Understanding the Real-Life Symptoms of Dementia

Dementia Aware Activities That Actually Work

Why does someone with dementia symptoms stop doing activities they used to love? It's one of the most common questions family caregivers and memory care professionals ask — and the answer isn't loss of interest. It's a loss of the brain's ability to process and participate. In this episode of Port of Call, Laura Wayman, the Dementia Whisperer, and Jocelyn Ives, certified life coach for dementia caregivers, sit down with Ju Tu, CEO and founder of Aegeliss, and Giulia Benvenuto, Community and Partnerships Manager, to explore dementia-aware activities that actually create engagement, connection, and joy. Ju shares how her family's caregiving experience with her grandfather revealed a gap in the market: almost no dignified, adult-appropriate, dementia-inclusive activities exist. Most options are infantilizing, too complex, or require so much caregiver assistance that the caregiver ends up doing the activity. Aegeliss designs adaptive puzzles, matching activities, and visual aids that meet people where they are — at home and in memory care communities. This episode answers important caregiver questions like: * Why won't my loved one with dementia do activities anymore? * Why don't group activities work for people with dementia symptoms? * What are good activities for someone with dementia at home? * What makes an activity "dementia aware" or dementia friendly? * How do you invite someone with dementia symptoms into an activity without causing anxiety? * How can meaningful activities reduce caregiver stress and burnout? You'll learn: * Why loss of executive function — not lack of interest — is behind activity refusal * How to shift the goal from "checking a box" to creating moments of joy * Why positive action statements work better than questions * How adaptive puzzles and matching activities meet people at any cognitive level * How visual aids, door signs, and routine labels support independence at home * Why caregiver confidence ripples out to stronger relationships and better staff retention in senior living This conversation is for family caregivers, professional caregivers, activity directors, memory care and senior living staff, and anyone supporting a loved one with dementia, Alzheimer's disease, or cognitive decline. If you've ever walked away from a failed activity feeling helpless, or caught yourself thinking "there's nothing they can do anymore," this episode will change how you think about engagement. * Explore Aegeliss's dementia-inclusive activities and visual aids: https://aegeliss.com [https://aegeliss.com] * Take Laura's free Dementia Aware Self-Assessment: https://assessment.laurawayman.com [https://assessment.laurawayman.com] * Join our support group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2138455819816838  [https://www.facebook.com/groups/2138455819816838] Follow for more dementia caregiver support, dementia education, emotional resilience tools, and real conversations about caregiving.  laurawayman.com/podcast

How Do You Successfully Visit a Parent with Dementia Symptoms?

In this episode of the Port of Call podcast, Laura Wayman and Jocelyn Ives sit down with Ami Reichman, a senior living advisor and daughter caring for a father living with dementia symptoms. Ami spends her professional life helping families navigate dementia care, assisted living, memory care, and senior living decisions. But when dementia affected her own father, she found herself facing the same emotional challenges many caregivers experience: grief, guilt, repeated questions, frustration, and uncertainty about whether she was doing enough. Together, Laura, Jocelyn, and Ami explore one of the most common caregiver questions: How do you visit a parent with dementia? Throughout the conversation, they discuss what happens when a loved one repeatedly asks the same questions, fixates on difficult memories, struggles with feelings of loss, or becomes stuck in emotional loops that caregivers don't know how to navigate. This episode answers important caregiver questions like: * How do you respond when someone with dementia asks the same question repeatedly? * Why do people with dementia focus on certain memories or worries? * How can caregivers reduce guilt after visits? * What does it mean to meet someone where they are? * Why is it important to focus on feelings instead of facts? * How can dementia awareness improve communication and connection? You'll learn: * Why dementia affects more than memory * How to respond to the emotions behind repeated questions * Why quality of visits matters more than quantity * Practical ways to create meaningful moments of connection * How emotional awareness can reduce caregiver stress and burnout * Why caregivers need to extend compassion to themselves throughout the journey This conversation is for family caregivers, adult children, professional caregivers, senior living professionals, healthcare workers, and anyone supporting a loved one with dementia, Alzheimer's disease, cognitive decline, or memory care needs. If you've ever left a visit feeling guilty, exhausted, or wondering if you said the right thing, this episode offers practical guidance, emotional support, and a reminder that you are not alone. Follow for more dementia caregiver support, dementia education, emotional resilience tools, and real conversations about caregiving. laurawayman.com/podcast

How Do You Care for a Parent with Dementia?

In this episode of the Dementia Lifeboat Port of Call podcast, Laura Wayman and Jocelyn Ives sit down with caregiver Joe Dunham to talk about the emotional reality of caring for parents with dementia symptoms, medical complications, grief, and caregiver burnout.  Joe shares the heartbreaking and overwhelming experience of navigating dementia care while trying to advocate for his father through hospitals, specialists, assisted living, and end-of-life care. Even with years of dementia awareness experience, he found himself exhausted, confused, emotionally overwhelmed, and struggling to manage everything at once.  This episode answers important caregiver questions like: * What does dementia really look like in everyday life? * What are dementia symptoms beyond memory loss? * Why do caregivers feel overwhelmed and emotionally exhausted? * How do you support someone with dementia when doctors aren’t listening? *  What helps caregivers cope with grief, guilt, fear, and burnout? * How can families become more dementia aware? You’ll learn: * Why dementia symptoms often involve loss of executive function, not just memory loss  * How emotional awareness changes dementia caregiving  * Why caregivers need support too  * Practical ways to reduce overwhelm and take things one moment at a time  * The importance of asking for help and building a support system  * How compassion and dementia awareness can improve care for everyone involved  This conversation is for family caregivers, professional caregivers, healthcare workers, assisted living staff, and anyone supporting a loved one with dementia, Alzheimer’s, cognitive decline, or memory care needs. If you’ve ever felt exhausted, confused, guilty, or alone while caring for someone with dementia, this episode will remind you that your feelings are valid and that you are not alone. Follow for more dementia caregiver support, dementia education, emotional resilience tools, and real conversations about caregiving. laurawayman.com/podcast

What Does Dementia Look Like in Real Life?

In this episode of the Dementia Lifeboat Port of Call podcast, Laura Wayman and co-host Jocelyn Ives sit down with caregiver Cindy to share a deeply personal and eye-opening story. Cindy opens up about her husband’s journey following a traumatic brain injury and the unexpected onset of dementia symptoms years later. What started as subtle personality changes quickly turned into confusion, fear, and moments that left her questioning everything she thought she knew about dementia. This conversation goes beyond memory loss and explores what dementia actually looks like in real life—shifts in behavior, emotional responses, communication breakdowns, and the daily challenges caregivers face trying to keep their loved ones safe, calm, and supported.  You’ll hear: *  Why dementia is often misunderstood (even by professionals)  *  How symptoms go far beyond memory loss  *  What it really means to “be dementia-aware”  *  Practical ways to communicate and reduce anxiety  *  The emotional reality of caregiving, including grief, guilt, and identity shifts  *  How to support a loved one while still taking care of yourself  Laura and Jocelyn also introduce powerful tools—like focusing on feelings over facts and simplifying life to the present moment—that can completely change how caregivers approach this journey. This episode is a reminder that you’re not alone, that there is no perfect way to do this, and that progress—not perfection—is what matters most. laurawayman.com/podcast

Understanding the Real-Life Symptoms of Dementia

In this episode of Dementia Lifeboat: Port of Call, dementia educator Laura Wayman and certified life coach Jocelyn Ives sit down with Jennifer Gilbertson to talk about what dementia symptoms can look like in real life, long before many families recognize what is happening. Jennifer shares the early changes her family noticed in her mother: repeated stories, difficulty following familiar routines, challenges with communication, and a gradual loss of interest in activities she once loved. At first, these moments seemed small. Easy to explain away as stress, aging, or simple forgetfulness.  But over time, the pattern became harder to ignore. This conversation explores what many families experience during the early stages of dementia: the confusion, the denial, the overwhelming feeling of not knowing where to start, and the emotional weight that can come with realizing someone you love is changing. We also talk about the questions caregivers often face during this stage: * How do you recognize when something is truly wrong? * Why can getting a diagnosis be so difficult? * What happens when families finally hear the words “dementia diagnosis,” but are given very little guidance on what to do next? Laura and Jocelyn discuss why understanding dementia symptoms, especially the loss of executive brain function, is so important for caregivers. When families begin to understand what is happening neurologically, it becomes easier to shift away from trying to fix or correct behaviors and instead learn how to support someone whose brain is changing. Jennifer also shares the emotional side of caregiving: the guilt many families feel for not noticing sooner, the stress of navigating the medical system, and the relief that can come when caregivers finally gain the knowledge and support they need. This episode reminds caregivers of something many need to hear: you did the best you could with the information you had, and you are not alone on this journey. If you want more support while caregiving for someone with dementia symptoms, or if you believe someone in your life may be experiencing cognitive changes, we invite you to join our monthly Dementia Lifeboat: Poolside Chat, where caregivers come together to share experiences and support one another. You can join us for FREE by registering here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/PRzPtXKIRf-NNdHzhSToUg [https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/PRzPtXKIRf-NNdHzhSToUg] Or become a paid member of our Dementia Lifeboat Skool community for exclusive trainings, early podcast access, and a supportive community available 24/7: https://www.skool.com/dementia-lifeboat/about [https://www.skool.com/dementia-lifeboat/about] You’re not expected to have all the answers. You’re invited to learn, manage what’s in front of you, and feel less alone as you do. laurawayman.com/podcast