The Alzheimer's Podcast

I'm thrilled to have Janet Fouts join us to share tips and strategies to help you apply the technique of mindfulness into your daily routine.

As a care partner for someone with dementia, you know how consuming and overwhelming it can be, so it's extremely important that you find ways to release the stress and focus your awareness on the moment.

This will not only benefit your well-being but it will also help you to maximize the good times with your loved one. As Christy Turner said in a past episode, years from now you won't remember the dishes that didn't get washed, but you will remember the time you spent with your loved one.

It's very difficult to slow down and remember this, but if you listen to Janet and begin implementing her suggestions, you will see an improvement.

Janet is a caregiver and mindfulness coach; working with people to improve self-awareness and be happier in their lives at home and at work.

Her journey as a caregiver inspired the transition from a well-respected social media marketer and CEO to mindfulness coaching after discovering the value of mindfulness and emotional intelligence in rescuing her from depression and anxiety.

She shares her learnings in her book "When Life Hits the Fan, A Mindful Guide to Caring for Ourselves While Caring for Others."

Caring for a loved one with a debilitating disease such as Alzheimer's is an extremely difficult situation, but when you can't easily jump in a car and put your eyes on them to ensure their well-being, it goes to a whole other level of complexity.

As a long-distance caregiver herself, Christy Turner, the Dementia Sherpa, can empathize with others who are also caring for a loved one from afar.

In case you're new, Christy Turner, the Dementia Sherpa, is a regular guest here on The Alzheimer's Podcast.

She is a Certified Dementia Practitioner, Certified Dementia Care Unit Manager, and Cognitive Stimulation Instructor. She has run award-winning memory care communities in assisted living and skilled nursing levels of care.

Using her 16 years of experience in working with over 1,200 people living with dementia and their families, she's developed a system that helps families move from crisis management to confidence.

Bye now.

In this episode, Christy Turner, The Dementia Sherpa, and I wrap up our 3 part series on end of life with a conversation on the End of Life Specialists.

This includes an in-depth discussion on the benefits of having a hospice team assist and how death doulas can also benefit you and your family.

If you missed our prior two episodes, be sure to check out episode 52 to learn tips on how to have a good death and episode 53 on what are the things no one tells you about death?

Christy, who has more than 16 years of experience in working with over 1,200 people living with dementia and their families, has also accompanied more than 23 people and their families as they transitioned through end of life.

I'm sure you will find her insights, wisdom, and empathy very helpful and refreshing.

In this episode of Navigating Rough Terrain with the Dementia Sherpa, Christy Turner continues to share what she has learned during her time with more than 23 people and their families as they transitioned through end of life.

This is episode 2 of our 3 part series on End of Life. If you missed it, be sure to listen to episode 52 where Christy and I discussed how to have a good death.

Death isn't a topic most of us are comfortable with discussing; however, it's an inevitable outcome of life for all of us.

But talking about death and planning for it can make what might be otherwise a bad death, a good death.

Bye now.

During this conversation, Christy Turner, the Dementia Sherpa, shares what she has learned during her time with more than 23 people and their families as they transition from life to death.

Death isn't a topic most of us are comfortable with discussing; however, it's an inevitable outcome of life for all of us.

But talking about death and planning for it can make what might be otherwise a bad death, a good death.

This is the first in a three part series on end of life. The next two episodes will discuss "things no one tells you about end of life," and "the end of life specialists."

I hope you find this mini-series beneficial.

Bye now.

For the last 3 or 4 episodes, Christy Turner and I have been discussing various aspects of memory care such as understanding if it’s time for memory care, how to find memory care, and just what is memory care.

Now in this episode, Christy, who has run award-winning memory care communities in assisted living and skilled nursing levels of care, and I discuss how to avoid memory care.

That’s right – moving a loved one into memory care isn’t inevitable outcome of dementia. There are things you can do to keep your loved one at home throughout the course of the disease.

I hope you enjoy this episode!

In our last few episodes Christy Turner and I have helped you understand if it’s time for memory care, how to find memory care, and just what is memory care.

Christy has run award-winning memory care communities in assisted living and skilled nursing levels of care.

In her article “Moving Your Parent Into Memory Care,” she starts of by saying “As a former memory care director (and a family member who’s had multiple experiences with memory care placement), I know plenty of insider info on what to expect when you’re moving your parent into memory care.“

In this episode, she shares these insider tips to help you make a successful move into memory care.

Christy is also a Certified Dementia Practitioner, Certified Dementia Care Unit Manager, and Cognitive Stimulation Instructor.

Using her 16 years of experience in working with over 1,200 people living with dementia and their families, she’s developed a system that helps families move from crisis management to confidence.

In this episode of Navigating Rough Terrain with The Dementia Sherpa, Christy Turner and I continue our conversation on memory care by discussing what is memory care and what should you look for in a quality memory care community?

When I first started learning about Alzheimer’s and dementia, my vision of what memory care is was very distorted from reality. And after researching for this episode and scanning some forums on the internet, I can see that there are a lot of misconceptions out there regarding what memory care is and isn’t.

Christy has run award-winning memory care communities in assisted living and skilled nursing levels of care. Using her expert knowledge she explains what memory care is and what you should look for when you are trying to find the right memory care for your loved one.

She is also a Certified Dementia Practitioner, Certified Dementia Care Unit Manager, and Cognitive Stimulation Instructor.

Using her 16 years of experience in working with over 1,100 people living with dementia and their families, she’s developed a system that helps families move from crisis management to confidence.

This episode officially marks the 1 year anniversary – Whoo hoo. Thanks to all of you for making it a success, and a special shout out to Christy Turner who has helped make this show the success it is by bringing her expertise to the show on a weekly basis.

In this episode, Christy and I discuss how to know what your deal breaker is as a care partner to someone living with dementia. And what we mean by that is that you need to understand and accept your limitations so that you know when it’s time to seek professional help or a move to memory care.

Listen to this episode to learn what she means by “deal breaker,” why it’s important to know, and examples from the five general areas deal-breakers fall into including:

• Physical
• Financial
• Psychological
• Emotional
• Spiritual

Christy is a Certified Dementia Practitioner, Certified Dementia Care Unit Manager, and Cognitive Stimulation Instructor. She has run award-winning memory care communities in assisted living and skilled nursing levels of care.

Using her 16 years of experience in working with over 1,100 people living with dementia and their families, she’s developed a system that helps families move from crisis management to confidence

Welcome to Episode 41 of The Alzheimer’s Podcast where my goal is always to empower you to maintain a positive experience, reduce and eliminate the need for medications, and make your time together with those you care for, the best it can be.

As of this broadcast on April 24, 2018, The Alzheimer’s Podcast is only two weeks away from its 1 year birthday and over that period of time it’s had over 10,000 downloads – wow!

In this episode of Navigating Rough Terrain with The Dementia Sherpa, Christy Turner, the Dementia Sherpa, and I continue our conversation on how to know when it’s time to intervene or get professional help.

This is the final episode in this six part series. Be sure to check out episodes 36 through 40 if you’ve missed them.

Today we discuss how to know when cognitive changes require intervention including:

• Inability to do familiar tasks
• Inability to cope with familiar situations
• Word finding difficulty
• Not comprehending spoken or written language
• Getting lost on foot or in the car in familiar locations/environments

Enjoy the show.