Navigating the World with Your Aging Loved One

It has been said that grief is as individual as a fingerprint. It's complex and it's personal. I have found that to be true in my life and in conversation with other caregivers. How do we process our grief? How do we start to find some semblance of healing in the midst of caring for a loved one and anticipating the loss? Dr. Eboni Green is my guest today and she has firsthand experience in how dee...

In 2003, Dr. Heather McKay had just begun working in occupational therapy when her beloved grandmother was diagnosed with vascular dementia. The family's challenge merged Heather's work and personal life—inspiring her career and fueling a larger mission to improve life for people living with dementia and their myriad caregivers. Over a decade of caregiving, her family gathered knowledge of dementi...

The city lights, the energy, the hope of dreams waiting to come true - Adrienne Glusman loved living in New York City. Having just graduated from college, she was beginning her life and making the most of living in the city with her friends.   One day, she received a phone call that would change her life. Her mom, Hetty, was diagnosed originally with Parkinson's disease which eventually would be M...

Happy Holidays to all of our listeners. I want to express my gratitude to you- wishing you many blessings this holiday season. A special message to all of you is included in this short episode.  Also, we have new cover art for our podcast! We've updated our look and it's much easier to see what we are all about. As much as we loved the image of my grandma on our previous podcast cover- we felt it...

An accident can change everything. The fall of a 7,000 lbs. tree, while riding her bicycle on her wedding anniversary, left Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph. D. paralyzed from the waist down. Coming home from the hospital in a wheelchair was a rude awakening. Rosemarie knows firsthand how our homes can either offer frustration or ease and independence. This led to her life's work and personal mission of edu...

Today, Dr. Mary Flett challenges us to not only age better but also age well. Aging with Finesse spurs us to look at new ideas and opportunities as we age- Dr. Mary Flett shares strategies, insights and wisdom from her many years of clinical practice working with aging adults. Recently retired from private practice as a clinical psychologist, Dr. Mary Flett, continues providing service to many agi...

Jeremy Knopow set out to fulfill a promise he made to his late father who was diagnosed with ALS to make products better for those needing them. As a successful product designer, he was embarrassed by the lack of form and function that dated walkers provided. After spending many years researching and talking with users of walkers, older adults, caregivers, physicians, physical therapists, and many...

On average, caregivers are missing up to 6.6 workdays per year- that is the lost productivity and turnover. Let alone the stress caregivers feel trying to juggle caring for their loved ones and being productive at work. How can the workplace support those caring for our older adults when they need it most? What if companies could ease this burden? What are some options to make the caregiving journ...

Moving your loved one into a senior living community can bring up many mixed emotions- how can we ensure our loved one has a smooth transition into their new home?  Is my loved one meeting new friends? Are they happy? Who are all these new people that we are interacting with each day? Families experience many emotions when moving their loved one into a new community- guilt, relief, fear, happiness...

Food and conversation play a substantial role in our lives. What happens when we bring our loved ones into the kitchen? We are continuing our conversation today with Melissa Bernstein. She is an author and occupational therapist as well as the Founder of Dynamic Companies which provides healthcare clinical and operational consulting to a wide variety of healthcare organizations. She brings 35 year...

Dr. David Bernstein is a highly respected physician who is board certified in both Internal Medicine and Geriatrics. He has 40 years of experience providing him with many opportunities to serve and empathize with thousands of adults as they age. Throughout this time in his career, he has learned and walked through many life journeys with the older adults that he served. This led him to continue hi...

In 2006, Loretta Veney's mom was diagnosed with dementia. She immediately began learning everything she could about the disease and becoming an advocate for her mom in the process. Loretta is the author of Being My Mom's Mom, Refreshment for the Caregiver's Spirit, and Colors Flowing from My Mind. Loretta and her Mom have been featured in articles in the Wall Street Journal, Psychology Today, The...

At times we overlook practical tools that make our life easier. They're simple yet impactful. Families want simple tips to help ease their burden and fight caregiver burnout.  I came across a lot of questions around incontinence and bedding in the different caregiver groups that I'm a part of- this piqued my interest in talking about incontinence and products that can make life a little bit easier...

In this episode, we interview Cathy Braxton creator of Improv for Caregivers. We see many families have questions- what is sundowning? Why do we use that term? How does it affect my loved one?  We talk about the role that sleep plays in our older adults' lives and why it's important to decipher between sleep deprivation and sundowning. Cathy shares ways that we can be set up for success when manag...

We live in a world where youth is envied and we are told to age gracefully.  We are sold wrinkle creams and injections but in fact, aging is something we are doing every day. The act of growing old and everything with it is one of our most treasured experiences as human beings. How do we shift our minds that around this? How can we go deep and find out exactly who we are and embrace the process of...

What started with a few simple questions in her grandma's kitchen led Sky Bergman on a meaningful pursuit to capture the life history and wisdom of our older adults. This film has now become a catalyst to connect the generations.   In a world where we are often focused on youth, Lives Well Lived is a refreshing look at the life experiences of 40 older adults between the ages of 75 and 100 years ol...

I just wanted to say Thank You so much. We've had an incredible year together with many wonderful guests with so much knowledge, information and great conversation. We are going to take a little break as we move through the summer. We have really exciting guests lined up for the fall and we'll be back with more interesting conversations and interviews. I hope you have a great rest of your summer a...

When Susan's mom, like many elders, endured many months of isolation in her assisted living apartment, she had one request for her daughter, "Can you bring the world to me?"  As a lifelong traveler, she missed getting out and seeing the world.   Susan's response was, "We should never ever have to stop exploring or revisiting places that we have dreamed about or that we love just because of our cur...

Essentially, we are living two lives as a caregiver- one of our own and the other of the person we are caring for, how exhausting is that? How do we keep up that pace? We don't. Not without really caring for ourselves. Today, I interview Jo Bregnard. She is a cancer survivor and caregiver. She is a certified Yoga teacher as well as trained in Thai bodywork, Reiki, Yoga 4 Cancer, and Yin Yoga. She...

Each person has different emotional needs and preferences. How do we meet those needs? How do we measure the emotional well-being of older adults in real-time? How do we quantify emotions?   Roy Tal is the CEO and founder of SOLO, a well-being virtual assistant that utilizes artificial intelligence to scan an older adult's face using a responsive algorithm to offer a personalized experience to imp...

After Lucinda received her father's dementia diagnosis so many questions came- Who can I call? What's next? Who will support me?   There are millions of unpaid family caregivers and millennials make up roughly 1/3 of multi-generational family caregivers.   As a young family caregiver, there is a deep to feel heard and supported. Lucinda Koza is the founder and CEO of I-Ally.  Out of her frustratio...

The world of real estate for older adults and family caregivers can be overwhelming- but it doesn't have to be. As you are managing your loved ones' home or property, the help of professionals with valuable insight can help with questions and offer advice on being proactive thinking outside the box on what to consider if you are in a time of transition.  So many times there are emotions involved-...

When families and caregivers are searching for the "right" community for their loved ones, the activity and life engagement program is one of the most important factors in that search. How will mom or dad be able to live out their joys and interests? Are they building community and fostering growth in relationships wherever they live? How is the community building relationships to better engage re...

How do we avoid burnout and find healing in our role as a family caregiver? Our worlds of caring for our children and also for our older adults are colliding. Oftentimes we are "sandwiched" between two generations we deeply love and care for. Today, I interview Patricia Sheveland, best-selling author and certified life coach. She is living proof that you can find freedom, balance and flexibility i...

Once you've received your loved one's diagnosis- where do families begin to look for help and support? There is an adjustment period needed to be present and understanding of the new diagnosis. Today we talk about what are the dynamics of empathy, what does an empathic family member look like, and how can they be trained and supported for that. P.K. Beville also shares with us: How do we change th...