Dementia Caregiver Support for Christians: Conversations for Christian Caregivers Wondering What To Do Next About Dementia & Alzheimer’s Care

What happens when two faithful responsibilities no longer fit together? In this episode of Dementia Caregiver Support for Christians, we walk through a real advisory conversation with Doris—a wife caring for her husband with dementia while carrying long-standing church ministry leadership. Nothing has broken. No crisis has forced a decision. But the weight has changed. This episode is not about em...

Faithful Christian caregivers don’t get stuck because they lack faith or biblical conviction. They get stuck when true beliefs are applied without wisdom. In this episode of Dementia Caregiver Support for Christians, we name five common ways faithful caregivers quietly become trapped—not by rebellion, but by misapplied perseverance, silence, fear, emotional over-identification, and endurance witho...

There comes a moment in dementia caregiving when the risks are no longer theoretical. Mom cannot ask for help. Hygiene is compromised. Wandering is no longer a concern it is happening. In this episode, we walk with Angie as she begins to see clearly what many caregivers sense long before they name it: a threshold has been crossed. Not a medical threshold. A stewardship one. This is not an episode...

You can know Scripture well and still feel completely stuck in dementia caregiving. In this episode of Dementia Caregiver Support for Christians, Lizette Cloete addresses a quiet but common struggle among Christian caregivers: when theology is not the problem, but action still feels impossible. This conversation is not about fixing dementia or reducing suffering. It is about wisdom, stewardship, a...

What do you do when your mom stands up, reaches for the door, and insists, “I want to go home”—especially when it isn’t safe, and she’s already moving? In this episode of Dementia Caregiver Support for Christians, you’re invited into a live discernment conversation that names one of the most common and emotionally charged—moments in dementia caregiving. When “I want to go home” collides with urgen...

What do you do when grief, worry, and responsibility all wake up with you at the same time—and none of them wait for you to feel steady? In this episode of Dementia Caregiver Support for Christians, we name a collision many Christian caregivers are living inside of but rarely articulate: fragile plans and shifting emotions pressing up against fixed responsibilities that do not pause. Recorded in t...

What do you do when the calendar turns to January, but dementia has made even Tuesday uncertain? In this end-of-year episode of Dementia Caregivers Support for Christians, Lizette speaks directly to Christian family caregivers who feel pressured to plan, decide, and resolve everything for the year ahead—while living in the unpredictable reality of dementia. This episode does not promise peace, sol...

Christmas has passed, but dementia caregiving has not paused. For many Christian caregivers, the days after Christmas bring quiet grief, lingering guilt, and a deeper question: Does this faithfulness actually matter? In this episode of Dementia Caregiver Support for Christians, we slow down and look honestly at what Emmanuel God with us  means in the real, often unseen conditions of dementia careg...

Christmas week can feel relentless when you’re caring for someone with dementia. The calendar fills quickly church services, family gatherings, expectations to “just stop by.” Meanwhile, getting out the door is exhausting, evenings are harder, and familiar questions repeat again and again. In this episode, Lizette walks through a real conversation with a Christian caregiver navigating how much hol...

Some conversations in dementia caregiving feel heavier than the hands-on care. You repeat yourself. You try to explain. And afterward, you replay every word—wondering if you spoke too much, too harshly, or not faithfully enough. In this episode of Dementia Caregiver Support for Christians, we turn to Scripture to reframe how we approach hard conversations in dementia care. Not as a communication s...

What do you do when the spouse who has always handled the finances, paperwork, and big decisions can no longer do it safely? In this episode, Lizette Cloete walks alongside Anne, a Christian wife whose husband was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, as they talk through the first faithful step when dementia changes who carries the legal and financial load. This conversation brings calm, order, an...

Some burdens sit heavier than others — not just on your shoulders, but on your soul. In this episode, Lizette speaks directly to caregivers carrying grief, confusion, and responsibility they never asked for. Using James 1:2–5, she unpacks how Christian caregivers can find real joy, hope, and wisdom — not from easier circumstances, but from Christ Himself. Whether you’re grieving a parent’s decline...

What do you do when your loved one with dementia insists, “I’m fine,” while everything in you knows something is deeply wrong? In today’s episode, we walk alongside Jamie, a spouse caregiver facing the painful reality of caring for her husband as he refuses medical help, stops eating, and shows clear signs of cognitive decline. This conversation offers practical tools, biblical clarity, and emotio...

Have you ever wondered why the weight of caregiving feels so heavy up close, yet somehow lighter when you finally step back for a moment? A caregiver once stood on a dock beside a massive cruise ship. Up close, the ship towered over everyone. It felt impossible to take in its full size. Later, out in the open ocean, that same ship looked tiny against the endless water. And when it slid through the...

What do you do when every clarifying question only makes the confusion worse? If you’ve ever watched your loved one insist something happened that never did—and felt the room tighten with every attempt to reason—this episode will give you a calmer, clearer way forward. In today’s conversation, we walk through real caregiving moments with a daughter caring for both her parents. Her dad’s paranoia s...

What if the very thing you never wanted is exactly where God grows you? I share the behind-the-scenes journey of how this podcast became unapologetically Christian—and what God has taught me through two years of walking beside dementia caregivers like you. If you feel like you didn’t sign up for this, you’re not alone. But here's the truth: God doesn’t waste your pain. He’s using even this season...

Does using your long-term care insurance feel like giving up? If so, you're not alone. In this episode, Anne shares the emotional weight she carries as a wife caring for her husband with Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD). Like many Christian caregivers, Anne wrestles with money fears, medical chaos, and legal roadblocks—all while trying to hold her faith steady. She’s approved for long-term care insur...

What do you do when caregiving decisions threaten to tear your life in three different directions? In Episode 305, we meet Sonia — a Christian caregiver trying to juggle her father’s increasing dementia care, her sister’s support needs, and her own marriage. If you’ve ever felt like you’re one Uber call or appointment away from collapse, this episode is for you. Sonia’s story is a clear example of...

Have you ever wondered what happens when doing what is safe for your parent doesn’t feel secure in your heart? That is exactly the question we are wrestling with today. In this episode, I’m talking with Jodi, a repeat guest who is facing a heartbreaking dilemma. Her mom has lived in New York her whole life and refuses to move to Florida where Jodi and her brother live, even though her safety is at...

“Everything looked right on paper… but it wasn’t the best plan for our family.” If you’ve ever felt that, Episode 303 is your compass. I sit down with Greenville attorney Chase Campbell to unpack Medicaid basics so you can prepare wisely when dementia begins—without fear, and with biblical stewardship. 1) Start sooner than feels necessary. The best time to plan was yesterday; the second best is to...

Are you lying awake imagining worst-case scenarios?  In Episode 302, I talk with Linda — a Christian caregiver whose mind is constantly racing with all the “what ifs.” Maybe you know that feeling too. What do you do when anticipating the decline steals your peace? This week’s episode tackles that dread head-on. We talk through something called anticipatory grief — the emotional weight caregivers c...

“Have you ever walked into an appointment knowing exactly what your loved one needs—then left feeling invisible?” That’s where Mary was when a therapist pushed beyond her husband’s limits and a dentist proposed a plan that ignored his stage of life. As always, I began with my focusing prompt: “Six months from now, what would have to change for caregiving to feel easier—while stewarding your health...

“What do you say when your loved one keeps asking to go home—but you know they can’t?” That’s the ache David brought about his 96-year-old mom in assisted living. He’s gentle and calm, but still wonders, What actually helps? I began with the same clarifying prompt I use in coaching: “So let’s imagine it is six months from now and your caregiving journey feels easier. What would that look like for...

“Have you ever kept quiet—not because you don’t care, but because you’re afraid of conflict?” That’s where Anita is with her brother, the primary caregiver for their mom. She sees the strain—his health sliding, the house slipping—and fears saying the hard thing will make it worse. If that’s you, Episode 299 is a gentle roadmap. I begin, as always, with the clarifying prompt I use in every session:...

“Have you ever felt guilty for wanting breathing room even though your loved one seems okay?” That’s where Barbara, 59, stands—her 63-year-old husband is early in dementia, mostly independent, yet the quiet dread won’t let her rest. We sat together to name the guilt, rebuild support, and plan without panic. I began with my focusing prompt: “In six months, what would need to change for caregiving t...