Kimberly D. Scott also known as #That Kimberly

Before entering the world of caregiving, Don was an attorney for 43 years. Everything changed when his wife Nancy, got diagnosed with MCI (Mild Cognitive Impairment) way back in 2008. He became her primary caregiver for 2 years and a half. But the scary part happened, the disease progressed rapidly and Don had no choice but to send her to memory care on 2010. It was a difficult and painful decision for him, but he knew that it was the best thing to do. On July 4th, 2012, while the whole country celebrated Independence Day, Nancy was taken to heaven and was forever freed from the shackles of her unforgiving disease.  

He shared his knowledge about dementia and how important it is to have a better understanding of how to handle people who are diagnosed with the irreversible disease. He highlighted that the best approach to take care of somebody with dementia is what he calls a “person-centered” approach, where you approach the person with dementia as a viable human being because even if they were a doctor or a nurse or an engineer before, just because they have dementia, it doesn't mean they're no longer smart. They’re the same human being and we all have to remember that they're just having issues now that are making it difficult for them to recall or remember. They should be treated with love and respect because, during this period in their lives, it’s important for them to have that compassion and patience from their loved ones. It may be hard at first and it will take time for both the primary caregivers and the entire family and friends to accept and get used to, but as time goes by, everyone should slowly learn to live at the moment, to find humor on things, to never stop doing activities that are enriching to the mind and body and to find a support group for there is nothing to be ashamed of with asking for help. 

Listen to the entire interview for Don and Kimberly have a handful of incredible viewpoints and lessons that we all could use. Male caregivers should not miss this as well because Don’s pieces of advice will surely help and inspire you.  If you want to know more about him and the services he offers, check out his website at https://www.transitionsindementiacare.com 

Don provides a free 30-minute consultation. Contact Don at 206-779-1634. You can also send him an email at [email protected]

Connect with him on LinkedIn  or Twitter

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I had a chance to talk with Shane Clements, she shared her story about her mother and how everything started with her being diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. She was only 23 when that happened and the doctors told her that her mother could live with the lung cancer if they were able to keep it small. She went through a lot of chemotherapy but around January the tumor started growing after 8 months her cancer has spread from her lungs to her brain. 

These are one of the tough ordeals that we all have to face, to be prepared for something we wish we all could escape. No child or parent would ever want to go through something this painful but a conversation should be initiated about what if you live, what and where, and what should someone do if you can't take care of yourself. The tough call of laying everything out may be hard but it is better for us to plan these things ahead so that we will not pass this painful burden to all our loved ones because it will also be a heavy load for them to carry. Make that important conversation, no matter how hard it might be because it is for the best of everybody.

Listen to other episodes or signup to be a guest on a Podcast: https://thatkimberly.com/convos-with-kimberly/

This episode of Caregivers Stories, Dr. Elizabeth Shulman, the author of “Sanctuary in the Midst of Alzheimer's: A Ministry for Husbands and Wives Caring for a Spouse with Dementia”. They talked about their loved ones who were diagnosed with dementia and how it changed their perspective about caregiving.  Self-love and self-care are one of the main things that caregivers give the least priority. The wives, husbands, and children who become the primary caregiver become trapped into guilt, thinking that they do not deserve to get their “me time." When Elizabeth’s husband was diagnosed with late on-set paranoid schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder, the increasing responsibility of caring for an ill husband changed the roles in their marriage. And just like most of the caregivers, she temporarily lost her own sense of self to caregiving. It was not until she began her chaplain residency in a Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program that she placed value to her own identity as a spousal caregiver. Eventually, with the help of her supervisor, she shared her story. She was also able to listen to hundreds of husbands, wives, children and significant others tell their stories of caregiving for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. Their stories and her experience, coupled with research from literature and scripture that speaks to the challenges of caregiving became the backbone of her book. Learn more: https://elizabethshulman.com/

Connect with Elizabeth: 

Linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-shulman-d-min-stna-317b195a/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/Sanctuary-in-the-Midst-of-Alzheimers-565882430566594/

Website: https://sanctuaryinthemidst.com

Listen to other episodes or signup to be a guest on a Podcast: https://thatkimberly.com/convos-with-kimberly/

Connect with Kimberly:

FB: https://www.facebook.com/thatkimberlyscott

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thatkimberly

IG: https://www.instagram.com/thatkimscott

Twitter: https://twitter.com/that_kimberly 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdrDMJCNq8kxGGgqsO8avwQ

This episode of Caregivers Stories, Kimberly interviewed Angela Dicks, the author of Living Within Their Shadows, a resource for dementia and Alzheimer's caregivers that contains tried and proven strategies, tips and insights from A-Z gained from Angela’s decades of personal experience. Her book is a must read for everyone, especially for caregivers who have a loved one diagnosed with any type of dementia. You can order it on Amazon, click here:  https://www.amazon.com/Living-Within-Their-Shadows-Caregivers/dp/0692914854/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1500926442&sr=8-1&keywords=living+within+their+shadows&fbclid=IwAR293O9ydviNlszFrOjs11CCo8a6AtfW8PSxYdK7AMN3XJJ6X2xRfJpmE0I  

If you want to reach her, you can send her an email to [email protected] or connect with Angela on LinkedIn.

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On this episode of Caregivers Stories, Kimberly interviews Denise Zinser. She shares many lessons of her time as a caregiver for her grandmother which we should all take by heart. Each day is a gift, she said, that is why It’s essential for us to have this tough conversation with our family. A plan has to be made no matter how uncomfortable it might be. Even before we get to a stage where we know something is wrong, is it best to be one step ahead always.  

Listen to other episodes or signup to be a guest on a Podcast: https://thatkimberly.com/convos-with-kimberly/

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Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thatkimberly

IG: https://www.instagram.com/thatkimscott

Twitter: https://twitter.com/that_kimberly 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdrDMJCNq8kxGGgqsO8avwQ

This episode of Caregivers Stories, Kimberly interviews Sue Paul, an occupational therapist certified health coach and an advocate for the Alzheimer's Association who has a burning passion for the aging community. She is the Executive Director of SeniorScapes Inc., a nonprofit, dedicated to the creation of indoor/outdoor spaces designed for older adults. Their vision is to create landscapes where seniors can thrive, and their goal is to provide a stimulating, engaging environment where aging adults have the opportunity to play, socialize, and exercise in their own communities. 

If you want to know more about Sue, check her website http://thedementiaqueen.com/ or http://www.suempaul.com

From working in a huge company to a small start-up, Mike gave us an insight into how he came into the apartment industry. It all started when was looking for technology companies in Bend, Oregon. There, he realized that there wasn’t a lot. This was the start of their self-storage business, one of the first verticals of G5.

His favorite part of his current role is being at the forefront of the companies transformation and being able to help pioneer education and bring innovation, making it more accessible to the industry. He also highlighted the biggest differences that he felt at Nike; the company’s main focus is on the consumer, whereas coming to G5 he and the rest of the team are all about the customers and making as much time as possible with their customers no matter what size they are. G5’s culture, technology, products, marketing, and message are wrapped around what makes the customer tick. 

Aside from having a successful career, Mike also shared his passion for triathlon. He admitted that the people who knew him back in high school or early college knew a very different Michael. For about two and a half years he went from being a fit athlete in high school to gaining about 75 pounds. He was solely focused on college and playing video games like World of Warcraft at that time. But he had a bit of a wake-up call. He threw away a couple of thousand dollar video game computer and told all of his friends and family in Alaska that he was going to lose 50 pounds that summer. So rather than having a lunch break during his nine-to-five job that he was interning at, he joined a gym and did an hour of exercise every day. He didn't hit the 50-ton goal that summer but a year later he lost about 75 pounds and long story short, when he started working for Nike, he kind of rediscovered an identity and had a crush on a girl named April, who’s now his wife. She was a runner and he thought that if he was to start running, it might impress her. His competitive nature eventually led him from running to adding swimming and biking to his routine, thus the passion for triathlon came in. He completed three Ironman triathlons and joined several local triathlons after.

With  all the wonderful stories he shared about his work and lifestyle, he excitedly shared his advice for his younger self: one is aside from making sure to professionally and personally hone our soft skills, it is also best if we allocate more of our time picking one

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 On this interview of Industry Celebrities, Kimberly interviews, Pooja Jain, a neuroscience researcher who has a passion for human cognition. She is one of the Co-founders of CogniHealth, a healthcare technology company that provides innovative ways of approaching Dementia care.  Pooja shared to us an overview of what the CogniCare app can provide. Together with her company, she hopes to provide all the caregivers and family members who have loved ones affected with dementia to know the whole aspect of what dementia is. To have more adequate knowledge of holistic care and what they can do to help not just the person diagnosed but also the caregivers.

She also highlighted one of the best pieces of advice the each and every one of us should keep in mind, that is to never stop learning and never let anybody tell you what you can and can’t do.

Pursue your passion because the world needs more people with the heart to help.

To know more about the app you can email Pooja at [email protected] or you can visit their website at https://cognihealth.uk.

You can also download the CogniCare App on Google Play, App Store, and Amazon.

To listen to other episodes of Industry Celebrities visit: www.thatkimberly.com 

Six years ago Dottie’s husband, Tom Gandy, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and, by default, Dottie became his full-time caregiver.  At first, she thought…” well, how hard can this be?”  She was not prepared for the answer which came quickly:  very challenging.  Dottie shared several sweet stories, like when she knew something was wrong with Tom, how she answered Tom when Tom would repeatedly ask, “What’s for dinner?”  and how she learned to embrace playing 2-3 hours of gin rummy daily instead of dreading. I learned, and continue to learn, a ton from Mrs. Dottie Gandy, and I hope our interview brought you value. Feel free to connect with Dottie Gandy on LinkedIn or email her at [email protected] 

Listen to other episodes or signup to be a guest on a Podcast: https://thatkimberly.com/convos-with-kimberly/

This episode of Industry Celebrities, Kimberly D. Scott interviews Marcie Williams, President at Rivergate KW Residential. Marcie has over 20 years of experience in multi-family from on-site to senior management. They talk about how Marcie found her way to the Apartment business and what advice she would give her younger self.   Learn more about RKW Residential on their website: http://www.rkwresidential.com/  

Connect with Marcie  LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcie-williams-7138226/  

Listen to other episodes or signup to be a guest on a Podcast:  https://thatkimberly.com/convos-with-kimberly/