Pam Ostrowski Untangles Common Myths About Dementia Care
11/22/21 • 72 min
Pam Ostrowski was the first to recognize her mother’s Alzheimer’s symptoms and spent 14 years with her on her journey. This led her to become a Certified Senior Advisor (CSA)®, a Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP®), and Certified in Dementia Care® (CDC®). She is passionate about educating families on dementia care, to help them attain peace of mind while caring for a loved one.
Pam pulled together her caregiver experience and her skills in marketing and promotion to write It's Not That Simple: Helping Families Navigate the Alzheimer's Journey, the book she wished for during her caregiving years, and created Alzheimer's Family Consulting, an agency that provides caregivers with one-on-one dementia guidance.
She now works directly with Alzheimer’s and dementia families to help them navigate the difficult conversations and the many processes, decisions, and emotions they encounter on their journeys.
In this episode, we discuss the many levels of dementia care, the difference between loving and caring, and debunk the many myths that surround the dementia journey.
Read Pam’s AlzAuthors Post:
https://alzauthors.com/2021/05/26/pam-ostrowski-its-not-that-simple/
Start reading It's Not That Simple: Helping Families Navigate the Alzheimer's Journey now!
Note: We are an Amazon Associate and may receive a small commission from book sales.
Connect with Pam Ostrowski
Website: https://itsnotthatsimple.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Pam_AlzSupport
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pam-ostrowski-ma-56159717/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pamatsos
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pam_alzsupport/
Note: Lynne Russell passed away on January 19, 2024.
Pam Ostrowski was the first to recognize her mother’s Alzheimer’s symptoms and spent 14 years with her on her journey. This led her to become a Certified Senior Advisor (CSA)®, a Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP®), and Certified in Dementia Care® (CDC®). She is passionate about educating families on dementia care, to help them attain peace of mind while caring for a loved one.
Pam pulled together her caregiver experience and her skills in marketing and promotion to write It's Not That Simple: Helping Families Navigate the Alzheimer's Journey, the book she wished for during her caregiving years, and created Alzheimer's Family Consulting, an agency that provides caregivers with one-on-one dementia guidance.
She now works directly with Alzheimer’s and dementia families to help them navigate the difficult conversations and the many processes, decisions, and emotions they encounter on their journeys.
In this episode, we discuss the many levels of dementia care, the difference between loving and caring, and debunk the many myths that surround the dementia journey.
Read Pam’s AlzAuthors Post:
https://alzauthors.com/2021/05/26/pam-ostrowski-its-not-that-simple/
Start reading It's Not That Simple: Helping Families Navigate the Alzheimer's Journey now!
Note: We are an Amazon Associate and may receive a small commission from book sales.
Connect with Pam Ostrowski
Website: https://itsnotthatsimple.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Pam_AlzSupport
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pam-ostrowski-ma-56159717/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pamatsos
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pam_alzsupport/
Note: Lynne Russell passed away on January 19, 2024.
Previous Episode
James Russell Untangles Caring for a Daughter with Dementia
James Russell is a man caring for his daughter with early onset Alzheimer’s in assisted living. (Lynne Russell passed away on January 19, 2024.) Lynn was diagnosed in 2017 at the age of 51. She represents the fourth generation of the Russell family affected by dementia. In the early days of her diagnosis, Jim, her dad, and her mother, Karen, relocated from their home to be closer to Lynn, and to assist with the care of her three growing sons. Eventually, Karen succumbed to cancer and Jim carried on, moving to an apartment two blocks from Lynn so he can be involved daily in her life. He tells their story on his blog, Nevertheless Dementia, We Persist, where he recounts the daily struggles, joys, and epiphanies of life with Alzheimer’s.
In many ways, Lynn’s condition has brought them closer together, especially as Jim is researching and writing a memoir about their experience which has allowed him to enter parts of his daughter’s life he had not ventured into before. His research has given him the privilege of interviewing many of her friends and work colleagues across her lifespan and he now sees his daughter in a whole new light, appreciating accomplishments he knew nothing of and seeing her through others’ eyes.
In this episode, we discuss the wonders of the village that emerged to help him care for Lynn, how he goes about documenting her life, and how we can support someone in assisted living.
Read James’ AlzAuthors Post
https://alzauthors.com/2020/09/10/james-russell-blogger-younger-onset-alzheimers/
Start reading Nevertheless Dementia We Persist now!
https://neverthelessdementiawepersist.com/
Connect with Jim
Jim on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/james.s.russell.3
Twitter: https://twitter.com/james_s_russell
Connect with Lynn
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lynneru
Find Jim’s COVID-19 Videos of Support here: https://alzauthors.com/covid-19/
About the Podcast
AlzAuthors is the global community of authors writing about Alzheimer’s and dementia from personal experience to light the way for others. Our podcast introduces you to our authors who share their stories and insights to provide knowledge, comfort, and support. Please subscribe so you don’t miss a word. If our authors’ stories move you, please leave a review. And don’t forget to share our podcast with family and friends on their own dementia journeys.
We are a 501(c)(3) charitable organization totally reliant on donations to do what we do. Your generosity will help cover our many operating costs, which include website hosting and maintenance fees, service charges to keep things running smoothly, and marketing expenses to promote our authors, expand our content, improve our reach, and more. Our ongoing work supports our mission to lift the silence and stigma of Alzheimer’s and other dementias. To sustain our efforts please donate here.
Ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast belong to the speakers and not AlzAuthors. Always consult your healthcare provider and legal and financial consultants for advice on any of the topics covered here.
Thanks for listening.
We are a Whole Care Network Featured Podcast
Proud to be on The Health Podcast Network
Next Episode
Cynthia Huling Hummel Untangles the Memories Behind the Masks
The Rev. Dr. Cynthia Huling Hummel is an Alzheimer's artist, author, and advocate. She is the author of "UnMasking Alzheimer's: The Memories Behind the Mask,” a collection of photos of the 36 masks she created as a participant in an arts program called "Art Reflects" for those living with memory loss and their care partners. Cynthia says she started with one mask and couldn't stop! Each one reveals a story that speaks to her experience of living with early onset Alzheimer’s. She hopes that her mask collection will travel around the country and provide a better understanding of the challenges of living with a cognitive disorder. She also hopes that it will reduce the stigma of a dementia diagnosis and serve as a catalyst for opening discussions about the condition.
Cynthia was diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment in 2011. This changed to clinical Alzheimer's in 2016. She does not let her diagnosis stop her. In fact, she does everything she can to raise awareness and funds for research and support services for those living with memory conditions. She’s enrolled in several clinical trials and urges everyone to learn more at Trialmatch.alz.org. She loves public speaking and has given more than 50 talks to community groups. A former pastor, she especially enjoys speaking to faith communities on how to be more dementia friendly.
In this episode, we discuss how life doesn’t stop after an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, her new ministry as an advocate for those living with dementia, and her exhaustive schedule of activities, filled with the arts, education, and many surprising adventures.
Read Cynthia’s AlzAuthors Post: https://alzauthors.com/2019/09/03/cynthia-huling-unmasking-alzheimers/
Start reading UnMasking Alzheimer’s: The Memories Behind the Masks now!
Note: We are an Amazon Associate and may receive a small commission from book sales.
Connect with Cynthia:
View Cynthia’s YouTube message about COVID-19
About the Podcast
AlzAuthors is the global community of authors writing about Alzheimer’s and dementia from personal experience to light the way for others. Our podcast introduces you to our authors who share their stories and insights to provide knowledge, comfort, and support. Please subscribe so you don’t miss a word. If our authors’ stories move you, please leave a review. And don’t forget to share our podcast with family and friends on their own dementia journeys.
We are a 501(c)(3) charitable organization totally reliant on donations to do what we do. Your generosity will help cover our many operating costs, which include website hosting and maintenance fees, service charges to keep things running smoothly, and marketing expenses to promote our authors, expand our content, improve our reach, and more. Our ongoing work supports our mission to lift the silence and stigma of Alzheimer’s and other dementias. To sustain our efforts please donate here.
Ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast belong to the speakers and not AlzAuthors. Always consult your healthcare provider and legal and financial consultants for advice on any of the topics covered here.
Thanks for listening.
We are a Whole Care Network Featured Podcast
Proud to be on The Health Podcast Network
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