Dementia Resilience With Jill Lorentz

June 28, 2022 Summer months can be challenging when we can't go outside because it is scorching hot. Air conditioning makes our joints hurt. The heat is suffocating. Going in and out of both makes your sinuses go crazy! It is hard to do outside activities and you are itching to get out of the house. These issues can be draining and emotionally destructive for us which can create anxiety. What do we do about this? Let's chat about it!

June 21,2022 Navigating the road, from suspecting symptoms to a diagnosis, along the journey and to the end is full of strife and challenges. Managing this road is often anything but easy. Some have difficult people to deal with and some have it easier. Some people are in denial, some are ready to walk the road together. Grief from day 1 is ever present but many fail to recognize it. Anger from role reversals is common. Expecting the person with the diagnosis to stay the same as they are for a long time is a misconception. Patience is a virtue, although many people run short. How do we navigate this long journey? I am here to help!

June 14, 2022 Sometimes, much to our dismay, we have a person with some type of dementia disease that is extremely difficult to work with. They refuse care, are spiteful, angry and a lot more. They won't bathe, are incontinent, don't brush their teeth. They lose their social graces. This is so hard! What recourse do you have? This is the show for you!

May 26,2022 Sorry this podcast is two days late! Difficult times with clients held me up! That lead to this topic. When someone is in the process of dying, there are many questions and hard issues to deal with. This podcast is dedicated to this subject.

May 17, 2022 For this second of a two-part May 10 & 17 series, I am delving deep into memory loss and cognitive symptoms and how the daily grind can get to us. Looking closely at the issues of repetitiveness, stubbornness, resistance to care and how to keep your emotions in check. If we understand why our loved ones and clients are presenting the way they are, we can better try approaches of acting and not reacting.

May 10, 2022 For this two-part May 10 & 17 series I am delving deep into memory loss and cognitive symptoms and how the daily grind can get to us. Looking closely at the issues of repetitiveness, stubbornness, resistance to care and how to keep your emotions in check. If we understand why our loved ones and clients are presenting the way they are, we can better try approaches of acting and not reacting.

May 3, 2022 Today I had an enlightening and educational conversation with a speech, language pathologist, who also happens to be my niece, Sarah Hackert. For the past twelve years she has worked with people who have experienced brain injuries, and various types of dementia diseases. We dive deep into the symptoms of aphasia, apraxia, dysarthria, eating and swallowing issues and much more! This is a fascinating show which takes a look into an area I have not focused on before! Grab a pen and paper - You won't want to miss this conversation! My niece, Sarah Hackert Sarah Hackert, MS, CCC-SLP, CBIS Speech-Language Pathologist Certified Brain Injury Specialist Washington University Program in Physical Therapy at TRISL 4444 Forest Park Avenue, Campus Box 8502 St. Louis, MO 63108 Phone (314) 273-4664 Fax (314) 286-1473

April 26, 2022 This seems like a really straight forward issue that needs no explaining, right? Wrong! Rules around who can know about your medical information can be a good thing to protect privacy, but a nightmare when you are trying to help a person with a dementia disease, and they won't let you talk the doctor to try to work with your symptoms.

April 18, 2022 I promise I will never put you in a care community. This vow made by millions of spouses was made most often when no one was sick with a dementia disease, and it seems insurmountable years later. We want so much to be able to let people age at home. We give it our all, sometimes even at our own expense. Care communities, formerly known as nursing homes, in a lot of cases are not where we would want to live out our final years. There are a handful that are phenomenal, but you really have to search and do your homework to find them. Fears can be very real, but when you find the right care, no matter where it is, the reward can be huge. It all comes at a cost to a degree. The stress can take a huge toll and often caregivers have their own health issues, which can have devastating consequences.

April 12, 2022 As we look to our journey down the path of unknown twist and turns, the maze of symptoms, safety, legal, financial issues and so much more, can be completely overwhelming. Today I dive deep into a comprehensive look at what is available to us. I will talk about many issues you may not have even thought of, and guess what? I will have the answers for you! Grab a drink, pen and paper and sit down and listen! I am here for you my friends!

April 5, 2022 Today was a pure joy because I interviewed Dr. Delia Bakeman, D.O, Associate Professor at the University of Colorado Hospital Neurology Department in the Memory Disorders Clinic. Dr. Bakeman specializes in Psychiatry as well and has a great handle on what needs to happen to change the way neurologists work with their patients. The entire department is taking a new approach, spending more time with patients to learn what their goals are and how they can fight to maintain a better than great quality of life as they live with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Frontotemporal and other dementia diseases. Dr. Bakeman also focuses on the additional comorbidities that can factor into the presentations. Mental illness, such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and other issues are often present, making a definitive diagnosis very difficult. She invests her time in working with other people who touch the lives of her patients, like me, and physical and occupational therapy, as well as speech and language t

March 29,20222 Today I want to discuss an issue many see and recognize during their journey with various dementia's and that is the up and down rollercoaster of moods. We see depression, anxiety, restlessness, alcohol and substance abuse which helps the depression take a deeper dive. What do we do? How can we help? How do we find resources to assist us when we need it? I address this and more in this podcast!

March 22,2022 When we are caring for someone with advanced dementia diseases such as Alzheimer's, Lewy body and Parkinson's, how do we access bed sores, fevers, pain, urinary tract infections and other aches and pains? In this podcast I will go over the symptoms and how to read them.

March 15, 2022 - I don't think there is much more contentious times with families than when some don't believe that a family member is having cognitive or memory issues. This podcast is dedicated to learning how to work through this process!

March 8, 2022 Today is an empathy show, where so many issues have come up that defy logic, or are problems so many of us face, that I had to take the time to commiserate and try to think of ideas or paths to take for resolution! I surprised myself while I spoke, that I was able to come up with some ideas that might help some of you! l

March 1, 2022 The show today explores the early process of memory loss and the kinds of symptoms you may experience. Sometimes they are so subtle that we don't recognize what is happening. We may think the person in abstinent, not listening, being rude, apathetic or having a hearing problem. Let me walk you through this confusing journey.

Feb 22, 2022- Today I am having a conversation with Juan Padilla, a terrific young man whose mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's at age 39 and passed away less than a decade later. Juan is trying to make a difference with his community, and we have a very open and enlightening conversation about his mom's younger onset and what it means for him. She carried the PSEN1 gene and Juan has been tested and had a positive result. If you think this is an old person's disease, think again. You will not want to miss this very personal and sweet interview.

Feb 15, 2022 - In this episode, my goal is to help you line out what you will experience in the late stage of Alzheimer's or Parkinson's, when falls and eating issues become prevalent. This is the beginning of a number of steps that need to be addressed to make sure stress levels don't reach an epic place and take you to a place of being completely overwhelmed. This is a how to deal with this podcast that could help save your sanity!

February 8, 2022 A question was asked of me this week that ruffled my feathers; is there a time in late stage when we should just stop feeding our person with dementia? Should we use feeding tubes? What if a doctor says we should let go and stop feeding? Listen to the show to hear my answers.