 2020, I am talking about how we speak with physicians about memory loss and cognitive impairment. What are they looking for in terms of diagnosis, and how do we describe what we are seeing? Also, how do we work with our family and friends when symptoms start to appear? How do we keep them, and ourselves calm when it seems we are losing our grip on our situation? We will talk about all of this and more!

I am so happy to welcome my friend Val, Charles Valentine to the show this week. We have been friends for many years after my cousin, Johnny Kris Johnson introduced us in LA. After knowing Val for about 5 years I received a call from him, requesting help when he learned his beloved Mom Margarita Promponas, was having memory issues and cognitive loss. Val returned to his native New York City to care for her, and has remained by her side for years. Today we had a lovely chat about Val's childhood, Margarita's career, and Val's career and how it changed when he decided to put his work on hold and return to Manhattan. Val speaks with so much love about his mom and her Alzheimer's. He has used many techniques to learn her new style of communication. He has figured out her many nuances of smiles, the look in her eyes , and things she says to help him understand her needs. Even as her Alzheimer's has progressed, she still loves to sing and dance.

Throughout her life, Margarita was a singer and dancer who toured the country in her younger years. She was also extremely proud of her Native American heritage. Her son soon followed in her footsteps. Charles Valentino attended classes at the New York School of Ballet and the American Ballet Theater while a student at the High School of Performing Arts and he danced with the Harkness Ballet, the work was choreographed by Geoffrey Holder. He made his acting debut in The Me Nobody Knows, - played HUD in the Australian production of HAIR, and returned to the states for the national tour of the show. He had a hit single “I was born this way,” on Gaiee Records, released by Motown. In Bill Turner’s version of the Ziegfeld Follies Valentino portrayed the legendary Bert Williams. He also appeared on Komedy Tonight, an NBC-TV special. He was the scarecrow in the national touring company of the WIZ as well as the 84 revival on Broadway with Stephanie Mills. Most recently he acted on CSI Vegas.

His more recent work was with his close friend Joni Mitchell. He is featured on her special Painting with Words and Music. He was also featured in her video Come in from the cold, He sang on Ladies Man, from the album Wild Things Run Fast, and Yvette in English from the album Turbulent Indigo.

We spoke about how Val stays healthy as a caregiver and what he does for fun. His LA family is still close to his heart. He shares information about his deep love for friends Joni Mitchell and Anjelica Huston with whom he has sang and danced with so many times over the years. Angelica Huston writes in her book, Watch Me: “He twirls me around as if I were a silk scarf. I never set down unless he was dancing with his other favorite girl Joni Mitchell.”

His LA family includes my cousin Johnny Kris, who Val calls his brother by another mother and Shell Burton. They have had a deep friendship for over 40 years. Val credits his family and friends for keeping him motivated, while caring for his mom. No matter who you are or how bright the lights shine on you, Alzheimer's can find you anywhere. I thank my friend for being on the show and lovingly sharing their story.

Today's show is all about embracing the changes thrown at us when a diagnosis has been given to a person experiencing some type of dementia and their family and friends. Difficult behaviors can apply to everyone involved, when emotions are running high, we are feeling down and grieving the loss of what is to come and what is lost due to memory impairment. How can we maneuver through this journey with resilience?

What if what are doing isn't working? What then? Have we tried everything and nothing seems to work? Let's explore options!

This podcast is dedicated to helping my Caregivernation with issues that can be very concerning to them when they are living with or caring for people with various dementia's that present with memory loss and cognitive impairment. Driving is a very serious and touchy issue that almost all of go through during this journey. When our friends with diagnosis become scared, sometimes they wander out of the house or hide somewhere in the house and this is a very scary situation.

Other issues are combative situations where violence can occur. In many states there is a law regarding domestic violence, where if it is deemed domestic violence one or both parties may be arrested. How do you tell the dispatcher that you just need help with de-escalation? If they aren't culpable and aware of what they are doing, should a person with Alzheimer's go to jail? No!!!!!!

My husband Jim Lorentz, Division Chief of Police for Wheat Ridge, Colorado answer these and many other questions for us.

Klaralee Charlton is back and she will give us the yearly update on what we can receive credit for as a caregiver? Are you paying for care out of pocket in a care community or by bringing in homecare? What is okay to deduct and what isn't? Also tax implications for selling homes? What if you don't have your ducks in order? Klaralee answers our questions again this year and I am so thrilled to have my favorite attorney back in the studio with me!

Klaralee Charlton, J.D., LL.M.

Attorney | Estate Administration & Tax Division

Katz, Look & Onorato, P.C.

1120 Lincoln Street, #1100

Denver, Colorado 80203

(303) 832-1900

[email protected]

Licensed in Colorado and Montana

_______________________________________________________________________________

Disclosure: Please be advised that any U.S. federal tax advice contained in this communication (including any attachments) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code, or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed herein.Attachments area

As I begin the 3rd year of my podcast I take a look at what the various dementia's are, and explore what I cover on my show to educate the masses. I will continue to bring strategy and techniques to all of you to help you in your daily lives. I am grateful for this podcast so that I can visit you in your home to help explain how the brain is affected when it is impaired and share with you what symptoms you might see, and how to use good communication skills to work through adversity to help find a positive outcome, which is what resilience is all about!

This Show which comes after the holidays are over and families saw signs of possible memory and cognitive issues in a loved one while they were with loved ones over the holidays. Today , I am answering listeners questions about how to recognize early stage memory loss. You can see the early signs if you are observant to changes in someone's personality and daily functions and how well they are performing in activities of daily living. Are they missing appointments, not learning new things, upset in social situations when they never used to? I will discuss how to recognize the clues and why a person who is beginning to show signs, might want to hide it.

December 23, 2019 My Guest is Ryan Khan – This month of holiday celebrations brings questions of faith, spirituality and more. People ask many questions when they are given a diagnosis of some type of dementia. Why me? Did I do something wrong; was I a bad person? Has God forgotten me? University of Colorado Staff Chaplain, Ryan Kahn helps explain different spiritual and cultural beliefs, and how they affect our thoughts on these matters.

My guest on December 17, 2019 is the awesome researcher Dr. Brianne Bettcher, PhD, Assistant Professor, Director of Neuropsychology Research at Rocky Mountain Alzheimer's Disease Center and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. We had a lovely conversation about some exciting research she is working on, and is looking for participants to join a clinical study she has created. Dr. Bri Bettcher would like people who are NOT SHOWING signs of memory loss to help her study aging habits of healthy adults 60 or older. She feels she can learn as much about memory loss from people who do not have Alzheimer's as she does from people who do have Alzheimer's. Below, Bri tells us about exactly what her study entails:

• Building a healthy aging program (happy to discuss any aspect of why it is important to study aging adults with no memory symptoms)
  • focused on identifying earliest changes in the brain and body that might portend future decline
  • determining what individual factors offer protection against decline (e.g., what makes us resilient to decline)
  • major focus on the immune system
    • why it is important in normal aging and early Alzheimer’s
    • how it becomes dysregulated
    • at what stage it might be a focus for targeted therapeutics
    • the immune system has become a very hot topic in research- one of the more highly covered areas at the recent international Alzheimer’s Conference
• New R01 study (Funded by the National Institute on Aging)
  • This is a 5-year study that aims to look at the role of inflammation in the body (measured in blood) and the brain (measured in spinal fluid) on Alzheimer’s disease biology and memory function in healthy older adults.
  • By looking at both blood and spinal fluid in tandem, we will be better able to understand how the immune system is changing and possibly communicating between the brain and body
  • We will be recruiting 180 healthy older adults, age 60 and over to come in for an initial evaluation and a subsequent evaluation 2-years later.
  • We will also be tracking immune health history factors, such as infections, surgical procedures, autoimmune conditions, etc.
  • If we meet our recruitment goals, we should be able to start seeing initial results in 3-4 years.

The first study involves two research visits over the course of two years at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Compensation provided. Procedures Include: Set of tests that assess memory, attention, behavior, and the other thinking skills. It also includes a questionnaire about your health history. A blood sample, spinal fluid sample and an MRI of your brain will also be given during the process. You may qualify if you are 60 years or older are in good health and have NOT been diagnosed with a memory disorder.

If you are interested in joining the study please contact Neurology Research Partners at 303-724-4644 or email [email protected] to learn more and see if you qualify. Tell them you heard about this study on the Podcast Dementia Resilience with Jill Lorenz!

December 9 2019 Was such a fun day in the studio! I enjoyed playing DJ as I introduced the songs from my Christmas CD FINDING CHRISTMAS SPIRIT! My husband Jim and I created this CD for family & friends who enjoy our little concerts throughout the year and wanted to share the holiday spirt with all of you! If you would like to purchase the CD you can go to our website https://summitresiliencetraining.com/shop/ and we will send them to you for the holiday season! You can also download the songs on iTunes, apple, google play, iheart and more!

We wish all you a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year!!!