Dementia Caregiver’s Corner

Episode Title: Having Compassion And Understanding for Those Living With Dementia -

Nduduzo, South Africa

Repost. An enlightening and touching episode this week as your Host Juliah Ratladi talked down with Nduduzo, from Kwazulu-Natal in South Africa.

Nduduzo discovered his Grandmother was unwell when he came home for his mother’s funeral and soon discovered that she was living with dementia. He decided to do something really sp...

Episode Summary:

Most families don’t fully understand dementia until it affects their own loved ones. For award-winning documentary filmmaker Kimberley Littlemore, that moment came when both her parents were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Realising how little she knew about dementia—and how few films captured the lived experience—she turned the cameras on her parents’ journey, creating a powerful series that blends personal st...

In this episode of Dementia Caregivers Corner, we’re joined by Dr. Éthelle Lord, a leading expert in dementia care, Master Dementia Coach, and creator of the Transactional Dementia Intelligence (TDI) model. We explore the critical challenges in long-term care, including staff-to-resident ratios and communication gaps between families and care providers, and discuss how these impact both residents and caregivers. Dr. Lord also expla...

Repost: In this inspirational episode Juliah sat down with Andrias Mungundu, an newly registered nurse and an advocate for dementia rights and education in Namibia.

Since his mother’s experiences with dementia Andrias has worked with organisations and government to overcome the stigma of dementia in African communities where people are often accused of witchcraft.

His mother’s experiences with lack of understanding and treatmen...

Episode Summary:

In this episode of Dementia Caregiver’s Corner, Donna, daughter of dementia activist Agnes Houston, shares her experience supporting her mother through early-onset Alzheimer’s. She reflects on the early signs, challenges, and the emotional journey of caregiving, offering insights into maintaining family bonds and navigating gaps in support systems.

3 Key Points:

Recognizing early signs matters: Identifying be...

Episode Summary

In this episode of Dementia Caregivers’ Corner Podcast, we explore the often-overlooked sensory and perceptual challenges faced by people living with dementia. Our guest, Agnes Houston MBE, diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s in 2006, shares her lived experience and international research through her Churchill Fellowship and her books Talking Sense and A New Approach to Dementia. Agnes opens up about how sensory ...

Episode Summary

I am naturally loud, anyone who listens to my podcast or knows me personally can attest to that. But in this episode, my loudness mellowed. My guest brought peace, warmth, and love that were indescribable. She may not know it, but just by chatting with her, she brought me to a place of calm and stillness.

In this episode, I sit down with Sharon Lukert, a retired Buddhist chaplain and author of Until My Memory Fail...

Repost: In this poignant episode of "Dementia Caregiver's Corner," host Juliah Ratladi is joined by Lynnette Lee, author of "Slipping Away: One man's battle with Alzheimer's," for a heartfelt conversation about the journey of caregiving and resilience in the face of Alzheimer's disease.

Join Juliah and Lynnette as they delve into Lynnette's personal story, beginning with her father's diagnosis and the challenges she encountered i...

Episode Summary

In this insightful conversation, Juliah is joined by David Knight, Advanced Clinical Practitioner and Independent Prescribing Optometrist, UK, to explore how vision and perception are affected by dementia. Using real-life examples and clinical experience, David breaks down how the brain and eyes work together—and how dementia disrupts this connection. From the differences across dementia types to practical home adju...

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In this episode of the Dementia Caregivers’ Corner Podcast, we’re joined by Allyson Schrier, a passionate dementia care advocate, educator, and co-founder of Zinnia TV, a tech platform designed to support individuals living with dementia and reduce stress for caregivers.

Allyson shares her personal journey as a caregiver for her husband and how that experience inspired her to launch a dementia-friendly technology c...

Episode Summary:

In this episode, Professor Andrea Tales, joins us to explore how dementia affects more than just memory, focusing on the often-overlooked sensory and perceptual changes. We discuss how smart technology, and thoughtful environmental design can better support people living with dementia, reduce distress, and improve quality of life. Whether you're a caregiver or professional, this conversation offers practical insigh...

In this heartfelt episode, we pay tribute to Jennifer Mavis Josey, affectionately known as Jen, who passed away in October 2024 from mixed dementia. Shellie Josey, Jen’s only daughter, joins us to reflect on her mum’s life, their family’s caregiving journey, and how they’ve been coping since her passing.

We explore Jen’s background, her role as a mother and sister, and the qualities that made her so special. Shellie shares insigh...

In this episode of Dementia Caregivers` Corner Podcast, I’m joined by Katie Fournier, LPN, CDP from Ember Holistic Care in the USA as we continue our discussion on non-medical approaches to managing dementia-related behaviors. Building on our previous conversation with co-founder Shari Flight, we explore effective holistic strategies that prioritize compassionate care before turning to medication.

What we cover in this episode:

Eff...

Episode Summary: In this episode, I am joined by Carlo Romero, a medical professional from a rehabilitation facility in the UK. Together, we explore what rehabilitation means in the context of dementia—how it helps individuals maintain their independence and well-being.

We discuss the challenges people living with dementia and their caregivers face when accessing rehabilitation and, most importantly, how these challenges can be a...

Episode Summary:

In this thought-provoking episode of the Dementia Caregivers Corner Podcast, host Juliah is joined by Dr Hannah Hussain, a Health Economist at the Office of Health Economics in London. Dr Hussain, who holds a PhD in health economics from the University of Sheffield and is a qualified pharmacist, shares her insights into the challenges that Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities face in accessing demen...

Repost: This week sees the return of popular guest Isabel Baker, a retired clinical nurse consultant  and author from Australia who has more fascinating insights to share about her work, and what she learned in her time as a dementia caregiver and how she helps others learn what is truly needed by those with dementia.

The conversation begins with the fascinating insight that many dementia symptoms can be caused by other issues and ...

Episode Summary:

In this episode of Dementia Caregivers` Corner Podcast, Juliah speaks with Mr. Dallas Dixon, who is living with dementia. Together, they explore how different stakeholders, such as policymakers, healthcare professionals, and caregivers can better support people with dementia.

Mr. Dixon shares his perspective on the misconceptions and misunderstandings surrounding dementia and discusses the aspects of identity that ...

Episode Summary: In this episode of Dementia Caregivers` Corner, Juliah sits down with Rre Busani Mphathiwa, an advocate for dementia awareness and the founder of Pelonomi Foundation (Dementia Botswana). They explore the cultural, linguistic, and systemic challenges affecting dementia understanding and care in Botswana and Sub-Saharan Africa.

A major issue? There is no Setswana word for “dementia.” This language gap, combined wit...

In today’s episode, we are thrilled to welcome back Berrie Holtzhausen from Namibia, Africa. Berrie is the Founder and CEO of Alzheimer Dementia Namibia (ADN) and the visionary behind the Dementia Care Farm, a place of safety for people living with dementia, especially those wrongly accused of witchcraft.

Berrie was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2020 and has since become a dedicated advocate for people living with dementia ...