Dementia By Day

How we talk about a thing defines that thing. When we use words like "fiblets" or "lies" or even, "therapeutic lying," we undermine the good that we're trying to do as dementia care partners. Why does it matter how we talk about dementia communication? Why is tossing out the word "lying" so important to me, even when it has something nice-sounding like "therapy" in front of it? Tune in to find out...

Jump in to this episode on MINI-REORIENTATION and what that all means. To put it simply, I just made that term up. In fact, I made it up back in season one of my podcast, and in today's episode, I tell you WHY. Learn why it's so important to Embrace Their Reality(TM) instead of leaning on reorientation or other poor nomenclature in dementia caregiving. Check out my sponsor and use the code DBD10 f...

I've been doing improv comedy for over TEN YEARS (woah) and I absolutely love performing. I've also found that my experience doing improv has made me a better dementia care partner: I'm super fast on my feet and able to adjust to someone else's reality with ease, wherever that reality is. Tune in to find out why skills we learn for stage are applicable in dementia care, as well.  This is also the...

Hallucinations and Delusions are some of the most difficult situations for families to deal with. People often misconstrue the terms Hallucination and Delusion. On today's podcast I will dissect the difference and guide you on how best to help if a loved one is struggling with one (or both!) Listen for some great insight! My audiobook is a great companion tool to have after this podcast You can pu...

In this episode I revisit another difficult situation in Dementia Caregiving. "I want to go home" is the prefect time to Embrace Their Reality (tm). There are some pretty good do's and don't(s) when dealing with this topic and I will share some of the tricks to getting your loved one though their difficult time. Join me on this journey today! My audiobook is a great companion tool to have after th...

Did you know that Dementia and Depression are positively correlated? In this week's episode I will explain how Dementia and Depression typically go hand in hand, the importance of not sidelining Depression symptoms when it comes to a loved one with Dementia, and physician guidance and support in diagnosing Depression. I will also explain how closely related Depression and Dementia are in the elder...

Todays episode focuses on what to do when a loved one with Dementia thinks that they still need to go to work. Keeping in mind the Embrace Their Reality (TM) mantra, let them work! Lean into their reality and line it up for them.  My audiobook is a great companion tool to have after this podcast. You can purchase it here, rachaelwonderlin.com/products   Be Sure to visit my sponsor, Alerta, at www....

What do you do when the person living with dementia clearly needs help, and says, "I don't need your help"! Yet, it is quite clear they do need help to be able to live safely and with the dignity they deserve. What do you do? How do you convince them? Do we really want or need to do that? Is this the best way to manage this situation? It can be so frustrating! Hurtful words can be said on both sid...

When it comes to dementia care, so much is up in the air this time of year. Corona Virus has certainly added a unique twist and added dimension for us to all live with, and manage. When it comes to the holidays, what will this year's festivities and traditions look like? We want things to be perfect. Right? But is this even realistic? We will address guilt and feelings that the holidays can bring...

This episode addresses what happens after you move your family member or loved one into a dementia care community. Oh those emotions! What happens after the move? What is next? How will you be feeling? Transitioning into a care community decision is a stressful decision. This is often the very last thing you want to do. We will take a look at what emotions and what we can expect to feel after we a...

In this episode we dive into a a very timely topic to address, yet a very difficult and hard to discuss one: Ambiguous Loss. What is it? Why are you feeling it? How do we manage it? This is a remix of an episode from Season 2 where I discuss what is this type of loss, and why it's important to understand this term.  Be sure to check out my sponsor, Alerta, at alertafamily.com and use the code DBD1...

As a care partner to someone living with dementia, the "stuff you need to know" can feel pretty overwhelming. In this episode, I dive into some SUPER EASY activities and programs that you can bring into your caregiving! The last thing that you need as a caregiver is more work and more challenges to tackle, so I'm going to try and make it as easy as possible. Use my Memorable Pets code to get a dis...

Sometimes, caregiving is too much. What happens if you're feeling sick, or worse, chronically ill? How can you handle the burden of caregiving? We'll discuss the challenges and stresses that come with caregiving, particularly if you're the only one doing the job. Learn more about me at rachaelwonderlin.com and check out my audiobook here . You can help to support my content creation using the "buy...

This episode is a "remix" from season 1 because it's my most popular podcast episode yet! This topic really fired me up and I think you'll feel the same after a listen. Find out what the "WHAT" is and why it's been a real challenge to get people to think about dementia care communication differently.  If you're loving my podcast, you'll really enjoy my audiobook, out now ! Check out this link to s...

Stephanie Erickson is a social worker and caregiving expert with 25 years of experience...and now she's an author! Stephanie's first book, "Plan for Aging Well" is brand new, and you can learn more about her and buy the book here. Join us on this episode as we dive into what it means to take your passion and knowledge and put it into a book. Here's a sneak preview: it's scary, especially the first...

Woo, never a dull moment! I uploaded an edit with a longer beginning where we were messing with our tech...here's the new one! PK Beville is the founder and CEO of Second Wind Dreams and the Virtual Dementia Tour! Join us as we talk about what it means to bring new, fresh ideas into an older industry: geriatrics, specifically, dementia care. We had a plan to talk about Telehealth, but PK and I imm...

How can you be the best advocate for your loved one? What happens when people are questioning your knowledge of their condition? What happens when they go to the hospital? We discuss why it's so crucial that you continue to advocate for what's best for them! If you're loving this podcast, you'll love my audiobook, available now! Get it here.  AND you can support me by "buying me a coffee" at this...

In this episode, we dive into the WHY behind why I trademarked my phrase, "Embracing Their Reality(TM)." Hint: It's because it almost got stolen! A client sent me a link to a blog a few months back that she found online...and they'd been using my trademark without my permission! Fortunately, it was already in process at that point, but this company really wanted to put up a fight to not give me th...

In this episode, we discuss how my "16 Things I'd Want If I Got Dementia" poem was co-opted by a blogger who tried to sell it for her own benefit! I tell you why it's SO IMPORTANT to trademark your phrases in business and how I started the process. I also mention my audiobook, out soon! Don't miss all the great freebies on my site rachaelwonderlin.com and if you're enjoying my podcast, please cons...

We're back for season 3 of the Dementia By Day podcast! In this episode, we discuss the THREE questions that you need to improve your dementia caregiving. We'll dive into my favorite topic, Embracing Their Reality(TM) and why these three questions are crucial to improving your dementia caregiving experience.  I also mention my audiobook, coming out soon! Don't miss all the great freebies on my sit...

How is COVID-19 impacting dementia caregiving and communication? Should a person living with dementia be asked to wear a mask? How do we encourage hand-washing? What's happening inside senior living? Find out in this candid conversation with Michelle Tristani and Rachael Wonderlin.

In this miniseries, I'll be going through my 4 top, least-favorite words in dementia care and why they're my least favorites! Be sure to rate and subscribe to my podcast wherever you listen. Find more of me on www.rachaelwonderlin.com  and download my freebies from the Products page!

In this miniseries, I'll be going through my 4 top, least-favorite words in dementia care and why they're my least favorites! Be sure to rate and subscribe to my podcast wherever you listen. Find more of me on www.rachaelwonderlin.com  and download my freebies from the Products page!

In this miniseries, I'll be going through my 4 top, least-favorite words in dementia care and why they're my least favorites! Be sure to rate and subscribe to my podcast wherever you listen. Find more of me on www.rachaelwonderlin.com  and download my freebies from the Products page!

In this miniseries, I'll be going through my 4 top, least-favorite words in dementia care and why they're my least favorites! Be sure to rate and subscribe to my podcast wherever you listen. Find more of me on www.rachaelwonderlin.com  and download my freebies from the Products page!