There are not enough hours in the day – a familiar phrase I mutter to myself while trying to accomplish the items on my ever-expanding to-do list. That phrase may really be true for those caring for a family member with disabilities.
Although I haven’t found a way to add hours to my day, I have found ways to extend the time available for learning new things. I’ve discovered that I can listen to podcasts and books while doing tasks that require my physical -but not necessarily my mental – presence.
I listen to podcasts when I’m running, doing laundry or cooking, or while I’m wandering around Trader Joe’s picking up groceries. I listen while I’m driving, though my one-mile commute doesn’t give me tons of time to listen.
Lately I’ve been sampling podcasts about caregiving for people with dementia. Though most of the podcasts have proven to be slightly dry and a little dull, I have found some that give me new information about dementia or about caregiving, or that just give me the assurance that I’m not alone in helping to care for someone with Alzheimer’s disease.
Here is a list of some podcasts you might want to try:
| Title | Host | Subject Matter | Ave. Length | Sound Quality | My Rating | Episodes I listened to |
| Healing Ties from the Bow Tie Guy | Chris MacLellan | Various topics for caregivers | 20 mins | Poor, especially for call-in guests | *** | |
| Happy Healthy Caregiver | Elizabeth Miller | Spotlight on and interviews with caregivers | 1 hour | OK | *** | October, 2019 Facing Your Fears and Emotions |
| Dave the Caregiver's Caregiver | Dave Nasseney and co-host Adreienne Gruberg | | 1 hour | Poor, especially for call-in guests | *** | June 3, 2019 Caregiver Without Stress with Dr. Marvin Marshall |
| People with Parents | Leighan Lord | Comedian addresses caregiving for parents | 7-15 mins | Good | *** | June 29, 2018 Free Falling, Discussing falls in the elderly |
| Caregiver SOS | Ron Aaron and Carol Zernial | Various topics for caregivers, in the San Antonio area | 50-60 mins | Good | *** | May 6, 2019 Richard Harris on the topic of Caregiving and Justice Sandra Day O'Connor |
| Caregiver Storyteller, Personal stories about dementia caregiving | Chris Doucette | Interviews with caregiver to listen to30 their stories | 30 mins | Good | *** | March 23, 2019 Alzheimer's and Dementia: On your own |
| Dementia Matters | Dr. Nathaniel Chin | Host, a geriatrician with the Wisconsin's Alzheimer's Disease Research center interviews professionals about various topics related to dementia treatment, care, and prevention | 20 mins | Good | **** | June 18, 2019 Bank Supports Aging Customers with Dementia Friendly Training for Its Employees; June 4, 2019, Medication Management Tips for Seniors |
| OMG I'm Getting Older and So Is My Mother | Scott Greenburg | Host owns a ComForCare Franchise in Palm Beach, Florida | 1 hour | Good | *** | October 7, 2019 Interview with Dr. Roger Landry, author of "Live Long and Die Short: A Guide to Authentic Health and Successful Aging |
| The Alzheimer's Podcast | Christy Turner, The Dementia Sherpa and Phil Cutis, Assistant Sherpa | Sponsored by Home Instead Senior Care-East Portland and Clackamas County | 30 mins | OK | *** | October 20, 2019 Interview with Phil Gutis, Assistant Sherpa, who has been diagnosed with younger onset Alzheimer's and discusses his experiences with the disease. In this episode, they discuss whether his Alzheimer's diagnosis could be incorrect after he was denied entry into an experimental study because his memory is too good |
**All are updated regularly, except:
Dementia Matters, which updates every two weeks, and
OMG! I’m Getting Older and so Is My Mother, which updates every Monday
All are recommended for caregivers and Dementia Matters is also recommended for advocates.