
Untangling Dementia Through Writing and Podcasting with Pippa Kelly
06/21/21 • 92 min
What happens when two dementia advocates from opposite sides of the Atlantic who have each written books and blogs and host podcasts on the condition get together for a chat? The conversation flows and grows into a wealth of storytelling and sharing. This is what happened when Pippa Kelly joined me for a Zoom call.
Pippa is the author of Invisible Ink, a novel that explores a man’s relationship with his mother who has dementia. She also blogs on all things dementia, and hosts the popular podcast, “Well I Know Now,” featuring a variety of guests sharing their dementia stories.
Her dementia journey started when her father became ill and she needed to step in to care, not only for him, but for her mother, who had dementia. She was thrust into caregiving unexpectedly and says she felt ill-equipped for the role. Like most caregivers she had to learn everything on the spot and tackled such issues as moving her mother out of her home against her will and convincing the National Health Service to provide services for her father at home. A journalist, she soon began writing about their experiences, won an award for her writing, and became known across England as a campaigner and trusted speaker on the subject.
In this discussion we touched on all of these topics, as well as the emotional chaos of dementia, and what you can get back from dementia care.
Read Pippa’s AlzAuthors Posts:
Meet Pippa Kelly, Dementia Writer and Advocate https://alzauthors.com/2016/06/16/meet-pippa-kelly-dementia-writer-advocate/
Meet Pippa Kelly, Author of Invisible Ink
https://alzauthors.com/2017/04/12/meet-pippa-kelly-author-of-invisible-ink/
Start reading Invisible Ink now! https://amzn.to/3pYpXSh
(Note: We are an Amazon Associate and may receive a small commission from book sales.)
Connect with Pippa
Website https://pippakelly.co.uk/
Blog https://pippakelly.co.uk/blog/
Podcast https://pippakelly.co.uk/blog/
Twitter https://twitter.com/piponthecommons
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
Find us on The World Podcast Network and babyboomer.org
Want to be on the podcast?
What happens when two dementia advocates from opposite sides of the Atlantic who have each written books and blogs and host podcasts on the condition get together for a chat? The conversation flows and grows into a wealth of storytelling and sharing. This is what happened when Pippa Kelly joined me for a Zoom call.
Pippa is the author of Invisible Ink, a novel that explores a man’s relationship with his mother who has dementia. She also blogs on all things dementia, and hosts the popular podcast, “Well I Know Now,” featuring a variety of guests sharing their dementia stories.
Her dementia journey started when her father became ill and she needed to step in to care, not only for him, but for her mother, who had dementia. She was thrust into caregiving unexpectedly and says she felt ill-equipped for the role. Like most caregivers she had to learn everything on the spot and tackled such issues as moving her mother out of her home against her will and convincing the National Health Service to provide services for her father at home. A journalist, she soon began writing about their experiences, won an award for her writing, and became known across England as a campaigner and trusted speaker on the subject.
In this discussion we touched on all of these topics, as well as the emotional chaos of dementia, and what you can get back from dementia care.
Read Pippa’s AlzAuthors Posts:
Meet Pippa Kelly, Dementia Writer and Advocate https://alzauthors.com/2016/06/16/meet-pippa-kelly-dementia-writer-advocate/
Meet Pippa Kelly, Author of Invisible Ink
https://alzauthors.com/2017/04/12/meet-pippa-kelly-author-of-invisible-ink/
Start reading Invisible Ink now! https://amzn.to/3pYpXSh
(Note: We are an Amazon Associate and may receive a small commission from book sales.)
Connect with Pippa
Website https://pippakelly.co.uk/
Blog https://pippakelly.co.uk/blog/
Podcast https://pippakelly.co.uk/blog/
Twitter https://twitter.com/piponthecommons
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
Find us on The World Podcast Network and babyboomer.org
Want to be on the podcast?
Previous Episode

Untangling Caring for a Wife with Alzheimer's at Home with Richard Creighton
Richard Creighton began his blog, “Living with Alzheimer’s: A Real-Time Account of Dementia Caregiving,” the day his wife Kate was diagnosed in 2011. His goal was to keep a record of their experience for their children. He and Kate cared for family members together for 24 years, which included both his parents and his in-laws throughout various illnesses. Now he cares for her, deep into her dementia, at home with the assistance of paid caregivers.
Richard and Kate recently made a major life change, leaving their home of many years to start anew at a Continuing Care Retirement Community, where they can age in place. Richard made this decision to make life easier for himself and for Kate, and to make sure their children’s responsibilities for their care would be minimal. He wanted a plan for an easy transition to the last chapter of their lives.
In addition to his blog, which he writes under a pseudonym, Richard is also an AlzAuthors Associate, creating videos for our Dementia Caregiving During COVID video series.
In this episode we talk about making a residential move late in life, their traumatic bout with COVID-19, how he keeps himself active and busy while caring for his wife at home, and what he’s got in his “Caregiver Toolbox” that may also be helpful to other caregivers on the dementia journey.
Read Richard’s AlzAuthors post: https://alzauthors.com/2019/01/15/meet-blogger-richard-creighton-living-with-alzheimers/
Watch Richards’s Dementia Care During COVID videos: https://alzauthors.com/covid-19/
Start reading “Living with Alzheimer’s: A Real-Time Account of Dementia Caregiving” now! http://livingwithalzheimers.com/
Connect with Richard Creighton
Blog: http://livingwithalzheimers.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LivingWthAlz
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
Find us on The World Podcast Network and babyboomer.org
Want to be on the podcast?
Next Episode

Untangling The Happy Healthy Caregiver with Elizabeth Miller
Elizabeth Miller is the creative genius behind Happy Healthy Caregiver, a community built for caregivers who may be overwhelmed with their responsibilities and long to find others to connect with as well as resources to make life easier. Her mission is to help caregivers become happier and healthier while caring for others. “We can do hard things,” she says, “but we don’t need to do them alone.” Her years as a former caregiver for both parents and a certified caregiver consultant have given her a wealth of experience which she shares on the Happy Healthy Caregiver website and podcast, as a caregiver consultant, and much more. She is a sought-after speaker at caregiver conferences nationwide and coordinates a Daughterhood Circle in Atlanta. She’s also the author of Just for You: A Daily Self-Care Journal.
In this podcast, we discuss juggling caregiving with a full-time job, commuting, and raising children, finding time for self-care, and the beauty of life after caregiving.
Read Elizabeth’s AlzAuthors Post: https://alzauthors.com/2020/11/10/elizabeth-miller-just-for-you-self-care-journal/
Start journaling now with Just for You: A Daily Self-Care Journal! https://amzn.to/35MWvW9
Note: We are an Amazon Associate and may receive a small commission from book sales
Connect with Elizabeth
Website: https://happyhealthycaregiver.com/
Podcast: https://happyhealthycaregiver.com/podcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/happyhealthycaregiver/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/happyhealthycaregiver/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HHCaregiver
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/HHCaregiver/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethbmiller
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAcYkpMK6I3Y0ep-kyvrZaQ
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
Find us on The World Podcast Network and babyboomer.org
Want to be on the podcast?
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