Navigating the Challenges of Mom’s Dementia: A Daughter's Story with Carolyn Birrell

Nov 13, 2024 1:01 pm

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Hello ,

We're excited to share our latest episode of the AlzAuthors podcast, a replay of a recent Books & Chit Chat discussion with Carolyn Birrell, author of Walking with Fay: My Mother’s Uncharted Path into Dementia. Carolyn opens up about her deeply personal journey caring for her mother and the numerous challenges she faced along the way. She also shares the emotional story of the last days of her mother’s life during the height of the COVID-19 lockdown. Her story is a testament to resilience, love, and the power of community support.

Here are three key takeaways from our discussion:

Lack of Early Resources: Carolyn highlights how much the landscape for Alzheimer's and dementia resources has evolved over the past decade. Twelve years ago, there were very few websites, hotlines, or books available, making caregiving even more isolating and challenging.
The Emotional Toll of Caregiving: Carolyn shares her own emotional struggles, from public breakdowns to eventually seeking medical help through Prozac. Her candid reflection underscores the immense emotional burden that caregivers often carry.
Importance of Community and Support: Despite the scarcity of resources, Carolyn found solace in support groups, friends, and even local programs like the Senior Companion program. These support systems were not only instrumental in her caregiving journey but also in providing crucial self-care.

Catch the full episode to hear Carolyn's invaluable insights and advice on navigating the complexities of dementia caregiving.

Start ListenIng!

Watch on YouTube!

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In Case You Missed It . . .

In this enriching episode of the Untangling Alzheimer's and Dementia podcast, Marianne and Christy welcome Dr. Helena Popovic, a physician from Australia, to discuss her personal and professional journey with dementia. Helena shares profound insights from her book, "In Search of My Father: Dementia is no match for a daughter's determination (Outwitting Alzheimer's)" which blends her experiences with scientific knowledge to offer a comprehensive guide for optimizing brain performance, reducing dementia risk, and improving cognitive functions. She's also funny and a treasure trove of helpful information.

Start listening

Watch on YouTube

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What's Next for the Book Club

Please join us for our next book club discussion on Tuesday, December 10th at 7 pm EST via Zoom as we meet Malia Kline, co-author with her sister, Dr. Diane Stinson, of the memoir "Sisterly Shove," which details their story of caring bicoastally for their parents, one with pancreatic cancer, the other with dementia. As the title suggests, they did not always agree on care plans and caregiving styles.

Readers say:

A fascinating look behind the scenes of the struggle that can go on when two sisters are caring for loved ones.
Patience and compassion with a dose of humor.
A brilliant book about family and the challenges life brings in dealing with aging parents. It demonstrates how love, understanding, forgiveness, compassion and generosity can overcome great odds.

Remember: it’s not necessary to read the book to attend the discussion. All are welcome. Please invite your family and friends for a vigorous discussion.

Learn more about Malia

Register here to get the link to the Zoom meetings

Coming in 2025

January 28: Mary Crescenzo, The Planet Alzheimer’s Guide: 8 Ways the Arts Can Transform the Life of Your Loved One and Your Own, a caregiver guide

February 25: Susan Landeis, In Search of Rainbows: a daughter’s story of loss, hope, and redemption, a caring for mother memoir

March 25: Debra Tann, Ed.D, The Race of Dementia, a caregiver guide

April 22: Marita Golden. The Wide Circumference of Love, a novel

May 27: Peter Berry and Deb Bunt, Slow Puncture: Living Well with Dementia, a memoir, and Walk With Me: Musing Through the Dementia Fog, poetry

June 24: Jean Lee, Alzheimer’s Daughter, a caring for two parents memoir

Register here to get the link to the Zoom meetings

Please visit our book club partner at agingamazing.com.

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Michael Ellenbogen Shares his Thoughts on AAIC 2024

Michael Ellenbogen, a world-renowned Alzheimer’s and dementia advocate and author of From the Corner Office to Alzheimer's, has been living with early-onset Alzheimer's since 2008, diagnosed at age 49. He is a passionate, tireless advocate for those impacted by this disease. He has been featured in nationally syndicated TV, radio and other media outlets, has written for blogs, newspapers and websites, and shares his personal perspective as a guest speaker. In this article, AAIC 2024 - From the Perspective of a Person with Dementia, he shares his impressions and observations from his first Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC), the largest international meeting dedicated to advancing dementia science. He writes about cognitive testing and technology, blood-based biomarkers, and many other programs he learned of, some he found encouraging, and others that disturbed him. Learn more about Michael here.

Read article

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Watch Our YouTube Series on Caregiving and Conflict During the Holidays with Kim Best

The holidays are almost here! For many people, this season can be a period of anxiety and unrest. We may be expected to attend festivities with others with whom we harbor misunderstandings, tension, and grudges. This can make what should be a joyous time stressful and unpleasant. In this video series, Kimberly Best, RN, MA, professional mediator, discusses how to manage family conflict, especially around the holidays. This is particularly helpful for caregivers. Kimberly is the author of How to Live Forever: A Guide to Writing the Final Chapter of Your Life Story.

Watch now!

Download her free tip sheets:

"6 Tips to Manage Potential Family Conflicts During the Holidays"

“10 Tips to Create a Holiday to Remember”

Learn more about Kim here.

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Coming Up Next: Pods & Book Club

11/19 - “Caring for Two Parents with Dementia at the Same Time,” a virtual panel discussion

11/27 - Thanksgiving (US) Break

12/4 - NEW AUTHOR: Barbara Drake-Vera, author of Melted Away: A Memoir of Climate Change and Caregiving in Peru

12/10 - Books & Chit Chat with Malia Kline, Sisterly Shove

12/25 - HOLIDAY BREAK

1/1 - HOLIDAY BREAK

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Purchase our latest Anthology "Poetry for the Dementia Journey"

43 poets, 117 poems written from personal experience

Available in paperback and Kindle

Buy now!

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Friday, November 15th at 11:30 a.m. PT/2:30 p.m. ET: award-winning playwright and performer Samuel A. Simon joins Being Patient live talks to discuss his experience with Alzheimer’s and developing and performing his autobiographical play about his diagnosis journey, Dementia Man, an Existential Journey.

RSVP here!

Susan's Design of the Week

Please share this with your friends and followers on social media using the following text, copy, paste and hit send!

National Family Caregivers Month is a time to honor and recognize family caregivers across the country. #AlzAuthors supports caregivers by offering valuable resources that provide insight, hope and understanding on the #dementia journey. https://alzauthors.com/

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