Dementia Careblazers

Dr. Natali Edmonds

We prepare dementia caregivers for success. Say goodbye to the overwhelm & struggle and learn the real tips, strategies, and solutions that help make dementia caregiving easier. With board certified geropsychologist, Dr. Natali Edmonds Sign up for a free training on How To Care For A Loved One With Dementia- Without the Overwhelm, Dread, and Confusion

  1. 2d ago

    Why Dementia Caregivers Stop Feeling Like Themselves

    If you're a dementia caregiver who barely recognizes yourself anymore, I want you to hear this before anything else: you are not broken, and you have not become a different person. Years of pouring everything into someone else can quietly erase the parts of you that existed before caregiving ever started. This isn't a personality change. It's what sustained, nonstop caregiving does to a nervous system. There is an actual name for what's happening to you, and once you understand it, it becomes something you can work with instead of something to fear.  In this episode I explain what's really going on in your brain after years of dementia caregiving, and I share four specific ways to start feeling like yourself again. If you'd like to see this episode on video, you can hop on over to my YouTube channel here. → Join the Care Collective: https://tinyurl.com/podcast-cc  → Get free weekly tools and tips in my newsletter, The Dementia Dose: https://tinyurl.com/dementiadose-podcast  ⏱ CHAPTERS 0:00 - Why dementia caregivers stop feeling like themselves 1:44 - The psychological term for losing your sense of self 2:47 - How suppressing your emotions changes your brain 4:40 - Four ways to start feeling like yourself again #dementia #dementiacaregiver #dementiacaregiving #caregiverburnout #selfcare   --- Hi, I'm Dr. Natali Edmonds, a board-certified geropsychologist specializing in dementia care. Whether your loved one has Alzheimer's, frontotemporal, Lewy body, vascular, or mixed dementia, we believe that to create a dementia-friendly world, we must first create a caregiver-friendly world. This content is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare provider for medical guidance.

  2. Jul 9

    5 Dementia Caregiving Truths I Wish Every Caregiver Knew

    Dementia caregiving asks you to carry things nobody prepares you for, and some of the hardest parts are never said out loud. This video isn't based on research. It's based on what I've learned from working with thousands of caregivers over the past 17 years as a geropsychologist. If caregiving still hurts even though you're doing everything right, if people question your decisions, if you can't stop replaying every hard moment in your head, I want you to hear this first: none of that means you're failing. In this episode I walk you through five truths about dementia caregiving I wish every caregiver knew, the ones that can make this whole journey feel a little more possible to live.  If you'd like to see this episode on video, you can hop on over to my YouTube channel here. → Join the Care Collective: https://tinyurl.com/podcast-cc  → Get free weekly tools and tips in my newsletter, The Dementia Dose: https://tinyurl.com/dementiadose-podcast  ⏱ CHAPTERS 0:00 - Why this caregiving journey always involves pain 2:40 - Why you can't control how others feel about your caregiving decisions 5:00 - Why you can't take away your loved one's emotional pain 6:50 - Catching the harsh things you say to yourself 7:49 - Why no caregiver has all the answers, and why that's okay #dementia #dementiacaregiver #dementiacaregiving #caregiversupport #alzheimers   --- Hi, I'm Dr. Natali Edmonds, a board-certified geropsychologist specializing in dementia care. Whether your loved one has Alzheimer's, frontotemporal, Lewy body, vascular, or mixed dementia, we believe that to create a dementia-friendly world, we must first create a caregiver-friendly world. This content is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare provider for medical guidance.

  3. Jul 2

    Why Someone With Dementia Keeps Asking the Same Question

    If your loved one with dementia has asked you the same question five, ten, or forty times in the last hour, you know the kind of patience it takes to keep answering. And you probably know the guilt that follows when you finally run out of it. What most caregivers don't realize is that something very specific is happening inside the brain to drive this. Understanding it changes both how you respond and how hard you are on yourself afterward. In this episode I walk you through why someone with dementia repeats the same questions and stories, what's actually going on neurologically, and five strategies that can help, including one proactive approach that rarely gets talked about. ⏱ CHAPTERS 0:00 - When the same question comes up again and again 1:40 - Why the brain stops storing your answers 3:00 - Why feelings outlast the facts 4:50 - When repetition is really anxiety 9:12 - Five strategies that actually help #dementia #dementiacaregiver #dementiacare #alzheimerscaregiving Get free weekly tools and tips in my newsletter, The Dementia Dose: https://tinyurl.com/dementiadose-podcast  Join the Care Collective: https://tinyurl.com/podcast-cc  #dementia #dementiacaregiver #shadowing #alzheimers #caregiversupport --- Hi, I'm Dr. Natali Edmonds, a board-certified geropsychologist specializing in dementia care. Whether your loved one has Alzheimer's, frontotemporal, Lewy body, vascular, or mixed dementia, we believe that to create a dementia-friendly world, we must first create a caregiver-friendly world. This content is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare provider for medical guidance.

  4. Jun 25

    Shadowing In Dementia: Why They Follow You Everywhere

    Shadowing in dementia is one of the most exhausting behaviors caregivers face, and almost no one warns you about it. You can't walk to the bathroom alone anymore. The moment you stand up, they stand up. You step into the kitchen for five minutes and there they are in the doorway, watching you. The private phone calls are gone, the personal space is gone, and then comes the guilt for even wanting a moment to yourself. In this episode I explain what is actually happening in the brain that drives shadowing, why your presence has become the only thing that makes them feel safe, and four things that genuinely help. Get free weekly tools and tips in my newsletter, The Dementia Dose: https://tinyurl.com/dementiadose-podcast  Join the Care Collective: https://tinyurl.com/podcast-cc  ⏱ CHAPTERS 0:00 - What shadowing looks like 1:54 - The many forms shadowing can take 2:55 - Reason one: the brain can't self-regulate fear 5:01 - Reason two: losing object permanence 5:51 - Reason three: the gap between now and later 7:08 - Four things that actually help 9:16 - The guilt of wanting space, and what it really means   #dementia #dementiacaregiver #shadowing #alzheimers #caregiversupport --- Hi, I'm Dr. Natali Edmonds, a board-certified geropsychologist specializing in dementia care. Whether your loved one has Alzheimer's, frontotemporal, Lewy body, vascular, or mixed dementia, we believe that to create a dementia-friendly world, we must first create a caregiver-friendly world. This content is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare provider for medical guidance.

  5. Jun 18

    This Surprising Sign of Dementia Shows Up 6 Years Before Diagnosis

    Before the memory problems, confusion, and obvious dementia symptoms, many families notice something else first: money problems. Missed bill payments, unusual purchases, giving money away, falling for scams, or struggling to manage finances can sometimes be among the earliest signs of dementia. Research now shows these financial changes may appear years before a dementia diagnosis is ever made. In this episode, I explain why money management is often one of the first cognitive skills affected by dementia, what the research says about financial warning signs appearing up to six years before diagnosis, and what caregivers can do to help protect a loved one's financial security. Whether you're concerned about early signs of dementia, supporting someone with Alzheimer's disease, or already navigating the challenges of caregiving, this episode will help you understand what may be happening and what steps to take next. ⏱ CHAPTERS 0:00 - Did the money warning come before the memory problems? 2:10 - What financial warning signs actually look like 4:00 - Why managing money is the brain's first stress test 8:01 - Why these signs are so easy to miss 10:43 - Practical steps to take now #dementia #dementiacaregiver #dementiasigns #alzheimers #caregiving Get free weekly tools and tips in my newsletter, The Dementia Dose: https://tinyurl.com/dementiadose-podcast  Join the Care Collective: https://tinyurl.com/podcast-cc  --- Hi, I'm Dr. Natali Edmonds, a board-certified geropsychologist specializing in dementia care. Whether your loved one has Alzheimer's, frontotemporal, Lewy body, vascular, or mixed dementia, we believe that to create a dementia-friendly world, we must first create a caregiver-friendly world. This content is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare provider for medical guidance.

  6. Jun 11

    Alzheimer's Drugs Don't Work? What Caregivers Need to Know

    If your loved one with Alzheimer's disease is on one of the new treatment drugs, or you have been weighing whether to try them, the headlines from this spring may have stopped you cold. A major review from one of the most respected research organizations in the world concluded these drugs show no meaningful benefit. Researchers immediately fired back. And you are in the middle of all of it, as a caregiver trying to make real decisions for a real person. Your confusion is completely warranted. This is not a simple story. One headline says breakthrough. The next says it does nothing. But the full picture is more complicated than either side is telling you. In this episode I walk you through what the Cochrane review actually found, why experts are so divided on it, and the three questions you can bring to your loved one's neurologist to make a more informed decision for your specific family. Cochrane Collaboration Review (Full Study): https://www.cochrane.org/about-us/news/anti-amyloid-alzheimers-drugs-show-no-clinically-meaningful-effect  Get free weekly tools and tips in my newsletter, The Dementia Dose: https://tinyurl.com/dementiadose-podcast  Join the Care Collective: https://tinyurl.com/podcast-cc  ⏱ CHAPTERS  0:00 - The headlines that stopped caregivers  1:46 - Who these drugs are actually designed for  2:56 - What the Cochrane review found  5:26 - Why researchers are pushing back  7:50 - 3 questions to ask your loved one's doctor #dementia #dementiacaregiver #alzheimers #caregiving #alzheimersresearch --- Hi, I'm Dr. Natali Edmonds, a board-certified geropsychologist specializing in dementia care. Whether your loved one has Alzheimer's, frontotemporal, Lewy body, vascular, or mixed dementia, we believe that to create a dementia-friendly world, we must first create a caregiver-friendly world. This content is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare provider for medical guidance.

  7. Jun 4

    Surprising Reason Why Dementia Gets Worse In the Evening

    Have you noticed your loved one with dementia seems like a completely different person every evening? The confusion, the agitation, the restlessness — and then the nights when they're up convinced it's morning — it's exhausting in a way that's hard to put into words. It is not something you caused or something you missed. New research published in December 2025 finally gives us a neurological explanation for why dementia gets worse in the evening, and it has nothing to do with what you are doing. In this episode I walk you through what the science reveals, what actually helps, and what tends to make it harder. Get free weekly tools and tips in my newsletter, The Dementia Dose: https://tinyurl.com/dementiadose-podcast  ⏱ CHAPTERS  0:00 - What evenings look like for many dementia caregivers 1:45 - What sundowning actually is 3:18 - New brain research: what's happening inside the brain 5:22 - 5 things that can help 8:11 - What tends to make it harder #dementia #dementiacare #alzheimers #dementiacaregiver --- Hi, I'm Dr. Natali Edmonds, a board-certified geropsychologist specializing in dementia care. Whether your loved one has Alzheimer's, frontotemporal, Lewy body, vascular, or mixed dementia, we believe that to create a dementia-friendly world, we must first create a caregiver-friendly world. This content is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare provider for medical guidance.

Ratings & Reviews

4.9
out of 5
58 Ratings

About

We prepare dementia caregivers for success. Say goodbye to the overwhelm & struggle and learn the real tips, strategies, and solutions that help make dementia caregiving easier. With board certified geropsychologist, Dr. Natali Edmonds Sign up for a free training on How To Care For A Loved One With Dementia- Without the Overwhelm, Dread, and Confusion

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