Life on Repeat: A Dementia Caregiver Podcast

In this heartfelt episode of 'Life on Repeat', host Laura Vaillancourt welcomes Martha Ranon, the Executive Vice President of Southern Caregiver Resource Center, based in San Diego.

Martha shares her personal journey from caring for her great aunt, who was living with dementia, to her role in supporting other caregivers through her work.

The conversation delves into the challenges and intricacies of caregiving, highlighting the importance of community support, self-care, and accessible resources. Martha discusses the unique services her organization provides, from support groups to educational programs, all aimed at aiding caregivers of those with cognitive impairments or the elderly needing assistance.

The episode not only provides insight into the valuable work of the Southern Caregiver Resource Center but also offers practical advice and encouragement for caregivers navigating their roles. With listeners from 52 countries tuning in, this episode is a beacon of hope and a source of vital information for caregivers worldwide.

You can find out more about the Southern Caregiver Resource Center here: https://www.caregivercenter.org/

Instagram: @lifeonrepeat.podcast

Facebook: facebook.com/Lifeonrepeatpodcast

Podcast Website: lifeonrepeatpodcast.com

Podcast Email: [email protected]

Professional Service Website: eldercarecounselor.com

I host a weekly podcast where I interview dementia specialists and other professionals to help caregivers feel educated, supported, and empowered.

We talk about a variety of topics including how to live your best life as a caregiver, how to work with challenges that may arise, and how to gain knowledge so you can be your own best advocate.

You can also find it by searching “Life on Repeat” on any podcast app (eg: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, etc) or simply saying "Alexa, listen to Life on Repeat Podcast” on your Apple device.

Or simply go to the link below for ease =).

lifeonrepeatpodcast.com/listen

The Dementia Connection Model: Non-Pharmacological Tools for Better Dementia Care

Licensed Mental Health Counselor Laura Vaillancourt talks to Clinical Psychologist Dr. Jennifer Stelter, who co-owns the Dementia Connection Institute. Dr. Stelter has created the Dementia Connection Model, aiming to improve dementia care through non-pharmacologic interventions.

Dr. Stelter discusses how she linked theoretical concepts, such as retrogenesis theory, to practical treatments like sensory stimulation for dementia patients, revealing the impact of these methods on their moods and behavior.

Dr. Stelter's model applies to all caregivers, both professional and family, and involves evaluating dementia patients' needs based on their developmental age, not their chronological age. The results are impactful and long-term, incorporating these methods into daily routines as a 'prescription' for dementia care.

Check out Dr. Stelter's book, 'The Busy Caregiver's Guide to Advanced Alzheimer's Disease', which details very helpful information and great insights related to caregiving. Learn more about the Dementia Connection Model and Dr Stelter's work in the world of dementia care.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Presentation

01:23 Dr. Jennifer Stelter's Journey into Dementia Care

04:19 Introduction to the Dementia Connection Model

04:43 The Development and Pillars of the Dementia Connection Model

09:15 The Impact of Sensory Stimulation in Dementia Care

12:41 The Cognitive Behavioral Theory in Dementia Care

16:34 Practical Implementation of the Dementia Connection Model

21:15 The Power of Contrast in Food Presentation

21:34 The Benefits of a Mediterranean Diet for Dementia Patients

22:18 Impressive Results from the Three-Month Implementation

22:36 The Impact of the Study on Dementia Care Assisted Living

23:07 The Financial Benefits of the Study

25:08 The Role of the Book in Spreading the Knowledge

26:53 The Importance of Creativity in Dementia Care

29:59 The Concept of Prescriptive Engagement

36:46 The Future of Dementia Care and the Dementia Connection Institute

39:18 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

39:42 Closing Remarks and Contact Information

Instagram: @lifeonrepeat.podcast

Facebook: facebook.com/Lifeonrepeatpodcast

Podcast Website: lifeonrepeatpodcast.com

Podcast Email: [email protected]

Professional Service Website: eldercarecounselor.com

I host a weekly podcast where I interview dementia specialists and other professionals to help caregivers feel educated, supported, and empowered.

We talk about a variety of topics including how to live your best life as a caregiver, how to work with challenges that may arise, and how to gain knowledge so you can be your own best advocate.

You can also find it by searching “Life on Repeat” on any podcast app (eg: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, etc) or simply saying "Alexa, listen to Life on Repeat Podcast” on your Apple device.

Or simply go to the link below for ease =).

Laura and Kimberly explore the world of transformative mediation with family members who are caring for older adults. Kimberly has some fantastic tips on maintaining your calm in the midst of family chaos. You will love this discussion!

Here are some interesting points from our discussion:

-Factors that might contribute to caregiving conflict

-Helpful tips for handling conflict with family members

-How professional mediation can be helpful for families

Kimberly Best is a trained Family Mediator and owns Best Conflict Solutions focusing on collaborative problem-solving in healthcare, small business mediation, and conflict management, organizational conflict, elder mediation, family and relationship mediation, dialogue facilitation, and conflict coaching. She spent the first season of her career as a Registered Nurse in intensive care, trauma, and emergency medicine, where she cared for people in extreme need and gained valuable experience in the medical system.

You can find more about Kimberly Best and her work here:

Website: CBest Conflict Solutions: Meditation & Conflict Consulting

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kimberlybestmediator

Facebook: rBest Conflict Solutions

Instagram: eKimberly Best (@kimberly_a_best)

Twitter: akimberly_a_best

Instagram: @lifeonrepeat.podcast

Facebook: facebook.com/Lifeonrepeatpodcast

Podcast Website: lifeonrepeatpodcast.com

Podcast Email: [email protected]

Professional Service Website: eldercarecounselor.com

I host a weekly podcast where I interview dementia specialists and other professionals to help caregivers feel educated, supported, and empowered.

We talk about a variety of topics including how to live your best life as a caregiver, how to work with challenges that may arise, and how to gain knowledge so you can be your own best advocate.

You can also find it by searching “Life on Repeat” on any podcast app (eg: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, etc) or simply saying "Alexa, listen to Life on Repeat Podcast” on your Apple device.

Or simply go to the link below for ease =).

lifeonrepeatpodcast.com/listen

Join us as we talk with Cindy Weinstein, author and English professor, about her experience with her father's Alzheimer's diagnosis, as a distant caregiver and her new book.

Cindy's goal in writing her book, Finding the Right Words, was to equip readers with knowledge by sharing terms, basic neurology, graphs and images weaved throughout her story of her family's journey with her father's diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Cindy's inside view into neurology and dementia as a student
• Depression and dementia
• The importance of supporting family caregivers
• The importance of sharing your story with your doctor or neurologist
• How she forgot that her father was dying as her life adjusted to being a distance caregiver

Cindy Weinstein is the Eli and Edythe Broad Professor of English at California Institute of Technology. She has written several books on U.S. Literature and most recently wrote Finding the Right Words, a Story of Literature, Grief and the Brain.

You can find out more about Cindy's book here: Finding the Right Words

Cindy's account on Mastodon: @[email protected]

Instagram: @lifeonrepeat.podcast

Facebook: facebook.com/Lifeonrepeatpodcast

Podcast Website: lifeonrepeatpodcast.com

Podcast Email: [email protected]

Professional Service Website: eldercarecounselor.com

I host a weekly podcast where I interview dementia specialists and other professionals to help caregivers feel educated, supported, and empowered.

We talk about a variety of topics including how to live your best life as a caregiver, how to work with challenges that may arise, and how to gain knowledge so you can be your own best advocate.

You can also find it by searching “Life on Repeat” on any podcast app (eg: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, etc) or simply saying "Alexa, listen to Life on Repeat Podcast” on your Apple device.

Or simply go to the link below for ease =).

lifeonrepeatpodcast.com/listen

You'll love this episode with Laura and Gretchen as we talk about Gretchen's experience caring for her mother.

Gretchen left her job and friends on the East Coast in 2012 and returned to her childhood home on the West Coast to companion her 96 year old mother from whom she had been 'comfortably distanced' for 36 years. Her degree in counseling didn't help with this gig! Gretchen is the author of Mother Lode: Confessions of a Reluctant Caregiver.

We discuss what helped Gretchen remain sane:

• Maintaining her old habits/tapping into her old self
• Her weekly writing group: "writing saved me"
• Yoga
• Listing 5 things she is grateful for daily
• Keeping a list of what happened, what she did about it and the outcome

Gretchen has a fabulous website with pages I had fun exploring such as recipes, reading lists, and an encouragement page: gretchenstaebler.com

She is also known for her amazing blog and welcomes your stories, too: https://gretchenstaebler.com/blog

Instagram: @lifeonrepeat.podcast

Facebook: facebook.com/Lifeonrepeatpodcast

Podcast Website: lifeonrepeatpodcast.com

Podcast Email: [email protected]

Professional Service Website: eldercarecounselor.com

I host a weekly podcast where I interview dementia specialists and other professionals to help caregivers feel educated, supported, and empowered.

We talk about a variety of topics including how to live your best life as a caregiver, how to work with challenges that may arise, and how to gain knowledge so you can be your own best advocate.

You can also find it by searching “Life on Repeat” on any podcast app (eg: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, etc) or simply saying "Alexa, listen to Life on Repeat Podcast” on your Apple device.

Or simply go to the link below for ease =).

lifeonrepeatpodcast.com/listen

You will love this episode with the amazing Adria Thompson! I was so excited to interview her, as she has a wealth of knowledge and experience in getting creative with challenging situations that caregivers face. Speech Language Pathologists (SLP) do so much more than assist with swallowing and speaking.

I personally follow her Instagram account and learn so much!

In this episode, we explore:

• The differences between Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapists
• Addressing behavior challenges with dementia
• How to access SLP services and how to get a referral

3 areas of expertise an SLP provides:

• Communication: comprehension and body language
• Cognition: thinking skills, problem-solving, organizing thoughts
• Swallowing: safety in oral, feeding, and swallowing skills

If you care for someone with dementia, you know these three areas can present challenges in providing quality care.

Adria is deeply passionate about the large and ever-growing population of people with dementia in this world. She has the experience, creativity, and heart to help solve the most challenging problems.

Adria is a Licensed Speech Language Pathologist, Dementia Consultant, Certified Dementia Practitioner®️, and Certified Montessori Dementia Care Professional®️

You can find out more about Adria and her services on her website: belightcare.com

Follow Adria on social media for creative caregiving tips

Instagram: @belightcare

Facebook: @belightcareconsulting

TikTok: @belightcare

Instagram: @lifeonrepeat.podcast

Facebook: facebook.com/Lifeonrepeatpodcast

Podcast Website: lifeonrepeatpodcast.com

Podcast Email: [email protected]

Professional Service Website: eldercarecounselor.com

I host a weekly podcast where I interview dementia specialists and other professionals to help caregivers feel educated, supported, and empowered.

We talk about a variety of topics including how to live your best life as a caregiver, how to work with challenges that may arise, and how to gain knowledge so you can be your own best advocate.

You can also find it by searching “Life on Repeat” on any podcast app (eg: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, etc) or simply saying "Alexa, listen to Life on Repeat Podcast” on your Apple device.

Or simply go to the link below for ease =).

What do humans beings spend more time doing than anything else?

Sleep!

Dr. Kim was so kind to share about all things sleep with us in this episode. Caregivers often struggle with sleep whether it is due to increased stress, worry or needing to be awake and alert to care for loved ones.

Did you know that what you do in the morning has a direct impact on the quality of your sleep that night? Or that being up for 19 hours will impair you at the equivalency of being intoxicated?

We learn about:

• The ramifications of not getting good sleep
• Why total sleep is not the same as quality of sleep
• What good sleep hygiene looks like
• New science about sleep
• Why we are poor historians of our sleep
• Sleep aids and sleep supplements
• Creative ways of addressing insomnia

Dr. Kimberley Dwyer is a clinical psychologist, author and business coach. She has over two decades of experience working with adults, teens and children, and excels at the treatment of anxiety, stress and managing transitional times. Her most recent book release fore adults, Mindful Mondays: Transforming the Everyday to Claim Calm and Reduce Stress, supports people with everyday strategies for mindfulness during daily living.

Learn more about Dr. Kim Dwyer at www.drkimdwyer.com.

Dr. Kim wrote a great article about sleep here: A Good Night's Sleep

Dr. Kim also recommends checking out:

• Why we Sleep, a book by Matthew Walker
• National Sleep Foundation.org and their Sleep Diary
• CBT-I, Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Insomnia

Instagram: @lifeonrepeat.podcast

Facebook: facebook.com/Lifeonrepeatpodcast

Podcast Website: lifeonrepeatpodcast.com

Podcast Email: [email protected]

Professional Service Website: eldercarecounselor.com

I host a weekly podcast where I interview dementia specialists and other professionals to help caregivers feel educated, supported, and empowered.

We talk about a variety of topics including how to live your best life as a caregiver, how to work with challenges that may arise, and how to gain knowledge so you can be your own best advocate.

You can also find it by searching “Life on Repeat” on any podcast app (eg: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, etc) or simply saying "Alexa, listen to Life on Repeat Podcast” on your Apple device.

Or simply go to the link below for ease =).

This is a special episode with two participants, father and son, of the Amazon Original World's Toughest Race: Eco Challenge Fiji. Mark and Travis Macy have life-long experience training and participating in Eco-Challenges all over the world and are intimately familiar with uncertainty and resiliency.

You will appreciate hearing their perspective on Mark's Alzheimer's diagnosis and how their family is moving through this together. Mark talks openly about the importance of not hiding his diagnosis and the value in talking and sharing about it.

The cross-over of skills needed to master surviving challenging environments while pushing ones body/mind/spirit to its limits and navigating life with Alzheimer's are not to be lost on their journey. Some advice:

• Make it a team thing
• Stay engaged
• Go as fast as we can and as slow as we must

Travis and Mark are co-authors of the upcoming book: A Mile at a Time, which is about the experience of the Eco-Challenge race and of the bond Mark and Travis share. The book releases on March 14, 2023 and is available for pre-order now wherever books are sold:

Indiebound

Amazon

B&N.com 

You can learn more and follow Travis here:

Facebook: @travis.macy.7

Twitter: @TravisMacy

Insta: @travismacy

www.travismacy.com

www.amileatatimebook.com

www.thetravismacyshow.com

Follow Mark here:

Instagram:  @mmacy146

Facebook: @mark.macy.5283

And check out Imagine Publishing:

Twitter: @Imagine_CB

Insta: @Imagine_cb

Facebook: @ImaginePublishing

FOLLOW LIFE ON REPEAT PODCAST ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

Instagram: @lifeonrepeat.podcast

Facebook: facebook.com/Lifeonrepeatpodcast

Podcast Website: lifeonrepeatpodcast.com

Podcast Email: [email protected]

Professional Service Website: eldercarecounselor.com

I host a weekly podcast where I interview dementia specialists and other professionals to help caregivers feel educated, supported, and empowered.

We talk about a variety of topics including how to live your best life as a caregiver, how to work with challenges that may

Is it possible to love your life as a caregiver? Many caregivers do not have a choice in their role as a caregiver and can sometimes feel as if they are failing no matter how hard they try to control, fix things, or prevent a crisis. Charlotte Bayala shares that in crisis, we have an opportunity to tap into the deep parts of ourselves that can teach us self-love and how to listen to our inner-knowing.

We discuss:

• Why it is so hard to make yourself a priority
• Easy, accessible and actionable ways to focus on your own care each day
• That you can find ways to enjoy your life in spite of caregiving

Charlotte Bayala is the creator of the Love Your Caregiving Podcast and the Caregiving Confidential Magazine. She is a Youga and Meditation teacher, Caregiver Coach and is a caregiver for her husband since 2013.

You can find out more about Charlotte on her website where you can download a free issue of Caregiving Confessions and find her podcast episodes: LoveYourCaregivingLife.com

Charlotte can also be found on social media: @loveyourcaregivinglife

Instagram: @lifeonrepeat.podcast

Facebook: facebook.com/Lifeonrepeatpodcast

Podcast Website: lifeonrepeatpodcast.com

Podcast Email: [email protected]

Professional Service Website: eldercarecounselor.com

I host a weekly podcast where I interview dementia specialists and other professionals to help caregivers feel educated, supported, and empowered.

We talk about a variety of topics including how to live your best life as a caregiver, how to work with challenges that may arise, and how to gain knowledge so you can be your own best advocate.

You can also find it by searching “Life on Repeat” on any podcast app (eg: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, etc) or simply saying "Alexa, listen to Life on Repeat Podcast” on your Apple device.

Or simply go to the link below for ease =).

lifeonrepeatpodcast.com/listen

What is SoulCollage® and how can it be used to help burnout and compassion fatigue with caregivers? Jennifer Wolfe-Hagstrom joins us to talk about how this modality can help people process, honor and connect with all parts of themselves and their greater community.

In this episode, we talk about:

• The process of SoulCollage®
• How SoulCollage® taps into inner wisdom and intuition
• The variety of ways to use SoulCollage® throughout your day

Jennifer Wolfe-Hagstrom is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker working with clients online in New Hampshire and Vermont. Jennifer is a certified SoulCollage® facilitator and brings this method into her work with therapy clients and the general public.

You can find out more about Jennifer's work including counseling, trainings and workshops on her website: Kindnesscorner.com

Instagram: @lifeonrepeat.podcast

Facebook: facebook.com/Lifeonrepeatpodcast

Podcast Website: lifeonrepeatpodcast.com

Podcast Email: [email protected]

Professional Service Website: eldercarecounselor.com

I host a weekly podcast where I interview dementia specialists and other professionals to help caregivers feel educated, supported, and empowered.

We talk about a variety of topics including how to live your best life as a caregiver, how to work with challenges that may arise, and how to gain knowledge so you can be your own best advocate.

You can also find it by searching “Life on Repeat” on any podcast app (eg: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, etc) or simply saying "Alexa, listen to Life on Repeat Podcast” on your Apple device.

Or simply go to the link below for ease =).

lifeonrepeatpodcast.com/listen