Loretta Veney is a LEGO Serious Play Instructor and she was able to find effective ways to incorporate LEGO into caregiving for her mom who was living with dementia. You can hear all about Loretta's journey as a caregiver in the full podcast episode titled "Building the Unbreakable Caregiver" from Season 3 of the Island Treasures Podcast. In this T…

Have you heard a caregiver referred to as an angel? This mini episode features a clip from the Caregiver Warrior, Susanne White describing how when she's in the company of caregivers she feels the space is sacred. Susanne paints great word pictures and this one certainly conveys the respect, and appreciation she has for caregivers. We also hear a c…

Susanne White is the founder of Caregiver Warrior. She was faced with the opportunity to care for her parents and embarked on a caregiving journey that would change her life. She ventured into this journey with a true cargiver warrior spirit and uses that same spirit to empower other caregivers through their caregiving opportunities. This episode i…

Another 'Island Treasures Treasure Chest' bonus episode. In this episode we revisit "A Musician's Daughter" Season 2 Episode 2, featuring Betsy Haddad. At the time of the original episode Betsy's caregiving experience was a supportive role to her mom who was her dad's primary caregiver. Sadly, her dad passed away in 2022 from Alzheimer's Disease. B…

This mini episode highlights a few key points that Amy Friesen made in the full podcast episode "The Must Have Talk for Caregivers". What is 'the talk'? Amy describes how important it is for caregivers not to bury their head in the sand - but to address difficult issues before they reach crisis stage. While caregivers in the sandwich generation of …

Today's guest, Amy Friesen, is a best-selling author and expert in the senior living industry and she has worked with seniors and their families throughout the world. She shares how she and her family used 'the talk' to open the door for her father-in-law to come and live with them. Amy founded Tea & Toast in 2014 to help seniors and their families…

When Dennis Dulniak joined me as a guest on the Island Treasures podcast in the episode called "Life Does Not End With a Diagnosis of Alzheimer's" I knew we had valuable information to share with caregivers relating to Alzheimer's Disease. In this 'Treasure Chest' episode we visit some of the key points that Dennis shared from his journey as the pr…

In this mini episode we feature clips from the full episode called 'Music is a Bridge for Caregivers and Their Loved Ones' with Alexis Baker. Alexis is a board-certified music therapist who works with caregivers and their loved ones living with dementia. We start with Alexis describing music therapy. We then visit the chapter Alexis wrote in the ne…

Alexis Baker is a board-certified music therapist (MT-BC), certified dementia practitioner (CDP), and founder of Bridgetown Music Therapy. Her mission as a music therapist is to spark joy and improve quality of life through meaningful music engagement. In this episode you'll hear how connections can be made through music - as Alexis uses music to m…

Island Treasures is introducing its Treasure Chest where treasures from a previous episode will be shared. Today's treasures come from Season 2 Episode 6 which featured Lisa Kendall in the episode titled "Growth in Caregiving: Healing through Trauma." We look at the meaning of care, caregiver, and care partnership, and Lisa talks about the inequity…

Debbie Compton returns to the podcast in this episode. Debbie is a three-time caregiver for loved ones who were living with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and vascular dementia. She’s a Certified Caregiving Consultant, Certified Caregiver Advocate, keynote speaker, and author of several books geared toward caregivers and seniors, including her newly rel…

This mini episode visits some of the content of the full episode "A Caregiver's Vision" relating both to caregiving and assistive technology. Victoria Essner brings her knowledge and experience to the podcast being legally blind and having a hearing impairment and caregiving for her husband 24/7. Victoria has overcome challenges and is passionate a…

Today's guest, Victoria Essner, is all about breaking down barriers and turning challenges into opportunities. When a childhood accident left her legally blind, she didn’t stop forging ahead and embracing what life had in store, including caregiving for her husband. She shares her caregiving story with such gratitude and grace, having adopted the "…

Island Treasures is delighted to welcome back Debbie Compton to the podcast. Debbie is a 3-time caregiver; a certified caregiving consultant and educator. She joins us today to introduce her latest book, released in July 2024. This book is for caregivers and it is filled with caregiving resources. Debbie is the lead author on this collaborative res…

This Island Treasures Mini podcast features highlights from the full episode called "Her World Turned Upside Down", where Jenna Rumberger shares her caregiving story from the perspective of the one receiving care. Jenna is a licensed social worker who supports adults, older adults and their families with a specialization in dementia. When a medical…

Today’s caregiving story is told from the perspective of one receiving care. When Jenna Rumberger had a cardiac arrest at the age of 32, her world turned upside down. She had been working as a social worker in the field of geriatrics since 2013 and was familiar with caregiving - but this medical emergency flipped the script for her - as she found h…

In this mini episode we focus on the first half of the full episode called "Tapping Into Communication and Positive Activity". We hear how Lori Rogers has been a true champion for her son Craig. Craig is now an adult who has autism and is non-verbal. For example, when equipment in the Special Needs School program was lacking, Lori and her husband r…

This episode follows the compelling caregiving story of Lori Rogers. Lori is a successful businesswoman with three adult children. Her second child was diagnosed with autism at the age of two and he was a non-speaker. In 2011 her eldest child had a sports-related injury resulting in post-concussion symptoms which added a different aspect to Lori's …

April is Parkinson's Awareness Month and the airing of the podcast featuring Dr. George Ackerman are timely as he is a huge voice in raising awareness for Parkinson's Disease. He and I spoke on February 1st, 2024 and the very next day he was able to meet his hero, Michael J. Fox. George shared how much this meant to him; given George’s passion as a…

Dr. George Ackerman is from Brooklyn, N.Y. Now residing in Florida, he works in the fields of law, police, and education. George lost his mother, Sharon Riff Ackerman on 1/1/2020 due to Parkinson’s Disease. George and his family started TogetherForSharon® to honour his mother by keeping her memory alive; and to share the message of Parkinson’s Awar…

Following the full podcast episode featuring Teepa Snow, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA, this mini episode captures the content of the GEMS® model which describes the stages of brain change for folks living with dementia. Each stage is represented by a gem to help describe the progression of dementia and how these stages impact the changes in our loved one's abi…

Teepa Snow, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA, is an Occupational Therapist with over forty years of rich and varied clinical and academic experience. Her experiences led her to the development of the GEMS® States of Brain Change and the Positive Approach® training strategies. Her company, Positive Approach to Care® (PAC), provides online and in-person education an…

This mini episode visits a few excerpts from the full episode entitled "Caregiving Unveiled True Purpose for an Encore Career" featuring Bill Cohen of Cohen Caregiving Support Consultants LLC Throughout his experience, caregiving for his mother who had Alzheimer's disease, Bill found many helpful resources through the Alzheimer's Association. This …

Bill Cohen recently received the “Male Caregiving Voice of the Year” award and when you listen to his caregiving story in this episode and how caregiving unveiled a new purpose which is now providing him with an encore career you may understand why he was selected. Bill was his mother’s caregiver after Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005 and took away…

This mini episode highlights two excerpts from the full episode "Expressions Of Love Through Caregiving" with my guest, Grace Block. The excerpts are about the medication battle when caregiving - with Grace sharing her solution to take administration of medication from a war to a choice; and the second excerpt provides insights for new caregivers s…

Grace Block is a long-time friend of mine who is a caregiver. She has also been a care receiver. Her dad was diagnosed at the age of 50 with Parkinson’s Disease and Grace supported her mom who was his primary caregiver. Grace relocated to be closer to her parents, realizing they needed more support and after her father passed away 30 years after hi…

2023 was indeed a remarkable year for the Island Treasures podcast. Throughout the year, Island Treasures podcast was fortunate to have amazing guests who generously shared their wisdom on each episode, providing invaluable insights to help other caregivers. We progress through the year chronologically: "Pharmacists: The Best Kept Secret" - Delon C…

This episode highlights clips from the full episode "How Boundaries Provided Freedom in Caregiving" with my guest, Valerie Wiens, telling why boundary-setting in caregiving was so freeing for her. Valerie was a true 'sandwich generation' caregiver, looking after her parents and her own family that included kids at home one with Asperger's and one w…

Valerie Wiens, a nurse with a geriatric specialty and a 'sandwich generation' caregiver joins me in this episode. Valerie is a colleague of mine and when I heard her caregiving story, I invited her to be a guest on the podcast so that her story could encourage caregivers. When caregiving, she found herself being pulled in all directions and through…

From Season 2, Episode 2, this episode revisits the conversation with Betsy Haddad, the adult child and supportive caregiver of her father, Edward (who was living with Alzheimer's disease) with whom she shared a special bond through music. The take-aways from the full episode "The Musician's Daughter" are many. Betsy shares about the programs her d…

In this episode you will hear how all about Breeda Miller's play, "Mrs. Kelly's Journey Home" and how Breeda was able to take the play to Ireland. Breeda had been a guest on the Island Treasures podcast in Season 3, on Episode 20; where she talked about her play and the tour that was planned for the Fall of 2023 in Ireland. This episode talks about…

In the full podcast episode featuring Katrina Prescott, Katrina shared her caregiving story in which she spoke about the many projects she has been involved with and this mini episode introduces one more project planned to enhance the experience for caregivers. It is the introduction of a radio program designed to provide caregiving tips, informati…

This episode’s guest is Katrina Prescott. Katrina is both a caregiver and a producer. As a caregiver she has been able to utilize her producer-skills to be a strong advocate for her mom who had dementia. Her mom passed away in 2022, but Katrina continues to be a caregiver and advocate for other caregivers, sharing her knowledge and insights through…

This mini episode contains excerpts from the full episode and addresses what happens to the caregiver when (because of your loved one's diagnosis) friends and family drop away and the social invitations cease. Heidi Rome helps us approach this isolating situation and reminds us that there are folks who are open to learning how to support the caregi…

Heidi Rome, is a speaker, advocate, mentor, perspective re-framer, and mother of two sons, one with severe autism. Author of You Just Have to Love Me, she understands how to overcome overwhelm, as every step of her journey requires changing the narrative. As founder of Moms Spectrum Oasis, Heidi builds awareness and the humanhood issues around what…

This mini episode features excerpts from the full podcast episode entitled “A Caregiver’s Journey Into Brain Inflammation: A Wake Up Call for Us All”, featuring Sandra Strauss, the author of “A Toxic Brain: Revelations from a Health Journey”. As a caregiver trying for years to get to the bottom of her late husband’s mysterious illness, Sandra heard…

Sandra Strauss provides a message of hope in these inflammatory times! She shares what she learned during her long and at times agonizing journey as a caregiver for her late husband both in her book and now in this episode. Sandra Strauss is an author, speaker and wellness champion who is passionate about inspiring dynamic destinies of health and w…

When I heard Kathy Neuhauser's story of how important it was for her, as a daughter, over 1000 kilometers away from her mother, to find a way to make a meaningful connection with her mom, I wanted to share what she decided she could do. This unique solution, not only blessed Kathy's mother, but also Kathy! She described their relationship as not 't…

Hearing from a friend about the resources and programming offered by Denise M. Brown I knew I had to meet her and check out her Caregiving Consultant programs for myself as I was just starting my own business at the end of my social work career, several years ago. In the episode you will hear directly from Denise about her own business and its orig…

In this episode we visit a clip from the full episode entitled "A Caregiver, A Life Coach and A 'Mompreneur'" which features Natalie Hankins (a caregiver, a life coach and a 'mompreneur') where I ask Natalie what her biggest struggle was as a caregiver, an experienced caregiver with 29 years of caregiving experience for her two adult children who h…

Natalie Hankins joins me in this episode to share her caregiving story which spans 29 years and is still continuing. She is a caregiver for her now-adult children; as her son has autism and her daughter has Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome. Natalie championed through caregiving, finding the therapies that would work best for them including the Relationship…

In this mini episode there are a few excerpts from the full episode entitled Rising to the Occasion of Caregiving. Toni Gitles shares about her book 21 Mistakes Caregivers Make and How to Avoid Them: Solutions and Strategies to Reduce Stress and Increase Happiness (available September 2023) and the importance of relationship with your loved one, go…

Toni Gitles, founder and CEO of Caregiver Empowerment, Heart Light Enterprises LLC shares her 14-year caregiving story and provides a continuation of our conversation from her first appearance on the podcast in Season #2 in the episode entitled "And Then I Danced". Toni shares that caring for a family member is a act of love that comes from the hea…

This episode addresses a topic that is brought up frequently by caregivers who are facing the decision of placing their loved one into care. They ask how do I know when it is the right time? How do they make this "hardest decision"? Contained within are some nuggets to consider when facing this decision - from the book Nursing Homes and Assisted Li…

This mini version of the Island Treasures Podcast for caregivers contains excerpts from the full-episode "Therapeutic Journaling Through Caregiving" which features Lori Lemasters, author of "You're A Caregiver, Not a Saint: Yeah, Write!" Lori is the founder of Care Partners Resource and Consulting and a certified Journal to the Self ® Therapeutic W…

Lori Ramos Lemasters shares how she relied on therapeutic writing as one of her coping strategies through her 8-year caregiving journey. Lori was caregiving for her mom who had suffered a massive stroke, and that meant Lori also took on caregiving responsibilities that her mom had been shouldering for Lori's step-dad who was on dialysis for three o…

Tracy Crump shared how she persevered as a strong advocate for her mom when things just didn't seem to fit with being told her mom had dementia. When she recalled a friend's dad's diagnosis of Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH), Tracy compared the symptoms he had with what her mom was experiencing and then she armed herself with reliable informati…

Have you heard of Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus or N.P.H.? In this episode we hear what it is and how it was the diagnosis long-sought after to provide the answers for Tracy Crump's mother's symptoms. Tracy is a former Intensive Care Nurse, caregiver for her mother, father and then her mother-in-law, and now she is a published author who knew somet…

On February 17, 2023, the Whole Care Network relaunched with some new additions - and invited contributors (both podcasters and instructors) to join their live event. I was pleased to join the live event - and it got me thinking that I should add a few more nuggets about why/how the Island Treasures podcast originated and how I, as a retired social…

This mini episode revisits some of the points that Roxane Anderson made in the full episode from lessons she learned through her caregiving experience - caring for her husband and experiencing a flood. The flood was a disaster but hidden within the disaster was an opportunity for her husband to get involved in flood advocacy - providing him with a …