Many people believe that addiction and substance abuse are only problems young people struggle with. That is sadly, a huge misconception. In reality, substance abuse in baby boomers and older generations is a growing public health concern and can cause havoc in families and much stress in caregivers.

My guest today is Dr. Julie Davelman who is a Clinical Psychologist with Abrams Psychological Services. Dr. Davelman and I discuss such important topics as how large a problem is this, what are the warning signs families should be aware of, unique triggers in an older person and how can families raise this issue and begin seeking help.

You can learn more about Dr. Davelman and connect with her for further questions and advice by visiting her website at www.abramspsychservices.com and read her blog at https://drdavelman.wordpress.com/

I will also be posting some further resources on my Facebook Page - "On The Frontlines of Caregiving" - www.facebook.com/FrontlinesofCaregiving

Does the thought of the upcoming holidays fill you with dread instead of joy? Does seeing all the sparkly commercials with bright eyed children playing pianos and cute dogs snuggled by the fireplace wearing hats make you question your own life? Well - you're not alone!!

The holidays can be wonderful, joyous times, but for caregivers also come with unique stresses and feelings of loss.

On today's show, I have a great conversation with Rick Lauber who is the author of 2 caregiving books - "Caregivers Guide for Canadians" and "The Successful Caregivers Guide." We discuss some down to earth tips to help you navigate this time and hopefully reduce your stress.

Rick also is offering 3 free copies of "The Successful Caregivers Guide as a gift to you. Head on over to "On the Frontlines of Caregiving" Facebook page for details!

Most caregivers and adults know about the importance of a good diet, exercise and respite as pillars of maintaining good health. But, did you also know that getting a good night sleep is just as important, and maybe even more important as a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease.

My guest is Joe Winer, a PhD student at the University of California Berkeley. Joe is working on a research team which found that elderly people who experience sleep disruptions have a higher risk of developing memory loss.

Today we are delving into this research study and what this means to all of us.

Jennifer Levin was a caregiver for her father who had Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, a rare degenerative brain disease. Since then, she has gone on to write about her experience as a Millenial caregiver for Cosmopolitan and created and moderate the Caregiver Collective support group on Facebook. Jennifer's goal is to bring awareness to the startling statistic of Millenials who care for family, the ways caregiving affects them differently than previous generations, as well as encourage these caregivers to seek support.

We discuss a range of issues ranging from the specific challenges that Millenial caregivers face, why it's so important to identify as a caregiver and how to handle job pressures and advocate for your rights as a caregiver.

You can connect with Jennifer on her Facebook Support Group - CaregiverCollective and through Twitter - @classiclevin.

Caregivers often run in so many different directions they don't have a chance to take a breath. Being so busy, is also a recipe for burying feelings of loss instead of feeling what is going on in your life.
My guest Beth Scibienski is the Pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church and the author of "Who is God When We Hurt." Beth joined me to discuss how important it is to take time, take a breath and process feelings instead of running away from them.
Beth was the caregiver for her late husband who had Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis. His diagnosis came 14 years ago and he passed away 18 months ago. His diagnosis coincided with Beth starting to pastor in a church in Central NJ.
Beth's advice for caregivers - "Be present, even if it is painful. Take a seat. Take a breath. Be faithful in the moment to yourself first and then to the one for whom you are caring."
To learn more about Beth, visit her website at www.bethscib.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/authorbethscibienski. Beth's book "Who Is God When We Hurt?" can be found on amazon.com

Does this sound familiar to you - a caregiver shoulders most of the responsibility for a parent and feels "deserted" and not supported by his or her siblings? How about a local caregiver receiving advice from a long distance relative who doesn't know the full situation? These are the types of calls that I hear everyday from the caregivers I support through my non profit Caregiver Volunteers of Central Jersey.

My guest today is Elizabeth Miller who is the founder of Happy Healthy Caregiver, host of Happy Healthy Caregiver Podcast and a Certified Caregiving Consultant.

Elizabeth offers great advice about how to avoid getting in a conflict situation early on and sometimes, caregivers sadly just having to accept "what is." To learn more about Elizabeth and connect with her, visit her web site: www.happyhealthycaregiver.com. The web site is full of helpful resources and links.

To connect with other caregivers and hear more podcast episodes, head on over the facebook page "On the Frontlines of Caregiving" and make sure to click to "Like" it.

Most of us do not think of humor when we think about Alzheimer's disease. But, that is going to change if my guest Dani Klein Modisett has anything to do with it!

Dani is a former comedian who finds herself like so many of us - being the caregiver for her mother. Dani experienced first hand how humor connects people and brings back wonderful memories when she was performing. She wanted this for her own mother too even as she watched her go deeper and deeper into the illness.

Learn how Dani began her business "Laughter on Call" and the exciting ways she is spreading the power of humor to break down barriers and reconnect with those we love.

You can learn more about her at www.laughteroncall.com and contact Dani at [email protected]

Sharon Hall is a caregiver for her 96 year old mother who has dementia and her 66 year old husband who has Frontal Temporal Dementia. She received the "Advocate of the Year" at the 2017 National Caregiving Conference and will be a presenter at this years conference.

Sharon joined me to discuss her personal story of the challenges she experienced in getting an accurate diagnosis for her husband after he began to exhibit troubling behaviors. Frontal Temporal Dementia (FTD) is often misdiagnosed and attributed to someone going through a "mid-life" crisis.

Through her path to diagnosis, Sharon now advocates for caregivers and provides excellent insight into this illness and advice about where to seek help. She also hosts "Talking FTD with Geri" podcast on www.caregiving.com and leads an FTD Care Chat every Monday and Saturday at 7:00 PM EST.

Sharon can be contacted by emailing her at [email protected] and can be found on Twitter @SRHall419.

Quinn Early played 12 seasons in the NFL as a wide receiver for the San Diego Chargers, the New Orleans Saints, the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets. After his time in the NFL, he moved on to become highly skilled in the Martial Arts and now works as a stunt double and performer in movies like American Ultra, Den of Thieves and The Nice Guys.

On this episode, Quinn joined me to talk about another passion of his – honoring his mother’s legacy by publishing her beautiful book “Bryant Acres.” Bryant Acres tell the story of his great grandfather Sherrod Brown, who at the height of slavery in the antebellum south, was a free man of color who sold himself into indentured servitude. He found love and went on to become one of the wealthiest land owners of the time. And in the process built a multi racial community.

Proceeds from the sale of this book will go to the Alzheimer’s Association and help Quinn raise money to fight Dementia and Alzheimer’s, the disease that ultimately took my mother’s life. To purchase Bryant Acres, go to https://www.bryantacres.com/. You can connect to Quinn on Twitter @QuinnEarly and on Instagram.

Ron Simons is a three-time Tony Award-winning producer, four-time Sundance Film Festival selected producer and actor of stage, film and television. Ron is also the Founder and CEO of SimonSays Entertainment.

SimonSays is a film, broadway and recently television production company that he founded in 2009. His motto is “Tell Every Story” and it was founded specifically to create works telling the stories that are often omitted by Hollywood, and tell the stories of underrepresented communities. These may be people of color, the disabled, the LGBTQIA, seniors, and women.

Ron joined me to share his very personal and very touching story of being a caregiver for his mother for nearly 30 years. His mother, diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease was a proud, independent woman who looked on the bright side of life until this awful illness took a toll on her. Being an only child and long-distance caregiver was a role that Ron took on lovingly, but also was extremely challenging.

Despite his very busy schedule, Ron took time to share his story, so that other caregivers will know they are not alone and find hope in his journey.