Dementia Unravelled

Did you know that nearly half of all dementia cases could be prevented, or at least delayed? That's not wishful thinking. That's what the research is telling us.

In this episode, Lyndal unpacks the findings of the 2024 Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention and what they mean for you and your family.

• What "modifiable risk factors" actually mean, and why it matters
• The one early-life factor on the list and why it's never too late to act on it
• The midlife window
• The later-life factors that are still worth addressing, no matter your age
• The everyday habits the research is pointing to.

Links and Resources

• Free download - Protect Your Brain
• Connect with Lyndal Harris on LinkedIn
• Follow Lyndal on Facebook
• Follow Lyndal on Instagram

The information shared in this podcast is for general educational purposes only and should not be considered medical or clinical advice. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for advice about your individual circumstances.

What do you do when the person you love says something that isn't true, and correcting them only makes things worse? In this episode, Lyndal introduces two practical and powerful approaches that can make a big difference for both the person living with dementia, and their families and carers - connection over correction, and validation. Lyndal explains why correction so often backfires — and what to do instead. If you've ever felt lost in one of those difficult conversations, this episode is for you.

In this episode:

• Why our instinct to correct comes from love, and why it so often makes things harder
• A conversation with a woman whose husband said he was going on a date with a high-school girlfriend and the reframe that changed everything
• Why dementia doesn't just affect memory and what that means for moments of conflict
• The nervous system piece that explains why correction can cause distress
• What 'connection over correction' actually looks like in a real conversation
• The second approach - validation
• A simple shift Lyndal made with her own mum that ended a pattern of arguing
• Why the pause before you respond might be the most important moment in the whole conversation
• The difference between feeling safe and feeling dysregulated, and why it matters for the whole day ahead.

Links & Resources

• Listen to episode 8 - Dementia & Brain Change
• Dementia Doulas Australia
• Dementia Support Australia website
• Dementia Australia website
• Alzheimer's Queensland
• Connect with Lyndal Harris on LinkedIn
• Follow Lyndal on Facebook
• Follow Lyndal on Instagram

In this episode, Lyndal is joined by Leah Keating - dementia doula, CST facilitator, and founder of LK Dementia Doula Services. This is a conversation that could genuinely shift the way you think about dementia. We explore why some practitioners are moving away from the word "dementia" altogether, what's actually happening inside the brain when a disease like Alzheimer's or Lewy body takes hold, and why getting curious - rather than brushing things off - could make all the difference for your family.

In this episode:

• Why today's conversation might change the way you think about dementia
• Leah's journey from school support officer to aged care to dementia doula
• Why the word "dementia" makes people recoil - and what "brain change" offers instead
• How knowing where in the brain is changing can help families make sense of what they're seeing
• Left brain, right brain - why your loved one might be losing words but can still sing every lyric to their favourite song
• The neuron explanation that finally makes sense: what plaques, tangles, and Lewy bodies actually do inside the brain
• Why Lewy body dementia is so often missed or misdiagnosed Vascular dementia, blood flow, and the heart health connection most people don't know about
• The important reminder that not everything that looks like dementia is dementia
• Why a diagnosis often comes years after the brain started changing, and what early intervention could mean for you or someone you love.

• Follow LK Dementia Doula Services on Facebook
• Connect with Leah Keating on LinkedIn
• Dementia Doulas Australia
• Compassionate Transitions website
• Connect with Lyndal Harris on LinkedIn
• Follow Lyndal on Facebook
• Follow Lyndal on Instagram

Send your question via the Compassionate Transitions website, or through social media.

This podcast is for educational purposes only and isn't a substitute for professional medical advice.

A dementia diagnosis is not the end of the story. Not by a long shot. In this episode, Lyndal explores what living well after a dementia diagnosis actually looks like in practice: why staying active matters more than most people realise, what loneliness and social isolation actually do to the brain, and the mindset shift that changes how families show up for someone they love. Because a diagnosis tells you what's happening in the brain. It doesn't write the next chapter.

In this episode:

• The picture most people have in their head when they hear "dementia" and why it's not the whole story
• What the research actually tells us about staying physically active after a diagnosis
• The well-meaning thing families do that can accidentally speed up decline
• Why loneliness and social isolation aren't just uncomfortable, they have measurable effects on the brain
• What "connection over correction" means, and why it changes everything about how you show up
• Why purpose and identity matter more than most people realise in the years after a diagnosis
• What the global shift in how we think about dementia means for families navigating the early years.

• Forward with Dementia
• Dementia Doulas Australia
• Dementia Support Australia website
• Dementia Australia website
• Alzheimer's Queensland
• Compassionate Transitions website
• Connect with Lyndal Harris on LinkedIn
• Follow Lyndal on Facebook
• Follow Lyndal on Instagram

Send your question via the Compassionate Transitions website, or through social media.

This podcast is for educational purposes only and isn't a substitute for professional medical advice.

After a dementia diagnosis, a lot of families are left wondering where to begin. The appointment is over, the diagnosis has been given - and then, for many people, there's just a gap. In this episode, Lyndal shares a few steps worth thinking about in those early weeks - a place to start, so you don't have to figure it out alone.

In this episode:

1. The very first thing to do after a diagnosis - and it's probably not what you'd expect
2. Why this is the beginning of a journey, not a crisis to solve this week
3. The important question to ask your specialist
4. Why knowing the TYPE of dementia matters
5. Who can help you make sense of the diagnosis from day one
6. Why you cannot do this alone, and how to start thinking about your support team
7. The legal paperwork - a step that is often left too late, and why timing really matters
8. Registering with My Aged Care or NDIS.

1. Listen to episode 2 - What Actually is Dementia?
2. Dementia Doulas Australia
3. Dementia Support Australia website
4. Dementia Australia website
5. Alzheimer's Queensland
6. My Aged Care
7. NDIS
8. Compassionate Transitions website
9. Connect with Lyndal Harris on LinkedIn
10. Follow Lyndal on Facebook
11. Follow Lyndal on Instagram

Family gatherings and celebrations such as Easter, Christmas, birthdays, Mother’s Day, Father's Day and others can be full of fun and festivities. But those same gatherings can also be some of the most overwhelming and stressful days of the year when someone you love is living with dementia.

In this episode, Lyndal unpacks why big gatherings can feel challenging for someone living with brain change, and shares practical tips and strategies for making celebrations work for everyone. From preparing your family beforehand to knowing the signs that your loved one needs a break, this episode will help you feel a little more prepared and a little less concerned heading into your next family gathering.

In this episode:

1. Why family celebrations can feel so overwhelming for someone living with dementia
2. How to brief extended family before the gathering so they know what to expect
3. Simple adjustments to the day itself that can make a huge difference — from the size of the gathering to the time of day
4. Why scheduling your celebration earlier could be a game-changer
5. Why you don’t have to recreate the celebrations of years past
6. How to plan for the moment your loved one needs to step back
7. The signs that stimulation is becoming too much
8. Beautiful ways to include and involve your loved one so they feel useful
9. How long-term memory can unlock some of the most meaningful moments
10. Permission to feel the grief and a reminder to be kind to yourself.

Links & Resources

1. Simple Steps to Create a Dementia-Friendly Home
2. Compassionate Transitions website
3. Connect with Lyndal Harris on LinkedIn
4. Follow on Facebook
5. Follow on Instagram

This podcast is for educational purposes only and isn't a substitute for professional medical advice.

What if one of the most effective tools for supporting someone living with dementia wasn't a medication, but a conversation?

In this episode, Lyndal introduces Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) - an evidence-based program that improves thinking skills, boosts confidence, and reduces isolation for people living with mild to moderate dementia. And the best part? Participants describe it as genuinely fun.

Lyndal shares what happens in a session, what the research actually says, and why this is the work that she loves.

In this episode:

1. What if the most effective dementia support also happened to be enjoyable
2. Where CST came from and the scale of its reach around the world
3. The research finding that puts CST in the same conversation as dementia medication
4. Why social isolation is one of the biggest concerns for people living with dementia
5. What actually happens in a CST session
6. The surprising thing about childhood memories and why they're so powerful in dementia support
7. The physical activity, and why it's in every single session
8. Can CST work one-to-one? Lyndal shares a story that says it all
9. What happens after the 14 sessions are done
10. What families notice, and the feedback that makes this work so rewarding.

Links & Resources

1. Dementia Wellness CST groups - in-person and virtual
2. CST Australia website
3. Professor Aimee Spector / UCL CST research
4. Compassionate Transitions website

This podcast is for educational purposes only and isn't a substitute for professional medical advice.

You've noticed something... Maybe it's a repeated question over lunch, or a wrong turn on a familiar drive. Maybe you can't quite put your finger on it - you just know something feels different. In this episode, Lyndal unpacks one of the most common questions families ask: is this just normal ageing, or is something else going on? If you've been quietly watching a parent, partner or friend and wondering if it could be the early signs of dementia, this one is for you.

In this episode:

1. The key difference between normal forgetfulness and something worth paying attention to
2. Why memory loss isn't always the first sign families notice, and the early change that surprises people most
3. The everyday moments that can signal something more is going on, and why they're so easy to dismiss
4. Why the person living with the changes is often the last one to notice them, and the science behind why that happens
5. The unexpected visitor who may actually be the first to spot something is wrong
6. Why not everything that looks like dementia actually is - and the conditions that are sometimes mistaken for it
7. The one reason going to the GP early is always worth it, even if you're not sure there's anything wrong
8. How to have the conversation your family has been avoiding

Links & Resources

1. National Dementia Helpline - free, confidential, 24/7: 1800 100 500
2. Dementia Australia website
3. Dementia Support Australia website
4. Compassionate Transitions website
5. Book an Enquiry or Clarity Call with Lyndal
6. Listen to Episode 2 - What Actually Is Dementia?

Most people think they know what dementia is. But the reality is quite different, and understanding it changes everything. In this episode, Lyndal unpacks what dementia actually is, why it's so much more than memory loss, and what families really need to know after a diagnosis lands. Whether you're supporting someone right now or simply want to be more informed, this episode will help everything else make more sense.

1. Why dementia is not a single disease - and what it actually is
2. The number of different types of dementia that exist, and why that matters for diagnosis and care
3. A quick guide to the most common types of dementia and how each one tends to show up differently
4. The type of dementia where memory isn't the first thing to change, and why families often mistake it for something else entirely
5. What Younger Onset Dementia is, who it affects, and why the challenges are so different
6. The statistics about childhood dementia that most people have never heard
7. The biggest myths about dementia, and the one that gives people the most hope
8. Why the person living with dementia is still very much there, and what that means for how we support them.

1. National Dementia Helpline - free, confidential, 24/7: 1800 100 500
2. Dementia Australia website
3. Dementia Support Australia website
4. Dementia Doulas Australia
5. Listen to episode 1 - What is a Dementia Doula?
6. Compassionate Transitions website
7. Connect with Lyndal Harris on LinkedIn
8. Follow Lyndal on Facebook
9. Follow Lyndal on Instagram

Have you ever heard the term dementia doula and thought… a what? You're not alone. In this first episode of Dementia Unravelled, host Lyndal Harris explains what a dementia doula actually is, and why, once people understand the role, the most common response is "I wish I'd known about that sooner."

Lyndal shares her personal story, unpacks what the dementia doula role involves, and explains why she started this podcast - including some surprising statistics about how many Australians are living with dementia right now.

In this episode:

1. What the word doula actually means
2. What really happens after a dementia diagnosis, and why so many families are left feeling confused and overwhelmed
3. Lyndal shares what it was like when her own family received an Alzheimer's disease diagnosis
4. Who created the dementia doula role, and what was the gap she could see in the healthcare system?
5. What a dementia doula actually does
6. The moment Lyndal knew this was the work she wanted to do
7. The dementia statistics every Australian should know
8. What this podcast is going to cover, and why Lyndal isn't positioning herself as an expert (but has plenty to share)
9. Where to find a dementia doula in Australia, and why the role matters more than ever.

Links & Resources

1. Dementia Doulas Australia: dementiadoulas.com.au
2. Dementia Doulas International: dementiadoulasinternational.com
3. Compassionate Transitions Australia: compassionatetransitions.com.au

This podcast is for educational purposes only and isn't a substitute for professional medical advice.