Started in honor of a Grandma with Alzheimer’s & a son with Autism…

As if caregiving weren't full of enough responsibilities, coordinating with others adds an entire layer to an already complicated process. I'm sure you've asked yourself if there were an easier way that perhaps you were overlooking. Today I'd like to introduce you to Our Little Peace of Mind.

Started in honor of a Grandma with Alzheimer's and a son with Autism, their primary focus is creating medical binders and portfolios that help you coordinate with the vast number of people who need to understand each person's specifics. These portfolios and binders are custom-assembled for you and offer unique solutions for keeping your loved ones home as long as possible.

By helping you make doctor visits, family coordination, and other appointments easier, Our Little Peace of Mind helps you have one less thing to worry about on your caregiving journey.

Our LIttle Peace of Mind Website

Tarnscript

NeuroReserve – Helping Our Brainspan Match our Lifespan

NeuroReserve – Helping Our Brainspan Match our Lifespan
Be sure to check out our website for more resources, partners, recipes, and more.  www.fadingmemoriespodcast.com
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There you can see me in “action” and watch the bonus videos I share.

Want to learn from Jennifer in person (or virtually)? Wherever you'd like a training session, Jen is available. Contact her at fadingmemoriespodcast@gmail.com

 

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Echobox is a fun, easy way to store & share memories.

 

Looking for ways of sharing memories with my Mom was the main reason I started this podcast.  I was searching for better ways to connect with my Mom and all the advice I read wasn't working. Having all the tools I needed but not easily accessed is the problem that today's guests are trying to solve.

Echobox reconnects us with ourselves and our loved ones by sparking memories, kindling, stimulating conversation, and boosting cognitive function. It helps us cope with depression, boredom, anxiety, and grief by providing a simple, fun, and positive activity – adding color and laughter to an afternoon or family visit!

Echobox works by making it easy for you to; list favorite things, add photos and videos to your vault, and even make voice recordings. As you assemble your memory vault, the sights, sounds, flavors, colors, scents, and memories dear to us are easily accessed.

This rich, detailed reflection will one day serve as an irreplaceable tribute to our memory and a treasured gift for those we leave behind. Friends and family will always have this realm to visit, reminisce and rediscover what we loved most about life!

EchoBox website

Transcript

Related episodes:

Tech Options for Seniors

Memoryz App

 

NeuroReserve – Helping Our Brainspan Match our Lifespan

NeuroReserve – Helping Our Brainspan Match our Lifespan
Be sure to check out our website for more resources, partners, recipes, and more.  www.fadingmemoriespodcast.com
Join Fading Memories On Social Media!
If you've enjoyed this episode, please share this podcast with other caregivers!  You'll find us on social media at the following links.

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Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

There you can see me in “action” and watch the bonus videos I share.

Want to learn from Jennifer in person (or virtually)? Wherever you'd like a training session, Jen is available. Contact her at fadingmemoriespodcast@gmail.com

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Learn how to be a better health care advocate with Stacie Lampkin.

We've all had that moment when we know we need to be better health care advocates, yet we still hesitate to speak. I'm sure it's because you were taught manners, and you don't want to offend the doctor or health care practitioner. How do we advocate for our loved ones and ourselves without being rude? It's easy once you've heard today's guest.

Stacie Lampkin is a pediatric pharmacist. In 2019, she became a board-certified patient advocate after experiencing first-hand the difficulties of navigating a new health issue. Armed with education and resources, Stacie transforms overwhelm and frustration into knowledge and power. As a patient advocate, she teaches family members, patient advocates, and healthcare professionals how to better advocate for patients.

In this episode, you'll get tips and tools you can put to use at your next health care visit. Understanding how to navigate the system so that everyone feels heard and understood will make your caregiving journey a little bit easier.

Stacies website

Stacies Advocacy Courses

Transcript

Related Episodes:

Health Care Advocacy for Seniors

Health Care Literacy with Tamvoes

NeuroReserve – Helping Our Brainspan Match our Lifespan

NeuroReserve – Helping Our Brainspan Match our Lifespan
Be sure to check out our website for more resources, partners, recipes, and more.  www.fadingmemoriespodcast.com
Join Fading Memories On Social Media!
If you've enjoyed this episode, please share this podcast with other caregivers!  You'll find us on social media at the following links.

Facebook    Instagram    Twitter

Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

There you can see me in “action” and watch the bonus videos I share.

Want to learn from Jennifer in person (or virtually)? Wherever you'd like a training session, Jen is available. Contact her at fadingmemoriespodcast@gmail.com

 

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Dr. Elena is back to discuss with us preventing dementia.

I have a family history of cognitive decline. Preventing dementia, Alzheimer's, any neurodegenerative disease is a big part of how I live my life. The longer I do this podcast, the more I learn.

Dynamic learning is one of the most important ways to help our brains live as long as our bodies. What is active learning? The simple answer is learning anything new that requires our focus and concentration.

Learning how to ballroom dance or speak a foreign language are good examples of dynamic or active learning. Learning math would probably be a tremendous challenge for me, but it causes emotional distress so that it won't happen.

We should all be aware that eating right, exercise, getting good sleep are all important in preventing dementia. Keeping stress under control is also very important.

One factor that I don't see discussed as much is dealing with depression. Many years ago, I read that it's believed that many people who have dementia had low levels of depression for much of their adult lives. I wouldn't say my Mom was depressed in the way we generally think of depression, but I do know that she lived with an elevated sense of frustration most of my life. I think that is closely related and worth exploring more.

That's what we're doing in the podcast today. Dr. Elena is back to give us her medical opinions on what we need to do to prevent or reduce our risk of dementia.

Transcript
Other Dr Elena Episodes
“Accidents” And Aging – Learn How To Avoid Them

Fall Prevention with Dr. Elena

Medications & Memory with Dr. Elena

Frailty Is A Thing? W/Dr. Elena Mucci

 

NeuroReserve – Helping Our Brainspan Match our Lifespan

NeuroReserve – Helping Our Brainspan Match our Lifespan
Be sure to check out our website for more resources, partners, recipes, and more.  www.fadingmemoriespodcast.com
Join Fading Memories On Social Media!
If you've enjoyed this episode, please share this podcast with other caregivers!  You'll find us on social media at the following links.

Facebook    Instagram    Twitter

Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

There you can see me in “action” and watch the bonus videos I share.

Want to learn from Jennifer in person (or virtually)? Wherever you'd like a training session, Jen is available. Contact her at fadingmemoriespodcast@gmail.com

 

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How do we determine which doctor appointment is most appropriate?

None of us genuinely wants to go to the doctor. We go when we have to, hoping the medical professionals will help us feel better quickly. Some of us are good at scheduling regular wellness checkups, but even those appointments aren't ones we look forward to with pleasure.

Doctor visits can be stressful for those caring for the chronically ill, especially if diagnosed with a degenerative cognitive disease. I could convince my Mom that we were going someplace fun, but it didn't take long for her to figure out that was a lie. Somehow I communicated “doctor visit,” and she was never happy about that fact.

As Covid took over the globe in March 2020, in-person appointments became severely limited. The result was a rapid acceptance of telehealth appointments. Sometimes we do get a silver lining from the rain clouds.
How Do We Decide?
I've personally had two such appointments, one mainly for timing and convenience, the other because that's all my doctor had available. I was thrilled with the first appointment; my problem was resolved, and my schedule was barely impacted. The second one was also not in-person, which slowed down my diagnosis and treatment. (For those who follow me closely on social media, you'll know that I contracted Shingles at the end of June 2021.)

How do we determine which type of appointment is better? That's the conversation I have with Roz Jones. Roz is a virtual caregiver coach dedicated to taking a proactive approach to working with caregivers and their loved ones. This episode is Rozs' second appearance on Fading Memories. If you missed her first show, you can find it here.

Transcript

Related Article

Be sure to check out Roz Jones Enterprises here and be sure to read the many articles on her blog. 

 

NeuroReserve – Helping Our Brainspan Match our Lifespan

NeuroReserve – Helping Our Brainspan Match our Lifespan

 
Be sure to check out our website for more resources, partners, recipes, and more.  www.fadingmemoriespodcast.com
Join Fading Memories On Social Media!
If you've enjoyed this episode, please share this podcast with other caregivers!  You'll find us on social media at the following links.

Facebook    Instagram    Twitter

Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

There you can see me in “action” and watch the bonus videos I share.

Want to learn from Jennifer in person (or virtually)? Wherever you'd like a training session, Jen is available. Contact her at fadingmemoriespodcast@gmail.com

 

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When the cosmic tumblers click into place & the universe opens its vault, miracles can happen. Overcoming challenges happen.

All of us have crossroads in life, challenges we have to overcome. Those of us who have had the experience of caring for a parent with Alzheimer's seem to have more crossroads and more challenges. Coping with the disease, what it does to everyone's life, even the eventual end, poses decisions and heartache.

How can we honor our loved ones while also healing ourselves? Can we do this while they're still alive? In this episode, I talk to Paul Travers, author of Dancing with the Mountains.

Inspired by his dying father's dream of hiking the Appalachian Trail, Paul hits the trail and finds a miracle in the healing power of American's sacred mountains. More than a travelogue, this is a love story about fathers and sons, families battling Alzheimer's, and the people and places along the Appalachian Trail.

Sprinkled with humor and humanity, Dancing with the Mountains is a spiritual story about love, life, and healing.

TRANSCRIPT

Related Episodes:

Running All Over The World

My Mom Marge – (Non Alzheimer’s dementia)

 

NeuroReserve – Helping Our Brainspan Match our Lifespan

NeuroReserve – Helping Our Brainspan Match our Lifespan

 
Be sure to check out our website for more resources, partners, recipes, and more.  www.fadingmemoriespodcast.com
Join Fading Memories On Social Media!
If you've enjoyed this episode, please share this podcast with other caregivers!  You'll find us on social media at the following links.

Facebook    Instagram    Twitter

Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

There you can see me in “action” and watch the bonus videos I share.

Want to learn from Jennifer in person (or virtually)? Wherever you'd like a training session, Jen is available. Contact her at fadingmemoriespodcast@gmail.com

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Long-term care is expensive. This episode tells you how to get Medicaid to pay without going broke first.

Sickness. Incapacity. Death. These are among the most challenging subjects to contemplate, yet some of the most universal. Most of us don't think about financial planning for long-term care needs, which is surprising, because going broke is also a big concern as we age.

Money worries people. The news is riddled with talking heads discussing the stock market and economy. But, statistically speaking, the most likely threat to your savings is not a recession but the much more likely need for long-term care services due to sickness and incapacity that comes from old age.

It's no surprise that our health care system offers very little in terms of long-term care. For what we pay in premiums, you'd think some long-term care would be covered. What is available is, in general, extremely expensive. It seems that unless you are poor or very well off, your options for long-term care are few and far between.

This kind of planning is where an expert can help us. A Medicaid planning lawyer puts together strategies to help clients pay the exorbitant costs associated with long-term care and protect their assets. Hence, they have something to pass onto their heirs.

 

Elder Needs Law Website

Get Jason's Book 

TRANSCRIPT

NeuroReserve – Helping Our Brainspan Match our Lifespan

NeuroReserve – Helping Our Brainspan Match our Lifespan

 
Be sure to check out our website for more resources, partners, recipes, and more.  www.fadingmemoriespodcast.com
Join Fading Memories On Social Media!
If you've enjoyed this episode, please share this podcast with other caregivers!  You'll find us on social media at the following links.

Facebook    Instagram    Twitter

Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

There you can see me in “action” and watch the bonus videos I share.

Want to learn from Jennifer in person (or virtually)? Wherever you'd like a training session, Jen is available. Contact her at fadingmemoriespodcast@gmail.com

 

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In all fairness, the title of this episode should be what all caregivers need to know. This episode, however, is with a millennial caregiver. She had to learn quickly all the forms, legalities, and financial planning that goes hand-in-hand with caregiving.

One example of the necessary information we need to know is banking accounts, logins, etc. When my Dad suddenly lost his short-term memory and ended up hospitalized, his finances didn't enter my thoughts. If it weren't for my husband's twenty years of banking experience, I'm sure our situation would have been more stressful.

We're taught as a society that it is impolite to discuss money, health, or even end-of-life plans. Unfortunately, this leaves many of us ill-prepared in the case of a medical emergency. Add to this situation the inexperience of a young adult, and you can understand the problem we have to fix.

Even if you feel like you've got your paperwork situation firmly in control, this episode is a good reminder of what we all need to share about our lives.

TRANSCRIPT

NeuroReserve – Helping Our Brainspan Match our Lifespan

NeuroReserve – Helping Our Brainspan Match our Lifespan

 
Be sure to check out our website for more resources, partners, recipes, and more.  www.fadingmemoriespodcast.com
Join Fading Memories On Social Media!
If you've enjoyed this episode, please share this podcast with other caregivers!  You'll find us on social media at the following links.

Facebook    Instagram    Twitter

Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

There you can see me in “action” and watch the bonus videos I share.

Want to learn from Jennifer in person (or virtually)? Wherever you'd like a training session, Jen is available. Contact her at fadingmemoriespodcast@gmail.com

 

 

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Dr. Park chats with us on how we can help our brain span match our life span.

How do we make our brain span match our life span? Most people are living with undernourished brains. There are many reasons for this. Despite many options, it's common to choose what's quickest, not necessarily the healthiest. I live in an agricultural area which makes me aware of how our food is grown. Maintaining a farm, growing nourishing food can sometimes be at odds with each other. Soil depletion is typical, which means, even when we choose the healthiest foods, they may not be as nutritious as they were one hundred years ago.

Despite our best efforts, it's more than likely that we are not giving our brains all it needs to maintain itself throughout our lives. Additionally, many lifestyle choices cause our brains to need better fuel.

Here's an excellent example of how lifestyle can affect we eat to fuel our brains. Have you ever woken from a lousy night's sleep craving sugary items like doughnuts or pastries? This craving is our brains' way of saying we need more/better fuel. It's looking for a quick hit of energy. Unfortunately, what works better is a healthy meal followed by a nap.

In today's conversation with Dr. Ed Park, we discuss how he came to create NeuroReserve and why it's vital that we all fuel our bodies, so our brain span matches our life span.

Transcript

 

NeuroReserve – Helping Our Brainspan Match our Lifespan

NeuroReserve – Helping Our Brainspan Match our Lifespan

 
Be sure to check out our website for more resources, partners, recipes, and more.  www.fadingmemoriespodcast.com
Join Fading Memories On Social Media!
If you've enjoyed this episode, please share this podcast with other caregivers!  You'll find us on social media at the following links.

Facebook    Instagram    Twitter

Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

There you can see me in “action” and watch the bonus videos I share.

Want to learn from Jennifer in person (or virtually)? Wherever you'd like a training session, Jen is available. Contact her at fadingmemoriespodcast@gmail.com

 

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Dr. Snyder of the Alzheimer's Association spoke to me about long-term cognitive effects from Covid-19 and diversity issues in clinical trials.

 

I was honored to interview two renowned people from the Alzheimer's Association before the start of this year's International Conference. The AAIC is the largest and most influential international meeting dedicated to advancing dementia science. Each year, AAIC convenes the world's leading basic science and clinical researchers, next-generation investigators, clinicians, and the care research community to share research discoveries that'll lead to methods of prevention and treatment and improvements in the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.

My second guest was Heather M. Snyder, Ph.D. Dr. Snyder is vice president, Medical & Scientific Relations at the Alzheimer's Association. In this role, she oversees Association initiatives that accelerate innovative Alzheimer's research and provide opportunities for the global dementia community to connect and collaborate.
Topics Discussed
Dr. Snyder is responsible for the progress the Association has made in Alzheimer's and dementia research funding. We discussed Covid-19s Association with long-term risk of cognitive dysfunction and the possibility of accelerating Alzheimer's symptoms. People with the virus experience short- and/or long-term neuropsychiatric symptoms, including loss of smell and taste and cognitive and attention deficits, known as “brain fog.” For some, these neurological symptoms persist, and researchers are working to understand the mechanisms by which this brain dysfunction occurs and what that means for cognitive health long term.

Our second topic was the need for greater diversity in clinical trials. A significant hurdle in developing therapeutics and care models for Alzheimer's disease that work for people of all ethnic and racial backgrounds is recruiting and retaining traditionally underrepresented groups in clinical trials.

If you're looking to increase your awareness of the efforts on the part of the Alzheimer's Association, this is the episode to tune in and hear.

TRANSCRIPT

Related Episodes

A Ray of Hope? Stabilizing Cognitive Decline

 

NeuroReserve – Helping Our Brainspan Match our Lifespan

NeuroReserve – Helping Our Brainspan Match our Lifespan

 
Be sure to check out our website for more resources, partners, recipes, and more.  www.fadingmemoriespodcast.com
Join Fading Memories On Social Media!
If you've enjoyed this episode, please share this podcast with other caregivers!  You'll find us on social media at the following links.

Facebook    Instagram    Twitter

Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

There you can see me in “action” and watch the bonus videos I share.

Want to learn from Jennifer in person (or virtually)? Wherever you'd like a training session, Jen is available. Contact her at fadingmemoriespodcast@gmail.com

 

 

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