Patty's Place

I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. Dementia caregiving can break your heart in a way most people don’t understand: you’re grieving someone who is still here. We sit down with psychotherapist Dr Katherine Brasowski, who has 25+ years of experience in grief counseling, anxiety, chronic illness, and major life transitions, to name what so many families feel but rarely say o...

I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. Dementia doesn’t just change memory, it changes the rules of the relationship. When a person still looks like the mom, dad, or spouse you’ve always known, it’s easy to assume they’re choosing to be difficult, hiding things, or “not trying.” That misunderstanding can turn caregiving into a daily argument and it burns families out fast. ...

I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. Grief doesn’t just break hearts, it also exposes the parts of us that are strongest, rawest, and most alive. Lisa sits down with best-selling author, speaker, and grief coach Marie Alesi to talk about what happens when the worst phone call becomes real: Marie’s husband Rob leaves for a business trip and never comes home, passing from a...

I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. Grief can make you feel like you’re failing at something you never asked to do. Today we sit down with Jane K. Dye, RN, holistic health coach, and certified grief educator trained in David Kessler’s approach, to talk plainly about what helps after loss and what quietly makes it harder. Jane shares how the death of her son Christopher pu...

I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. The hardest part of grief often shows up after everyone else goes home. The service is over, the texts slow down, and you’re left holding silence, memories, and a thousand details you never asked to manage. We wanted to talk about what actually helps in that stretch, so we invited Christa McDonald, a hospice nurse with more than 20 year...

I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. The hardest grief stories aren’t always the ones we expect, sometimes they’re the ones we learn late. I’m joined by Lisa Sugarman, author, nationally syndicated columnist, crisis counselor with The Trevor Project, and a three-time survivor of suicide loss, for an honest conversation about what happens when the “official” version of a lo...

I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. What if burnout isn’t laziness but accumulated disappointment we never named? We sit down with Dr. Angela Fassaro—emergency physician and startup founder—to unpack the quiet reality of grief at work: the missed launch, the teammate who vanished after a reorg, the promotion that didn’t land, the identity shift no one can see. Angela brin...

I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. What if the family stories you love didn’t fade with time, but stayed close enough to talk to? We sit down with Reflecta AI founder Miles Spencer to explore how digital legacies become living, conversational presences—comforting a grandchild at bedtime, guiding a pie crust at Thanksgiving, and keeping a family’s wisdom from gathering du...

I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. We break down the difference between dementia and Alzheimer’s, then walk through real signs, major types, and what caregivers can do right now. We share our family stories, the limits of diagnosis, and how to meet loved ones with calm, dignity, and practical steps. • dementia as an umbrella term and why it matters • Alzheimer’s as the m...

I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. What happens when the person who once guided you now needs your guidance? We invited author Ingrid Hansen Pop to talk about the hidden pressures of caregiving, why smart problem‑solvers still feel stuck, and how small mindset shifts can lower stress fast. From the myth of “I must fix everything” to the hard truth that plans fall apart u...

I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. We sit with grief educator Lisa Wrights to explore anticipatory grief, workplace expectations, holiday triggers and the myth of a timeline. Stories from dementia caregiving ground the advice, while journaling and groups offer real relief. • why anticipatory grief wears down caregivers • why repeating stories can comfort the person with...

I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. The first signs often feel small—too much food in the fridge, unopened bills, a story on repeat—and then the worry sets in. We invited gerontologist Janice Goldman to help us turn that worry into a plan you can actually use, from decoding what “dementia” really means to knowing when to call the doctor, how to prepare legal documents, an...

I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. We unpack how long-term care insurance funds care for daily living needs, why Medicare stops short, and how early planning protects dignity and choice. Real numbers, tax perks, employer options, and alternatives help you map a plan that fits your health, age, and budget. • definition of long-term care and what it covers • why home care...

I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. We talk with Harmony Home Medical’s Erica Sell about practical tools that make caregiving safer and calmer, from dementia‑friendly bathing to safer transfers and mobility that preserves independence. We share ways to pay for the right gear, find reliable help, and protect caregiver health. • Why home‑like equipment improves acceptance a...

I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. Some dates don’t just mark time; they pull you back into a room you can still smell and hear. I open up about the hardest stretch of my year—the week from New Year’s Eve to January 6—when hospice set the timeline, the music got louder, and my resolve to keep my mom from being alone turned into a nightly vigil. If you’ve ever felt the st...

I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. https://www.rememberingalife.com/ https://www.fordfh.com/ https://nfda.org/ The room changes the moment a calm dog trots in. We sat down with Dan Ford—second-generation funeral director and incoming president of the National Funeral Directors Association—to unpack how trained therapy dogs help families breathe easier, speak freely, and...

I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. We explore how to tell normal aging from early signs of dementia during holiday gatherings, using practical examples and clear comparisons. We share stories from our families, outline next steps for testing, and point you to resources that make hard talks easier. • memory loss that disrupts daily life vs recalling later • planning and p...

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I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. Support the show

I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. Support the show

I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. Support the show

I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. The moment when you realize your parent is getting lost in familiar places marks the beginning of a different kind of grief. For those with loved ones experiencing early onset Alzheimer's – dementia that begins before age 65 – this journey starts much sooner than expected. Drawing from my personal experience with my mother, who beg...

I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. What happens when someone you love starts seeing people who aren't there? For dementia caregivers, this moment can be jarring, confusing, and even frightening. But as I discovered during my mother's journey with dementia, these hallucinations can sometimes bring unexpected comfort. When my mom first began seeing a little girl...

I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. The emotional toll of caring for a loved one with dementia can be overwhelming, but finding moments of joy, laughter, and connection might just save your sanity. Author Brenda Prater-Sellers joins us to share her deeply personal journey of caring for her mother through ten years of dementia - a challenge she describes as more difficult...

I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. Grief doesn't wait for goodbye. It weaves through every moment of the dementia caregiving journey, creating a complex emotional landscape that few discuss openly. When your loved one sits across from you—looking the same but fundamentally changed—you experience what experts call "anticipatory grief." You mourn what's...