DEBBIE HOWARD - Author, Speaker, Founder of AMI & TheCaregivingJourney.com: The Current Caregiving Crisis

Don and I both agree that Episode 85 (wow!), ranks as one of our favorites to date. Our amazing guest, Dr. Mitchell Clionsky is a board certified neuropsychologist with more than 30 years of clinical experience and has treated more than 20,000 patients with cognitive problems. Dr. Clionsky understands the toll of memory disorders as both a caring professional and as the son of his mother Muriel, who died in 2008 from dementia.
 
Dr. Clionsky holds staff privileges on four hospitals and in addition to dementia, he evaluates ADHD, concussions, and a variety of neurological conditions. From years of patient data, Dr. Clionsky and his wife/partner Emily Clionsky, MD have developed the Memory Orientation Screening Test or MOST, a highly valid measure that provides a single, numerical score that reflects cognitive status and change over time. MOST helps identify -cognitive problems- earlier in the deterioration process so health professionals can intervene and help their patients live better lives.
 
Now Dr. Clionsky and his wife, Emily, have taken what they do in their consulting room and have written a new book, Dementia Prevention: Using Your Head to Save Your Brain. It's an exciting, fun to read, motivating, and potentially life changing read that is the culmination of 45 years of extensive clinical evaluation and treatment. Scientifically detailed and vetted by Johns Hopkins University doctors and content experts, it is translated into terms that almost everyone will understand.

8 out of 10 people over 55 say that Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias are a major concern. Well now there is something that can be done. Dementia is not inevitable, but for 1 out of 2 people it is preventable. And we are so excited to share all about this fascinating breakthrough. Enjoy!!

Connect with Dr. Clionsky here.
LINKEDIN
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If you don't know  the preeminent caregiving champion, Christina Keys, you're in for a valuable treat! Christina was living her best life, enjoying a successful career, she was financially and spiritually healthy and happy -  when in 2013 her beloved mother suffered a devastating stroke and was given a 1% chance to live. In a blink of an eye Christina went from care-free career woman to full-time caregiver. With Christina’s dogged and loving support, her mother survived - but after 4 years Christina was bankrupt, financially, emotionally, mentally, and physically. And suddenly she was faced with a diagnosis of her own. Her body was shutting down from the stress and she was given 6 months to live. She knew she had to completely change her life…and she did. But she decided to not only transform her own life, but to help change the lives of other caregivers.  
Christina’s mission to make sure caregivers everywhere are seen, heard valued and appreciated and are never alone through her local work with Loving Them Forward , the Non Profit she founded, and the national work she is doing as the Director of Community Growth at Caregiving.com.  We can’t wait for you to hear more about her remarkable transformation and journey!
Connect with Christina: FACEBOOK  INSTAGRAM
Connect with Caregiving.com: https://www.caregiving.com
Apply and Learn more about the Caregiving.com Caregiver

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In Episode 83, Don and I had a heartfelt and informative conversation with Dr. George Ackerman who started the movement Together for Sharon to honor his late mother Sharon Riff Ackerman, who succumbed to complications from Parkinson's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease on January 1, 2020. George is an absolutely  tireless #advocate for those who suffer with PD and their families and has an unending hope for a cure. Come join us and learn about this important movement and why this is so important to George and his family.

ORDER YOUR WRIST BANDS HERE: https://www.togetherforsharon.com/con...

Please go to their site and follow their socials to show your support and solidarity:
Site
Facebook
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LinkedIn
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Twitter/X

Love Conquers Alz!
Susie xoxo

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In Episode 82, Don and I had a fantastic conversation (no surprise) with  UK’s own PIPPA KELLY. Author, podcast host, award-winning blogger, contributor to numerous national newspapers and magazines, Pippa has truly made a name for herself in the dementia and elder care universe.

It was Pippa’s own personal journey with her mother, who battled vascular dementia for 10 years, that shaped her creativity and launched her career.   A prolific writer for the Huffington Post, The Guardian and many others, she also shares her thoughts and experiences on her popular, Covid-born podcast “Well I know Now…So Much More About Dementia.”  And has become one of the UK’s top 10 dementia influencers. 

But Pippa Kelly’s artistic proclivities know no bounds. Her debut novel “Invisible Ink” deftly draws upon her experiences with her mother to craft a fascinating, poetic fictionalized tale that captures the intricacies of her mom’s insidious disease.

In this episode, we talk about the importance of sharing stories and personal experiences. The role of humor and creativity in advocating for better care. The need for education and ongoing advocacy.. The importance of creating community and promoting human interaction. And finally, the positive impact of therapy dogs, especially golden retrievers, is acknowledged.

Pippa Kelly is a force to be reckoned with in the literary and dementia space. And let’s face it, we absolutely love her accent.

Follow Pippa Kelly here:
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My co-host , Don, and I have been blessed with so many amazing guests, but truth be told, our 81st guest, Mary Lou Falcone , ranks as one of our very favorites!! We fell in love with this EXTRAORDINARY woman and we have no doubt you will, too.

For over 50 years, Mary  helped guide the careers of celebrated artists – Van Cliburn, Gustavo Dudamel, Renée Fleming, Sir Georg Solti, James Taylor – and advised many institutions including Carnegie Hall, Chicago Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic. Then combining communication skills with her background as a performer and educator, she now adds another layer: advocate for Lewy body dementia (LBD) awareness.

Mary became a caregiver when her father had a massive stroke. She was 10 years old. The experience prepared her for the day, many years later, when her husband, a world-renowned cartoonist, illustrator, painter, and 1950s rocker, Nicholas 'Nicky’ Zann, was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia (LBD).  Nicky, who died from LBD in 2020, was the catalyst for Mary's first book,  I Didn’t See It Coming: Scenes of Love, Loss, and Lewy Body Dementia.   

  "Mary Lou Falcone is an expert storyteller. After years of telling other people's stories, she now tells her own compelling story." Friend and client, James Taylor.

In her memoir of love, loss, and Lewy body dementia (LBD), Mary Lou Falcone takes readers on a cathartic journey of caregiving that is filled with hope, laughter, and tears, making stops along the way for music, romance, and surprises. Written to inspire and give hope, Mary Lou unflinchingly shares in detail her late husband’s struggle with LBD, providing informative, compassionate, and inspiring insights into dementia. As she emerges transformed and energized, so will you after reading I Didn’t See It Coming: Scenes of Love, Loss, and Lewy Body Dementia .

Learn about Lewy Body Dementia, why it is difficult to diagnose, and the special challenges faced by caregivers. Enjoy Episode 81!!
Love conquers alz,
Susie xo

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Season 8 kicks off with episode 80 - a MUST LISTEN to show featuring JACKLYN RYAN - a sought-after speaker, consultant, workshop presenter, and best-selling author of the gut-wrenching book, “CareGivers, ScareTakers - Exposing Fraud In Senior Care”. With an aging population, families are struggling with dependable, trusted care. This process is riddled
with problems. What can adult children do to protect their parents from abuse and financial theft and also protect their inheritance and peace of mind from unscrupulous caregivers?
Just like all of us, Jacklyn was instantly faced with a heart-wrenching time in life when her parents were no longer able to care for themselves are soon learned the world of home healthcare agencies is riddled with what she calls inappropriate and unscrupulous ScareTakers. Armed with her and other's powerful personal stories, plus extensive research on this undeniable problem, Jacklyn is sharing this life-changing information through her enlightening book in hopes of revising the process for those looking for appropriate and trustworthy care for their loved ones. 

We covered the following topics and more:
• How to better prepare when you enter the "wormhole of healthcare" 
• The Actions You Can Take to Safeguard Your Family Inheritance and Expose the Scammers. 
• Don't wait for a Crisis to happen! Prepare YOUR OWN Care Ahead of Time. 
• We neglect to make a plan for our own care when we can no longer care for ourselves. 
• Make a Plan and Put it in Writing. 
• Discover resources, how to research and reviews on agencies and caregivers. 
• "My Father  (or Mother) is in Love with His Caregiver! "

Connect with Jacklyn here:
EMAIL: info@caregiverscaretakers.com
WEBSITE: https://caregiverscaretakers.com
LinkedIn: Jacklyn (Jacci Perry) Ryan 
X: @Jacklyn72519695

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In Episode 79, my co-host, Don Priess, and I had an enlightening conversation with Stephan Jackman, the CEO of Alzamend Neuro, a clinical stage biotech company committed to “Making Alzheimer’s Just a Memory™.”  Stephan shared information about the new lithium-based drug that offers Alzheimer's patients hope.

Stephan is laser focused on his mission to rapidly develop and market safe and effective treatments that address the unmet needs of those living with Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases and psychiatric disorders, through advanced research and development.

Their current pipeline consists of two novel therapeutic drug candidates, AL001 – a patented ionic cocrystal technology delivering lithium via a therapeutic combination of lithium, proline and salicylate, and AL002 – a patented method using a mutant-peptide sensitized cell as a cell-based therapeutic vaccine that seeks to restore the ability of a patient’s immunological system to combat Alzheimer’s. Both of our product candidates are licensed from the University of South Florida Research Foundation, Inc. pursuant to royalty-bearing exclusive worldwide licenses.

Our primary target, Alzheimer’s disease, was among the most-feared diseases (second only to cancer) among Americans, according to a 2011 survey by the Harvard School of Public Health. Alzheimer’s is also the sixth leading cause of death in the United States according to a 2021 report from the Alzheimer’s Association, a nonprofit that funds research. Existing Alzheimer’s treatments only temporarily relieve symptoms but do not slow or halt the underlying worsening of the disease, which currently affects roughly 6.2 million Americans and that number is expected to grow to 13 million individuals by 2050.

Enjoy the listen.
Love Conquers Alz,
Susie

Alzamend Neuro
Stephan Jackman

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In episode 78, Don and I had a fantastic conversation with the warm-hearted and incredibly delightful, Maria Kent Beers.  Maria, along with her partner, Rachael Martinez, is the co-founder and co-host of the Remember Me Podcast + Community. Maria has always had a love of radio and editing, receiving a TV Production Degree from Boston University where she was a host of BU In The Morning Radio Show. She also spent time at MTV Radio as an intern in NYC before falling into the world of fashion merchandising for 7 years. After losing her beloved mother, Amalia  to FTD in 2020, Maria had a desire to share her mom and experience as a caregiver to the world and the seed for the Remember Me Podcast + Community was planted. Since its inception, the Remember Me Podcast has tripled its audience as the awareness for brain health, Alzheimer’s and FTD continues to grow. Maria has served as a guest speaker at Alzheimer’s and caregiving conferences around the world and continues to be a resource for others on the FTD journey. Remember Me Podcast + Community has collaborated with partners such as Learn FTD, The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (The AFTD) and  the Bluefield Project to share their stories and offer support to the FTD community. You can follow along at @remembermepodcast and listen on your favorite podcast platform.
World FTD Awareness Week Sept 24 - Oct 8, 2023. Remember Me is going on a 3-city tour (NYC, Philly, DC) to raise awareness of FTD  Sept 25 - 28th. - please see their tour page here.  

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My co-host, Don Priess, and I had the distinct pleasure of speaking with, Ashton Applewhite,  the internationally acclaimed spokesperson for the emerging movement to raise awareness of ageism and to dismantle it.  A co-founder of the Old School Anti-Ageism Clearinghouse, she has been recognized by the New York Times, The New Yorker, National Public Radio, and the American Society on Aging as an expert on ageism. She speaks widely at venues that have included the TED main stage and the United Nations, has written for Harper’s, the Guardian, and the New York Times, and is the voice of Yo, Is This Ageist? She has been named as a Fellow by The New York Times, Yale Law School, and the Royal Society for the Arts.

In 2016,  Ms. Applewhite joined the PBS site Next Avenue’s annual list of 50 Influencers in Aging as their Influencer of the Year.  In 2022, she appeared on HelpAgeUSA’s inaugural 60 Over 60 List and on Fe:maleOneZero’s first international edition of 40 over 40 – The World’s Most Inspiring Women, and received the Maggie Kuhn Award from Presbyterian Senior Services.

Ms. Applewhite is also the author of Cutting Loose: Why Women Who End Their Marriages Do So Well, described by Ms. magazine as “rocket fuel for launching new lives.” As the pseudonymous author of the Truly Tasteless Jokes series, she was the first person to have four books on the New York Times best-seller list and was a clue on “Jeopardy."
 
 Connect with Ashton Applewhite:
 Facebook  X   Instagram
Email: ashton@thischairrocks.com

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“Anything is possible if you have the desire and passion to make it happen.” That is the mantra of our Episode 76 guest, Lance A. Slatton. Tirelessly dedicated to giving back, Lance has become a standout in the healthcare industry. A native of Michigan, he is a Senior Case Manager at Enriched Life Home Care Services, a leading care provider. His wealth of knowledge and experience, along with his innovative approach to providing care, has led to his award-winning home care company being named Michigan’s top-rated service over the past five years.

But Lance is committed to sharing his wealth of knowledge and experience far beyond the Michigan state line. His ingenuity and fortitude led to the creation of his podcast and YouTube show, All Home Care Matters. Reaching over 12 million viewers globally.

If that weren't enough, as a contributor to McKnight’s Home Care News, Lance’s articles explore diverse topics from “the state of Medicare” to “innovations in senior care technology” to “caring for the caregiver” and more.

Recognizing Lance’s contributions to the industry, he was named a “50 Under 50” honoree by the New York City Journal for 2023.  

Don Priess and I share a candid, enlightening conversation that explores the challenges, possibilities and advantages of home care for our loved ones. If you are a caregiver, know a caregiver or may be a caregiver someday, today’s chat with the inimitable Lance A. Slatton is a must listen.
FOLLOW LANCE:
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