AlzAuthors: Untangling Alzheimer's & Dementia AlzAuthors Featured on The Whole Care Network

Tom and Karen Brenner have a passion for helping those with dementia and their families connect on a meaningful level. Both bring their professional experience to their work. Tom is a gerontologist who specializes in creating dementia care programs that are strength-based and positive leaning. Karen is a Montessori educator who co-founded a Montessori school for children who are deaf. They have worked together for the past twenty years researching and implementing the application of the Montessori Method to dementia care.


After years of working directly with people living with dementia and their caregivers, they have published two books about their work: The Montessori Method for Connecting to People with Dementia, and You Say Goodbye and We Say Hello: The Montessori Method for Positive Dementia Care.


Based in Chicago, they travel throughout the United States presenting workshops, training programs, and speaking engagements about their uplifting and positive approach to dementia care.


In this episode, we discuss the beauty of being in the moment, how to change the conversation around dementia, and practical methods to reach people who may seem unreachable.


After the Podcast


Read the Brenner's AlzAuthors posts


Tom and Karen Brenner write, You Say Goodbye and We Say Hello: The Montessori Method for Positive Dementia Care


Tom and Karen Brenner Write 2nd Book: The Montessori Method for Connecting to People with Dementia


 Purchase the books


You Say Goodbye and We Say Hello: The Montessori Method for Positive Dementia Care


The Montessori Method for Connecting to People with Dementia


Note: We are an Amazon Associate and may receive a small commission from books sales.


Connect with Tom & Karen


Email: tandkbrenner@gmail.com


Twitter: @BrennerPathways


Resources


Dr. Cameron Camp and the Center for Applied Research in Dementia


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About the Podcast


AlzAuthors is the global community of authors writing about Alzheimer's and dementia from personal experience to light the way for others. Our podcast introduces you to our authors who share their stories and insights to provide knowledge, comfort, and support. Please subscribe so you don’t miss a word. If our authors’ stories move you, please leave a review. And don’t forget to share our podcast with family and friends on their own dementia journeys.


We are a 501(c)(3) charitable organization totally reliant on donations to do what we do. Your generosity will help cover our many operating costs, which include website hosting and maintenance fees, service charges to keep things running smoothly, and marketing expenses to promote our authors, expand our content, improve our reach, and more. Our ongoing work supports our mission to lift the silence and stigma of Alzheimer’s and other dementias. To sustain our efforts please visit https://alzauthors.com/donate/ .


Thank you for listening.


We are a WCN Featured Podcast.


Proud to be on The Health Podcast Network.


 


Want to be on the podcast? Here’s what you need to know.


Thanks for listening.


AlzAuthors.com


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Welcome back to the podcast! This episode is a duet with two of our authors who happen to be years long friends brought together by their work in dementia care and the arts. Tryn Rose Seley and Mary Crescenzo are award winning authors and master teaching artists who have each worked for decades to empower caregivers and enhance the lives of those living with dementia. In this episode, we discuss the value of the creative arts in dementia care, how caregivers can use these modalities at home, and, for the first time, we have singing on the podcast! For more details on our guests, please see the show notes. Let's get started!


About the Authors


Tryn Rose Seley is an award-winning author and a master teaching artist. Through her experiences with the creative arts, she witnesses a profound transformation in people living with dementia, from lower energy to higher energy, and more happiness and satisfaction, which leads to more comfort and success during daily routines of care. This work inspired her to write a book to teach others how to bring out the best in each other, develop positive relationships, and build trust and effective interactions between care partners. This book, 15 Minutes of Fame: One Photo Does Wonders To Bring You Both Back to Solid Ground, won a Firebird Book Award in the “Inspiration” category in 2022.


Mary Crescenzo is one of five 2022 Individual Winners of the Maude’s Awards for Innovation in Dementia Care. She is a multi-hyphenate artist working as an author, playwright, blogger, podcaster, singer, director, and actor. She is the author of The Planet Alzheimer’s Guide: 8 Ways the Arts Can Transform the Life of Your Loved One and Your Own, and has written and produced the play, Planet A. As a teaching artist for decades with an intergenerational approach, her current focus is on social engagement art for older adults, including those with Alzheimer’s and Dementia.


After the Podcast


Read


Tryn's AlzAuthors post: Find Advice for Dementia Caregiving in Book by Tryn Rose Seley: 15 Minutes of Fame


Mary's AlzAuthors post: Mary Crescenzo Engages with Alzheimer’s Through the Arts


 Purchase


15 Minutes of Fame: One Photo Does Wonders to Bring You Both Back to Solid Ground, by Tryn Rose Seley


The Planet Alzheimer’s Guide: 8 Ways the Arts Can Transform the Life of Your Loved One and Your Own, by Mary Crescenzo


Note: We are an Amazon Associate and may receive a small commission from book sales.


 Connect with Tryn


Website: Caregiverheart.com


Email: trynrose@gmail.com


Facebook


Linked In


Connect with Mary


Instagram


Twitter


Alzheimer's Speaks blog


Podcast


LinkedIn


Dementia Map


Facebook


Website


Clink to play excerpt: Planet A (originally titled, Piece of Mind)


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About the Podcast


AlzAuthors is the global community of authors writing about Alzheimer's and dementia from personal experience to light the way for others. Our podcast introduces you to our authors who share their stories and insights to provide knowledge, comfort, and support. Please subscribe so you don’t miss a word. If our authors’ stories move you, please leave a review. And don’t forget to share our podcast with family and friends on their own dementia journeys.


We are a 501(c)(3) charitable organization totally reliant on donations to do what we do. Your generosity will help cover our many operating costs, which include website hosting and maintenance fees, service charges to keep things running smoothly, and marketing expenses to promote our authors, expand our content, improve our reach, and more. Our ongoing work supports our mission to lift the silence and stigma of Alzheimer’s and other dementias. To sustain our efforts please visit https://alzauthors.com/donate/ .


Thank you for listening.


We are a WCN Featured Podcast.


Proud to be on The Health Podcast Network.


Want to be on the podcast? Here’s what you need to know.


Thanks for listening.


AlzAuthors.co

This episode is a replay of a recent panel discussion the management team did with Sue Evans of Kensington Senior Living. You'll hear us share our personal caregiving stories, and we'll explain why we chose to share them in our books. We'll also talk about the value of storytelling in caregiving and the many resources in our collection to support your journey. As this was a video event, you'll hear references to visuals you cannot see in a podcast. I recommend you queue up our website – AlzAuthors.com - and follow along during the virtual tour of the bookstore.


Meet the Panelists


Marianne Sciucco: Retired Innkeepers Struggle With Alzheimer’s in Blue Hydrangeas, a Love Story


Jean Lee: Jean Lee Writes Her Family Memoir, Alzheimer’s Daughter, About Becoming The Caregiver To Both Parents


 Vicki Tapia: Both parents had dementia, Vicki Tapia writes compelling memoir: Somebody Stole My Iron


Ann Campanella: Inspiring Alzheimer’s Book: Motherhood: Lost and Found by Ann Campanella


Susan Landeis: Susan Landeis Cares for Her mother with Lewy Body Dementia: In Search of Rainbows


 Note: We are an Amazon Associate and may receive a small commission from book sales. 


Kensington Senior Living


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About the Podcast


AlzAuthors is the global community of authors writing about Alzheimer's and dementia from personal experience to light the way for others. Our podcast introduces you to our authors who share their stories and insights to provide knowledge, comfort, and support. Please subscribe so you don’t miss a word. If our authors’ stories move you, please leave a review. And don’t forget to share our podcast with family and friends on their own dementia journeys.


We are a 501(c)(3) charitable organization totally reliant on donations to do what we do. Your generosity will help cover our many operating costs, which include website hosting and maintenance fees, service charges to keep things running smoothly, and marketing expenses to promote our authors, expand our content, improve our reach, and more. Our ongoing work supports our mission to lift the silence and stigma of Alzheimer’s and other dementias. To sustain our efforts please visit https://alzauthors.com/donate/ .


Thank you for listening.


We are a WCN Featured Podcast.


Proud to be on The Health Podcast Network.


 


Want to be on the podcast? Here’s what you need to know.


AlzAuthors.com


Shop our Store


 


 

In this AlzAuthors Live! Virtual Q&A Dementia with Difficult People (November 8, 2022) you'll meet four of our authors who either cared for a parent who had hurt them in the past, or dealt with siblings who made caregiving difficult, or both. A professional mediator is also on hand to offer advice on how to navigate a dementia journey with a difficult person.


Potential discussion topics:


Heeding the call to careReckoning with the pastSetting aside differencesProblems/issues encounteredForgivenessBuilding a support network without family

Our Panelists


Kimberly Best, RN, MA is the author of How to Live Forever, A Guide to Writing the Final Chapter of Your Life Story. She is a speaker and trainer on conflict management, transitions, and difficult decisions, including end of life issues. She is the owner of Best Conflict Solutions, focusing on Conflict Coaching, Civil, Family, Healthcare, and Elder Mediation in Franklin, Tennessee. Read Kim’s AlzAuthors post here.


Malia Kline is the author of Sisterly Shove, a memoir that tells the story of when she and her sister took on their parents’ care despite their personal differences. She is the younger sister in the book. Read Malia’s AlzAuthors post here.


Susan Landeis is a member of the AlzAuthors management team and Board of Directors. She is the author of In Search of Rainbows: a daughter’s story of loss, hope, and redemption where she writes about the gifts she found while caring for her mother with whom she’d had a tumultuous relationship. Read Susan’s AlzAuthors post here.


Barbara Ella Milton, Jr. PhD, LCSW is the author of Heeding the Caregiver Call: The Story of Barbara Ella Milton, Sr. and Alzheimer’s Disease. This tells the tale of her caring for her estranged mother when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease while she herself endured treatment for bladder cancer. Read Barbara’s AlzAuthors post here.


Vicki Tapia is a co-founder of AlzAuthors and a member of the management team and Board of Directors. She is the author of Somebody Stole My Iron: A family memoir of dementia, which chronicles her story of caring for both parents with dementia. She and her mother shared a difficult relationship, and Vicki found herself without the assistance of her only brother who chose to deny, rather than participate in, the situation. Read Vicki’s AlzAuthors post here.


About the Podcast


Our podcast brings you insightful, moving interviews with our authors who share their personal dementia journeys. Please subscribe so you don’t miss a word. If our authors’ stories move you, please leave a review. And don’t forget to share our podcast with family and friends in need of knowledge, comfort, and support on their own dementia journeys.


AlzAuthors is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization totally reliant on donations to do what we do. Your generosity will help cover our many operating costs, which include website hosting and maintenance fees, service charges to keep things running smoothly, and marketing expenses to promote our authors, expand our content, improve our reach, and more. Our ongoing work supports our mission to lift the silence and stigma of Alzheimer’s and other dementias. To sustain our efforts please donate here.


We are a WCN Featured Podcast


Proud to be on The Health Podcast Network


Want to be on the podcast? Here’s what you need to know.


Thanks for listening.


AlzAuthors.com


Shop our Store

Welcome to the third and last episode in our 2022 Summer Book Series with HFC featuring Christy Byrne Yates, MS. Christy is an expert in navigating the challenges and opportunities in life, including living in the “Sandwich Generation” (those raising children who are also caring for an aging parent), special needs education, and parenting. A former school psychologist, she applied many of the skills used in her work in her approach to caring for both of her parents, who each had dementia, while raising her own two children. She is the author of Building a Legacy of Love: Thriving in the Sandwich Generation.


This episode is a replay of our August 16th HFC Summer Book Series. We discuss the gifts bestowed when we plan for our end-of-life needs, surviving life when you’re in the middle of the caregiver sandwich, and the bittersweet decisions that must be made when juggling caring for ill or aging parents while raising kids.


After the Podcast


Read Christy's AlzAuthors post:


Christy Yates Helps Caregivers Raising Children Ease the Squeeze


Purchase Building a Legacy of Love: Thriving in the Sandwich Generation on Amazon


Note: We are an Amazon Associate and may receive a small commission from books sales.


Connect with Christy


Website with blog


Twitter 


Facebook


Instagram


LinkedIn


***


About the Podcast


AlzAuthors is the global community of authors writing about Alzheimer's and dementia from personal experience to light the way for others. Our podcast introduces you to our authors who share their stories and insights to provide knowledge, comfort, and support. Please subscribe so you don’t miss a word. If our authors’ stories move you, please leave a review. And don’t forget to share our podcast with family and friends on their own dementia journeys.


We are a 501(c)(3) charitable organization totally reliant on donations to do what we do. Your generosity will help cover our many operating costs, which include website hosting and maintenance fees, service charges to keep things running smoothly, and marketing expenses to promote our authors, expand our content, improve our reach, and more. Our ongoing work supports our mission to lift the silence and stigma of Alzheimer’s and other dementias. To sustain our efforts please visit https://alzauthors.com/donate/ .


Thank you for listening.


We are a WCN Featured Podcast.


Proud to be on The Health Podcast Network.


Want to be on the podcast? Here’s what you need to know.


Thanks for listening.


AlzAuthors.com


Shop our Store


 


 

Laura Davis and her mother had a troubled relationship that began in her teenage years. It seems Laura did not live up to her mother's expectations. They were often at war with each other and grew estranged over decades, finally coming to some sort of functional truce after Laura became a mother herself. When her mother was in her eighties and showing signs of cognitive decline, she surprised Laura by moving cross-country from her home in New Jersey to live near Laura and her family in California. Laura's memoir, The Burning Light of Two Stars, tells her dramatic story of becoming caregiver to her mother who had betrayed her in the past. Her inspiring book is not only raw and honest but filled with compassion and forgiveness.


Laura is also the author of six other non-fiction books, including The Courage to Heal, Allies in Healing, I Thought We‘d Never Speak Again, and Becoming the Parent You Want to Be. Her groundbreaking books have been translated into 11 languages and sold 1.8 million copies.


In addition to writing books that inspire, the work of Laura’s heart is to teach. For more than twenty years, she’s helped people find their voices, tell their stories, and hone their craft. Laura loves creating supportive, intimate writing communities online, in person, and internationally. You can learn about Laura’s books and workshops, read the first five chapters of her memoir, and receive a free e-book: Writing Through Courage: A 30-Day Practice at www.lauradavis.net


In this episode, we discuss mending broken relationships, caregiving for a loved one with dementia who has caused you great pain, and the healing power of writing.


After the podcast


Read Laura’s AlzAuthors post: Laura Davis Shares How She and Her Mother Recovered from an Embattled Relationship


Start reading The Burning Light of Two Stars now. Buy on Amazon.


Note: We are an Amazon Associate and may receive a small commission from book sales.


On Audible: 


https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Burning-Light-of-Two-Stars-Audiobook/B09G8WJQP7


And on Libro.fm for independent stores: https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9781950144471 


Independent Bookstores:


Get Signed Copies Through Bookshop Santa Cruz:


https://www.bookshopsantacruz.com/burning-light-two-stars-get-it-signed)


Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/books/the-burning-light-of-two-stars-a-mother-daughter-story-9781954854161/9781954854161


Laura recommends: Moving a Parent with Memory Loss by Laurie White and Beth Spencer


Connect with Laura Davis


Website


Facebook @LauraDavis&TheWritersJourney


Instagram @laurasaridavis


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About the Podcast


Our podcast brings you up close and personal with authors who share their dementia journeys. Please subscribe so you don’t miss a word. If our authors’ stories move you, please leave a review. And don’t forget to share our podcast with family and friends in need of knowledge, comfort, and support on their own dementia journeys.


AlzAuthors is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization totally reliant on donations to do what we do. Your generosity will help cover our many operating costs, which include website hosting and maintenance fees, service charges to keep things running smoothly, and marketing expenses to promote our authors, expand our content, improve our reach, and more. Our ongoing work supports our mission to lift the silence and stigma of Alzheimer’s and other dementias. To sustain our efforts please donate here.


We are a WCN Featured Podcast


Proud to be on The Health Podcast Network


Want to be on the podcast? Here’s what you need to know.


Thanks for listening.


AlzAuthors.com


Shop our Store