The Northland Caregiver: Recent Episodes
Duluth Aging Support
Where Northland caregivers get personal advice about aging issues.
Tune in as your host and Registered Occupational Therapist, Dr. Mary Lou Donovan, talks about all things caregiving, including answers to questions submitted from family and unpaid caregivers of friends, family members, and loved ones in the Northland region about cognitive impairment and other related aging issues. Want to get your caregiver questions answered? Submit them ahead by emailing podcast@duluthagingsupport.org or calling (218) 576-7123.
Show Notes:
References:
- Urology Care Foundation https://www.urologyhealth.org/
- The Family Caregiver Alliance https://www.caregiver.org/resource/caring-someone-incontinence-emotional-and-social-issues/
- https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/urinary-incontinence-older-adults
- https://www.healthinaging.org/tools-and-tips/caregiver-guide-incontinence
About the Episode
Whether your care recipient is living with you or on their own, it’s important to ensure the home they’re in is safe and accessible. And we’re sharing tips you can easily apply to any room in the house so your care recipient can safely age in the place they’re most comfortable.
Show Notes
- Introduction [00:01 – 3:02]
- Tips for your front entrance [3:03 – 7:17]
- How to make your front entryway safer [7:18 – 8:26]
- Tips to make the kitchen and more accessible [8:27 – 15:57]
- Helpful tips to consider in the living room [15:58 – 17:43]
- Safety and accessibility tips for the bathroom [17:44 – 20:18]
- Bedroom tips for safety and accessibility [20:19 – 21:16]
- Tips for stairways [21:17– 21:55]
- Helpful tips for making your laundry room safer and more accessible [21:56– 22:49]
- Additional home improvement tips for safety [22:50– 24:19]
- Self-care tip [24:20– 24:58]
- Local caregiver question [24:59– 30:09]
- Sign off details about next month’s episode [30:10 – 31:06]
- Additional Resources:
- https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/infographics/aging-place-tips-making-home-safe-and-accessible
- https://www.accessnorth.net/
- https://www.bhg.com/kitchen/layout/successful-kitchen-layout-secrets/
- https://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/pubs/english/booklet_eng_desktop-a.pdf
- https://www.georgiacollaborative.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2017/08/Home-safety-assessment-checklist.pdf
- https://www.caring.com/caregivers/aging-in-place/
- https://www.aarp.org/research/topics/community/info-2018/2018-home-community-preference.html?CMP=RDRCT-PRI-OTHER-LIVABLECOMMUNITIES-032218
- https://www.hud.gov/press/press_releases_media_advisories/HUD_No_20_147
- https://sites.google.com/site/studentcapstone122/recommendations-interventions/bathroom
Make the most of this holiday season by reducing stress during family gatherings with helpful caregiver tips from your host and Registered Occupational Therapist, Dr. Mary Lou Donovan, and co-host Leeza Ochsner with Duluth Aging Support.
Show Notes • Introduction [00:01 – 1:54] • Physical and cognitive changes to watch for as you’re visiting your loved ones [1:55 – 3:06] • Advice for navigating changes to help your loved ones safely stay in their home [3:07 – 4:45] • Advice for navigating changes for loved ones with dementia [4:46 – 7:30] • Tips for caregivers to reduce stress as they take care of loved ones [7:31 – 10:39] • Tips to help caregivers take better care of themselves [10:40 – 17:43] • Local caregiver questions answered [17:44 – 20:49] • Sign off and details about next month’s episode [20:50 – 21:40] • Additional Resources: o https://www.caregiver.org/resource/caregiving-and-holidays-stress-success/ o https://www.aarp.org/ o https://duluthagingsupport.org/resources/ o https://duluthagingsupport.org/resource-category/caregiver-support/ o https://positivedementiapaths.com/
About the Episode:
Kick off National Caregiver Appreciation month with your host and Occupational
Therapist, Dr. Mary Lou Donovan and co-host, Leeza Ochsner with Duluth Aging
Support as they share how to best use verbal, visual, auditory, and physical cues to
improve communication between you and the person you’re caring for.
Show Notes
National Caregiver Appreciation month and self-care reminder [00:01 – 1:32]
Introduction to successful communication and helpful communication cues [1:33
– 5:39]
Examples of how to modify and use verbal cues [5:40 – 7:28]
Examples of how to modify and use visual cues [7:29 – 8:56]
Examples of how to modify and use auditory cues [8:57 – 9:46]
Examples of how to modify and use physical cues [9:47 – 11:24]
Examples of how to use multiple cues [11:25 – 12:52]
Question answered from a local caregiver [12:53 – 16:59]
Additional Resources [17:09 – 17:15]
https://seniorsflourish.com/
https://duluthagingsupport.org/resources/
https://duluthagingsupport.org/resource-category/caregiver-
support/
https://positivedementiapaths.com/
Sign off [17:10-18:10]
- Introduction to cognitive function abilities [00:01 – 4:04]
- Mac & Cheese example to help modify cues & environment to best promote task completion [4:05 – 6:32]
- Introduction to Activities of Daily Living [7:00 – 8:32]
- How to best manage the early stages of cognitive loss [8:33 – 13:04]
- How to best manage the middle stages of cognitive loss [13:05 – 16:45]
- How to best manage the late stages of cognitive loss [16:46 – 19:57]
- Question from a local caregiver [19:58 – 22:00]
- Additional Resources [22:01 – 22:48]
o https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/tips-coping-sundowning
o https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alzheimers-disease/expert-answers/sundowning/faq-20058511
o https://www.caregiver.org/resource/caregivers-guide-understanding-dementia-behaviors/?via=caregiver-resources,caring-for-another,behavior-management-strategies
o www.duluthagingsupport.org/resources
o https://duluthagingsupport.org/resource-category/caregiver-support/
o https://duluthagingsupport.org/resource-category/dementia-information/
o https://agewellarrowhead.org/
o http://dementiafriendlyduluth.org/
o https://positivedementiapaths.com/
- Sign off [23:30-24:19]
A podcast created by Duluth Aging Support to support and educate Northland Caregivers on their journey.
Tune in as your host and Registered Occupational Therapist, Dr. Mary Lou Donovan and co-host Leeza Ochsner from Duluth Aging Support share helpful information to safely and effectively care for aging family members, friends, and loved ones while prioritizing your own self-care along the way. In addition to sharing helpful advice for caregivers, the podcast will also answer real questions submitted from family and unpaid caregivers in the Northland. Want to get your caregiver questions answered? Submit them ahead by emailing podcast@duluthagingsupport.org or calling (218) 576-7123
Welcome to The Northland Caregiver: Where Northland caregivers get personal advice about aging issues.
Tune in as your host and Registered Occupational Therapist, Dr. Mary Lou Donovan, talks about all things caregiving, including answers to questions submitted from family and unpaid caregivers of friends, family members, and loved ones in the Northland region about cognitive impairment and other related aging issues.
Want to get your caregiver questions answered? Submit them ahead by emailing podcast@duluthagingsupport.org or calling (218) 576-7123.
Check out DuluthAgingSupport.org for more details.