Living With Alzheimer's

In this episode on the Living with Alzheimer's podcast, Christoph interviews Amanda Bulgarelli, Chief Operations Officer and Master Trainer for Positive Approach to Care, an organization focused on creating a more positive dementia care culture.

Amanda is the daughter of Teepa Snow, a nationally known dementia care specialist who founded the Positive Approach to Care (PAC) organization to help caregivers be more successful by using Teepa's therapeutic approaches and care techniques.

Christoph and Amanda discuss the issues that PAC is focused on solving for families facing dementia and dementia care needs. They talk about some care techniques PAC teaches, how caregivers can be more successful when they better understand how to enter the world of the person living with dementia, and how families can engage PAC to help them navigate the caregiving landscape.

They also discuss signs that may indicate cognitive decline versus normal aging, as well as two cognitive screening tests that individuals can use to help detect cognitive changes early. Those two tests are the Animal Fluency Test and the Trail Making Test.

For more information about Positive Approach to Care and the resources they offer caregivers and families dealing with the impacts of dementia, please visit teepasnow.com or call 877.877.1671.

In this episode on the Living with Alzheimer's podcast, Christoph interviews licensed master social worker Megan Cowan about her work as Social Work Team Lead for Corewell Health Hospice & Palliative Care West Michigan.

Megan describes how the caregiving journey changes during late-stage Alzheimer’s and how she and her team of medical social workers help families and individual caregivers navigate the shifting care needs.

Christoph and Megan discuss recommendations for environmental changes to address safety needs related to restricting access, bathing, toileting, and diet.

Christoph stumbles over the word comorbidities ... other medical conditions that can coexist with a person’s dementia diagnosis. Megan explains how these other conditions can significantly impact caregiving needs, and she outlines the services hospice provides that can help with the unique needs of a person in late-stage Alzheimer’s.

Lastly, Megan describes what caregivers should prioritize for themselves regarding self-care as the person they're caring for progresses into later stages of dementia. And she recommends that caregivers use techniques from Teepa Snow and resources available from Alzheimer’s Association.

To learn more about Corewell Health Hospice & Palliative Care West Michigan, you can contact them at 616.391.4250.

In this episode on the Living with Alzheimer's podcast, Christoph interviews social worker Deb Langer and advisor Julie Capra of Hospice of Michigan. They discuss what hospice is and dispel common myths about it. 

Deb and Julie describe who is eligible for hospice, how it’s paid for, and the many resources available to support people living with dementia and their caregivers. 

They also discuss the importance of medical and financial legal documents like advance directives, wills, trusts and power of attorney designations.

A nationally recognized leader in end-of-life care, Hospice of Michigan is the original and largest not-for-profit hospice in the state. For more than 40 years, the organization has served patients and their families across Michigan providing palliative and end-of-life care to patients wherever they call “home” – nursing homes, assisted living facilities, family residences, hospitals and more. 

As a founding member of the NorthStar Care Community, Hospice of Michigan also offers grief support and counseling, caregiver education and support, pediatric hospice care and support, and educational programs for physicians and health care professionals. Hospice of Michigan is there for patients and their families, respecting their wishes, preserving their dignity, and providing the highest level of compassionate and personalized care. 

For more information about Hospice of Michigan, please visit hom.org or call 888.247.5701.

If you want to learn more about other hospice providers, please contact Alzheimer’s Association at 800.272.3900. They can help you identify hospice providers that serve your area.

In this episode on the Living with Alzheimer's podcast, Christoph interviews Max Sherman, author of Releasing the Butterfly: A Love Affair in Four Acts. 

The book shares many insights about caring for a spouse with Alzheimer’s while telling the story of Max and his wife Gene Alice (Genie) who met as teenagers in the 1950s while volunteering at a jail in the Texas Panhandle. 

Max tells the story of how he and Genie created a partnership that enabled Max to become a lawyer, state senator and university president while Genie earned her doctorate to become a professor of music. The story continues as he tells how their shared love of literature, theater, film, and music became a critical connection after Genie was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

In the episode, Max shares many of the insights he has gained as a caregiver, and thoughts on how to maintain connection even while grieving the losses of the fading abilities of a spouse living with Alzheimer’s.

Max wanted to be certain to share that, in honor of Genie, all proceeds from the book go to Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary's program in sacred music.

In this episode on the Living with Alzheimer's podcast, Christoph interviews Steve Mullen, co-host with his wife Jennifer on Caregiving Gen X Style, a podcast by Gen Xers for Gen Xers who are taking care of their aging parents.

Steve describes many of the unique caregiving challenges faced by Gen Xers. As the current Sandwich Generation, they are often raising children while simultaneously caring for aging parents.

Steve shares how draining caregiving can be and some of the practical ways families and friends can help. We also discuss some of the key caregiving insights and resources you can find on their podcast.

And, although neither of us can recall the name of a book we mention in the episode, the title is The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People Who Have Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias. Now in its 7th edition, the book is full of practical advice for caregivers.

In this episode on the Living with Alzheimer's podcast, Christoph interviews Tina Sadarangani, ANP-C GNP-BC PhD RN, Assistant Professor at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing.

They discuss her research efforts to improve healthcare outcomes for the elderly and CareMobi, an app her team has developed to connect family caregivers, in-home caretakers, staff at adult day care programs, and medical providers so they can share health information with each other on a single platform. CareMobi is available for both iOS and Android users.

Tina describes the benefits of adult day centers for caregivers and those living with dementia, as well as how families can locate a day center near them at National Adult Day Services Association’s website.

Tina also shares warning signs for acute infections and Enlightened Caregiver, a social media feed with tips for caregivers to be effective advocates for their loved one in the doctor’s office or hospital.

In this episode on the Living with Alzheimer's podcast, Christoph interviews Nicole Brackett, Director of Care Delivery and Quality for Homewatch CareGivers. They discuss the many services Homewatch CareGivers provides to families, especially those caring for a family member with dementia. 

Nicole describes the importance of personalized care plans, as well as the culture-shift her organization is embracing by focusing on the person and not their disability. Nicole and Christoph discuss examples of a person-centered approach to care partnerships.

They go on to discuss how families can distinguish between care that can be provided in the individual’s home, and when a care community may be the better fit. And Nicole outlines the Five Rs of Caregiving (Remain calm, Respond to feelings, Reassure, Remove yourself to gain composure, and Return fully when the person you’re caring for has calmed) to help caregivers sustain quality care without burning out.

The episode wraps up with conversation about a free resource for caregivers, called Pathways To Well-Being With Dementia from Dementia Action Alliance, as well as a caregiver certification program that Homewatch CareGivers is developing with Dr. Al Power.

In this episode on the Living with Alzheimer's podcast, Christoph interviews Dr. Logan DuBose. Logan is the co-founding director of Olera, a research organization supported by the National Institute on Aging.

Christoph and Logan discuss the needs of families who are caring for an elderly relative who may also be living with dementia. And Logan describes how Olera helps match those families with caregiving tips, caregiver support groups, and funding sources for a variety of caregiving services and facilities.

They also discuss how senior care providers can utilize Olera’s service-provider login to list their organization and connect with families looking for the services they provide.

You can find more information about Olera’s Healthy Aging Community support group on Olera’s Facebook page.

And you can access Olera’s free Caregiver Relief Network at olera.care. The dashboard provided there enables families caring for an elderly relative to:

• Find help at home, 
• Find senior living communities, 
• Find help affording care and 
• Find help with caregiver support and wellness.

In this episode on the Living with Alzheimer's podcast, Christoph interviews Mary Moreland, author of The Gap Between: Loving and Supporting Someone with Alzheimer’s.

They discuss Mary’s experience as a full-time lawyer and single mother of two boys suddenly becoming the caregiver for her mother with Alzheimer’s. They also talk about the book, how Mary approached the grieving process as her mother succumbed to the impacts of dementia, and how caregivers can refuel.

The insights Mary gained from her mother’s journey with dementia became a book full of the things she would have found helpful as a caregiver from diagnosis to end of life.

You can find Mary’s book and other resources at www.marymoreland.com.

In this episode on the Living with Alzheimer's podcast, Christoph interviews Kathryn Ribant Payne, Communications Director for Alzheimer's Association Michigan Chapter. 

They discuss how call volume for Alzheimer’s Association’s 24/7 Helpline at 800.272.3900 increases dramatically during the holiday season. This is typically due to families seeking assistance after observing parents and grandparents struggling with day-to-day tasks and other memory issues.

Kathryn and Christoph discuss potential signs of developing dementia, share our stories of observing parents and grandparents exhibiting some of those signs of dementia, and discuss what families can do whenever they have questions or concerns about their observations.