Life Happens

In this insightful episode of Life Happens with host Kim Hegwood, guest Lizette Cloete from "Think Different" Dementia joins the conversation to share her expertise and personal journey in dementia care. Lizette, an experienced Occupational Therapist, begins by explaining what inspired her to shift her focus from working directly with individuals with dementia to supporting their caregiv...

Colton Hall from Kaduceus Pharmacy joins the conversation to discuss how their approach to pharmacy services stands out in the industry. The episode begins with Colton explaining how Kaduceus Pharmacy is different and what it means to be a full-service pharmacy, detailing the comprehensive care and support they provide to their customers. Kim and Colton delve into the three biggest challenges seni...

This episode of Life Happens with host Kim Hegwood, Nicholas Porter from Medical Behavioral Hospital of Clear Lake joins the conversation to discuss critical aspects of psychiatric hospitalization. The episode begins by addressing when families should start considering hospitalization for their loved ones, offering guidance on recognizing the signs that professional care may be necessary. Nicholas...

In this heartfelt episode of Life Happens with host Kim Hegwood, Debora Nixon from Nixon Home Care joins the conversation to share her inspiring journey in eldercare. The episode begins with Debora recounting the personal story behind her motivation to start Nixon Home Care, detailing how her father's experience with dementia profoundly shaped her mission and vision for the organization. Kim a...

In this enlightening episode of Life Happens with host Kim Hegwood, Vanda Crossly from EXP Realty joins the conversation to share her expertise on navigating the transition to senior living. The episode begins by addressing how families can determine the right time to move a loved one to senior living, offering insights into the key indicators and considerations. Kim and Vanda discuss the essentia...

This episode of Life Happens with host Kim Hegwood and special guest Mike Houston from Proveer at Northgate Senior Living joins the conversation to discuss Memory Care and its impact on those with cognitive challenges. We begin with an exploration of what Memory Care entails and how it differs from Assisted Living, offering insights into the specialized support and care provided in a Memory Care s...

In this thoughtful episode of Life Happens with host Kim Hegwood, Becky Davis from Gentiva Hospice joins the conversation to discuss the often overlooked aspect of grief support for family caregivers. They begin by exploring how caregivers tend to prioritize their loved ones' needs over their own, even after the death of their loved one, and how this can impact their well-being. Becky highligh...

Innovations in Accessibility: "Even the simplest ideas can be life-saving for people or game-changing for sure."— Cindy & Christina In today's episode of Life Happens, we will be discussing the importance of adaptive equipment and proper care tactics for those providing care at home. Our special guests, Cindy and Christina from AE Corner, will share their insights into a variety...

Navigating Conversations Around Dementia: "We have a free tool for caregivers of somebody with dementia. If somebody's early in the progression of their disease, you likely can still talk to them about some of the questions that come up."— Kate Debartolo   Tune into a thought-provoking episode with special guest, Kate DeBartolo from the Conversation Project on the "Life Happens with Kim Hegwood" p...

Understanding Memory Loss in Aging Family Members: "One of the classic differentiators is if you've forgotten where your car keys are, that's normal. If you've forgotten what the keys are for, that's maybe a sign of something a little bit more serious."— Sarah Gorenstein Welcome to the latest episode of Life Happens with Kim Hegwood! In this episode, our guest Sarah Gorenstein joins us to discuss...

Smart Home Integration for Elder Care: "Bigger in the meaning that, it also can have some kind of smart devices, moving sensors, fall sensors, mode detectors, remote lockers, all these types of stuff. And all these devices, all these sensors will provide you with some kind of information, right, you need, to make sure that the person you're carrying on, it's okay."— Tomas Poska In this week's epis...

Living with Dementia: "You live for many, many, many years often with dementia, and can live pretty well. But once you get to the point where you begin to either die from dementia or there are side effects from the medications, the medications for dementia at this time are just band-aids."— Anne Kenny MD In this episode of "Life Happens with Kim Hegwood," we are joined by Dr. Anne Kenny, a geriatr...

Dementia Care on Cruises: "We will create opportunities so that we can be with them so that the family can have a little bit of room to breathe. But their loved one who has a cognitive or physical or mobility challenge is going to have the support that they need." ~Kathy Shoaf In the latest episode of Life Happens with Kim Hegwood, Kim talks to Kathy Shoaf, a registered nurse, and the mind behind...

Navigating Elderly Care When Mom Doesn’t Want to Go to the Doctor: "And he still needs to see you, so we're gonna have to set up another appointment. I mean, I hate it because he's all over it. Do you wanna.. why don't you go and tell him that you don't wanna see him again?" — Teepa Snow Title: Tackling Dementia Challenges: Teepa Snow's Insights on Managing Personality Changes In this episode of L...

Cognitive Health Myths: "None of that is true, I discovered, after 7 or 8 years of research. At that time, they thought it was. But very shortly thereafter, Harvard did the first study that proved that cognitive function is not maintained by playing games. It's not even maintained by just exercising your brain." Hello, listeners! Welcome back to "Life Happens with Kim Hegwood." This is your go-to...

The Importance of Patient Advocacy: "If you could sit down and have a cup of coffee with dad 10 years ago, what would he have said to you? He would have said, I don't want all this. You know? Usually, they're gonna say, why are you putting me through all this stuff?" — Jo Alch Title: Should You Hire a Nurse to Navigate the Senior Care Industry? In this episode of Life Happens with Kim Hegwood, our...

"The caregiver experiences a loss of the relationship before they experience the loss of that life." Elaine Messara Title: Coping with Caregiver Grief in Dementia: Insights with Elaine Messarra and Kim Hegwood In this episode of "Life Happens with Kim Hegwood," Kim Hegwood explores the topic of caregivers experiencing grief while caring for someone with dementia. She is joined by guest Elaine Mess...

The Impact of Aging on Mental Health: "So much change and transition going on... There's a lot of loss, whether it's a loved one or even just losing your independence, losing your home, the way you Lived in the past, even your car." — Rachael Golfeiz In this episode of "Life Happens with Kim Hegwood," Kim sits down with the insightful Rachael Golfeiz to discuss how aging adults cope with life chan...

Caregiving and Family Dynamics: "Family is how you define it, and it can be neighbors. It could be coworkers. It could be your organization, etcetera." — Bill Cohen In this episode of "Life Happens with Kim Hegwood," host Kim Hegwood is joined by Bill Cohen, founder of Cohen Caregiving Support Consultants. Bill shares his personal journey as a caregiver for his mother and offers insight into the c...

Person-Centered Care and Reminiscing: "I always say, you know, we took a trip to the mountains, and we saw, you know, whatever you saw, you know, however, the adventure went, include them in it without using the words, remember when." ~Brittany Bain Welcome to Life Happens with Kim Hegwood. In this episode, we delved into the world of psychotherapy for dementia patients and their families with our...

The Complexity of Dementia: "The hardest thing I think about dementia for families is that the person doesn't look physically ill until they lose about a pound of brain tissue and are in stage 6 of the disease." — Tam Cummings, PH.D. Welcome to "Life Happens with Kim Hegwood," the podcast that guides you through life's unforeseen challenges. In this episode, we have a very special guest, Dr. Tam C...

"When we look at roles, routines, and the day-to-day tasks, we can generate that into being able to support a group and facilitate, so that they can not only get the mental health component but also get the component of how do I do this life now? When there are changes, how do I make adaptations?" - Ashley Ballou highlighting the holistic approach of occupational therapy in supporting caregivers a...

Guilt vs Resentment: "If you have a choice between guilt and resentment, choose guilt." ~Karen Anderson Title: Dementia Caregiving for Mom When She's Also Difficult and/or Abusive 🔸 I had the honor of being a guest on the latest episode of "Life Happens with Kim Hegwood" podcast, where I discussed dementia caregiving and the complexities of family relationships with host Kim Hegwood. 🔸 We delved...

New Dementia Care Services: "So what makes the guide program exciting is, First, of all, you have CMS saying dementia matters. Everybody pays attention to CMS." Title: Learn More About the CMS GUIDE Model for Dementia Care "Unlocking the Guide to Dementia Care” - In this episode of Life Happens with Kim Hegwood, I had an enlightening conversation with Dirk Soenksen, the founder of Ceresti. We delv...

Patient Care: "So once we got him off the medication, he made a complete three-sixty, turnaround. He did not get a feeding tube, was able to go home independently and live with his wife again." ~Angie Galatas Title: Patient Advocates for Patient Safety In this episode of Life Happens, we delved into the world of patient advocacy with special guest Angie Galatas. As a board-certified patient advoca...