Connected Companions

In this episode, we celebrate the one-year anniversary of the podcast with our first guest, Dr. Heather Sandison, who shares her journey in supporting Alzheimer's patients and improving memory and cognition through lifestyle changes. The conversation covers the importance of community, individualized care, and practical tips for caregivers. Dr. Sandison emphasizes the role of diet, social enga...

In this episode we discuss the topic of tracking your person with dementia with things like an AirTag or other devices, what you need to consider, and the professionals you need to consult before you make a decision like this. This is not as simple as so many online dementia advice groups or internet searches lead you to believe.  This is the first in our three part series of questions from listen...

A follower asked why signs and color cues are recommended in dementia care, but the signs are not working for their person with dementia. In this episode, Olivia and Katie delve into the complexities of queuing, labeling, and signage in dementia care. They discuss the importance of tailoring cues to individual needs, the broader applications of brain support strategies, and the significance of env...

Do you tell a person with Alzheimer’s or other form of dementia that their loved one died?  Do you always lie to a person with dementia who asks about a dead spouse or loved one? What do you do if a person with dementia is grieving repeatedly?  In this episode we are tackling a complex topic that is often too simplified in dementia care and often handled wrong. We discuss how the lack of grief tra...

“They must be in earlier stage dementia” is a common refrain we hear when we show video and photos of people with dementia doing things like cooking, cleaning, woodworking, answering phones at the care community, visiting friends, etc… In this episode we talk about how people with dementia are NOT “too far gone” (not a phrase we like) to do things anymore, and how we use Montessori dementia care t...

What do you do when family or other care partners do not all agree on the type of care you want to do with your person with dementia? What if you are not the main caregiver and you disagree with what the main caregiver is doing? What if you are the main caregiver and no one agrees with your type of care? How do you decide about memory care?  You can contact Katie or Olivia and see their offerings...

Montessori is not only for dementia care or in the classroom. It is a way of life, and we use it every day to help our lives run more smoothly. Listen to hear how we use Montessori principles to organize and support our lives, especially with different neurotypes. You can contact Katie or Olivia and see their offerings at: ⁠⁠ linktr.ee/creativeconnectionsdementia⁠⁠ linktr.ee/purplehydrangeadementi...

Have you been told that your person with dementia can't do things anymore? Can't cook, can't read, can't do hobbies they love, can't go to church, etc...? People with dementia are perceived as not being able to do things, when in fact they can do way more than we are told. We will tell you how we help people with Alzheimer’s and other dementia’s do things they love again, get d...

In this AMA, we review a video sent to us of a caregiver trying to help their person with dementia dry their hands, and it's not working, even though they use a lot of the common "dementia care tips" you hear about online. We let you know what the simple fix would be and how to support people with Activities of Daily Living (ADL's) more effectively. And then we discuss making pub...

What is Montessori based dementia care? Why and how does Montessori dementia care work? Can Montessori dementia care fix dementia behaviors like aggression, wandering, refusing to shower, and more? In this episode we give an overview of Montessori based dementia care, why it works, and stories of how we have seen Montessori care work in the facility (care community) and home settings. You can cont...

Wondering what to do with your person with dementia at the holidays or other family event? In this episode we talk about what dementia activities actually are, how to choose activities for your person with dementia, how to make activities more accessible, and then we have a few of our favorite activities listed at the end of the episode.  We actually cover activities for family caregivers, as well...

In this short episode, we answer a common holiday question around Alzheimer’s and other dementias, and that is “What do I get my person with dementia as a gift?” The answer might surprise you because it’s not what you will probably see in typical dementia gift guides. We also talk about the expectations people put onto the caregivers around gifts and the added exhaustion some gifts can add to care...

Let’s talk about how to communicate with someone with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, especially around the holidays. Holidays can pose many challenges for communication, so here are some guidelines that we hope can help you and your family. Mentioned in the episode: Connected Communication in Dementia : Katie’s Ebook, with quick guides to share with family and friends.  You can contact Katie or...

In this first part of our holidays series, we will talk about the first three steps to take when you see issues with your person with dementia. We talk about what to do if you know your person needs more care but they get upset at you for mentioning it. And we talk about what it’s like to be the main caregiver when other people come in and tell you what to do! You can contact Katie or Olivia and s...

Jeffrey was a child care partner, and we made a lot of mistakes. Here we discuss what we did well and the mistakes we made that we hope will help other families. We want to help stop the message that you must force care on a child because “that’s the right thing to do” and how much the system affects if care partnering is safe or not, not so much the illness of dementia. We need to start talking a...

Season 1 Ep 9: October Bonus The Alzheimer's Dementia Aggression Myth: Bonus Episode Aggression in dementia is not inevitable. In fact, it's not even different than behaviors all of us have. Behaviors in dementia are not bad or a problem, they tell us something, and there are many ways we can fix or avoid aggression and other behaviors in dementia. Join us to learn about why behaviors like aggress...

On this solo episode of Connected Companions, Olivia shares her professional journey in dementia, how Marie and Connie formed her love of Montessori dementia care, and the importance of a person's past roles. We love comments and messages... What else do you want to learn about Olivia & Katie? Email us at connectedcompanionspodcast@gmail.com to stay connected!

Are visits with your person with dementia not going well? Do they say nothing to you? Are you not sure how to interact? Wondering what to do with them when you are there? This episode will cover how to have successful memory care visits. This is the short version of this episode, and the second half of the episode for our Patreon Level 1 and 2 members will cover how to take someone out of memory c...

Labeling and signage can increase independence in dementia, as well as decrease confusion, wandering, and refusals. In this episode we talk about the nuances of signage and how to actually use it to help your person with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. Resources: Katie’s Signage ebook and printable signs: https://recoursecoaching.etsy.com/listing/1244934685 Colored cabinet knob covers: htt...

Don't use the Google to find your answers to helping a person with dementia shower! We talk about some of the most common tips you will find online and why they miss the mark on supporting showering in Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. Learn how we support showering from a trauma-informed, Montessori based care perspective. This is the short version of our episode. If you would like...

This episode talks about how to ask for help, probably in a few ways and with tasks you never even thought would be helpful in dementia care, and even in your own life. We talk about the myth of how much any one person "should" be able to handle, and how we need to change the narrative around needing assistance. We touch on barriers many of us feel to asking for help, when we will accept...

Welcome to the Connected Companions podcast! Our first episode will tell you a bit about who we are and how the podcast will work with extended episodes on our Patreon. And in this first episode we will share with you the first step to better dementia care. It's simple, but it will make a big difference not only for your person with dementia, but for you as well.

This is a common dementia care suggestion, but does it really work? And what happens when it doesn't? Join is in the AMA (Ask Me Anything) sneak peek where you get a glimpse into the kinds of questions we answer for our Patreon members. Disclaimer: This episode is for educational and informational purposes only.

The most common question we get from dementia care partners is some form of "How do I get my loved one to...?" "How do I get my person with dementia to take a shower? Stop driving? Go to activities? Stop leaving the house?" We will explore this question and how to handle it in this episode. We handle a common scenario in this episode and basic principles for handling this probl...

If you want dementia care that maintains dignity, meaning, purpose and joy for people with dementia and their hired and family care partners, then welcome to Connected Companions! Learn from two Montessori dementia care specialists with over 20 years experience between them in professional settings and in family care partnering.