aging parent

In this episode, Julie shares her story of walking with her mother through Alzheimers. How can we let God into these difficult seasons of our life? She encourages us to trust in The Lord and let the Holy Spirit work in the situation. We pray you are pushed to lean into Christ when you face tough circumstances and let Him show you how He is still working in your life.

Learn more about iRefresh and Prayer Opportunities here:
www.irefresh.net

Currently, there are about 40 million working caregivers in the United States. What does this mean? In America, $68 billion dollars a year is being lost by US companies. We are losing money with absenteeism, presenteeism, and retaining our caregiver workforce. How do we support working caregivers? 

My guest today is Debbie Howard, she is an author, speaker, and founder of Aging Matters International.  Thank you, Debbie, for amplifying caregiver-related challenges and providing much-needed solutions.

As Debbie states, "Caregiving does not spare any generation". Debbie was running a business in Japan and had lived there for many years when she needed to move back to South Carolina to take care of her mom. In the midst of juggling work, keeping her job afloat, and the challenges that came with balancing work and caregiving turned Debbie into an advocate so others can have a better caregiving experience in the long run.

Debbie shares about:

• The state of the global caregiving crisis
• How the caregiving crisis impacts the workplace and companies
• The business case for companies to implement caregiver-friendly policies
• The ways we can identify who our caregiver employees are
• Where we can begin to foster employee wellness
• Challenges in the workplace to support caregivers
• The practical ways that companies can support caregivers
• How companies of any size can improve the offerings to support employee caregivers

About Debbie Howard

Through her 30+ years of work in Japan, Debbie translates consumer research into clear strategic direction for global clients across a wide range of categories - including age-tech products and services. Also, a former caregiver on a mission to change the way the world looks at caregiving, Debbie’s work focuses on helping companies create more caregiver-friendly workplaces by supporting their employee caregivers, while reducing the related risks of absenteeism, turnover, and future healthcare costs. For individuals, her offerings include curated resources to help with navigating the many aspects of caregiving, as well as a free annual self-care challenge.

Debbie co-moderates three “Rethinking Aging” Clubhouse programs (Age-Friendly Products Alliance sponsored by AARP, News for the Ages, and Shifting the Culture of Caregiving), and two podcasts: Women Who Care and Caregiver Camps, and is a frequent podcast and webinar guest.

With the launch of AMI in 2016, Debbie brought her market research acumen to the world of caregiving.

Her first book (The Caregiving Journey: Information. Guidance. Inspiration.) supports individuals in going beyond logistics in managing their caregiving situations with ease and grace.

Her second book (The Caregiving Crisis: What It Costs Your Business and How You Can Fix It) was released in March 2022, and guides companies with practical ways to support their employee caregivers and create more caregiver-friendly workplaces.

To learn more and connect with Debbie Howard:

https://www.thecaregivingjourney.com

Contact: Debbie@thecaregivingjourney.com

LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram 

For Companies:

Download our complimentary resources for BUSINESSES here: https://thecaregivingcrisis.com/resources/

For Individuals:

Download our complimentary resources for INDIVIDUALS here: https://www.thecaregivingjourney.com/resources/

We are not medical professionals and are not providing any medical advice. If you have any medical questions, we recommend that you talk with a medical professional of your choice. willGather has taken care in selecting its speakers but the opinions of our speakers are theirs alone. Thank you for your continued interest in our podcasts.

Please follow for updates, rate & review!

For more information about our guest, podcast & sponsorship opportunities, visit www.willgatherpodcast.com

Instagram: @willgather

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Nicole Will is our host and founder of willGather.

We've planned who will inherit the house, and who will be the keeper of our most precious treasures but we often overlook another form of our personal property- our digital assets. Families are placed in situations where they need to navigate and collect a variety of digital property after a loved one passes.

This week my guests are Aproova Chintala and Sree Chintala. They are founders and the CEO and CTO of Clocr. Clocr is an all-in-one legacy planning platform. Creating this platform is very personal to these founders as they share the family story of how they found themselves in the midst of understanding the wishes of a grandparent and wanted to have a better way to manage digital property. This is a tremendous help for families and eliminates frustration and confusion. Thank you, Aproova and Sree, for sharing your family story and providing guidance for us as we plan for the future.

Aproova and Sree share about:

• After a personal loss- Clocr was created. The story of how it came to be
• Understanding digital assets
• What types of assets are often overlooked
• How do we pass along a digital legacy
• Choosing the "right" digital executor
• Storing and protecting our digital assets
• Understanding the world of social media and protecting our accounts
• The ways to protect and store our personal photos and videos
• How Clocr ensures the security of our assets- security is a top priority
• The ways in which Clocr supports older adults and senior care

About Clocr

Clocr provides an all-in-one legacy planning platform with three product lines: an estate planning tool for digital assets, a digital vault to store and share information, and a time-vault feature. You can set up your estate plan for digital assets in just 3 clicks. We also offer a patent-pending digital vault to consolidate all your important documents and information and share them with your guardians. Our unique digital time capsule feature allows you to pass on your memories, messages, and values to your friends and family. We recently launched Emergency Services allows the first responder to connect with the person in need's emergency contact through a quick scan of QR Code. Clocr Social Media Will helps you to decide how your social identity should live on after you pass away. Other than this we also offer features like Free Will, Funeral Planning, and Medical Directives.

The Backstory

The idea for Clocr came to Apoorva Chintala, Co-founder & CEO, a few years ago shortly after the passing of her grandfather. After he died, there was confusion surrounding his beneficiaries and how his assets were to be distributed. Apoorva's father was thrust into the role of ‘executor’ and forced to try and determine what her grandfather’s wishes had been and how to disburse his assets. All of these new responsibilities for her father, while important and urgent, seemed trivial in comparison to their loss.

That’s when it hit her – “what would I do if I was the one who had to figure all of this out?” The answer was: “I just don’t know”. At that moment, Clocr was born. The primary aim of Clocr is to ease a family’s burden at their greatest time of need, when they are facing the greatest uncertainty of life – its ending. Apoorva firmly believes that technology empowers society to creatively and effectively solve age old problems, and this is why Clocr exists, to eliminate the stress and confusion after the loss of a loved one.

For more information about Clocr visit www.clocr.com.

We are not medical professionals and are not providing any medical advice. If you have any medical questions, we recommend that you talk with a medical professional of your choice. willGather has taken care in selecting its speakers but the opinions of our speakers are theirs alone. Thank you for your continued interest in our podcasts.

Please follow for updates, rate & review!

For more information about our podcast & sponsorship opportunities, visit www.willgatherpodcast.com

Instagram: @willgather

Facebook: WillGather

Nicole Will is our host and founder of willGather.

Benjamin Kintisch began his work as a chaplain in a residential hospice community. One of the most meaningful parts of his work was walking through the "Life Review" with each of his patients.

In our conversation this week, Ben recalls telling his wife that the stories he was hearing needed to be songs. His wife replied, "Get writing".  He began writing and through partnerships and collaborations the Life Review: The Hospice Musical was born.

Through music, song, our shared mortality, humor, and commonalities - we have a space to learn and review in our own way. Thank you, Ben, for the fun and thought-provoking conversation.

Benjamin Kintisch is a Cantor, a chaplain, and a music teacher, in addition to his involvement with theater and songwriting. “Life Review” is the first musical he created.

About Life Review: The Hospice Musical

"It's a Chorus Line meets Fiddler on the Roof."

Life Review: The Hospice Musical is a new musical celebrating life, love and loss through three seasons at a residential hospice. The story follows our young Rabbi David, the new chaplain at the facility. He arrives in autumn, eager and naive, caring but lonely. As he ministers to the patients, Rabbi David learns from his patients even as he cares for them. and their loved ones.

In Life Review: The Hospice Musical, each patient sings their story. We hear from a proud mother remembering snow, a brave but scared young man wondering what's to come, an older man looking for one last friend, and a man of God singing praises.

To learn more and book a virtual performance visit www.lifereviewmusical.com.

We are not medical professionals and are not providing any medical advice. If you have any medical questions, we recommend that you talk with a medical professional of your choice. willGather has taken care in selecting its speakers but the opinions of our speakers are theirs alone. Thank you for your continued interest in our podcasts.

Please follow for updates, rate & review!

For more information about our guest, podcast & sponsorship opportunities, visit www.willgatherpodcast.com

Instagram: @willgather

Facebook: WillGather

Nicole Will is our host and founder of willGather.

Having been a non-professional caregiver for family and loved ones for more than thirty-five years, Sue Ryan created The Caregiver's Journey to walk caregivers through the various phases of their caregiving journey. How do we successfully manage all of the changes and transitions that happen when we step into the role of caregiver?

Today I have with me, Sue Ryan, best-selling author of the book  Our Journey of Love, 5 Steps to Navigate Your Caregiving Journey. For the past 35 years, she has been supporting entrepreneurs and business leaders in successfully navigating transition. Sue's personal care for her loved ones brought her into the trenches of transition. When her caregiving journey began she frequently felt overwhelmed, frustrated, and faced with the unknown of not knowing what to do. Sue graciously shares with us all that she has learned and teaches family caregivers how to find balance and successfully navigate the many roles we carry as caregivers.  This can be an empowering time for us when we realize we can re-create who we are and be encouraged in our transitions. When we understand ourselves- we can care well for others. 

Whether you'd like to have a conversation, read her international best-selling book Our Journey of Love, 5 Steps to Navigate Your Caregiving Journey, have her speak or conduct workshops for your organization, or take one of the offerings of her The Caregiver's Journey program, reach out to Sue HERE.

We are not medical professionals and are not providing any medical advice. If you have any medical questions, we recommend that you talk with a medical professional of your choice. willGather has taken care in selecting its speakers but the opinions of our speakers are theirs alone. Thank you for your continued interest in our podcasts.

Please follow for updates, rate & review!

For more information about our guest, podcast & sponsorship opportunities, visit www.willgatherpodcast.com

Instagram: @willgather

Facebook: WillGather

Nicole Will is our host and founder of willGather.

This week my guest is Traci Lamb, CEO of Smart Caregiving. Traci has spent the last 20 years in the healthcare industry with over 14 of those years working in hospice. She is the primary caregiver for both of her parents who are in their 80s - this led our conversation today as well as her personal experience working in hospice care.

Families have many questions- what is hospice care? How is it different than palliative care? What is comfort care? Why would we choose hospice? What are the benefits? How do we have these important conversations? We look at the value of grief support and how everyone experiences grief differently.

For more info about Smart Caregiving visit https://smart-caregiving.com/

We are not medical professionals and are not providing any medical advice. If you have any medical questions, we recommend that you talk with a medical professional of your choice. willGather has taken care in selecting its speakers but the opinions of our speakers are theirs alone. Thank you for your continued interest in our podcasts.

Please follow for updates, rate & review!

For more information about our podcast, guest & sponsorship opportunities, visit www.willgatherpodcast.com

Instagram: @willgather

Facebook: WillGather

Nicole Will is our host and founder of willGather.

What holds us back from choosing the life that we want? Over the last few years my guest, Anna Marie Frank, has worked with caregivers and older adults about the power of re-wiring our brains and shifting our mindset to live a happy and whole life. What we think and how we speak greatly impacts our health.

Anna Marie Frank, Doctor of Traditional Naturopathy, is my guest this week. She has spent 20 years in the wellness industry. Her focus on how we can be proactive vs. reactive in our health guided our conversation.  Understanding the caregiver's needs and mental health state gives her a framework for helping others find support and happiness. It was a pleasure to talk with Anna Marie- this is a fun conversation that will encourage anyone who listens! Thank you, Anna Marie!

We talk all about Traditional Naturopathy, how we as caregivers, care partners, and older adults can re-wire our brain and mindset- mindset is everything, how we can take control and live the life we want, looking at the big picture and how we can make change, how we can find cost-effective options in supporting our health, and how there is hope in choosing the life that we want.

Anna Marie has spent over 20 years in the wellness industry and is a doctor of Traditional Naturopathy, certified brain health practitioner, and worksite wellness specialist. She is also the founder of Happy Whole You, formulator of three brain nutraceuticals, published author, life guide coach, mother of two, and holistic health advocate!

Anna Marie has found a way to combine high tech therapies with old school holistic health practices that improve one's brain function while simultaneously decreasing one's body inflammation. She started her company and practice after healing her own brain and body naturally.

You can work with Anna Marie virtually or in person at her wellness location. Connect with Anna Marie @HappyWholeYou on social media and visit her website at www.HappyWholeYou.com

We are not medical professionals and are not providing any medical advice. If you have any medical questions, we recommend that you talk with a medical professional of your choice. willGather has taken care in selecting its speakers but the opinions of our speakers are theirs alone. Thank you for your continued interest in our podcasts.

Please follow for updates, rate & review!

For more information about our podcast & sponsorship opportunities, visit www.willgatherpodcast.com

Instagram: @willgather

Facebook: WillGather

Nicole Will is our host and founder of willGather.

How do we support our loved ones with brain changes in a positive and respectful way? Teepa's  mission is "to change the culture of dementia care to be more inclusive, more knowledgeable, and more skillful in order to truly support all brains and people in our community." Teepa and her team are doing just that.

Teepa Snow is my guest this week. She is one of the world's leaders in dementia education and advocacy. Teepa founded Positive Approach to Care and its reach includes 30 countries worldwide. Teepa's ability to connect with others, provide practical tools for families and support for others has been life-giving to many including myself. There is a wealth of knowledge that you need to explore at teepasnow.com to continue learning more about her incredible work.

We talk all about care partnership, common misconceptions, the call to destigmatize dementia, common questions caregivers have, and how Teepa fills her cup as she gives to so many. 

About Teepa Snow & Positive Approach to Care

Teepa Snow is one of the world’s leading advocates and educators for anyone living with dementia or other forms of brain change.

Teepa is an Occupational Therapist with over forty years of rich and varied clinical and academic experience. Her philosophy is reflective of her education, work experience, medical research, and first-hand caregiving experiences. Her advocacy efforts led her to the development of the GEMS® State Model for understanding the progression of dementia and changes in abilities. She also created the Positive  Approach to Care® training strategies, which are effective techniques for anyone seeking to optimize care and support for those living with brain change. As the Education Director of Eastern  North Carolina’s Alzheimer’s Association, she also helped to create the nation’s award-winning DVD  entitled Accepting the Challenge: Providing the Best Care for People with Dementia. Her user friendly approaches provide guidance and leadership to national efforts to promote best practices in care.

Teepa’s company, Positive Approach to Care (PAC), was founded in 2006 and is now collaborating to improve dementia care in over thirty countries worldwide. PAC provides online and in-person services, training, and products to professionals, family members, the lay public, and people living with brain change.

Please visit www.teepasnow.com for educational video clips, DVDs, books,  information on individual certifications, online support groups, virtual and onsite trainings, or to subscribe to a free monthly newsletter.

Teepa presents with extraordinary expertise and humor to audiences large and small throughout the world. Please join in her mission to improve the culture of dementia care, one mind at a time.

We are not medical professionals and are not providing any medical advice. If you have any medical questions, we recommend that you talk with a medical professional of your choice. willGather has taken care in selecting its speakers but the opinions of our speakers are theirs alone. Thank you for your continued interest in our podcasts.

Please follow for updates, rate & review!

For more information about our guest, podcast & sponsorship opportunities, visit www.willgatherpodcast.com

Instagram: @willgather

Facebook: WillGather

Nicole Will is our host and founder of willGather.

Neurodegenerative diseases affect millions of people across the world. While there is no cure at the moment there are ways we can improve cognition and reinforce routine habits.

Matt Golden is the CEO and Co-Founder of MapHabit. Having experienced the personal loss of loved ones from Alzheimer's Disease, he is passionate about creating tools to support caregivers and improve the quality of life for our older adults.

MapHabit is an interactive care management, dementia training, and cognitive engagement platform that promotes independence and enhances the quality of life for individuals that need additional cognitive support and their support partners. This award-winning technology, using evidence-based research is driving change to reduce caregiver stress, support care teams, and reduce out-of-pocket healthcare costs.

Matt Golden shares about:

• How we preserve the independence and dignity of our loved ones
• The extensive research and science to support the value of visual cues and maintaining habits
• How the National Institue of Aging (NIH) funding helped build credibility & enable MapHabit to rapidly grow
• How we can focus on what our loved ones still can do- what is maintained throughout the disease process
• The personalized cognitive support offered by MapHabit
• How visual cues support our loved one's independence
• The dementia education and engagement platform offered
• Why healthcare providers and caregivers need to be supported
• MapHabit's extensive team and educators

Learn more about MapHabit at www.maphabit.com

Instagram @maphabitatl and Facebook @MapHabit

Matt is a seasoned business leader and passionate advocate for assistive technologies to improve quality of life. Matt’s uncle and grandmother both passed away from Alzheimer’s Disease. His extensive custom application development, project management skills and change management expertise enable him to effectively implement change in industries that require modernization. MapHabit combines both his personal motivations and professional drive to build solutions to transform the lives of others with few options.

We are not medical professionals and are not providing any medical advice. If you have any medical questions, we recommend that you talk with a medical professional of your choice. willGather has taken care in selecting its speakers but the opinions of our speakers are theirs alone. Thank you for your continued interest in our podcasts.

Please follow for updates, rate & review!

For more information about our guests, podcast & sponsorship opportunities, visit www.willgatherpodcast.com

Instagram: @willgather

Facebook: WillGather

Nicole Will is our host and founder of willGather.