Caregiver Wellness Podcast For Alzheimer's And Other Dementias Melissa Wilkinson

Donna Thomson is a caregiver, author and teacher.  She is the mother of two grown children, one who has severe cerebral palsy and medical complexity. Donna also helped care for her mother who lived with dementia until she passed away in the summer of 2018 at the age of 96. Donna is the co-author (with Dr. Zachary White) of The Unexpected Journey of Caring: The Transformation of Loved One to Caregiver (Rowman & Littlefield, 2019) and author of The Four Walls of My Freedom: Lessons I’ve Learned From a Life of Caregiving (McArthur and Co., 2010 and The House of Anansi Press, 2014). She blogs regularly at The Caregivers’ Living Room.  Donna is the past Vice-Chair of Kids Brain Health Network and is a leader and instructor in family engagement in health research. She is a co-designer and co-instructor of The Family Engagement in Research Course and the facilitator of the Caregiving Essentials Course, both at McMaster University. 



Blog: The Caregivers' Living Room (www.donnathomson.com)

Facebook: The Caregivers' Living Room (https://www.facebook.com/donnathomsonauthor)

Twitter: @thomsod

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donna4walls/

https://www.donnathomson.com/

Caregiving essentials

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgW-AY2zjrEUYr28ebAHOY1Edc5WA3DMM


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Caregivers when first learning of diagnosis- don’t even know to define themselves as caregivers yet! Each stage of dementia is different. How do you prepare yourself as a caregiver - start to finish to transition within each stage gracefully? Join us to find out. 



Regina Koepp, PsyD, ABPP

Clinical Geropsychologist

Founder & Director, Center for Mental Health & Aging



Dr. Regina Koepp is a  clinical geropsychologist, and founder and director of the Center for  Mental Health & Aging: the “go to” place online for mental health  and aging. Dr. Koepp is creator and host of the Psychology of Aging  Podcast where she discusses the aging process and its complexities. Dr.  Koepp has been featured in the Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, and is a  contributing writer at Psychology Today, where she discusses mental  health and aging.  She is a former assistant professor at Emory University School of  Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and a former staff psychologist at the Atlanta VA Health Care System, where she  provided direct patient care and consultation on the Geropsychiatry Outpatient Mental Health team for more than a decade. Dr. Koepp earned  her doctorate at the PGSP-Stanford PsyD Consortium and completed her  post-doctoral fellowship at Emory University Department of Psychiatry  & Behavioral Sciences Richard W. Morrell Community Commitment Award   Learn more at mentalhealthandaging.com 



What are 3 questions which you want me to be sure to ask you during our session together? : 

- I'd like to talk about the transitions when becoming a caregiver. 

- What are some of the role transitions that arise when people become a caregiver? 

 the go-to  PGP - What can new caregivers do to help make this transition smoother? 


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Rebecca Handler is a writer who lives and works in San Francisco.  Rebecca’s stories have been published and awarded in several  anthologies, and she blogs regularly at www.onewomanparty.com. Edie Richter is Not Alone is her debut novel, and in a Starred Review, Booklist writes,  "Handler's Edie has joined the ranks of unforgettably eccentric,  intelligent women protagonists.” Kirkus Starred Review says, "A  tragicomic exploration of the collateral damage of Alzheimer's  disease... Handler gets it right from the title on out. Edie is  definitely not alone.” 






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Sara Traub, Attorney at Law

Sara’s practice focuses on estate planning, and also includes probate administration, guardianships & conservatorships, disability planning, elder law, and taxation. Sara is actively involved in professional and community organizations. Sara represents the third generation of her family to become a New Mexico attorney. 

Find her here: https: https://pbwslaw.com/our-team/sara-r-traub-cpa/ or https://pbwslaw.com/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/PBWSLaw/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pregenzer-baysinger-wideman-&-sale-pc/ 

Twitter: @pbwslaw


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We discuss everything from her hallucinations, to her views and myths surrounding the stages of dementia, practical end of life care advice, and how carers can tap into the secret behind caregiving for someone living with dementia.



Jennifer Bute was a highly qualified senior doctor in a large clinical practice, whose patients included those with dementia. Then she began to notice symptoms in herself. She was finally given a diagnosis of young-onset dementia in 2009. After resigning as a GP, she resolved to explore what could be done to slow the progress of dementia. Dementia From the Inside is a practical book designed to help people who are living with dementia and give hope to those who are with them on the dementia journey. Jennifer believes that her dementia is an opportunity as well as a challenge. Her posts on Facebook take a raw and intimate look inside of her daily life. 



Links referenced:

Website: https://www.gloriousopportunity.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gloriousopportunity/

Dementia Issues, carers: https://vimeo.com/116634591

Dementia Issues - End Of Life:

https://tinyurl.com/4m7fz5vh






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How does caregiving change your life? Dr. Aaron Blight shares with us his book, When Caregiving Calls, about lessons from his own journey and valuable tools to combat loneliness and the normalization of our emotions as caregivers. It's a powerful life-giving conversation with someone who's lived it and shared his expertise for more than 20 years.

Aaron Blight, Ed.D., is an international speaker and consultant on caregiving, aging, and healthcare. His book, When Caregiving Calls: Guidance as You Care for a Parent, Spouse, or Aging Relative, received a 2020 Best Indie Book Award. Dr. Blight is the founder of Caregiving Kinetics and serves as an Adjunct Professor of Healthcare Management and Public Health at Shenandoah University. He has served as a family caregiver, home care company owner, caregiving scholar, and leader at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Aaron was recently recognized as a “Top 100 Healthcare Leader” by the International Forum on Advancements in Healthcare. He currently serves as a board member for several care-related organizations.

caregivingkinetics.com


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