079: Home for the Holidays: Time for The Talk with Elderly Parents
Absolute Trust Talk
In a new episode of Absolute Trust Talk, Kirsten is joined by guest Linda Fodrini-Johnson, licensed family therapist and professional certified care manager. Together, they discuss returning home and what to do if you notice a parent beginning to struggle with their day-to-day routine.
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Retirement and Renewal for Career Women
Absolute Trust Talk
In a new episode of Absolute Trust Talk Live, Kristen is joined by guest Helen Dennis, a nationally recognized leader on the issues of aging and retiring. She is an author, a speaker, a teacher and has helped over 25,000 employees prepare for the non-economic aspects of retirement. Together, they discuss the working woman and how to navigate the retirement transition.
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077: Retirement Planning for Your Brain
Absolute Trust Talk
In a new episode of Absolute Trust Talk Live, Kirsten is joined by guest Dr. Quinn Kennedy. Dr. Kennedy has a Ph.D. in psychology, postdoctoral training in cognitive aging, and over 20 years of experience researching and investigating factors that affect older adults, decision-making, and memory performance. Kirsten and Dr. Kennedy will be diving into some of the best strategies for taking care of one's mind to preserve quality brain health as you age.
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076: Don’t Let an Inheritance Destroy Government Benefits Eligibility
Absolute Trust Talk
In this episode of Absolute Trust Talk Live, fellow Absolute Trust Counsel attorney Madison Gunn joins Kirsten to discuss different methods to resolve inheritance issues. Kirsten and Madison review and assess a handful of special needs estate planning scenarios highlighting what went wrong as well as how to save benefits. More important yet, this expert duo will share key strategies you can use to prevent future problematic inheritance challenges in your family.
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075: Serious Illness or Injury: The Resources We Need to Manage it All
Absolute Trust Talk
In this episode, Kirsten sits down with Roberta Carson, founder of the nonprofit, Zaggo. Roberta and Kirsten discuss her experience caring for her teenage son, Zachary, during his 27-month battle with terminal brain cancer and how it inspired her to start the ZaggoCare System to provide patients and family caregivers with the information and tools needed to better manage a care journey in critical illness and injury.
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074: Art Therapy and Dementia
Absolute Trust Talk
In this episode, Kirsten sits down with the incredible Angel Duncan. Angel is a mental health, art therapist, and research clinician specializing in therapeutic program developments for people with mental health, developmental, intellectual, cognitive, and memory disorders. She works globally with leading organizations on brain health initiatives and is a widely published author and speaker.
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073: Fading Memories
Absolute Trust Talk
Caregiving is certainly not an easy job. Often, caregiving responsibilities are given to family members who are learning as they go—especially with the case of dementia. While caregiving for someone struggling with dementia is no easy task, Jennifer Fink understands and has created many resources to help. After experiencing the difficulties behind being a caregiver for her mother dealing with Alzheimer’s, Jennifer struggled to find a podcast that catered toward her needs as an Alzheimer’s Caregiver.
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072: Spotlight on Cancer Support Community
Absolute Trust Talk
In this episode, Kirsten welcomes a special guest, Margaret Stauffer, Chief Mission Officer for Cancer Support Community of the local Walnut Creek chapter. We hope you will tune in to hear Kirsten and Margaret dive into the amazing programs provided by this organization, including how to access these services and how you, as a community member, can get involved too. We LOVE sharing information about good people and great organizations changing lives, and this episode is no exception!
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071: For the Caregivers: Support, Compassion, and Resources Just a Click Away
Absolute Trust Talk
Listen in to this new episode of Absolute Trust Talk, as Elaine Sanchez, author of “Letters from Madelyn, Chronicles of a Caregiver,” and a co-founder of CaregiverHelp.com, discusses the most common difficulties caregivers come across, as well as what resources are available for those dealing with these situations. Whether you’re a caregiver, know someone that is, or are planning for the future, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.
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070 Trustee Do’s and Don’ts Part Two
Absolute Trust Talk
Being named a trustee is an honor, but it comes with a lot of responsibility. Legal work has to be done, and if you’re not familiar, the process can seem more like a burden. The tasks on hand aren’t necessarily rocket science, but there are things that we see clients tend to miss.
info_outlineDo you have a spouse or loved one who has dementia? Hearing them say “I love you” or share a memory is something that every caregiver hopes for. And in those rare instances, it truly gives a renewed sense of purpose in life. Unfortunately, often, after being diagnosed with dementia, patients are prescribed drugs that, in some cases, cause depression or suppress who they are. But what if there was a way to reduce the medications and boost the mental well-being of the person with dementia and the spouse or caregiver? Interestingly enough, evidence shows that art plays a role in improving neural health. Art therapy is being taught as an alternative approach to dementia cases, providing an opportunity for patients to boost their mood and change their behavior without diminishing their quality of life.
In this episode, Kirsten sits down with the incredible Angel Duncan. Angel is a mental health, art therapist, and research clinician specializing in therapeutic program developments for people with mental health, developmental, intellectual, cognitive, and memory disorders. Angel has an extensive background in counseling psychology, life development, and Alzheimer’s disease phase 1b, 2, and 3 clinical research trials. She works globally with leading organizations on brain health initiatives and is a widely published author and speaker.
During their discussion, Kirsten and Angel dive into the science behind art therapy, explaining how and why it works. Duncan also shares countless examples of patients who practice art therapy demonstrating the behavioral changes and how they reconnect with their spouses again or learn to engage with their caregivers. If dementia or mental health issues have impacted your life or the life of someone you know, this episode is for you. Tune in now for more on the benefits of art therapy and why Angel Duncan has spent her career advocating for this life-changing form of treatment.
Big Three from Episode #074:
- Research shows that by engaging in art, which taps into certain regions of the brain, those with dementia are also getting neural activation and productivity. Ultimately, this leads to a shift in mood and behavior.
- Art Therapy is found to be helpful for all forms of dementia and, really, all types of mental health issues. Just because someone has dementia or another cognitive issue, doesn’t mean their creativity goes away.
- Case studies and research demonstrate exactly how art therapy brings those with dementia out of their box, helping them reconnect with the outside world.
Time-stamped Show Notes:
3:08 Long-term memory is returning for dementia patients through the process of Art Therapy. Listen now to hear Angel Duncan share the benefits of staying artistically creative for those suffering from neurological diseases.
5:43 Studies prove that art truly does work for people who have dementia. Start listening now for more on how art is helping neurological disease.
8:05 Relationships between caregivers, whether family or professional, and dementia-infected patients are becoming nurtured with empathy because of art therapy.
10:13 More often than not, psychotropic drugs are the go-to fix for dementia patients, causing diminished behavior. Angel answers how art could be used as an alternative to psychotropic drugs.
14:21 Angel Duncan has advocated for art therapy for almost 20 years. Listen to her journey and the life-changing work that has come from working with like-minded physicians.
17:43 Press play here to learn what different creative mediums are included in art therapy treatments.
21:11 Ask Kirsten Segment: Kirsten answers an email from Maria in Danville looking for advice on how to encourage her mother, who has dementia, to do an estate plan. If you have a question that you'd like to have answered by Kirsten, send an email to [email protected].
23:56 Listen to how Angel helped co-create Art in Mind for dementia patients at the Yale Art Gallery.
28:08 Angel Duncan’s Art Therapy Workshop is not just for dementia patients but also for spouses and caregivers. Listen in as Angel shares stories and feedback from those who have participated in the workshop.
30:06 Interested in learning more about art therapy? You don’t want to miss out on this special event -The 12th annual Expressive Therapy Summit is hosting Neurosciences and Aging Symposium and Track Series for aging populations. Listen here for more details on the event.
32:18 Live Q&A: Do you find art therapy to be helpful in all forms of dementia?
Resources/Links in this Episode:
About Angel Duncan – How to get in touch about programs
[Ad] Do you need help planning for things like incapacity? The Absolute Trust Counsel team is here to help. If you become incapacitated without a plan, you don’t have time to wait for court rulings, nor do you want to waste your money on that. You need support right away. At Absolute Trust Counsel, we can help put a plan in place, so you and your family are covered – no matter what the situation. Visit our calendar to pick a date and time that works best for you, and let’s get started!