The Surviving Alzheimer's Podcast

Send Ken a Text Message about the Podcast Conquering Fear in the Face of Alzheimer's: A Caregiver's Journey Ken opens up about his journey through feelings of fear, worry, and depression triggered by his wife Shanna's recent physical decline due to Alzheimer's disease. He recounts his experiences, strategies for coping, and the powerful lessons he's learned.  Ken shares pe...

Send Ken a Text Message about the Podcast Facing Fear in Alzheimer's Caregiving: Understanding and Overcoming Fight and Flight Fears Ken Cardita delves into the complexities of caregiving fears, focusing on the fight and flight types of fear associated with Alzheimer's caregiving. Ken shares personal experiences and strategies for managing these fears, highlighting how underlying fear of...

Send Ken a Text Message about the Podcast Facing Fear as a Dementia Caregiver: Overcoming Anxiety and Finding Peace Ken delves into the different types of fear experienced by caregivers of loved ones with dementia. Using his 12-year journey with his wife Shanna as an example, he discusses the common sources and reactions to fear, including fight, freeze, faint, and flight responses. Ken shares per...

Send Ken a Text Message about the Podcast Prioritizing Self-Care for Alzheimer's Caregivers In episode 21 of the Surviving Alzheimer's podcast, host Ken Cardita addresses the challenges caregivers face when neglecting their own self-care.  Ken shares personal experiences from his 12-year journey caring for his wife Shanna, offering practical advice to help caregivers find time for themse...

Send Ken a Text Message about the Podcast Understanding and Managing Caregiver Burnout Ken explores the heavy toll that caregiving can take on individuals tending to loved ones with Alzheimer's or related dementias. With 57% of family caregivers providing care for four or more years and 40% experiencing depression, the physical and emotional impacts are significant.  Host Ken shares alarming...

Send Ken a Text Message about the Podcast Reflecting on 2022: Lessons and Insights from the Journey Down Dementia Road In this final episode of 2022, Ken reflects on the past year of his and his wife Shanna's 12-year journey with Alzheimer's. He shares personal anecdotes and key lessons learned from their experiences and deep discussions with friends who are also navigating similar paths...

Send Ken a Text Message about the Podcast A Second Home, A Second Family: Finding Comfort and Community in Memory Care Ken shares their emotional journey of moving his wife, Shanna, to a memory care facility. Initially filled with anxiety and worry, the experience eventually became comforting as both Shanna and Ken adapted to their new environment.  Over time, the memory care facility transformed...

Send Ken a Text Message about the Podcast Finding Joy and Gratitude Amidst the Challenges of Alzheimer's The episode focuses on finding peace and joy during the holiday season despite the challenges posed by the disease. Ken shares his unique anti-depression plans for Thanksgiving, reflecting on their success and the lessons learned about the power of giving thanks and doing things differentl...

Send Ken a Text Message about the Podcast Navigating Holidays with Alzheimer’s: Finding Joy and Managing Emotions Ken discusses the emotional challenges and practical adjustments required during the holiday season when caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's.  Sharing personal experiences from his journey with his wife, Shanna, over the past 12 years, Ken offers tips and advice for managing h...

Send Ken a Text Message about the Podcast The Power of Connection: Rediscovering Joy Amidst Alzheimer's Challenges Ken shares his journey and lessons learned from over 12 years with his wife, Shanna, who has Alzheimer's disease. He recounts a touching visit from Shanna's long-term friends, Judy and Wanda, and highlights the emotional connections that remain despite the disease.  Thr...

Send Ken a Text Message about the Podcast Finding Hope and Support in the Journey through Dementia In this episode, the host reflects on his journey and experiences over the last decade, specifically focusing on the challenges and emotional toll of being a caregiver to his wife, Shanna, who has Alzheimer's.  He shares his past despair and recent uplifting moments, including the profound reali...

Send Ken a Text Message about the Podcast Embracing Change: Ken and Shanna's Journey with Alzheimer's In this episode Ken shares the heartfelt story of moving his wife Shanna to a new memory care facility, recounting their eight-month journey of adjusting to the transition.  He delves into the emotional challenges and victories they experienced, from finding the right place with a caring...

Send Ken a Text Message about the Podcast Memory Care: Lessons and Challenges from Our Journey In this episode , host Ken shares his and his wife Shanna's experiences during the 11 months they spent transitioning Shanna into her first memory care facility. Ken discusses the initial expectations and realities of the memory care environment, the importance of dedicated caregivers, and the frequ...

Send Ken a Text Message about the Podcast The Hardest Transition: Moving a Loved One to Memory Care  In this heartfelt and emotional episode, the host reflects on the difficult decision to move his wife, Shanna, to a memory care facility 18 months ago. I will tell the story of the hardest thing I've ever done. That is moving my best friend and wife to a Memory Care Facility. I discuss the anx...

Send Ken a Text Message about the Podcast Facing the Decision: A Journey Through Alzheimer's Care Transitions In this episode of the Surviving Alzheimer's Podcast, host Ken Cardita delves into the heart-wrenching decision to move his wife, Shanna, to a long-term memory care facility after 12 years of battling Alzheimer's. Ken recounts the emotional stages leading up to the move, sha...

Send Ken a Text Message about the Podcast Advanced Alzheimer's: Lessons Learned in Caregiving In this episode, Ken reflects on a listener's comment before delving into their personal journey of caregiving for their wife, Shanna, who transitioned from moderate to advanced Alzheimer's between late 2019 and early 2020. The host shares observations and experiences from their journals, d...

Send Ken a Text Message about the Podcast Leading Your Caregiving Team: Insights and Experiences In this episode, the Ken draws an analogy between the role of a football quarterback and that of a primary caregiver in managing the needs of a loved one with dementia. He provides an overview of the different aspects involved in leading a caregiving team, sharing personal experiences of assembling &ap...

Send Ken a Text Message about the Podcast Moderate Stage of Alzheimer's: A Caregiver's Journey In this episode of the Surviving Alzheimer’s podcast, host Ken Cardita shares his experiences and lessons learned while caring for his wife Shanna at home during the moderate stage of Alzheimer's. Ken discusses various challenges encountered, such as increased memory loss, language difficu...

Send Ken a Text Message about the Podcast EP 6  I have Grieved 100 Losses .. Thoughts on Grief, Guilt, and Ambiguous Loss as a Dementia Caregiver In this episode of the Surviving Alzheimer’s podcast, host Ken Cardita shares his personal journey of caregiving for his wife Shanna, who has Alzheimer's. Ken delves into the complex emotions of grief, guilt, and ambiguous loss that caregivers often...

Send Ken a Text Message about the Podcast Navigating Diagnosis and Acceptance: A Journey through Moderate Alzheimer's In this episode of the Surviving Alzheimer's podcast, host Ken Cardita delves into 2016, a pivotal year in his 12-year journey with his wife Shanna's Alzheimer's. Ken shares the challenges of undiagnosed moderate Alzheimer's, the life upheaval from early re...

Send Ken a Text Message about the Podcast Navigating Early Stage Alzheimer's: Personal Reflections and Advice In this episode of the Surviving Alzheimer's podcast, host Ken Cardita delves into his personal experiences during the early stages of his wife Shanna's Alzheimer's diagnosis. Ken recounts the emotional challenges and adjustments needed to manage caregiving duties effec...

Send Ken a Text Message about the Podcast Navigating Denial and Driving: A Caregiver's Journey In this episode of the Surviving Alzheimer's podcast, host Ken Cardita recounts his personal experiences dealing with denial and the challenges of getting his wife, Shanna, to stop driving once it was no longer safe for her to drive. He shares valuable insights and resources for caregivers, emp...

Send Ken a Text Message about the Podcast Surviving Alzheimer's: Reflections on Early Signs and Coping Strategies In this episode of the Surviving Alzheimer's podcast, host Ken Cardita shares his journey alongside his wife, Shanna, who has been battling Alzheimer's disease. He reflects on their early life together, identifying initial signs of cognitive decline, and the crucial less...

Send Ken a Text Message about the Podcast In this  first episode I will give you some of background information and introduce you to the people that this podcast is about. I'll also introduce you to how we have survived Alzheimer's disease so far. It's my hope that you'll be able to connect with us, thus, be able to relate your experiences to ours in doing this. I hope that you...