In today’s episode, Lisa, along with her special guest, Mr. William C. Heckman, discusses how the profound and sustained stress experienced by caregivers of individuals with dementia can significantly impact their physical and mental health, often leading to a range of adverse health conditions. Some discussion centers around how the caregiving role is characterized by emotional strain, physical exhaustion, social isolation, and financial burdens, all of which contribute to heightened levels of chronic stress. They also share some targeted support interventions including respite care, as well as other resources that are available to enhance caregiver resilience and help reduce the risk of health deterioration, and why addressing caregiver well-being is crucial for not only their own health but also for the effective and sustainable care of individuals living with dementia.

You definitely won’t want to miss this invaluable episode!

About the Guest:

William C Heckman, M.S. DAIS. William Heckman joined the American Institute of Stress in 2019 in the position of Executive Director. He plays a pivotal role in steering the organization towards its mission of stress awareness and mitigation, making a lasting impact on both national and global levels. In March of 2020, Will founded AIS’s podcast, Finding Contentment, where he leads discussions on stress management, well-being, and related topics.

https://www.stress.org/

About the Host:

Author Lisa Skinner is a behavioral specialist with expertise in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia. In her 30+year career working with family members and caregivers, Lisa has taught them how to successfully navigate the many challenges that accompany this heartbreaking disease. Lisa is both a Certified Dementia Practitioner and is also a certified dementia care trainer through the Alzheimer’s Association. She also holds a degree in Human Behavior.

Her latest book, “Truth, Lies & Alzheimer’s – Its Secret Faces” continues Lisa’s quest of working with dementia-related illnesses and teaching families and caregivers how to better understand the daunting challenges of brain disease. Her #1 Best-seller book “Not All Who Wander Need Be Lost,” was written at their urging. As someone who has had eight family members diagnosed with dementia, Lisa Skinner has found her calling in helping others through the struggle so they can have a better-quality relationship with their loved ones through education and through her workshops on counter-intuitive solutions and tools to help people effectively manage the symptoms of brain disease. Lisa Skinner has appeared on many national and regional media broadcasts. Lisa helps explain behaviors caused by dementia, encourages those who feel burdened, and gives practical advice for how to respond.

So many people today are heavily impacted by Alzheimer's disease and related dementia. The Alzheimer's Association and the World Health Organization have projected that the number of people who will develop Alzheimer's disease by the year 2050 worldwide will triple if a treatment or cure is not found. Society is not prepared to care for the projected increase of people who will develop this devastating disease. In her 30 years of working with family members and caregivers who suffer from dementia, Lisa has recognized how little people really understand the complexities of what living with this disease is really like. For Lisa, it starts with knowledge, education, and training.

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