Dementia Caregiver Support for Christians: Tips for Alzheimer’s & Dementia Caregivers to Manage Stress, Prevent Burnout & Handle Difficult Behaviors
Are You a Christian Family Caregiver Feeling Worn Thin by Dementia or Alzheimer’s? You’re not alone—and you don’t have to figure this out by yourself. Welcome to Dementia Caregiver Support for Christians, the podcast that helps you stop reacting in crisis and start stewarding this season with clarity, calm, and Christ-centered care. Whether you’re a spouse, adult child, or family member trying to walk this journey faithfully, this show meets you at the intersection of practical dementia guidance and biblical encouragement—so you can care for your loved one without losing yourself, your marriage, or your mind. Here, we answer the questions Christian caregivers are actually asking: ✅ What are the stages of Alzheimer’s disease, and how can I prepare for each stage as a caregiver? ✅ How do I survive dementia caregiving without burnout? ✅ How do I handle aggressive or challenging dementia behaviors – like hitting, yelling, or refusing care? ✅ What is sundowning and how can I manage it? ✅ When is it time to move my loved one to a memory care facility or nursing home? ✅ Why does my loved one with dementia keep asking the same questions repeatedly, and how should I respond? ✅ How can I get my loved one with dementia to bathe or maintain hygiene when they resist? ✅ How do I prevent my loved one from wandering or getting lost? ✅ How do I balance caring for my loved one and other responsibilities (kids, job, spouse) without feeling guilty? ✅ What does dementia caregiving look like from a Christian perspective? ✅ How can I maintain my faith and trust in God while caring for someone with dementia? ✅ Why would God allow my loved one to suffer from Alzheimer’s? ✅ How can I cope with caregiver guilt as a Christian? ✅ What does the Bible say about honoring and caring for elderly parents with dementia? ✅ How do I care for my parent with dementia without losing my marriage? This podcast isn’t just about surviving—it’s about stewarding. Because caregiving isn’t a detour from your life. It’s part of your calling. Each episode offers: ✔️ Biblical clarity in the middle of emotional fog ✔️ Practical, research-informed strategies you can actually use ✔️ Guidance that honors your loved one and protects your most important relationships ✔️ Peace of mind that you’re not walking this road alone You won’t find sugarcoating here. You’ll find real help, thoughtful reflection, and truth rooted in Scripture—spoken plainly, practically, and with care. 🎧 Subscribe now to Dementia Caregiver Support for Christians and take the next faithful step forward—with peace, purpose, and a voice you can trust. 📍 Find free resources and tools at: ThinkDifferentDementia.com 📧 Email: lizette@thinkdifferentdementia.com 🙏 May the Lord bless and keep you—and I’ll see you in the next episode.
Episodes
“Every caregiver starts from a different place, and where you begin will shape everything about your experience.” In Episode 291, I walk you through a simple, biblical framework to help you see where you are—and what the next faithful step looks like.
Stage 1: Complacent (not ready, not skilled). You may say, “I’m just helping.” Denial is common—sometimes there isn’t even a diagnosis yet. Proverbs 12:15 reminds us that wisdom begin...
Are you caring for a parent with dementia all by yourself—no siblings, no spouse, a tiny church, and a growing knot of worry in your stomach? That’s Jennifer’s story in Episode 290. Her 84-year-old mom has Alzheimer’s, and Jennifer admits the hardest part is asking for help.
I begin, as always, with the focusing prompt: “in six months, what needs to have changed for you to be able to say that your caregiving journey is easier?” She...
“Why is everything spinning when there’s still no diagnosis?” In Episode 288, we walked with Fran through locked doors, false accusations, ER ping-pong—and the ache of holding Power of Attorney that seems powerless without clarity.
Lizette began with the focusing prompt she uses in every session: “In six months from today, what would need to happen for you to say your caregiving journey is easier—keeping your health and your relati...
Are you living in chaos—sure something’s wrong, but there’s no diagnosis yet? That’s where we meet Fran in Episode 288. Her mom changed the locks, accused her of stealing meds, refused help, and bounced in and out of the ER. Fran holds POA, but without clarity she feels powerless.
I began with my focusing prompt: “In six months from today, what would need to happen for you to say your caregiving journey is easier… keeping your own ...
“She said, I’m not really a caregiver—I just call my dad to check if he ate.” That’s where Episode 287 begins: most of us don’t recognize caregiving until we’re already overwhelmed. Readiness isn’t a switch; it’s a process God invites us into.
1) Move from unaware to aware. Awareness is grace. When you finally name, “I am a caregiver,” you can respond faithfully instead of reacting frantically. (Proverbs 12:15)
2) Stay watchful—wi...
“Caregivers are natural givers… when it comes time to ask for help, that guilty voice shows up.” In Episode 286, Linda says, “I hate to ask my sons for help. This is my job, not theirs.” I answer plainly: “That guilt doesn't protect anyone. It just leaves you drained and makes it harder for you to serve with patience and joy.”
As always, I begin with the exact clarifying prompt: “if you look back six months from today and your car...
“Caregiving is full of hard choices… you feel overwhelmed, stuck, and guilty.” That’s how Episode 285 opens—and why we walk straight at the question so many of you are wrestling with: Is it time for memory care?
I guide you through a simple, biblical grid to cut through decision fatigue. Run your situation through these five questions—exactly as I teach them in the episode:
1) Is it possible? Do you have the financial, physical, an...
“I just wish my wife could speak louder so I’d know what she needs.” If that’s your heart today, Episode 284 is for you.
Delbert is caring for his wife with late-stage Lewy Body Dementia. Her voice is very soft, sometimes garbled, and most days she sleeps. His deepest desire? “If I could look back six months from now and say, we got our communications back… so I can understand what her needs are.”
As always, I began with the exact ...
“Have you ever thought, I am so tired, I love the Lord, I pray, I serve, but I don't think I can keep doing this?” That’s where Episode 283 begins—naming the ache many of us whisper in the dark.
Lizette shares how the Lord met her own exhaustion and then anchors us in four truths:
The race is long—God will renew you. “The Christian life is race… not a sprint. … They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength… they shall run a...
“I put everything on hold to care for my mom… and left my own kids by the roadside.” Diana’s words opened Episode 282—and maybe your heart echoed them. This conversation is for every caregiver whose marriage, children, or friendships have quietly paid the price of devotion.
I began, as always, with the same clarifying prompt: “Diana, let’s say it’s six months from today and things are easier in your caregiving journey. What would...
“I look in the mirror and I don’t recognize myself anymore.” If that’s you, Episode 281 is a gentle reset. Caregiving changes you—but not into less. God is reshaping you in this season.
1) Clarity: Your identity is hidden in Christ Roles shift—daughter, spouse, scheduler—but identity doesn’t. Colossians 3:3–4 steadies us when roles blur: your life is hidden with Christ; when He appears, you will appear with Him in glory. You belong...
As a Christian dementia caregiver, you can pour your heart into providing safety, comfort, and love — and still feel like you’re falling short when your loved one isn’t happy.
In Episode 280 of Dementia Caregiver Support for Christians, host Lizette talks about the crushing weight of caregiver guilt. Together, they explore why it’s not your responsibility to guarantee someone else’s happiness — and how embracing healthy boundaries...
“Not long ago, I had a conversation with someone who called my coaching community a support group… It is supportive… But here’s the difference.”
In Episode 279, Lizette explains why many groups offer comfort but send you home with the same questions—and how a Christ-centered, facilitated community equips you to walk faithfully tomorrow.
1) Comfort vs. Equipping Support groups can be valuable, but if you only vent, you won’t be pre...
“The most expensive mistake dementia caregivers make isn’t medical—it’s waiting too long to secure legal and financial footing.” Episode 278 is a straight-talk coaching call with Margie that every Christian caregiver needs to hear.
Lizette begins with her signature prompt to create clarity: “So let’s say it’s six months from today and things are easier in your caregiving journey. What would that look like for you?” Margie’s goal: s...
It’s 2 a.m. The phone rings. “Your mom fell.” Panic. Guilt. A thousand what-ifs. Episode 277 speaks straight into that moment—and shows a calmer, wiser way forward.
1) Know the two types of falls
Medical emergency: obvious injury, severe pain, deformity, unconsciousness. Don’t pass go—call 911.
Non-injury/assist-needed fall: dignity is hurt, not the body. The person can’t get up but is responsive. You have time to assess.
2) Rememb...
Not the decision-maker, still carrying the heartbreak? That’s Helen. She isn’t in the driver’s seat of her sister’s dementia care, yet the weight lands squarely on her heart.
Episode 276 of Dementia Caregiver Support for Christians walks through how to truly help when you’re not the one in charge.
Lizette begins with her coaching prompt to create clarity and direction: “let’s say it is six months from today and things are easier f...
“For years I said it: I will never live with my dad.” Episode 275 begins with Lizette’s confession—and the quiet, Spirit-led shift that changed everything after her mother’s death. If you’re wrestling with the same question—“Am I being called to be a dementia caregiver?”—this 30-minute solo reflection is your roadmap.
1. What is a calling? Lizette defines it as a providential placement for God’s purposes, not limited to pulpits or ...
Lisa’s groceries were in the cart when her real burden tumbled out: “I’m doing everything, and I don’t feel gentle anymore.”
Episode 274 captures that live coaching moment and the three biblical strategies Lizette used to turn Lisa’s exhaustion into a game plan.
1. Begin with Clarity, Not Guilt Lizette opened with her signature question: “Let’s say it’s six months from today and things are easier in your caregiving journey. What wo...
“Have you ever caught yourself thinking, maybe God isn’t going to fix this?” Lizette opens Episode 273 with the question most Christian caregivers whisper but rarely voice. If that sentence hits home, today’s five-part framework is for you:
1. Faith What do you really believe about God while dementia keeps progressing? Lizette reminds us our comfort is Heidelberg Q 1: I belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to my faithful Savi...
“If you are the one holding all of the decisions, the care, the appointments, the family tension, and you’re wondering if it’s even OK to use your parents’ money to get help, you’re not the only one.”
Joseph’s Dilemma Mom has passed away. Dad is 91. Joseph shoulders every fall, appointment, and bill while siblings hover on the sidelines. He worries that hiring CNAs with Dad’s savings is selfish.
Lizette walks Joseph through her sig...
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