Engaging Aging

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Engaging Aging: As age-well advocates, Erin DiCarlo and Lauren Watts shed light on topics that help older adults live their best lives. From highlighting their client’s real-life stories to sharing wisdom from many years working in the senior living industry. Join Erin and Lauren as they demystify the realities of aging and showcase the silver linings that occur later in life.

  1. The Grief Backpack: Katie Brandt on Caregiving, FTD, and Finding Strength

    02.10.2025 ·  VIDEO

    The Grief Backpack: Katie Brandt on Caregiving, FTD, and Finding Strength

    In this powerful episode of Engaging Aging, we sit down with Katie Brandt, nationally recognized advocate and Director of Caregiving & Education at the MGH Frontotemporal Disorders Unit. Katie shares her deeply personal journey—caring for a husband with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a father with Alzheimer’s disease, and raising her young son—all while navigating profound loss. She opens up about carrying what she calls the “grief backpack,” why love should guide every care decision, and the importance of building a strong support system. This conversation is a reminder that caregivers are never alone, and that even in the hardest seasons, joy and grief can coexist. ✨ Inside this episode: What every family should do right after a diagnosis Why promises around care should be rooted in love, not guilt Practical advocacy tips: documenting changes, speaking up, and getting connected with the right professionals How grief and happiness can exist side-by-side, and what it means to care for yourself as well as your loved one🔗 Helpful Resources & Links Learn more about Katie Brandt: katibrandt.org | Instagram: @katibrand6 | From Care to Care Podcast (Apple/Spotify) The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD): theaftd.org Alzheimer’s Association: alz.org | 24/7 Helpline: 1-800-272-3900 MGH Frontotemporal Disorders Unit: massgeneral.org/neurology/ftd-unit

    1 Std. 1 Min.

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Engaging Aging: As age-well advocates, Erin DiCarlo and Lauren Watts shed light on topics that help older adults live their best lives. From highlighting their client’s real-life stories to sharing wisdom from many years working in the senior living industry. Join Erin and Lauren as they demystify the realities of aging and showcase the silver linings that occur later in life.