Patty's Place

Lisa
  • 3.0 (2)
  • SELF-IMPROVEMENT

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. 6D AGO

    Comfort On Four Paws: How Funeral Therapy Dogs Ease Loss

    I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. https://www.rememberingalife.com/ https://www.fordfh.com/ https://nfda.org/ The room changes the moment a calm dog trots in. We sat down with Dan Ford—second-generation funeral director and incoming president of the National Funeral Directors Association—to unpack how trained therapy dogs help families breathe easier, speak freely, and find a little relief on the hardest days. Meet Joey, the lap-loving “little gentleman,” and Annie, a gentle golden doodle who leans into a mourner’s leg to say, I’m here. Their presence isn’t a novelty; it’s practical neuroscience in action, turning overwhelming services into spaces where people can actually feel and talk. Dan walks us through the craft behind the comfort: temperament over breed, clear consent with families, structured breaks, and national certification with recertification every two years. He shares moments that stick—a granddaughter holding Joey through an entire visitation, community members asking about the dogs at the grocery store—and why boundaries matter when allergies or discomfort arise. We also zoom out to the core ethic of death care: empathy. Dan learned from his father that if empathy fades, it’s time to change careers. That principle shapes how his team supports families and how he protects his own resilience with honest communication at home. Then we get tactical. The first 24 to 48 hours after a death can bring over a hundred decisions. Preplanning turns guesswork into guidance. We cover how to start conversations, what to document, and where to learn more. Dan points to RememberingALife.com, an NFDA-backed resource with consumer-friendly tools for funeral planning, therapy dog insights, and finding a trusted funeral home. The takeaway is simple and powerful: compassionate support can be trained, and clarity can be chosen. Put them together and the path through grief gets a little steadier. If this conversation helped, follow the show, share it with someone who needs it today, and leave a review to help more caregivers and grieving families find us. Support the show

    28 min

  2. DEC 10

    Spotting The 10 Warning Signs Of Dementia During Family Gatherings

    I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. We explore how to tell normal aging from early signs of dementia during holiday gatherings, using practical examples and clear comparisons. We share stories from our families, outline next steps for testing, and point you to resources that make hard talks easier. • memory loss that disrupts daily life vs recalling later • planning and problem solving decline beyond simple errors • getting lost on familiar routes and inside stores • confusion about dates, seasons, and future plans • vision and spatial changes that affect driving and balance • language gaps, menu anxiety, and repeated stories • misplacing items and inability to retrace steps • poor judgment with money and self-care • social withdrawal and loss of hobbies • mood and personality changes tied to overwhelm • how to rule out UTIs, depression, and diabetes • why early evaluation and resources matter • using Alzheimer’s Association tools and checklists • starting compassionate, concrete conversations at home You can always reach me at my email, which is L-I-S-M-A-R-93 at yahoo.com Support the show

    18 min

  3. DEC 1

    Finding Peace When Caregiving And Grieving Collide

    I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. Support the show

    17 min

  4. OCT 6

    Lonliness in Grief and Caregiving

    I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. Support the show

    21 min

  5. SEP 29

    When the caregiving stops, how do you start again?

    I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. Support the show

    20 min

  6. SEP 17

    When Your Mom Is Gone: Navigating Life After Losing Home

    I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. Support the show

    19 min

  7. SEP 11

    When Dementia Arrives Too Soon: Understanding Early Onset Alzheimer's

    I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. The moment when you realize your parent is getting lost in familiar places marks the beginning of a different kind of grief. For those with loved ones experiencing early onset Alzheimer's – dementia that begins before age 65 – this journey starts much sooner than expected. Drawing from my personal experience with my mother, who began showing symptoms in her mid-60s but wasn't diagnosed until much later, I explore the unique challenges of early onset Alzheimer's. Unlike the typical cases affecting those in their late 70s or 80s, this form strikes approximately 200,000 Americans earlier in life, accounting for about 3% of all Alzheimer's cases. The disease progresses more aggressively in younger patients, yet presents with symptoms that are often missed or misattributed to stress, depression, or normal aging. Through my mother's story, I share the subtle warning signs we missed – her sudden refusal to drive, blaming it on disliking a new car; her reluctance to shop independently; her inability to follow simple television plots. These weren't just normal forgetfulness but manifestations of a brain changing far too soon. Early onset patients often experience unusual symptoms beyond memory loss, including difficulties processing visual information, recognizing faces (even of spouses and children), and significant declines in language, writing, and executive functioning skills. Perhaps most heartbreaking is that these patients typically maintain good physical health while experiencing profound cognitive decline – my mother remained mobile without assistance despite advanced dementia, surprising even her hospice nurses. If you're caring for someone with dementia or noticing concerning changes in a loved one, please reach out through comments or my upcoming Instagram page. Share your experiences, suggest topics you'd like covered, or simply connect with others walking this difficult path. Together, we can navigate the complex journey of caregiving, memory loss, and the grief that comes when someone we love begins to forget. Support the show

    21 min

  8. MAY 26

    Navigating Hallucinations in Dementia: A Caregiver's Guide to Comfort

    I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. What happens when someone you love starts seeing people who aren't there? For dementia caregivers, this moment can be jarring, confusing, and even frightening. But as I discovered during my mother's journey with dementia, these hallucinations can sometimes bring unexpected comfort. When my mom first began seeing a little girl with red hair, I recognized she was connecting with her cousin who had died at age 11. Later, she spoke with her brother who had passed just a year before—someone we deliberately never told her had died to spare her from repeatedly experiencing that grief. Rather than correcting her, I asked questions and joined her reality. "What are they saying?" I'd ask, or "Isn't it nice they came to visit?" This approach preserved her dignity and the comfort these connections brought her. Before assuming hallucinations are simply symptoms of advancing dementia, caregivers should consult healthcare providers to rule out urinary tract infections, medication side effects, or other physical causes. Once medical issues are addressed, the key challenge becomes how to respond compassionately. Rather than arguing about what's "real," successful approaches include validating feelings, offering reassurance, redirecting attention if needed, and making environmental modifications like improving lighting or covering mirrors that might trigger confusing reflections. For many with dementia, seeing departed loved ones isn't frightening—it's comforting. My mother found peace in these connections, and that brought me peace too. By entering her world rather than demanding she enter mine, we created moments of genuine connection despite the progression of her illness. Perhaps the greatest lesson dementia teaches us is to be present in the moment, just as our loved ones are forced to be. Years later, I'm grateful for the times I set aside my need to correct and simply joined my mother where she was. If you're navigating this complex journey of caregiving, know you're not alone. Sometimes the most profound gift we can give is simply meeting our loved ones in their reality, whatever that might be today. Support the show

    28 min
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Ratings & Reviews

3
out of 5
2 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
    2K
  • Episodes
    19
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Patty's Place
  • Show Website
    Patty's Place