Capturing Essence for Care: Life Stories, Creativity and Meaningful Living

Send us Fan Mail We talk through why routines make or break our mental health and how the right time of day can change everything from focus to mood. We also share how daily habits connect to person-centered care, especially when we support people whose routines have been disrupted by big life transitions.   noticing how routines shape day-to-day well-being and emotional steadiness   matching task...

Send us Fan Mail What does it mean to truly see someone — not just their role, their rank, or what they survived — but the full, living, breathing human being behind it all? In this episode, 26-year-old Zach Dunn, shares his mission to interview and capture the essence of the world's last surviving WWII, Korean War, and Vietnam War veterans while he still can.    In This Episode: How Zach&apo...

Send us Fan Mail Zoe Martin joins us to talk about how a family loss reshapes her work and her urgency to preserve voices, stories, and everyday rituals. We share practical ways to capture legacy on video, protect family archives, and start now even if you feel unprepared.  • Meeting Zoe through the Personal Historians community and why legacy work matters  • Her sisiter, Kristina’s stage four bre...

Send us Fan Mail We talk with Bob Millar about the messy reality of long-distance caregiving during dementia, and why communication failures create fear, burnout, and constant second-guessing. We also dig into how a familiar one-touch video “clock” can reduce loneliness, simplify care coordination, and help families stay present when distance and transitions get in the way. • Bob’s caregiving path...

Send us Fan Mail Wake Up Maggie: The Film Giving Dignity and a Voice to Frontotemporal Dementia with Katie Prentiss Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) can enter a family like a false accusation — sudden personality shifts and years of misdiagnosis. Actor and filmmaker Katie Prentiss knows this firsthand. She opens up about caring for her mom through FTD, the loneliness of uncharted waters, and the chal...

Send us Fan Mail Episode Description: We talk with Linda Wiebe about loving and caring for her husband Herb through Alzheimer's disease and Lewy Body Dementia, and how digital storytelling helps others see the person behind the diagnosis. We also name the hidden load caregivers carry — from isolation and stigma to the practical decisions that protect a family before crisis hits. the digital s...

Send us Fan Mail What does it actually look like to age with a sharp, resilient, and deeply connected mind? Dr. Angela Roberts — a dementia researcher leading Canada's first Super Ager cohort joins us to explore what science is learning from people in their 80s and 90s who maintain exceptional cognitive abilities. Rather than focusing on what goes wrong, her team studies what goes right. Abou...

Send us Fan Mail Episode Description What if one simple question could transform healthcare? In this episode, Lisa talks with Dr. Harvey Max Chochinov, the renowned psychiatrist who developed the Patient Dignity Question: "What do I need to know about you as a person in order to take the best care of you possible?" Dr. Chochinov shares the research and stories behind this deceptively sim...

Send us Fan Mail Kristy Wolfe, digital storytelling facilitator and Co-Created podcast host, interviews Lisa in this episode!  They explore how short, intentional stories help clinicians see the person behind the patient and why clarity, consent, and ownership make storytelling safer and more effective. Along the way, we share tools from Waiting Room Revolution, VR training, and Lisa's wish t...

Send us Fan Mail Episode Description: Ever wonder what happens to your life stories after you write them? What if they could become part of a published book shared with readers around the world? Join host Lisa Joworski for an inspiring conversation with Dr. Cheryl Svensson and Sarah White from the Birren Center for Autobiographical Studies as they discuss the newly released anthology "Second...

Send us Fan Mail Episode Description: What happens when a filmmaker gets rejected from every grant—then discovers a senior citizens fund and pitches the wildest idea imaginable? Award-winning Canadian filmmaker Sean Cisterna shares the inspiring story behind Silver Screamers , his 2025 documentary about a spirited group of seniors who came together to make a horror film called The Rug . The Origin...

Send us Fan Mail Life Story Methods and Meaningful Living: Year One Reflections What if capturing your stories today could transform how others care for you tomorrow? After nearly a year and 22 episodes, I'm reflecting on what I've learned about capturing essence—and why this podcast is evolving to focus on meaningful living right now, not just future care. In this episode, you'll d...

Send us Fan Mail Episode Description In this season finale, I'm joined by Beth Fitzmaurice, whose caregiving story became a digital story transforming how McCormick Dementia Services trains staff and supports caregivers. Beth shares what it was like to care for her mom 24/7 for five years, how digital storytelling helped her find purpose after loss, and why she went from isolated to advocate....

Send us Fan Mail Join host Lisa Joworski for an inspiring conversation with Juno Award-winning musician and storyteller Meaghan Smith about how songwriting became her way to process emotions and help others tell their stories. In this episode: Musical Storytelling - How Meaghan discovered songwriting at age 12 and now writes personalized songs for life's most significant moments Learning Thro...

Send us Fan Mail Episode Description What if a thirty-minute video could transform how your loved one receives care? Legacy filmmaker Liam Martyn made the shift from commercial videography to founding Everlasting Studios after discovering decades-old family films and realizing how powerfully people come alive when seen in motion. From there, he built a filmmaking practice centred on creating thoug...

Send us Fan Mail Show Description Anika Chabra is Co-Founder of Root & Seed , a simple and game-like platform on a mission to bring storytelling back to where it belongs, between generations, across kitchen tables, in workplaces and in caregiver and elder interactions. After two decades in the corporate world, Anika knew there had to be a better way to preserve the essence of who we are, our c...

Send us Fan Mail Episode Description Dr. Marie Savundranayagam's innovative virtual reality training program is transforming dementia care by teaching healthcare providers person-centred communication skills in an immersive, judgment-free environment. Her research and personal caregiving experience have shaped a program that helps frontline workers see beyond the condition to connect with the...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Sammy Winemaker shares how patients can present themselves as unique individuals to the healthcare system rather than becoming "a cog in a wheel." We explore practical ways to ensure your personhood remains at the center of your healthcare journey, even when time with providers is limited. • Healthcare systems value efficiency and standardization, which can wash away...

Send us Fan Mail Episode Description: Feeling like your story doesn't matter? Worried your children or grandchildren won't appreciate your life experiences? Discover how Guided Autobiography (GAB) transforms personal memories into powerful legacies that strengthen families across generations. In this episode, Dr. Cheryl Svensson, Director of the Birren Center for Autobiographical Studies...

Send us Fan Mail Storytelling photographer Heather Knox shares her journey from international nonprofit work to helping people capture their life stories through guided autobiography and digital storytelling. With deep experience in service, photography, and nonprofit leadership, Heather now focuses on helping seniors in Mexico preserve their stories before they're lost. Key Points Discussed:...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Flora Brown shares her journey as a life story coach and guided autobiography facilitator, revealing how childhood experiences eavesdropping in her mother's beauty shop shaped her passion for helping others capture their life stories. She discusses the transformative power of personal storytelling and how it helps people gain new perspectives on their experiences. Discuss...

Send us Fan Mail Whitney Myers, owner and founder of Sacred Stories, shares how personal storytelling through video preserves legacies and enhances care. Her background in ministry, memory care, and family documentation created a natural path toward helping others preserve their life stories through high-quality filmed interviews. Discussion points: • Following life's "arrows" rathe...

Send us Fan Mail Visual narratives can impact healthcare by humanizing patient experiences and reconnecting clinical expertise with empathy.  Krystle Schofield reveals how by sharing her own journey from photographer to digital storyteller. Key Messages: Photography evolved from a creative passion to a therapeutic tool when Krystle's second child was diagnosed with a rare disease Documentary...

Send us Fan Mail Show Notes: Maureen Leier, a registered nurse in public health and digital storyteller, joins Lisa to explore how integrating personal life stories into healthcare transforms the quality of care and creates meaningful connections between caregivers and patients. Key Points Discussed: • Digital storytelling creates a framework for seeing patients as complete humans with rich life e...

Send us Fan Mail Ron Beleno is an active advocate for dementia, caregiving, aging and research communities.  From lived experience, he encourages others to transform the challenging caregiving journey into one of growth and resilience through his innovative approach to narrative reframing and community building. In caring for his father who had Alzheimer's for over ten years, Ron shares pract...