Navigating Dementia

Before you try another redirect or distraction, ask the one question that actually changes things: what's going on?

In this episode, Carlyn tells the story of a husband in one of her support groups who'd tried everything, redirecting, distracting, reassuring, validating, and still felt like nothing worked. That conversation cracked open a shift in how she thinks about every hard moment in dementia care.

The strategies most of us are taught (redirect, distract, validate, reassure) aren't wrong. But handing them out before understanding what's actually happening is like a physical therapist prescribing exercises before ever evaluating what's causing the pain. Carlyn walks through why the same behavior, like refusing a shower, can come from five completely different causes, and why the question "what's really going on?" has to come before any response.

In This Episode

• Why "I've tried everything" usually means someone skipped a step, not that they failed
• The physical therapy parallel: evaluate before you treat
• Why the same behavior can have completely different causes
• The one question to ask before reaching for another strategy
• What's coming next in the series

Connect with Carlyn
FREE Weekly Newsletter, Finding Our Way In Dementia Care -> https://abetterwaydementiacaresolutions.com/page/weekly-sign-up-1?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=ep2_shownotes
Website -> https://www.abetterwaydementiacaresolutions.com
Facebook -> https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61562478140551
Instagram -> https://www.instagram.com/abetterwaydementiacaresolution/
LinkedIn -> https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlyn-lenfestey-abetterwaydementiacaresolutions
Pinterest -> https://www.pinterest.com/carlyn0832/
YouTube -> https://www.youtube.com/@NavigatingDementia

If this one hit close to home, follow the show so you catch what's next: how to organize the answers once you're asking better questions.

Everyone around him called it confusion. Carlyn came to see it differently, and that shift changed everything.

In this first episode of Navigating Dementia, Carlyn shares the story that started it all: her grandfather Steve, a small-town shopkeeper in Limestone, Maine, who spent his mornings getting dressed for work, for a store that had burned down years before.

That shift in perspective became the foundation for A Better Way: Dementia Care Solutions. It's the story behind why this show exists, and why Carlyn believes behavior is never the problem, it's always the signal.

In This Episode

• The story of Carlyn's grandfather Steve and the store that burned down
• Why what looked like confusion wasn't confusion at all
• How that shift in perspective became the foundation of A Better Way: Dementia Care Solutions
• What to expect from Navigating Dementia going forward

Connect with Carlyn
FREE Weekly Newsletter, Finding Our Way In Dementia Care -> https://abetterwaydementiacaresolutions.com/page/weekly-sign-up-1?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=ep1_shownotes
Website -> https://www.abetterwaydementiacaresolutions.com
Facebook -> https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61562478140551
Instagram -> https://www.instagram.com/abetterwaydementiacaresolution/
LinkedIn -> https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlyn-lenfestey-abetterwaydementiacaresolutions
Pinterest -> https://www.pinterest.com/carlyn0832/
YouTube -> https://www.youtube.com/@NavigatingDementia

If this story sat with you, follow the show so you don't miss what's next.

Welcome to Navigating Dementia.

If you've ever found yourself thinking, There has to be a better way, you're in the right place.

Most care partners are not looking for more information. They're looking for someone to help them make sense of what they're seeing. When dementia changes the way a person thinks, communicates, or responds to the world around them, it can leave you feeling overwhelmed, uncertain, and wondering if you're doing enough.

You are not alone.

Join physical therapist, dementia educator, and coach Carlyn Lenfestey each week for practical guidance, heartfelt stories, and a fresh perspective on dementia care. Drawing from more than 25 years of clinical experience and her own family's journey with dementia, Carlyn helps care partners look beyond the behavior, understand what it may be communicating, and respond with greater confidence and compassion.

Whether you're caring for a parent, spouse, friend, neighbor, or supporting people professionally, you'll find practical tools, encouragement, and a reminder that you don't have to navigate this journey alone.

Welcome. I'm so glad you're here.

In This Trailer

•  Why Navigating Dementia was created 
•  What you can expect from future episodes 
•  A different way to think about dementia care 
•  How this podcast will help you make sense of what you're experiencing

Connect with Carlyn
FREE Weekly Newsletter, Finding Our Way In Dementia Care ->https://abetterwaydementiacaresolutions.com/page/weekly-sign-up-1?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=trailer_shownotes
Website -> https://www.abetterwaydementiacaresolutions.com
Facebook -> https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61562478140551
Instagram -> https://www.instagram.com/abetterwaydementiacaresolution/
LinkedIn -> https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlyn-lenfestey-abetterwaydementiacaresolutions
Pinterest -> https://www.pinterest.com/carlyn0832/
YouTube -> https://www.youtube.com/@NavigatingDementia

If this sounds like the kind of support you've been looking for, be sure to follow the show so you don't miss an episode. I can't wait to navigate this journey with you.