Host Jason Flinn sits down with Patrick Sulley, a devoted caregiver, entrepreneur, and passionate advocate, to explore his powerful and personal journey supporting his wife Anita through her diagnosis of Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD).

This two-part feature offers an intimate look at the emotional, practical, and spiritual realities of caregiving – from the early signs of FTD to Anita’s move into long-term care, and the profound love and resilience that continue to shape their story.

Patrick’s path has been anything but ordinary. After earning Arts and Education degrees from Memorial University, he began as a musician, then spent over a decade in corporate sales before launching five businesses in fields like franchising, telecommunications, software training, and real estate.

He and Anita, a Master Gardener and one of the first graduates of Dalhousie University’s Master Gardener program, traveled to 110 countries together, building a life defined by curiosity, connection, and purpose.

Everything changed in 2020, when Patrick took on the full-time role of caregiver as Anita’s dementia progressed. Since her admission to long-term care in August 2024, Patrick has become a vocal advocate for caregivers, partnering with the Windsor Elms Village and the Master Gardeners Association of Atlantic Canada to move Anita’s extensive garden to her new residence – creating a space of beauty and memory for all residents and visitors to enjoy.

He has also been invited to speak to Dalhousie University’s medical students about the emotional and practical realities of caregiving, and he is currently writing a book to help others navigate the challenging but meaningful journey of supporting a loved one through dementia.

We are honoured to open this caregiver-focused series with Patrick’s heartfelt story – a conversation about love, resilience, loss, and what it means to remain “still here.”

Music by Vivian Khor, https://www.viviankhor.com

Still Here – the Nova Scotia Hospice Palliative Care Association’s inaugural podcast series, was created to explore the full spectrum of what it means to live, grieve, care, and continue after loss.

Hosted by Jason Flinn – educator, grief recovery specialist, and life coach – Still Here is an unfiltered, heart-forward podcast that looks at grief not as a problem to solve, but as a profoundly human experience to witness.

Grief doesn’t follow a script. Neither do we.

Through real conversations with caregivers, clinicians, advocates, and everyday people, this series shines a light on the emotional realities of loss, caregiving, terminal illness, and healing – while also diving into the social, political, and cultural contexts that shape how we navigate them.

From healthcare access and gendered caregiving roles to cultural traditions and policy gaps in end-of-life care, Still Here brings timely perspectives to deeply personal terrain.

This podcast isn’t just about grief – it’s about what it means to be human in a world that doesn’t always know how to talk about pain.

Whether you’re supporting a loved one through illness, grieving someone you’ve lost, or trying to make sense of your own story, Still Here offers a space for truth, tenderness, and the courage it takes to keep showing up.

We’re just getting started – and we hope you’ll stay with us.

Music by Vivian Khor, https://www.viviankhor.com