Summit Resilience Training: Recent Episodes
Jill Lorentz
May 30, 2024
I had the extreme pleasure of having Joe Wallace on my show recently. Joe is a journalist and photographer who spent a significant amount of time capturing the stories and essence of people living with Alzheimer disease. His exhibit is traveling around the country and is breathtaking and powerful to view. Listen as Joe describes the process of meeting the participants, gaining their trust, and capturing their feelings about their journeys.
Portraits of Dementia is toured by ExhibitsUSA, the traveling exhibition program of Mid-America Arts Alliance, one of the six nonprofit regional arts organizations. Learn more about this exhibition at eusa.org/exhibition/portraits-of-dementia.ExhibitsUSA provides access to enriching arts and humanities experiences for communities of all sizes. To learn more about hosting an exhibition or to donate, visit eusa.org.This exhibit date is for the Littleton, Colorado area only.
February 27, 2024
Many states have approved allowing people to transition their death in a way they want, if they have a terminal disease. However, this does not apply to people with dementia diseases. The reason is because the criteria includes someone being in their last six months of life, able to say they know what is happening and can give life ending medications themselves. None of this applies to my friends with a diagnosis. What can we do and who can help? Do laws need to change? I for one say yes!
February 13,2024
No one wants to be pitied, they just want to be understood and loved. How to navigate through sadness and grief and do it in a positive way!
June 27, 2023 There are many complicating issues such as brain injuries, TIA’s, delirium, localized head injuries, brain injuries and more. I will explain all of this as best I can!
June 20, 2023 Dispersing medication is one of the hardest tasks caregivers have to do. No one enjoys it! Let’s add changes in medication and we don’t know why our […]
June 13,2023 Hallucinations, arthritis, restless leg syndrome, wandering and more can keep us awake at night. Is there an end to this nightmare?
June 6, 2023 There is so much happening in research these days and I am here to sort it all out for you!
May 30, 2023
When someone has paranoid delusions and they are aimed at you, life can seem overwhelming and never ending. What to do!
May 16 , 2023 When you are living with someone who is in advanced stages of a dementia disease and every day is a constant fight, how do you manage? It is stressful and emotionally taxing. Here is some help for you!
May 9,2023
Working through emotions and acting instead of reacting can help ease tension and open lanes of communication.
April 25, 2023
This show is dedicated to discussing cognitive impairment and memory loss with children. They are smart and adaptable when they are informed, and often look for ways to address the situations in ways we never even considered.
March 28, 2023
Caregiving is hard, and having cognitive and memory loss is probably even harder. We need to remind ourselves to take steps that help us stay emotionally stable through this journey. I have loads of ideas for you today! Help is just a click away!
March 14, 2023 Sometimes when we are living with or caring for a person with a dementia disease, the days can seem long, tiring and tough. This podcast is devoted to helping you through these difficult times and helping you to find joy. It is possible my friends!
February 21, 2023
A deep look at the way a person diagnosed with Alzheimer’s feels about the way they are treated and how they perceive the world.
February 14, 2023
Today I am exploring the perspective of a person with Alzheimer’s and how they feel about how they are treated after diagnosis. Extremely eye opening!
February 7, 2023
Catching up on shows – so sorry my friends!!!! This show is about focusing on people with dementia who may be violent, or those who are not safe with their care givers. Very important information!
January 23, 2023
After the holidays are over, snow and rainy weather are the norm, we have new challenges as care partners. This show aims to help you during these difficult months!
Jan17, 2023
Choosing care when you need a break can be tricky to navigate. What should you look for? I have all the answers.
Jan 5, 2023
Today’s show is about dealing with abuse situations that need to be dealt with head on and forthright. Please don’t put your head in the sand when you see someone who is neglected or being abused.
December 29, 2022
This holiday season has shown you some things you didn’t want to see or know if you visited someone displaying signs of memory loss and cognitive impairment. Everything seems immediate! Let’s get help! What do we do 1st? Well, first – breathe! Doctor appointments are six months out, filing for Medicaid for the less fortunate takes months. Don’t get stressed out, I have some ideas for you!
December 8, 2020 A few years ago my husband & I went into the studio to make our second Christmas CD, Finding Christmas Spirit and had a great time over the next seven months working on the music. Jim Played acoustic guitar and harmonicas, including a 40 year old bass harmonica once owned by his father, as well as sharing the vocals with me. His rendition of The Grinch is fabulous and a can’t miss! We played with a few other musicians, Brian Hunter (electric guitar, piano and drums) and Julia Harris on violin, helped to round out the musicians. We hope you enjoy this holiday show while you are wrapping presents, baking cookies, trimming the tree or whatever fun activity you have going on!
Happy Holidays & thanks for listening!
Jill & Jim
December 13, 2022
As we return home for the holidays, gather for family celebrations, some of you will encounter disturbing and confusing issues of memory loss and cognition. It can be helpful to listen to this podcast so as not to be overwhelmed. I hope to give you some guidance on what to do next; steps to take to address these issues.
December 6, 2022
My guest in studio today is Sarah Thompson, a PHD student at the University of Colorado Anschutz in Denver. She is conducting a studio on music therapy and how it benefits people who are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and their care partners. She is looking for a team of 20 people for the study which begins in January. If you are interested, please contact Sarah as soon as possible to register.
To load music from Youtube, open the APP on your phone or tablet, then, on the lower right corner, you will see Library. Click library, the hit playlist. It will give you an option to create a new play list. Then hit the search magnifying glass at the top right to look for songs. When you find a song that works, touch the three dot bars on the right and it will ask if you want to save it to a playlist. TaDa! You’re done!
Sarah explains about the study:
Music processing stays intact during the Alzheimer’s disease process, even though language and other functions deteriorate.
Based on this, I developed the first caregiver training program to teach caregivers how to use music to reduce sundowning.
The whole study is remote and takes place online, via phone, and via Zoom. We are targeting home-based caregivers of individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease who have sundowning behavior. No musical skill is required
For more information, please call
Sarah Thompson at 303-817-0231
November 29, 2022
When we are caring for a family member or friend, assisting with a dementia disease, sometimes asking questions about finances is tricky. This is personal information, and they may be suspicious why you are asking. Many people hide information throughout their homes, cars, safe deposit boxes and more. Where do you even begin to look? I address all of this and line out exactly what you need to look for and where.
November 22,2022 Today my guest is Dr Amy Sanders, a neurologist based in Hartford, Connecticut. I found Amy as I was working on a project and searching for literature reviews. She worked with a large team to theorize better ways to work with their patients who need a clear diagnosis and path of success slated […]
November 15, 2022I enjoy getting comments from my Caregivernation and sharing them with others. I think most of you can relate to the joys, sorrows and ways people cope with dementia diseases and caring for the people around them.
November 8, 2022 Visiting your long-time family doctor or general practitioner when someone you care for is struggling with impaired cognition or memory issues seems to be the first stop for many of you. Not a bad idea because they know you best, however, they may not be the most qualified to give you the […]
October 4, 2022 My guest today is Dr. Peter Pressman, Neurologist and Researcher at the University of Colorado Hospital Anschutz in Denver, Colorado. Dr Pressman and Dr. Huntington Potter are looking for people to join the newest phase of the Sargramostim clinical trial. Otherwise known as the Leukine study. This clinical research is showing promise […]
September 27, 2022 This is a very hard show today because I am meeting so many people who do not like the person they are supposed to be caring for on a daily basis. When there is baggage, hard feelings, there is the potential for abuse, neglect and more trouble. I see adult kids who […]
September 20, 2022 When a person is in the very early stages of Alzheimer’s, we start noticing the issues they are having with keeping up with demands of a job. Is the boss noticing? Are you forgetting tasks? Are you forgetting meetings? Have you been put on a performance plan? If you stay at your […]
September 13, 2022 Trying to care for someone in their last weeks, months is hard. Not just hard but emotionally taxing. We never understand the amount of work, the scope of care, the diligence that it takes to turn someone, so they don’t get pressure sores. Late stage is difficult. It is not about thinking […]
September 6, 2022 My person will not talk at all about their diagnosis, is something I hear about often from clients. My person fights with me all the time. I am afraid to begin to bring up the subject of the dementia because my wife comes unglued. Talking to your person with a diagnosis will […]
August 30, 2022 Understand how the brain works and then you may be able to understand more effectively why people with dementia diseases behave the way they do. I will break this down for you in new ways to help you comprehend it more easily.
August 23,2022 Klaralee Charlton joins me again today and we cover questions from listeners about legal issues you need help with. We talk about neglect, trusts, power of attorney documents, and when you have trouble getting doctors and banks to accept them. We go through so much information, and you will really want to listen […]
August 16, 2022 I am taking a different approach to the early diagnosis process today and walking you through what will happen at the doctor’s office. What are they looking for in terms of impairment and memory loss? What tests will they perform? What is ruled out and was is still in play? What is […]
August 8, 2022 This show is dedicated to the helping you through the grieving process at the end of life. How do we navigate the journey when things get rough? This is not how to work the actual process; this is about letting go of expectations and getting help to be prepared for the end. […]
August 2, 2022 Last week I attended the Pioneer Conference in Denver Colorado and was enlightened by most of the speakers and subjects I listened to. One of my highlights was interviewing Vicki de Klerk – Rubin, the daughter of Validation theory architect Naomi Feil. It was an interesting and riveting conversation! I have used […]
July 19, 2022 When you have a person who is denying their stage of dementia, or you are a family member who thinks your person is not as bad off as some others, or you are hesitating to move them or care for them when things are bad, this show is for you. I discuss […]
July 11,2022 Since Colorado approved the Assisted Suicide Act, I have received many questions about the rules and regulations surrounding the new law. I have answers to all your questions in this podcast today.
July 5, 2022 As one of the most inspiring interviews I have done to date, this ranks way high on the list. Today I spoke to my friends David and Virginia (Ginny), an absolutely couple, who have had enormously fulfilling lives, David as a Urologist and Ginny as an educator teaching middle school children and […]
June 28, 2022 Summer months can be challenging when we can’t go outside because it is scorching hot. Air conditioning makes our joints hurt. The heat is suffocating. Going in and out of both makes your sinuses go crazy! It is hard to do outside activities and you are itching to get out of the […]
June 21,2022 Navigating the road, from suspecting symptoms to a diagnosis, along the journey and to the end is full of strife and challenges. Managing this road is often anything but easy. Some have difficult people to deal with and some have it easier. Some people are in denial, some are ready to walk the […]
June 14, 2022 Sometimes, much to our dismay, we have a person with some type of dementia disease that is extremely difficult to work with. They refuse care, are spiteful, angry and a lot more. They won’t bathe, are incontinent, don’t brush their teeth. They lose their social graces. This is so hard! What recourse […]
June 1, 2022 Over this holiday weekend the studio was closed so this is a good time to revisit an important and informative show. Enjoy!
May 26,2022 Sorry this podcast is two days late! Difficult times with clients held me up! That lead to this topic. When someone is in the process of dying, there are many questions and hard issues to deal with. This podcast is dedicated to this subject.
May 17, 2022 For this second of a two-part May 10 & 17 series, I am delving deep into memory loss and cognitive symptoms and how the daily grind can get to us. Looking closely at the issues of repetitiveness, stubbornness, resistance to care and how to keep your emotions in check. If we understand […]
May 10, 2022 For this two-part May 10 & 17 series I am delving deep into memory loss and cognitive symptoms and how the daily grind can get to us. Looking closely at the issues of repetitiveness, stubbornness, resistance to care and how to keep your emotions in check. If we understand why our loved […]
May 3, 2022 Today I had an enlightening and educational conversation with a speech, language pathologist, who also happens to be my niece, Sarah Hackert. For the past twelve years she has worked with people who have experienced brain injuries, and various types of dementia diseases. We dive deep into the symptoms of aphasia, apraxia, […]
April 26, 2022 This seems like a really straight forward issue that needs no explaining, right? Wrong! Rules around who can know about your medical information can be a good thing to protect privacy, but a nightmare when you are trying to help a person with a dementia disease, and they won’t let you talk […]
April 18, 2022 I promise I will never put you in a care community. This vow made by millions of spouses was made most often when no one was sick with a dementia disease, and it seems insurmountable years later. We want so much to be able to let people age at home. We give […]
April 12, 2022 As we look to our journey down the path of unknown twist and turns, the maze of symptoms, safety, legal, financial issues and so much more, can be completely overwhelming. Today I dive deep into a comprehensive look at what is available to us. I will talk about many issues you may […]
April 5, 2022 Today was a pure joy because I interviewed Dr. Delia Bakeman, D.O, Associate Professor at the University of Colorado Hospital Neurology Department in the Memory Disorders Clinic. Dr. Bakeman specializes in Psychiatry as well and has a great handle on what needs to happen to change the way neurologists work with their […]
March 29,20222 Today I want to discuss an issue many see and recognize during their journey with various dementia’s and that is the up and down rollercoaster of moods. We see depression, anxiety, restlessness, alcohol and substance abuse which helps the depression take a deeper dive. What do we do? How can we help? How […]
March 22,2022 When we are caring for someone with advanced dementia diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Lewy body and Parkinson’s, how do we access bed sores, fevers, pain, urinary tract infections and other aches and pains? In this podcast I will go over the symptoms and how to read them.
March 15, 2022 – I don’t think there is much more contentious times with families than when some don’t believe that a family member is having cognitive or memory issues. This podcast is dedicated to learning how to work through this process!
March 8, 2022 Today is an empathy show, where so many issues have come up that defy logic, or are problems so many of us face, that I had to take the time to commiserate and try to think of ideas or paths to take for resolution! I surprised myself while I spoke, that I […]
March 1, 2022
The show today explores the early process of memory loss and the kinds of symptoms you may experience. Sometimes they are so subtle that we don’t recognize what is happening. We may think the person in abstinent, not listening, being rude, apathetic or having a hearing problem. Let me walk you through this confusing journey.
Feb 22, 2022- Today I am having a conversation with Juan Padilla, a terrific young man whose mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at age 39 and passed away less than a decade later. Juan is trying to make a difference with his community, and we have a very open and enlightening conversation about his mom’s younger onset and what it means for him. She carried the PSEN1 gene and Juan has been tested and had a positive result. If you think this is an old person’s disease, think again. You will not want to miss this very personal and sweet interview.
Feb 15, 2022 – In this episode, my goal is to help you line out what you will experience in the late stage of Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, when falls and eating issues become prevalent. This is the beginning of a number of steps that need to be addressed to make sure stress levels don’t reach an epic place and take you to a place of being completely overwhelmed. This is a how to deal with this podcast that could help save your sanity!
February 8, 2022
A question was asked of me this week that ruffled my feathers; is there a time in late stage when we should just stop feeding our person with dementia? Should we use feeding tubes? What if a doctor says we should let go and stop feeding? Listen to the show to hear my answers.
January 26, 2022 – The type of dementia known as Lewy Body is one of the toughest to diagnose and even harder to deal with from a symptom standpoint. The anger, the lack of judgement and reasoning, the laser focus and the delusions. Enough already! It’s enough to make their caregivers lose their minds! I will help as much as I can in this episode.
January 18, 2022 – When some has Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s or some other type of dementia disease, it is often difficult to know when they are in pain, sick, dehydrated, or have a urinary tract infection. It is also hard to know if they have fallen or broken a bone. This show will hopefully help you to access the situation and make the correct choices for care.
Jan 13, 2022 – Today my show is all about helping children through the tough times of living with various dementia’s. Kids are much more accepting and resilient when they are educated on what is transpiring. If you don’t know how to start the conversation, I have a full show of ideas for you! Children have the ability to have deep compassion and love, but also need to be protected from situations which could hurt their feelings, damage their positive disposition, or put them in danger. How do we navigate this…just take a listen to the show!
January 4, 2022 – My guest today is my friend Amelia Schafer, Senior Director of Growth and Engagement Strategy for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for the national Alzheimer’s Association. She is working hard to build trust in communities where people have been overlooked and underserved with dementia care. She is using community forums to reach people of color, Hispanic and Latino, and LGTBQ, who have needed our help for years. She is creating partnerships with diverse organizations to reach the folks who need help. Community forums are created to be listening sessions to find out what is lacking and how to solve problems where they live and uncover specific needs to provide better education and assistance.
We also chat about our health program, Optavia, that we have undertaken to get ourselves in better shape!
December 28, 2021, Today my show is about learning what dementia is. There is so many misconceptions it blows my mind. A friend this week said her husband is glad he has Parkinson’s and not dementia, I just shook my head. Parkinson’s is a type of dementia disease, as is Alzheimer’s, Frontotemporal, Vascular, ALS, Lewy Body, Huntington’s and over a hundred more. Today I will spell all this out for you. Please listen and be informed. We have come to far to be ignorant of this subject. Dementia does not mean memory loss and it is not a disease. It is a definition which mean cognitive impairment serious enough to affect activities of daily living. Resilience is equally important, and it means overcoming obstacles and adversity to find a positive outcome, which is what I want to help all of you to embrace. Come along with me today and learn.
Dec 21, 2021 ~ The holidays are filled with people traveling (300 million this Christmas season in the USA) to be with their families and it is often the beginning of a confusing and heartbreaking time. The reality sets in that our loved ones are struggling with memory and cognition issues, and it happened when we weren’t looking. Families are at odds about it; oh, this person just wasn’t listening, they are argumentative, someone is being too critical. Today I will give you a short, 30-minute show about what to look for around the house, and clues that will help you determine if something is really going on that you cannot ignore any longer. My heart goes out to you if you find yourself in this situation.
December 14, 2021 – Today I present a wonderful, intimate and sweet conversation with Annabel (Baby Belle) Bowlen, daughter of National Football League Hall of Fame Owner Pat Bowlen and his beautiful wife Annabel. Pat Bowlen, affectionately known as Mr. B to fans, passed away in 2019 from complications of Alzheimer’s. He was such a beloved owner and he cared deeply about the fans of the Denver Broncos, and their experience when they attended a game. He was instrumental in many of the positive changes in the NFL over the years and was highly esteemed by other owners, and Roger Goodell. In 2014 Pat Bowlen stepped down from day-to-day operations and the Colorado community was devasted. Just before Pat’s death, December 2018 brought more heartbreaking news, his wife Annabel was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. There is not much harder than having one parent with the disease, and then tragedy struck twice. Baby Belle was sweet enough to join me in the studio and share what it was like growing up in a football family. She gives us an inside glimpse into what her parents were like when she was young, what impact she feels they have had on her life, and how they inspired her to be the best she can be.
The Denver Broncos won three Super Bowls under Pat Bowlen. He was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame shortly after his passing. This was bittersweet but nonetheless a very proud moment for his family. We in Broncos nation thank this family for bringing a winning spirit and joy to fans, every Sunday and for so many amazing years.
Annabel Bowlen is a Communications Assistant for the Denver Broncos Football Club. She graduated from the University of Colorado Denver, earning a Bachelor of Art’s degree in Communications with a certificate in digital studies. Bowlen has profound experience being a caretaker for her mother and late father, who have suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. She is passionate about public speaking on how she has been touched by Alzheimer’s, hoping it will help those diagnosed or caretaking for someone living with the disease. She is a strong leader in advocating for research, support, and developments for those living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
November 30, 2021 – Today the show is about how to avoid catastrophic problems when you are caring for a person with cognitive impairment. I talk about smoking, household issues, driving, and more. This is a must listen show!