As senior care professionals, mental health providers, and family caregivers, it’s essential that we raise awareness and increase our knowledge around elder abuse, self-neglect, and resources for reporting suspicions of elder abuse. In this episode, you’ll learn: The answer to “what is elder abuse?” Including…

The stories of people living with dementia and their families need to be told, heard, and valued. I’m honored to share the life of, MJ Grant, as she describes the legacy of caregiving in her family, her transition to becoming a caregiver, and the isolation…

In 2020, researchers identified that ageism cost the US $63 billion dollars in one year and resulted in 17.04 million cases of 8 of the most expensive health and mental health conditions, including heart disease, dementia, cancer, diabetes, mental health conditions, among others. In this…

With so many questions about the difference between mild cognitive impairment versus dementia versus Alzheimer’s Disease, we’re glad to have experts like Neurologist, Dr. Jason Karlawish, to provide answers and share tips for staving off dementia when you have mild cognitive impairment. Dr. Karlawish also…

When you care for a loved one with dementia, chances are you have years of experience with this person and are used to communicating with them in a particular way. Dementia changes the way a person thinks, processes information, and understands the information you’re sharing,…

Dementia is one of the most important, but often overlooked, health care issues related to older African Americans. Research shows that African Americans are two to three times more likely to develop a dementia disorder (compared to European Americans) and at the same time are…

In my work with people caring for loved ones with dementia, I often hear comments like: “they’ve become a stranger to me” or “I don’t even recognize them anymore”. Dementia is a devastating illness that often robs families of the opportunity to connect and experience joy.  Because…

In 2006, Gina Martin’s mother, Diane, was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s Disease and died 5 years later. In a tragic yet poetic twist of fate, her father died 3 months later on his birthday of a “broken heart”. To honor her parents and raise…

A few weeks ago, I received an email from a listener: “Hello, Dr. Regina, “I work in an assisted living facility. As the election approaches, family members of residents on memory care units have asked to have residents vote. Residents on this unit are here…

There’s a common misconception that when somebody is diagnosed with dementia, they lose their independence and can no longer live alone. While down the road in the illness course of dementia, this may be true, there is A LOT that a person with dementia CAN…

Caregivers often approach me with the question: “my parent had dementia, does that mean I’ll get it too?” It’s a scary thing to devote years of your life caring for a loved one with dementia and all the while wonder if you will end up…

I hear from caregivers pretty regularly that”nobody really understands how hard caring for a loved one with dementia is!” So, I decided to share some facts about dementia caregivers in the hopes that it will provide some understanding and support for the dementia caregiver’s journey!…