Patty's Place

Lisa
  • 4.2 (6)
  • SELF-IMPROVEMENT
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

A place to talk about grief, dementia and caregiving. A place to find comfort when you are going through a difficult time. A place to know you are not alone as you go through this difficult time.

  1. 1D AGO

    A Better Dementia Journey-Interview with Amy Shaw

    I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. Dementia doesn’t just change memory, it changes the rules of the relationship. When a person still looks like the mom, dad, or spouse you’ve always known, it’s easy to assume they’re choosing to be difficult, hiding things, or “not trying.” That misunderstanding can turn caregiving into a daily argument and it burns families out fast.  We’re joined by Amy Shaw, founder of BetterDementia.com and a dementia clinician, educator, and author, to unpack a brain-based way to make sense of what’s happening. We talk about why many people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias truly cannot see their own decline, how to translate confusing behaviors back to brain function, and why the typical “mild, moderate, severe” labels often don’t help when you’re the one managing finances, meds, safety, and day-to-day care.  We also get honest about the caregiver experience: anticipatory grief, guilt, resentment, burnout, and even anticipatory relief. Amy shares practical dementia communication strategies that protect dignity, plus ways to simplify visits and social situations so your loved one can still feel capable and in control. We close with planning tips for memory care transitions, palliative care, and hospice so families can make hard decisions outside a crisis.  Better Dementia | Support for Dementia Caregivers — Families and Professionals If this helped you feel less alone, subscribe, share this with a caregiver friend, and leave a review so more families can find Patty’s Place. Support the show

    40 min

  2. 6D AGO

    Empowerment In Grief-Interview with Marie Alessi

    I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. Grief doesn’t just break hearts, it also exposes the parts of us that are strongest, rawest, and most alive. Lisa sits down with best-selling author, speaker, and grief coach Marie Alesi to talk about what happens when the worst phone call becomes real: Marie’s husband Rob leaves for a business trip and never comes home, passing from a brain aneurysm and leaving her to parent two young boys through shock, sorrow, and sudden change. Marie shares the moment she finally falls apart after holding it together for the funeral and a major family milestone, and how that collapse leads her to an unexpected word for grief: empowerment. We talk about choosing love over fear, letting emotions move through the body, and why “doing it right” in grief is often just noise from the outside world. Marie also explains her “happiness filter” for decision-making and how creating new memories, including travel, gave their family space to breathe when home felt heavy with absence. The conversation expands into what a true Celebration of Life can look like when it’s built on stories, laughter, music, and language that fits the person, not a template. Marie breaks down the services she offers through mariealesi.com, including ceremonies, one-on-one grief coaching, family bereavement sessions, and a grief literacy workshop designed for schools and teachers. If you’ve ever felt alone in grief, supported a grieving child, or wondered how to honor someone without being swallowed by sadness, you’ll find practical guidance and real-world hope here. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs a softer landing, and leave a review with one takeaway you’re trying this week. Support the show

    37 min

  3. MAR 27

    You Are Not Broken You Are Grieving-Interview with Jane Dye

    I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. Grief can make you feel like you’re failing at something you never asked to do. Today we sit down with Jane K. Dye, RN, holistic health coach, and certified grief educator trained in David Kessler’s approach, to talk plainly about what helps after loss and what quietly makes it harder. Jane shares how the death of her son Christopher pushed her to serve people living in a grief-illiterate culture that avoids discomfort, rushes timelines, and rewards “looking okay” instead of being real.  We dig into the difference between grief (the internal experience) and mourning (the outward expression), why there is no cure for grief, and why comparing losses is a dead end. You’ll hear practical language for supporting a grieving friend without trying to fix them, plus the phrases many people mean well by but often regret later. We also talk about grief bursts, memory triggers, and how comfort can come from unexpected rituals like a favorite candy, an old TV show, or a familiar recipe.  Because grief lives in the body, we explore simple holistic grief support tools: hydration, gentle nourishment, walking, stretching, meditation, and grief yoga as ways to move emotion through your system when words fall short. Jane also explains how her counseling and grief education work, including a free initial consultation and personalized resources based on readiness. Subscribe for more conversations about grief, dementia, and caregiving, then share this episode with someone who needs it and leave a review with the one thing you wish people understood about grief. https://janekdye.com/ Support the show

    37 min

  4. MAR 19

    End Of Life Can Teach Us How To Live With More Love-Interview with Christa McDonald

    I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. The hardest part of grief often shows up after everyone else goes home. The service is over, the texts slow down, and you’re left holding silence, memories, and a thousand details you never asked to manage. We wanted to talk about what actually helps in that stretch, so we invited Christa McDonald, a hospice nurse with more than 20 years of end-of-life care experience, to share what she’s seen in countless homes and what she learned the hard way in her own losses. We get honest about dementia caregiving, why presence matters when words fade, and the belief that hearing is one of the last senses to go. Christa explains why you should keep talking, keep playing the music, and keep saying what you need to say, even when someone looks unreachable. We also dig into the complicated question so many families carry: why do some people seem to choose their moment to die, like waiting until a loved one falls asleep? Her perspective is comforting and practical, especially if you’re wrestling with guilt. From there we explore end-of-life visions, “signs after death,” and the idea of continuing bonds, plus the reality that grief can take a minimum of a year and can impact your health. Krista also shares her new project, GLAD (Grieving Loss After Death and Dying), designed to meet people where they are with a 24/7 bereavement line and online grief support classes. We close by clearing up hospice myths, what hospice really provides, and why getting help sooner can change everything for families facing dementia and terminal illness. HOME - Christa MacDonald If you’re navigating grief, hospice care, or dementia caregiving, subscribe to Patty’s Place, share this with someone who needs support, and leave a review so more families can find these conversations. Support the show

    31 min

  5. MAR 12

    Words That Save Lives-Interview with Lisa Sugarman

    I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. The hardest grief stories aren’t always the ones we expect, sometimes they’re the ones we learn late. I’m joined by Lisa Sugarman, author, nationally syndicated columnist, crisis counselor with The Trevor Project, and a three-time survivor of suicide loss, for an honest conversation about what happens when the “official” version of a loved one’s death turns out not to be true. Lisa shares how she grew up believing her father died of a heart attack, then discovered decades later that he died by suicide, a truth that reshaped her grief, her identity, and her purpose as a mental health advocate.  We dig into why telling our stories can be both cathartic and lifesaving, and why suicide loss grief often carries extra weight: the relentless why, the what if loop, guilt, and the stigma that keeps families quiet. We also talk about language and dignity, including why many advocates recommend moving away from the phrase committed suicide and choosing terms like died by suicide. Words don’t just describe what happened, they shape how survivors heal and whether people feel safe asking for help.  Finally, we get practical. Lisa explains what to do if you think someone is suicidal, how to ask directly without fear, how 988 works (including third-party calls), and why crisis lines aren’t only for suicidal moments. If you’re a caregiver navigating dementia, burnout, or isolation, you’ll hear a clear message: your crisis counts, and support is allowed. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review with the one takeaway you want more people to understand about grief and mental health. https://www.thehelphub.co/ Support the show

    32 min

  6. MAR 4

    Healing Teams After Loss With Dr. Angela Fassaro

    I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. What if burnout isn’t laziness but accumulated disappointment we never named? We sit down with Dr. Angela Fassaro—emergency physician and startup founder—to unpack the quiet reality of grief at work: the missed launch, the teammate who vanished after a reorg, the promotion that didn’t land, the identity shift no one can see. Angela brings hard-won insight from high-stakes medicine and early-stage companies to show why skipping the conversation about loss stalls teams, and why clear acknowledgment becomes the fastest route back to trust and performance. We walk through a practical Healing Protocol that any leader or teammate can use without turning standups into therapy. First, acknowledge what happened and name the loss plainly. Then validate that the impact is real, even if you don’t know someone’s full story. Normalize the messiness—grief is a signal of what matters, not a weakness to hide. Finally, practice real appreciation: not cheerleading, but specific, contextual recognition that links effort to meaningful outcomes. That shift helps people feel irreplaceable in an era when AI and churn whisper the opposite. Angela also shares ER lessons that translate far beyond the hospital: control effort, not outcomes; pride in how you showed up outlasts any single result. We talk about “toxic gratitude,” why forced positivity amplifies shame, and how cultural currency shapes recognition—what feels honoring in one team can land tone-deaf in another. The throughline is simple and human: assume the person across from you might be living their worst day. Offer grace. Name the loss. See the effort. If this conversation resonates, share it with a manager, a teammate, or a friend who’s navigating change. Subscribe for more honest talks about grief, caregiving, and the work of being human—and leave a review to tell us: what loss needs naming on your team today? Join the Patty's Place Podcast Facebook Group Support the show

    32 min

  7. FEB 26

    Saving Family Stories With Reflekta.ai co-creator Miles Spencer

    I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. What if the family stories you love didn’t fade with time, but stayed close enough to talk to? We sit down with Reflecta AI founder Miles Spencer to explore how digital legacies become living, conversational presences—comforting a grandchild at bedtime, guiding a pie crust at Thanksgiving, and keeping a family’s wisdom from gathering dust in an attic box. Miles shares the personal spark behind Reflecta and why he calls it soul tech. We talk about designing for the emotional load of grief, bringing in experts from hospice, suicide support, the military, and spiritual care to build humane guardrails. You’ll hear how a 10-second voicemail can seed a father’s voice, how a same-sex sibling can stand in when no recordings exist, and why a reflection’s perfect memory makes scattered photos and letters feel whole again. For caregivers facing dementia, this approach can be a gentle bridge—meeting loved ones in the stories and timelines where they feel most at home. We get practical too: default-private reflections controlled by a family “keeper,” strict privacy and rights management, and pricing that scales from a single loved one to wider family or public sharing. Miles addresses common concerns head-on—from “digital necromancy” fears to data security—and explains how Reflecta monitors for unhealthy use, nudging users to take breaks when grief loops too tightly. The heart of the conversation is continuity: a library of experiences that doesn’t burn when someone passes, but remains accessible as a spontaneous, dynamic conversation. Ready to imagine your family’s legacy as more than a box of keepsakes? Listen now, then try a conversation with Arthur or Virginia at Reflekt.ai to feel how a story becomes a presence.  If this resonated, subscribe, share with someone who needs it, and leave a quick review to help others find the show. Support the show

    32 min

  8. FEB 21

    Understanding Dementia Types And What Caregivers Need To Know

    I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. We break down the difference between dementia and Alzheimer’s, then walk through real signs, major types, and what caregivers can do right now. We share our family stories, the limits of diagnosis, and how to meet loved ones with calm, dignity, and practical steps. • dementia as an umbrella term and why it matters • Alzheimer’s as the most common cause of dementia • mixed dementia and overlapping symptoms • vascular dementia links to stroke and blood flow • Lewy body features including hallucinations and REM sleep issues • early red flags at home and on the road • why diagnosis is clinical and imperfect • caregiver mindset, validation, and safety planning • resources from the Alzheimer’s Association “Hopefully you find some comfort in this and knowledge because knowledge is power” Support the show

    27 min
See All (33)

4.2
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

A place to talk about grief, dementia and caregiving. A place to find comfort when you are going through a difficult time. A place to know you are not alone as you go through this difficult time.

Information

  • Creator
    Lisa
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    33
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Patty's Place
  • Show Website
    Patty's Place