Patty's Place

Stop Saying “Let Me Know If You Need Anything”-Interview with Kelly Edmundson

I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2461734/fan_mail/new] The funeral ends, the messages slow down, and suddenly the calendar becomes the hardest part of grief. We sit down with Kelly Edmondson, founder and CEO of Timely Presence, to talk about what support should look like after the sympathy flowers are gone and real life returns. As a former trauma nurse and now a certified grief counselor, Kelly brings both clinical experience and the honesty of living through profound loss as a bereaved mother. We get specific about the moments that sting: a loved one’s birthday, Mother’s Day, the holiday season, and the first anniversary of death. Kelly explains why “If you need anything, let me know” often fails, and what helps more: steady, practical presence that doesn’t ask the griever to manage everyone else’s discomfort. We also talk about grief brain and the hidden symptoms people don’t expect, from exhaustion and low motivation to forgetfulness and trouble focusing at work, especially when bereavement leave runs out long before you feel like yourself again. Kelly walks us through how Timely Presence supports someone through the first year with heirloom-quality memorial gifts delivered on key dates, including an engraved memory box, interactive wind chimes, a crystal votive candle holder, and a 3D photo crystal keepsake. We also explore creating new rituals, planning for triggers, and why even pet loss can feel like a “loud absence” after years of caregiving routines. Year-Long Sympathy & Memorial Gift Collections | Timely Presence [https://thetimelypresence.com/] If you’ve ever wanted to show up better for someone grieving, or you’re trying to navigate your own loss with more tenderness and less isolation, listen through and share this with a friend. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us what milestone date is hardest for you to face. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2461734/support]

What An End Of Life Doula Really Does For Families-Interview with Victoria Volk

I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2461734/fan_mail/new] Grief gets treated like a single moment, but for caregivers it’s often a long, exhausting season. We sit down with Victoria Volk, certified grief specialist and creator of Grieving Voices, to talk about what actually helps when dementia caregiving, hospice decisions, and anticipatory grief collide. She explains what an end-of-life doula does, why hospice is often introduced too late, and how a supportive advocate can protect a patient’s wishes while easing pressure on the family.  We also dig into a definition of grief that reaches far beyond death: the loss of hopes, dreams, and expectations. That one shift changes how we understand caregiver burnout, anger, and the ways old losses can resurface when a new crisis hits. Victoria walks us through grief recovery as an evidence-based method for addressing emotional pain, including the hard truth that you can’t always get the apology you deserve, but you can still become emotionally complete.  Finally, we call out the grief myths many of us learned early, like “be strong,” “replace the loss,” and “time heals all wounds,” and we talk about boundaries that protect your energy without shutting people out. If you’re navigating hospice care, end-of-life planning, dementia, or the messy reality of grief in the body, this conversation offers practical language and real relief. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs it, and leave a review so more caregivers can find this support. https://theunleashedheart.com/ Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2461734/support]

A Grief Doula Explains What Helps After Loss-Interview with Cindy Burns

I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2461734/fan_mail/new] Grief can make the world feel smaller overnight, and widowhood can make you wonder who you even are without the person you built your days around. We’re joined by Cindy J. Burns, a grief coach, grief doula, and self-described widow coach, for an honest conversation about what helps when you’re tired of pretending you’re fine and you just want to breathe again. We talk through the difference between a death doula and a grief doula, including how support changes from anticipatory grief at end of life to the raw, lonely weeks after the loss. Cindy breaks down a powerful reframe: moving from living in grief, where grief colors every moment, to living with grief, where it stays with you but doesn’t control every hour. Along the way, we dig into the practical realities people don’t warn you about like eating alone in a restaurant, walking back into a house that feels wrong, sorting belongings at your own pace, and learning tasks your spouse used to handle, from finances to car maintenance. Cindy also gives permission to feel what you feel, including anger and even rage, and she shares simple ways to find micro-moments of joy without guilt. We close with gratitude as a daily practice, plus how to connect with Cindy at cindyjburns.com, including a free consult and her short quiz for widows to help pinpoint what’s keeping you stuck. If this conversation helps, please subscribe, share it with someone who needs steady support, and leave a review so more grieving caregivers, widows, and widowers can find Patty’s Place. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2461734/support]

Living With Alzheimer’s-Interview with Samuel Simon

I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2461734/fan_mail/new] Alzheimer’s doesn’t just change memory. It can change time, language, confidence, and the simple feeling of being anchored in the world. We talk with Sam Simon, author of *Dementia Man: An Existential Journey*, and his wife Susan about what it really means to keep choosing life after an Alzheimer’s diagnosis and how to push back on the damaging belief that a life with cognitive disease isn’t worth living. Sam shares the moments that scared him most, including what he calls the “nothingness place,” when he feels like he drops out of the world while searching for a word or thought. We also unpack why getting an accurate dementia diagnosis can take years, how symptoms get brushed off as “normal aging,” and the small practical systems that reduce daily chaos at home. Susan adds the caregiver perspective, including what it takes to support independence while keeping life steady and safe. From there we widen the lens to advocacy and accessibility. If ramps and braille are standard ADA accommodations, why do airports, grocery stores, and other public spaces offer so little support for cognitive disability? We dig into dementia-friendly design, the sunflower lanyard used for hidden disabilities, and the idea of a “cognitive navigator” who can help without taking away dignity. We also share communication tools like improv-style “Yes, And,” plus the hard truth of anticipatory grief when someone is still here, yet changing. If you find this helpful, subscribe, share the episode with a friend who needs it, and leave us a review so more caregivers and families can find Patty’s Place. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2461734/support]

What If Caregiver Injuries Are Not Inevitable-Interview with Ben Couch

I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments. [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2461734/fan_mail/new] A lot of caregivers learn transfers the hard way: you get through today, you wake up sore tomorrow, and you tell yourself it’s just the price of loving someone. I’m joined by Ben Couch, creator of Eastern Ergonomics and a longtime healthcare educator with decades of martial arts training, to challenge that belief with practical, body-safe tools you can use right away. We dig into why caregiver injuries happen so often during bed-to-wheelchair and chair-to-toilet moves, and why “better equipment” still isn’t enough without better ergonomics. Ben breaks down the mindset shift that changes everything: the transfer starts when you walk into the room. From there, we talk simple mechanics like posture, breathing, center of gravity, and stance. His explanation of balance and “triangulation” makes it clear why small foot placement changes can protect your back, shoulders, and knees over hundreds of transfers. We also zoom out to the emotional side of dementia caregiving. Agitation is often a need that can’t find the right words, and we explore de escalation skills that help you get on the same team as the person you’re caring for. Ben shares real stories from caring for his own mom with Alzheimer’s and what he wishes more hospitals and facilities understood about dementia communication and safe handling. If you’re a home caregiver or you lead a team in senior living, you’ll walk away with a clearer, safer way to think about movement, conflict, and care. Subscribe, share this with a caregiver who needs it, and leave a review so more families can find Patty’s Place. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2461734/support]