The Agewyz Podcast

Memphis-born writer Deborah Shouse believes engaging creatively with people who have dementia benefits both the caregiver and care recipient. In the first of this two-part conversation she describes the unsettling visit with her parents where she first saw signs of dementia in her mother, how her family learned to make decisions with the needs of everyone in mind and her father’s heartbreaking devotion to his wife’s care. Deborah also talks about her book “Love In Land of Dementia” and she shares her own creative approach to journeying through Alzheimer’s with her mother. Tune in for an inspiring conversation with this pioneering advocate and storyteller extraordinaire. Connect with Deborah here: https://dementiajourney.org Music: “Secrets” (Instrumental) by Yeyey | CC BY NC | Free Music Archive

An update on last summer’s interview with a New Yorker named Tim, whose dad is in the late stages of Parkinson’s disease and whose stoic mother refused outside help until recently. Tim talks about what’s changed with his parents since we last spoke with him, why his dad’s long-term care policy has helped despite its complications and how the family has benefitted from engaging an elder care expert. He also talks about how he deals with being “shaken to the core” after visits with his parents, and how personal growth and time spent in southeast Asia have influenced his approach to caring for them. See Episode 9 (Return of the Prodigal Son) for Part 1 of this lively and moving story. Music: “Triumph” by Jon Luc Hefferman | CC BY NC | Free Music Archive

CELEBRATING OUR 50th EPISODE! Laura Katz Olson is a professor of political science at Lehigh University who’s studied aging policies in the US for over three decades and published widely in the field of aging and health care. But not even her deep knowledge could prepare her for what she encountered trying to access health care services for her mother, a low-income senior who suffers from Parkinson’s disease and loss of vision. In today’s episode Laura talks about her new book, “Elder Care Journey: A View From the Front Lines,” an account of her eye-opening firsthand experience of the systemic flaws in US health policy and long-term care in particular. She explains why nursing homes and home care agencies often deliver poor quality of care, how taxpayer dollars support these institutions and why she believes caregiving should be a shared obligation. Academia meets the real-world in this compelling story of a daughter’s hair-raising health care journey with her 93-year-old mother. Laura’s book: http://lolson.cas2.lehigh.edu Resources to explore (cited in the piece): Nursing Home Compare: https://www.medicare.gov/nursinghomecompare/search.html Chen Neighborhood Medical Center (Florida) http://www.chenmedicalcenters.com Music: “A Tale of Two Cars” by Cory Gray | CC BY NC | Free Music Archive

88-year-old Mary Gallagher wound up in rehab for the same reason lots of older adults do: she injured herself during a fall. But this diehard fan of the Pirates, Penguins and Steelers is more than just a statistic. In today’s episode Mary talks about her rich past and present, why she has no desire to live with her kids and how her faith keeps her going. She also has a thing or two to say about the presidential candidates. Tune in for this lunchtime conversation with a sparky senior citizen. Music: “Banish” by Sláinte | CC BY SA | Free Music Archive CDC Important Facts About Falls: http://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/falls/adultfalls.html

Humor, optimism and resilience have helped writer and trained social worker Susan Margolis Stillman get through a host of family medical challenges. Susan is a breast cancer survivor, but two years ago her mother lost her battle with malignant melanoma and Susan’s son has a rare Jewish genetic disease called Familial Dysautonomia. In today’s episode Susan talks about how her son soldiers through life, how her early career as an oncology social worker unexpectedly prepared her as a caregiver for herself and her mother, and how she and her father cared for her mother during the late stages of her mom’s cancer. Susan also talks about her widowed father’s new life and why she supports his decision to remarry. Tune in for a compelling story of living life with grit and grace. Check out Susan’s blog: https://letmetellyousomethingblog.com More of her work: http://www.kveller.com/author/susan-margolis-stillman/ Music: “Deux Temps 5am Hommage” by Project 5am | CC BY NC ND | Free Music Archives

Feylyn Lewis is a millennial from Nashville, Tennessee who’s doing her PhD thesis on identity development in young adult caregivers in the US and UK. She has firsthand knowledge of the challenges faced by this often overlooked group: when she was eleven years old, complications from a surgery left her mother—a former nurse—with a physical disability and Feylyn’s brother left college to become mom’s full-time caregiver. In today’s episode Feylyn talks about what it was like growing up with a mother who needed 24/7 care, her brother’s incredible sacrifice on behalf of their family and how young adult caregivers can be supported through the transition into adulthood. Tune in for a spirited conversation with a researcher on a mission. Follow Feylyn Lewis on Twitter: www.twitter.com/FeylynLewis Learn about the American Association of Caregiving Youth: http://www.aacy.org Music: “Secrets” (Instrumental) by Yeyey | CC BY NC | Free Music Archive

Jamaica-born attorney Andrea McMillan began her caregiving journey on the morning of her brother’s birthday, when the actions of a distracted driver upended her family’s life. In today’s episode Andrea tells us what happened on that fateful morning, and she shares what she learned going to bat for three different family members, from coordinating her injured brother’s care to coming to grips with dementia in both parents. She also talks about how her parents benefitted from the network of Jamaican caregivers Andrea tapped into, her brother’s experiment with living in a nursing home in his early forties, the bizarre friendship she formed with the owner of a funeral home and how humor and faith helped her avoid “the Thorazine shuffle.” Music: “Sabre” by Ketsa | | CC BY NC ND | Free Music Archive

In her early twenties Jenn Chan left a well-paying job in San Francisco to care for the “sassy” grandmother who raised her. Ten years of caregiving later she created the Senior Shower Project, a start-up that celebrates new caregivers with a party. In today’s episode Jenn talks about why she created her start-up, how her Asian background influenced her caregiving journey and what she learned along the way, and the Mahjong gambling parties her grandma coordinated, which Jenn believes helped grandma to live well into her nineties. Tune in for a funny and moving tale that celebrates the circle of life. Learn more about Jenn’s start-up: http://www.seniorshowerproject.com Music: “Dawn’s Dew” by Ketsa | CC BY NC ND | Free Music Archive

What happens when two sisters with polar opposite views of their parents are called upon to provide care for them? In today’s episode: the sister who felt duty-bound to help out, stepped up and paid a price but views her caregiving journey as the most profoundly rewarding experience of her life. Our guest talks about her mother’s life-threatening spinal stenosis—later diagnosed as cauda equina syndrome—how her family went from paying $20,000/month for caregivers to becoming eligible for Medicaid, how the Manhattan co-op meant for her niece and nephew became hers out of necessity and why it’s essential to increase wages for America’s domestic workers. Tune in for a frank conversation with a creative caregiver who has chosen to remain anonymous. Music: “Reflections Across the Sky” by Scott Holmes | CC BY | Free Music Archive Learn more about cauda equina syndrome: http://bit.ly/1SxWyuF Learn more about naturally occurring retirement communities (NORC): http://nyti.ms/1SvTFXY

Mary Aguiar slept about twenty hours in the first three months after her mother moved in with her. Mary’s mother has Parkinson’s disease, and the medication she was on helped with her motor skills, but it also produced hallucinations and made her mother angry. In today’s episode Mary tells us what happened when she took her mother off all her medications, she talks about the challenges she’s faced with her siblings in the eleven years since mom moved in with her and the benefits of growing up among elders on the outskirts of Havana. Where Mary accessed programs for her mother: http://elderaffairs.state.fl.us/index.php Example of pedal exerciser mentioned: http://amzn.to/1V3XvuU