Senior Care Academy - A Helperly Podcast

When Memory Fades: Practical Support for Alzheimer's and Dementia Patients ft. Kristy Russell

• Helperly, Caleb Richardson • Season 3 • Episode 9

Share episode

Send us a text

Kristy Russell takes us on a deeply personal and professional journey through the world of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). As Utah's sole specialist covering the entire state, Kristy shares how her grandmother's Lewy body dementia diagnosis transformed her perspective on memory care after initially swearing off working with dementia patients due to challenging experiences.

The conversation tackles misconceptions head-on. Memory loss is just one symptom — thinking, behavior, and problem-solving abilities are equally affected. Kristy reveals a startling reality: only half of people with Alzheimer's are diagnosed, and of those, merely 30% share their diagnosis with loved ones, often fearing loss of independence.

Communication emerges as the cornerstone challenge for caregivers. Through vivid examples, Kristy explains why arguing with someone with dementia about recent events is futile. Her "filing cabinet" metaphor brilliantly illustrates how memory works — newest files disappear first — helping caregivers understand why their loved ones can't simply "try harder" to remember.

For overwhelmed caregivers, Kristy offers practical wisdom about delegation and self-care. "The energy you put out is the energy you're going to get back from the person with dementia," she notes, emphasizing that seeking help isn't failure but excellence in caregiving. She explains respite options and encourages caregivers to maintain their own health appointments and activities.

Looking forward, Kristy shares hope about new medications like aducanumab that can remove brain plaques in early stages, signaling a positive trajectory in treatment development. Her powerful closing message resonates deeply: "You're doing a good job and you're not alone."

Whether you're caring for someone with dementia, working in healthcare, or simply seeking to understand these conditions better, this episode provides invaluable insights, practical strategies, and heartfelt encouragement for the journey ahead.

• Kristy's journey from swearing off dementia care to becoming Utah's statewide ADRD specialist
• Only about half of people with Alzheimer's disease are diagnosed, and of those, only 30% share their diagnosis with family and friends
• Early diagnosis allows for better planning and less crisis management as the disease progresses
• Communication challenges require meeting people with dementia in their reality rather than constantly correcting them
• The "filing cabinet" memory metaphor explains why recent memories disappear first
• Self-care for caregivers includes delegating tasks and utilizing respite services
• New medications like aducanumab can help in early stages by removing brain plaques
• The Utah government's WISE initiative focuses on helping seniors age in place independently

Support the show

Speaker 1:

Welcome back to Senior Care Academy, a helperly podcast. I'm your host, caleb, and this is a show where we explore the latest insights, expert advice and real-life strategies to improve senior care. Today, we're diving into an incredibly important topic the Alzheimer's disease and related dementias and how we can better support those affected. Joining us is Christy Russell, and she is the specialist for ADRD, who has extensive experience in dementia care, education and program development. We'll be discussing the early signs of Alzheimer's, challenges caregivers face, available resources for families and exciting advancements in dementia research over the last while. If you're a caregiver, a healthcare professional or someone looking to understand more about memory-related conditions, this is an episode that I'm excited to jump into and get some valuable insights. So, Christy, thank you so much for coming on and giving us some of your time and expertise.

Speaker 2:

Thanks for having me.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so let's start off. Just can you tell us your story? So what inspired you to get into senior care but then eventually specialize in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias?

Speaker 2:

Yeah. So I started working in long-term care as a CNA and I worked in an assisted living memory care and it was a really good experience. Also some really bad experiences, and I swore that I would never work with anyone with dementia ever again, because there was a lot of, like physical issues. I got pretty beat up by a resident one day and I was like never again, that can't happen, um. And then I switched over.

Speaker 2:

I started working at a hospital in a different role and my grandma actually got diagnosed with Lewy body dementia and she was living at home on her own, um. So I kind of took on that caregiver role and started, uh, early on in the disease. It was just kind of checking up on her as it progressed. It became making sure she was showering, making sure she was eating all of that, um, until we eventually moved her into a memory care, and so that was kind of my first time working with somebody with dementia. That was a really positive experience. And then after she died, I actually interned for the Alzheimer's Association, the Utah chapter, and it was. That again was a really positive experience and that kind of led me to where I am now and so I am in public health, but I do the Alzheimer's disease and related dementias program for the state department of health and human services and I'm the only one in the program, so I cover our entire state.

Speaker 1:

Wow, that's impressive to cover the entire state. That's impressive to cover the entire state. So, going back with taking care of your grandma when she had dementia, what, I guess? What did you really learn from that experience? Was it was it earlier set dementia, so it was easier to handle and that's why it was a good experience? Or do you feel like it was a good experience because there was a personal connection, so maybe you were made a little bit more patient in the moment?

Speaker 2:

I think that I learned that not every person with dementia has violence. In my working in memory care a lot of the residents I met with they had some violence in there and so I had really bad experiences Working with my grandmother. I did have that personal connection but at the same time I was kind of experiencing a lot for the first time because I had never done it in a home, without the resources that you have in a professional environment, and I kind of got to see those early stages of the disease and then work through the progression with her and we kind of figured out a rhythm. I definitely messed up a lot. There are things now that I tell families not to do that I definitely did and I guarantee most of the caregivers listening to this have done, and so it's kind of a trial and error and if you don't laugh about it you're going to cry about it and you just have to make it the best that you can.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I think that's great advice, like just be able to kind of roll with the experience, because it's like I think that nobody there's people like you that make it a career to learn about how to do it. But ninety nine point nine times out of 100, the care the family caregiver has zero experience in it and it's like, oh, I think mom is starting to develop some dementia, I don't know. And then it's just like it's kind of spirals and they're just trying to figure it out. So be able to roll with the punches and laugh about it a little bit, I think is great advice. Um, so what does a day-to-day experience look like for you as the specialist over um ADRD?

Speaker 2:

So, um, like I said, I cover the entire state and that also means that I have a lot of programs that we do.

Speaker 2:

So I am in the off the division of aging and adult services, um, and we work really closely with the area agencies on aging. Utah has 12 of them throughout the state, and so I help implement education and support throughout the state in different communities, based on the needs of those communities, because all of our counties need something a little different. And I do a lot of education to both professionals but also family caregivers on the disease process. I give realistic communication and behavior tips. I get emails and phone calls from people in the community saying, hey, I have this question, I don't know what to do. I also get phone calls from long-term care hey, we have this resident, we don't know what to do. So I do all of that. And then, utah, my program is actually legislatively funded, and so we have an Alzheimer's disease and related dementias council and a state plan with goals and objectives that we have to implement, and so I also oversee all of those efforts.

Speaker 1:

I love that. What are some of the current Utah government initiatives that there are for seniors and Alzheimer's and people with dementia?

Speaker 2:

So the governor recently came out with his WISE initiative, which is it stands for Wealth, independence, security and Engagement, and that independence really is. I connect with a lot in my program. It's aging in place, aging at home, and so that's his big focus as a statewide Us. Specifically to Alzheimer's and dementia, we want to focus on getting caregiver support before they're in crisis mode. Oftentimes you don't know what you need until you need it, and so we're trying to educate early. We're also working on that early diagnosis.

Speaker 2:

I know some people don't want to be diagnosed, but the earlier you can get diagnosed, the earlier you can start planning for the future and the less crisis mode you're going to feel and your family's going to feel as the disease progresses. So those are our two big things and we're also really focused on like engagement programs for those living with dementia. Sometimes, once you've received that diagnosis, people tend to kind of retreat from their normal social lives, and we still want you can still have a wonderful life after a diagnosis of dementia. We just need to give you the tools to do that.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I think that that's a huge misconception. A lot of times it's like dementia, it's game over a little bit, where it's like they're just going to whittle away for however long they persist. But I think that there is a lot of opportunities to have beautiful experiences we had actually just recently. So help release something that we like to do is show that just cause you're getting old doesn't mean that you have to be bubble wrapped, like still experienced life.

Speaker 1:

Um, and we took it was 102 year old lady who had dementia um, her and her daughter to a Utah jazz game in the lower bowl and stuff. She's a lifelong jazz fan and it was like a really cool, beautiful experience where she was like excited about it. We got her a custom Jersey, the jazz made like a little basket for her and stuff. Like it's cool to, even though she might not remember it all the way, like in that moment it was an awesome experience for her and a super awesome experience for her daughter too. So like, yeah, there's a lot of life to still be lived at. Post diagnosis Um, what would you say are some of the biggest challenges in trying to diagnose Alzheimer's and related dementias early? And like what, what does early detection look like?

Speaker 2:

typically Okay. So, um, first off, it's going to be a little bit different for everybody. So when people hear Alzheimer's going to be a little bit different for everybody. So when people hear Alzheimer's and dementia, they automatically think memory, our memory is not doing well. But we need to remember that it's also thinking and behaviors and problem solving. There's a lot of other things that are symptoms of types of dementia. And when we think memory, memory is going to be noticed by someone else. I'm not going to notice that I'm forgetting what day it is. Someone else is going to notice that I'm asking what day it is, over and over. So it's first step having that conversation with somebody you care about, that you notice these symptoms in, and then you have to take it to your doctor. And some providers are fantastic about doing screenings. One of the really basic we're talking tool in the toolbox not an actual diagnosis is called the mini cog, which is where they have you remember three words and draw a clock. Um, that is like basic screening tool and I say that we should be doing those at physicals on everybody. Get that baseline so we know where everyone's memories at. Physicals on everybody. Get that baseline so we know where everyone's memory is at and continue on. But oftentimes you actually have to request these memory screenings and so providers may not be comfortable having the conversation or doing those screenings.

Speaker 2:

I've heard families tell me stories. Well, my doctor said what's the point in diagnosing you? There's nothing you can do about it. The point of diagnosing is so that you can plan ahead, and each type of dementia has its own symptoms. And so, let's say, one of your symptoms is you're not able to sleep. Well, there's a medication that could probably help you with that. So let's get you tools to help you sleep so that you can live a better life. That's the purpose of the diagnosis to help you sleep so that you can live a better life. That's the purpose of the diagnosis.

Speaker 2:

So that's the biggest barrier is talking to your doctor, because it's scary on both ends, right as the caregiver or the family member and as the person experiencing the symptoms. It's not necessarily a conversation that you're excited to have, but have those conversations, be that safe space, talk to the doctors and for caregivers, even if you want it to kind of be on the secret, you can call the doctor before the appointment and say hey, I'm noticing these in my dad, can you please test him when we come in for his physical, have that conversation, get those tests done, and then for an official diagnosis you oftentimes need a lot of like scans and things like that, and depending where you live in Utah, those are difficult to obtain. If you're in the Wasatch Front, we have the University of Utah Health and they have an entire aging brain care clinic that specializes in this. But if you're not near the Wasatch Front it's going to be a little bit more difficult. And so obtaining those tests, uh, some people go to neurology, get referred to neurology. Sometimes you're waiting six or eight months to see a neurologist. So I mean, it's, it's a time consuming, um obstacle course, and I understand that.

Speaker 2:

And so, uh, I have another grandmother right now living with dementia and she doesn't have an official diagnosis. If she asks me what I do and I tell her Alzheimer's and dementia, she says, oh, alzheimer's is terrible, I hope I never get it. She tells me that all the time. If I say, well, I think you might have Alzheimer's disease, she absolutely goes berserk. She's so upset because how could I say that about her? So taking her to a doctor to get all these tests done is never going to happen, and that's something that we have to deal with and that's a normal thing that families are going through. It would be nice to have an official diagnosis, but sometimes you just have to, like we said earlier, roll with the punches and go with what you got.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that's really. I mean, I have a grandma that definitely, at bare minimum, has pretty early signs, that definitely a bare minimum has pretty early signs. But kind of the same thing whether it's her or my grandpa. They just don't want to do the work to get the diagnosis. And it is scary as an individual because we, especially the current population that's aging like getting old, meant something completely different when it was their parents, and so it's. It is scary to you know, turn and face the music a little bit to see what's actually going on. Um, it is interesting. I agree, I think it would. It wouldn't hurt anything if primary care physicians were just adding in that little test, but it's interesting that it's. I didn't know that it was like taboo or like a what's the point mentality a lot of the time from. That's kind of sad because the point is that we can help them more. You know, it's like the monster you know versus a monster you don't know. It's a lot easier to battle the monster you know, you know.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and I think I don't think it's providers choosing not to do their job. I really think they think they're doing what's best for the patient. Um, I and we're trying to fix that stigma, we're trying to help with that, provide more education to providers, but I think, um, that the idea of, well, there's nothing you can do about it hopefully is changing with some of the new research and stuff that's being done, but at the same time, we need to give our families as many tools as possible because that crisis mode and I throw some statistics at you so only about half the people with Alzheimer's disease are aware they have Alzheimer's and of that half, only 30 percent tell their family and friends about their diagnosis. So that's huge. And we have statistics for people in Utah that are diagnosed. Right now, I believe it's almost 40,000 people in Utah are diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease specifically and we think that's only about half.

Speaker 1:

Yeah. It's crazy if you think about that, if that statistic, half the people are diagnosed. So if you have a hundred people in a theater that have Alzheimer's, 50% know that they do and 15 of them their family and friends know that they do, which is crazy, like that's in any in any other situation, like in depression or suicide or other mental health struggles, that same number would just be insane of like only 15 people that have this. You know like it's but it gets overlooked. That's super interesting yeah.

Speaker 2:

And I think part of it too, is if I were to get diagnosed with dementia. I'm putting myself in the shoes of one of those people that don't tell their family. I'm afraid that they're going to take away my independence the minute you get diagnosed. That doesn't mean you can't drive anymore, it doesn't mean you can't work anymore, but they're afraid. Once I admit this to people, I'm going to lose my job. I'm not going to be able to drive anymore. I lose all of my independence. I lose all of my independence and to all of us. Our independence is really important to us. Granted, all of us have independence in varying degrees, but I think it's important to remember that.

Speaker 1:

That's a really big fear. Yeah, I mean, get your driver's license at 16. That's like a taste of independence. And then you have that for 60 years, 70 years and it's like gone. That's scary. How does so? How does Alzheimer's differ from more like typical aging? And then when should somebody seek medical? And if they do seek medical earlier on, like those medications that you mentioned with sleeping and things like that, does that, I imagine, help postpone what people typically think of dementia, which is like total memories gone, total all of that. Are there preventative things to make it postpone the decline?

Speaker 2:

Okay. So there is no way to prevent any type of Alzheimer's disease. The biggest risk factor is aging. There are a lot of risk factors, that's just the biggest one. So there's no way to prevent it and there's no way to stop or slow the disease progression at this time. So really, you're managing the symptoms for a better quality of life, not necessarily to extend life or to stop the disease, and that'll vary based on different people. I would put my grandma now in the middle the late later stages, later part of the middle stage and she's still really independent. She needs someone to remind her to get dressed and to use the bathroom and to shower and to eat. She needs that, those reminders and some of that guidance, but she's still really independent, whereas somebody that's had the disease for just as long as her may need a lot more assistance. At this point it really just depends on the person, the health they were in before the disease. How early did the disease kind of started, those early symptoms? It just varies from individual to individual.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that is super interesting. I like how you said as of right now, because there's a lot of research going into it and who knows what it'll look like when, when, in a decade. But that is something that I didn't know. I thought that there might be things that are able to slow it. But kind of just getting, as a caregiver and as the as the individual with Alzheimer's, getting the support and the resources as fast as you can to make quality of life go up, is I think that that's a good um, a good like reframe of mind. Cause.

Speaker 1:

Another misconception that I just learned that I had is that you can do something about the deterioration, or like slowing it, um, which makes it feel it's a terror, like. The best comparison I can think of is like women that have a miscarriage automatically their minds like how could I have prevented that? What did I do wrong? When it's like you couldn't really. And it's the same thing with having a parent with alzheimer's like how could I have prevented that? What did I do wrong? When it's like you couldn't really, and it's the same thing with having a parent with Alzheimer's like how could I have prevented that? Or what could I have done better? But it's like there's nothing you could have done better. It's just in the moment, doing the best you can. Um, I think that that's giving a little bit of grace to people that are experiencing this in the moment of just like I'm doing the best I can and there's nothing that I could have done, um, to slow it and whatnot. Like it's going. It's going to do what it's going to do, you know.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and there are ways you can reduce your risk and you can start at any age. We're talking like eating healthy exercise, like the standard things that we've been told. Uh, if you have hearing loss, using hearing aids, there's. So there's risk reduction techniques, but nothing is a guarantee. There's also blood tests that some people can take to see if you have a gene for Alzheimer's, but that blood test says you're more likely to get it, not that you will get it, and if you don't have it, it doesn't mean you won't get it. So there's there's tools in the toolbox. I heard of that earlier with the mini cog. There's tools, but there's nothing that says you will get it. You won't get it. This is why and this is how to stop it. There's just not anything like that right now no-transcript.

Speaker 1:

There's nothing to slow down, you know, and that's okay. I think the comma and that's okay is something that people need to hear. So I would love to hear on you said you get a bunch of phone calls coming in or emails and from whether it's directors at memory care facilities or caregivers, family caregivers what are some of the most common struggles that the caregivers face when they're trying to support somebody with dementia? Obviously we talked about lack of know-how, kind of they don't know, but what are other common struggles that they face?

Speaker 2:

Communication is a really big one, and I think communication falls into a lot of different areas. Because I'll get a call and say, hey, my dad and I are fighting constantly over this. He doesn't believe me. I'm just telling him over and over the same things. What do I do? And you need to remember that the person with dementia has damage to their brain that ruins their short-term memory, and so I'll use a personal example.

Speaker 2:

My grandpa died when my mom was younger, and my grandma would often say have you seen Wallace? Have you seen Wallace? And in the time I would say grandma, remember, wallace died, and then she would be bawling and grieving and then 10 minutes later, the same thing would happen. And so you don't want to remind someone over and over about that bad news, because they're going to experience it for the first time over and over and over. And it's the same with arguing. If dad's coming up to me and saying when's lunch, when's lunch, lunch, when's lunch, and I'm constantly saying we just had it, we just had it, we just had it. Does he really want lunch or does he want something else? You're kind of doing some improv and figuring out what is actually necessary, what he needs. Maybe he's hungry, maybe he's bored. So we're kind of digging into things and so, instead of saying you already had lunch, say, well, you know we already ate, but are you hungry, would you like something to drink? And so you're kind of shifting it a little bit.

Speaker 2:

I get asked a lot. Well, my mom doesn't remember who I am and I'm trying to help her remember. Think about your memory as like a giant filing cabinet and your most recent memories are in the nearest file, and when I ask you about something that happens 10 years ago, you have to go through those files, pull that out and then tell me that memory. Those memories are gone and they're working from the newest ones backwards. And so right now, my grandma doesn't remember who I am, and that's okay.

Speaker 2:

I might be four different people during a 20-minute visit and you just play improv and you go along with it, because arguing with them you're not going to win, because in their mind they are 100% positive, they know what's going on, and so you have to kind of join them in their reality. I think those are some of the biggest things. And then you just get caregivers who are like my mom won't shower. What do I do? But if you think about it. If, in your brain, you thought you showered this morning before you got dressed and you're already dressed for the day, and now someone's telling you to get in the shower. You're an adult, you're like. I already showered, I already did that. I don't want to do it again. So it's figuring out what's actually going on and how we can fix that.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, call makes me think about an earlier episode with Teepa Snow and she said there's like four F's. It's like friendly, so it doesn't feel like it's a friendly space. And that might be the calling back to like I don't want, I'm hungry, I'm hungry, we didn't have lunch. It's like maybe they don't feel like it's a friendly space, they're not being courteous or whatever, and then familiar it's an unfamiliar place, courteous or whatever, and then familiar it's an unfamiliar place, functional, they don't know what to do in the moment.

Speaker 1:

Or forgiving, the like getting judged, kind of in that moment of like they thought they already showered and so saying we need to take a shower. They're like you're judging me because you think I smell bad or something like it's. You don't know what's going on. So kind of calling back to those four f's to try to understand where, what are they, what is missing for them in those four things. And can I try to redirect to be like this is a friendly space or like we're forgiving, we know what's a? Is there any cool stories of a caregiver who called in with something like that and you were able to help them make a significant impact on that relationship the caregiver and the person living with dementia.

Speaker 2:

So unfortunately, because I do cover the entire state oftentimes they ask for help. I tell them the help and then I don't necessarily hear from them again. We have some amazing caregivers in our state that attend our classes and they get so much out of that and it lessens their stress. I say the energy that you put out is the energy you're going to get back from the person you love with dementia, and so I know that even if I helped with one conversation, I helped with something, but I don't oftentimes hear the follow-up, so I just I figured they haven't reached out again, so things went well.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it's hard. I figured they haven't reached out again, so things went well. Yeah, uh, it's hard to not have that feedback loop of like you're doing great, christy, you know. So if anybody used Christy before, tell her that she's doing great. Um, yeah, um, what? So what self-care advice would you give to caregivers, cause you said we're kind of, if you don't laugh, you cry, but it is an overwhelming thing. So what kind of self care advice would you give to them?

Speaker 2:

So I mean, there's some basic things that are going to seem really hard and every caregiver listening to this is going to be like but I don't have time, but wait till the end. So you need to keep up with your own doctor's appointments and if you always loved to exercise, keep exercising. I know that caregivers, as the needs of care increase, the caregiver oftentimes feels like I'm the only one that can do this. Right, and I understand. I love control, so I get that. But you have to pick things that other people can help or do for you, and so I always suggest caregivers make a list of all the tasks that they do every day, from as small as cooking breakfast, doing laundry, going grocery shopping. Make a list of all of those tasks. Choose the ones you will not give up.

Speaker 2:

Maybe I always want to be the one to do the bathing, the med management and the finances, but then when somebody a neighbor or a sibling or someone else says, hey, is there anything I can do for you, you can pull that list out and say, actually there is. Are there any of these items that you would be willing to do? Sometimes it's as little as a neighbor saying hey, I'm running to the grocery store Do you need anything? And you give them the list that you might get the wrong brand of sour cream. But that's not the end of the world. But that just saved you 20 to 30 minutes. And so in those 20 to 30 minutes can you take a shower for yourself, can you do something fun with the person with dementia? What does that look like? You just have to find those snippets of time that you can get rid of during the day that someone else is willing to help with.

Speaker 2:

I think that is a huge deal. And then a lot of people don't know what respite care is and we just call it like a break for the caregiver and that could be going to an adult day center. Those are. There are a couple of those around the state. It's kind of like a daycare for adults with dementia. That could be someone coming in and cleaning your house, that could be a meal delivery service, someone coming and sitting with your loved one with dementia for an hour while you take a nap or go do something that you enjoy. You just kind of have to be creative with that. And I think that not only do they not know about respite, but they also don't know how to obtain it, and so that's where people like me come in, because I can direct you to places that can help with things like that.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I think respite is one of the biggest things of like being able to say I need a break and I can whether hopefully there's some programs that are free or insurance that'll cover it, but, um, like knowing that it's worth the little investment to be able just to like reset, go and get a pedicure or something, go and have some you time, and so, yeah, I think that's great advice. We're getting close on time. Looking ahead, what is something that gives you personal hope of the future of Alzheimer's care and treatment? What's something that you see whether whether it's technology or research.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so in the past COVID kind of messed up my gauge of time. So post-COVID there's like three years it just didn't happen.

Speaker 2:

I know there's been some medications that have come out. They are specific to Alzheimer's disease. One of them is called aducanumab. Of course I say that wrong, but it's an intravenous medication. The downside to it is it only helps if you catch the dementia in what we refer to as cognitive decline, which is like a precursor to Alzheimer's disease. So that's very early and oftentimes families may not even be noticing the symptoms. But it's an IV medication that's actually removing the plaques and tangles out of the brain, and so it is postponing the onset of Alzheimer's disease in the studies. That being said, it is very expensive and because it's IV, you have to go to an IV center that's offering that medication. So there's a lot that goes into it. It's not for everyone, it's not for all types of dementia, so, but that's a hopeful thing.

Speaker 2:

We've made a step.

Speaker 2:

This is the first medication for that, and I feel like now that we've gotten the first, I think there's four or five of them out now.

Speaker 2:

Once we've got those going, we're on a trajectory where more things are going to happen and hopefully more research is going to help with that, and so that gives me hope that maybe in my lifetime, hopefully in my lifetime, there will be somebody that we can cure dementia If not my lifetime, the generation after me. Like we're in a good trajectory going forward, so that's hopeful, and I think through my work I just meet so many wonderful people that truly care about the people with dementia and caregivers, and so there are good people out there and there are resources, and I love my job for that reason and I love the people that I work with for that reason, um and so let's just get people connected to the right folks and help you have a great caregiving journey and a good journey. Living with dementia Again, that quality of life comes into play. We all deserve a good quality of life, so let's try and help make it happen.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I love that. That's really cool. I didn't know about the medication. Like I said, it's really expensive now, but as long as we keep on trudging away, eventually it'll be manageable. So now, last question Pretend it's your coach and it's halftime and your team is full of caregivers that have people living with dementia that they're helping take care of. What encouragement would you give those caregivers who have family members with dementia?

Speaker 2:

You're doing a good job and you're not alone. Oftentimes caregivers think, oh, I messed that up or I'm not doing this well enough. You are. If you're doing it to the best that you can, you're doing a good job, and sometimes that means you're doing it at 100% and some days that means you're doing it at 40% because that's all you can do that day and that is still perfect. You're doing a great job and often caregivers feel alone and you're not alone. There are support groups out there which I know kind of have a stigma with them, but being around other people going through what you're going through can be really, really helpful, and don't be afraid to ask for help. It doesn't mean that you're failing. It means that you are excelling and taking care of yourself, and the more you can take care of yourself, the better care you're going to provide for your loved one with dementia. Um, but you're doing a great job, giving what you can give.

Speaker 1:

You're awesome. Um, that was great, Christy. I appreciate all of the stuff that you've said and, um, yeah, if there's any cool resources that you have or like links, we could throw them in the description of the episode. But it's just been awesome talking to you and appreciate you sharing half an hour of time with us today.

Speaker 2:

Thank you so much. I think the first link we have a state website. It's just dementiautahgov. It's an easy place to get in touch with me. It's an easy place to find resources, depending if you're a professional, a provider, care, family caregiver or a person living with dementia. We've got resources for all of those.

Speaker 1:

Cool, that's awesome. Um well, thank you so much, Christy for coming on and you're great and you're tackling all of Utah by yourself. By yourself, You're doing great. So everybody, send love to Christy if she's helped you in some way, because she needs it. She deserves it. So