Navigating Dementia with Shamayne Leelawati: Recent Episodes
SYOK Podcast
Eleven years ago, Shamayne Leelawati's father was diagnosed with vascular dementia. Now, as a certified dementia care specialist, she is on a mission to create awareness of the disease and support families living with dementia. Shamayne shares her experience as a dementia caregiver and ways to navigate the challenging journey she has embarked on.
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People with dementia can live meaningful and productive lives after an early diagnosis. Shamayne discusses the importance of an early diagnosis and how it helps the person and family members learn about the disease.
Sometimes a person with dementia will behave in ways that are difficult to understand in the late afternoon or early evening, right through the night. This is known as 'Sundowning'. Shamayne discusses methods she uses to handle sundowning symptoms with her father and what other strategies may be employed with a loved one experiencing sundowning symptoms.
Sometimes telling the truth can be brutal, while lying is the kinder option. When a person with dementia asks difficult questions, lying can offer them comfort and security while helping the caregiver manage the situation better.
A dementia care plan will usually include and recommend designing a routine for your loved one with dementia. Today, Shamayne talks about why this is important for caregivers and their loved ones.
Whether you are a full-time caregiver or juggling caregiving duties with other responsibilities, getting respite is imperative if you are to continue giving the best care possible for your loved one with dementia.
Can love and resentment co-exist? As a follow up from last week's session, Shamayne addresses a listener’s question as she tackles the topic of why some care partners struggle with feelings of anger and frustration when caring for a person living with dementia.
Caregiving can be both joyous and painful, fulfilling yet draining. If you are a family caregiver, this episode is for you as Shamayne talks to Yasmin about the roller-coaster of emotions she went through as a caregiver to her father, and how this is normal.
A lot of people are usually left in the dark after a dementia diagnosis is made, completely unprepared for the changes that they are about to experience in the days and months ahead. In this episode, Shamayne talks about what families should know after a diagnosis is made.
Why are people hesitant to talk about dementia? Shamayne and Yasmin explore why there is so much taboo around the topic and why it is important to start speaking up about it.
Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a decline in mental ability and, is caused by diseases of the brain that cause nerve cells to die, damaging the structure and chemistry of the brain. Shamayne discusses what dementia is, the difference between dementia and Alzheimer's and shares facts about the disease as a whole.