Tag: Dementia

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Caring for a Spouse: Navigating the Financial, Legal, and Emotional Journey with Sandy Moss Moder (Ep. 58)

Caring for a Spouse: Navigating the Financial, Legal, and Emotional Journey with Sandy Moss Moder (Ep. 58)

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What happens when love meets life-altering diagnosis and financial pressure? 

For Sandy Moss Moder, it meant stepping into the unknown and documenting every step of the way.

In this episode, I talk with Sandy about her raw and revealing story as a caregiver for her husband battling frontotemporal degeneration. She opens up about the emotional, medical, and financial hurdles she faced—and how her journaling eventually became a published memoir. This conversation shines a light on caregiving, planning ahead, and the power of art and community.

Key takeaways:

  • The early behavioral changes that led to her husband’s FTD diagnosis and the lack of awareness among medical professionals
  • The emotional toll and day-to-day unpredictability of caregiving for a spouse with cognitive decline
  • The financial planning steps she took—including setting up a trust, adjusting Social Security, and building a support team
  • Her process of documenting the disease through journaling, which turned into her memoir
  • The importance of finding the right care facility, asking the right questions, and leaning on senior living advisors
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake: 

Connect with Sandy Moss Moder: 

About our Guest: 

Sandy Moss Moder, artist, art instructor at Calumet Art Studio, and now author. I found my creative side at a young age, drawing and painting on found paper and book reports, which led to art classes and writing a drawing curriculum I continue to teach. I have a love for interior design, an extension of color and placement. I began writing in junior high through poetry, journals, essays and stories, which led me to write a memoir, “If I Have One More Brain Thing…” I live in McKinney, Texas, with my two spaniels, “the girls”.

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Transforming Dementia Care Through Doll Therapy: The Story Behind The Grand Baby Project (Ep. 38)

Transforming Dementia Care Through Doll Therapy: The Story Behind The Grand Baby Project (Ep. 38)

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Do you know someone affected by Alzheimer’s or dementia, or are you seeking innovative ways to provide care and comfort? 

In this episode of The Simply Retirement Podcast, Eric Blake is joined by Mary Greer to delve into the power of dementia doll therapy through The Grand Baby Project. 

This discussion highlights the compassionate approach to offering non-pharmaceutical behavioral adjustments for patients suffering from Alzheimer’s, offering a unique perspective on retaining dignity and joy in later stages of life.

By tuning in, you’ll gain insight into how this project aims to bring comfort to those in need, ensuring everyone who benefits from this therapy can access a “baby” for love and care.

Eric and Mary discuss: 

  • The innovative Grand Baby Project and its origins linked to past personal challenges of Alzheimer’s patients
  • How dementia doll therapy can decrease fall risks and improve behavioral responses without medication
  • The broader impacts on care communities, offering caregivers the space to provide quality attention to more residents
  • The future vision of The Grand Baby Project with its aim to reach every individual worldwide in need
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake: 

Connect with Mary Greer: 

About our Guest: 

Mary Greer is a passionate advocate for innovative care solutions, particularly for those with dementia and Alzheimer’s. As a leader in the Grand Baby Project, she has dedicated years to improving the lives of seniors and their families through compassionate, non-pharmaceutical therapies. Mary’s work focuses on providing emotional support and enhancing the well-being of both patients and caregivers, offering relief and dignity in some of life’s most challenging moments.

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Transforming Dementia Care Through Doll Therapy: The Story Behind The Grand Baby Project (Ep. 38)

Transforming Dementia Care Through Doll Therapy: The Story Behind The Grand Baby Project (Ep. 38)

By |

Do you know someone affected by Alzheimer’s or dementia, or are you seeking innovative ways to provide care and comfort? 

In this episode of The Simply Retirement Podcast, Eric Blake is joined by Mary Greer to delve into the power of dementia doll therapy through The Grand Baby Project. 

This discussion highlights the compassionate approach to offering non-pharmaceutical behavioral adjustments for patients suffering from Alzheimer’s, offering a unique perspective on retaining dignity and joy in later stages of life.

By tuning in, you’ll gain insight into how this project aims to bring comfort to those in need, ensuring everyone who benefits from this therapy can access a “baby” for love and care.

Eric and Mary discuss: 

  • The innovative Grand Baby Project and its origins linked to past personal challenges of Alzheimer’s patients
  • How dementia doll therapy can decrease fall risks and improve behavioral responses without medication
  • The broader impacts on care communities, offering caregivers the space to provide quality attention to more residents
  • The future vision of The Grand Baby Project with its aim to reach every individual worldwide in need
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake: 

Connect with Mary Greer: 

About our Guest: 

Mary Greer is a passionate advocate for innovative care solutions, particularly for those with dementia and Alzheimer’s. As a leader in the Grand Baby Project, she has dedicated years to improving the lives of seniors and their families through compassionate, non-pharmaceutical therapies. Mary’s work focuses on providing emotional support and enhancing the well-being of both patients and caregivers, offering relief and dignity in some of life’s most challenging moments.

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