8. Fun Chat with Rob Novell

This episode with guest, Gay Gingrich, RN, BSN, and host Mary Anne Oglesby-Sutherly, shares how both women met through their studies with Teepa Snow's “Positive Approach to Care.” The discussion begins with two new friends with shared interests and passion for those with dementia as well as Gay’s obvious love of her work as a Geriatric Psych Nurse.  

Gay’s approach to caring for those living with dementia is that of relationships, compassion, and a different perspective of care. She discusses how she believes it’s a better approach when these principles are adhered to. Gay’s faith is of utmost importance to her daily walk and the care given to her patients. It's an unwavering belief that there is a better more compassionate way to care for and give hope to families along with those living with dementia. There is a much better way to help those with no voice in today’s society. We must all come together and seek that better way. 

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Mary Anne Oglesby-Sutherly's mother's homegoing happened on a Leap Year. As with any family losing a loved one, the anniversary of that loved one's death comes in a tsunami-like wave of great proportion each year. But February 29th only happens every four years, and obviously, it can make the intensity of the weight of grief even more difficult. 

Take a drive "across that Memphis Bridge" with Mary Anne as she revisits the most difficult days of her life. She shares how the broken system of her parents' care throttles her passion in offering hope for caregivers by fascillitating The Veranda Ministries respite program for those with dementia and Alzheimer's.

Supportive friends and family, along with your own quality of health and well-being, can play a role in how grief impacts you following bereavement. It’s important to know that there are healthy ways to cope with grief. Life may never be quite the same again, but honoring your loved one on those anniversaries can bring hope and optimism as you move forward with your life.

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Mary Anne Oglesby-Sutherly's guest is Brenda Powers, a registered nurse specializing in geriatric care, with a strong focus on supporting the aging population, especially those with dementia. Brenda has actively contributed enhancing geriatric care through workforce development panels, aiding in devloping dementia education programs like the Vanderbilt Nurse Practitioner School and participating on boards dedicated to the health care improvement within the aging community.

This episode is a difficult reality to hear, speciifically addressing the truth about unment needs and the use of medications for those living with dementia. Families of demetia loved ones need to heed and be aware. Practical, insightful and filled with hands-on advocacy, this episode is just the beginning of the dialogue between Brenda and Mary Anne.

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Episode 46 from the #agingangstandalleluiaspodcast, featuring host Mary Anne Oglesby-Sutherly and Teepa Snow, is a candid and vulnerably honest dialogue about hospice and dementia. The hunger for knowledge to help others began with Mary Anne's desire to experience Teepa and The Positive Approach to Care (PAC) Team, bringing it to fruition, for without this team, there would be no Veranda Ministries.

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With relationship-based approach for individuals with dementia, human touch plays an important role in promoting overall well-being. There's nothing quite like a hug or holding hands to promote a physical relaxation response. It's known to reduce levels of cortisol, a hormone released during times of stress. And there's no difference between those with or without dementia in that response.

The Veranda Ministries offers caregivers the role of "Second Family", as each day, clients are treated with great care and personal attention. When one of the Veranda "chosen" passes on, it's not unlikely that the remaining friends and staff also go through their own kind of grief. Much like Miss Jane, Yvonne and Ricky, you will hear the heart-felt journey that each one took, as Mary Anne Oglesby-Sutherly tells their moving stories. 

Caregivers need aftercare too.

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Even in congnitive decline, the neural processes of dreaming bring important benefits for regulating the emotions and creativity. One certain client named Martha of the Veranda in Gallatin, TN, is mentioned both in this episode and Mary Anne Oglesby-Sutherly's book. Depicting a story in grandiose detail, Martha describes her loved one coming home on Christmas Eve. She eloquently shares the sound of the train whistle in the distance. Much of the story isn't true, but it goes to show you that the incredible detail of a brain suffering with dementia can dream up amazing colorful stories. 

This episode 44 is also dedicated to Ricky, who just after recording, passed on to his eternal home.

Making memories with your loved ones is better than any extravagant pricey gift. Keep it simple. Find a new normal. Take them where their heart is. Make even the slightest little thing special. This is the basis of relationship-based care, especially during the holidays.

Mary Anne and host, Sue Duffield, share their way of understanding what it takes to minister to a population of caregivers for the elderly and those with dementia. Our best gift to them is a voice of advocacy.

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Full Chevy Commercial: https://youtu.be/xnZGEUA4oBk?si=MHacY4Jar9Q4xU0B

Mary Anne Oglesby-Sutherly, the visionary Founder and Executive Director of Veranda Ministries, has added a new dimension to her impactful work in senior care with the release of her latest book, A Proactive Perspective in Dementia Care: A Relationship-Based Approach, on November 2, 2023. The book is now available in paperback and ebook version on Amazon.

In her book, Oglesby-Sutherly draws upon her extensive experience as a certified dementia practitioner and her role as a leader in senior care advocacy. A Proactive Perspective provides a unique and empowering approach to dementia care, emphasizing the importance of proactive strategies in fostering meaningful relationships with individuals facing cognitive challenges.

A Proactive Perspective invites readers to ponder a deeper meaning to personhood, challenge stigmas surrounding dementia, and celebrate enduring human connections. Oglesby-Sutherly encourages caregivers, family, and individuals involved in experiencing dementia to live a more vibrant and connected life with each other.
Oglesby-Sutherly founded Veranda Ministries, an accredited non-profit organization offering dementia care, and The Veranda, a respite program for aging adults.

Podcast producer, Sue Duffield, praises the relevancy and biblical necessity of “The Kingdom principle" as definitively described in scripture. According to Leviticus 19:32, to ‘Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God.’ Mary-Anne says it best: 'Sadly, instead of a refuge to run to as we age, church has become more of a place to run from.' Something is horribly lost when our local church stops considering the aging members of their congregation as part of their community. Mary Anne Oglesby-Sutherly, and her diverse ministry of caring for those with dementia, teaches and facilitates churches, via conferences and outreaches on how to understand the need for congregations to embrace generational care and its benefits.”

Being prepared is one thing, but not having the correct knowledge and fortitude to make sure your loved one is getting the care they need, is another. Featured in this episode is Jeff Duffield and his sister, Susan Kuff, along with host, Mary Anne Oglesby-Sutherly, as they converse quite candidly the near disaster of caregiving and a NJ nursing home. This true account of Jeff and Susan’s uncle and the journey they had to consistently walk, is not new nor is it uncommon. With supplementary insurance scams and television commercials that make eldercare look easy and affordable, it’s no wonder that seniors find it so cunningly attractive.

Susan Kuff, a CIGNA professional and one who has counseled many in this Medicare/Supplemental area, found herself in the same predicament as those she counsels. She and her brother, Jeff, fought the system through countless lies and deceit. The best part of this episode is the vulnerable reality that care partnering has to be relentless, not leaving one stone uncovered.

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A very difficult episode, but one that surely needs to be told. This situation is one family's struggle with when their loved ones need care in a community setting.  It's a hard decision. The word placement strikes fear in their hearts for many reasons.

Since the recording of this episode, the Colonel, as you’ll hear about, passed away within a few weeks of his placement. To be honest, there are thousands in this country with the same outcome. This is the tragedy of a healthcare system that gives little to no hope or direction when treatment is administered to someone with dementia. There has to be a better way than the massive amounts of medications to “combat bad behaviors and agitation.” 

People living with dementia and dying from massive amounts of drugs not indicated for dementia need to stop. We need more voices to advocate for those with no voice. It's simply out of hand. This podcast episode makes no apologies for the blunt honest reaction to a system gone bad. It was literally “from dancing to dying”, in less than thirty days for the Colonel.

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This is part two of Anthony Facello's difficult story. The value of having a POA (power of attorney) is of utmost in any family with a loved one. And if that loved one is suffering from dementia and is a mother of an only child, it's even more imperative. What makes Anthony's story even more tragic is the abuse his mother received from her second husband. 

Making things worse, the cocktail of meds that were given to Anthony's mother, sent her to a tragic end, when indeed it didn't have to be that way. Sadly, it's not unusual in the realm of care for those with dementia.

His mother wasn't afraid to die, and thankfully Anthony knew that his mother was dying. That was obvious. It was the goodbye that was the worst part. Thankfully, host Mary Anne Oglesby-Sutherly walked alongside Anthony with counsel and guidance during his most desperate of times.

Listen to the heartache of a family caught up in a broken system, a relationship that on any given day was intense, and a son who found himself in that broken system trying to help find peace for his mom and himself.

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