What Every Caregiver Should Know About Dementia

What Every Caregiver Should Know About Dementia

00:00:09 – 00:01:24
Hello and welcome to CareSmartz360 On Air. I’m Dennis Gill, Senior Sales Consultant at Caresmartz. Joining us is Debbie Compton, CEO and founder of the Purple Wine, a certified caregiving consultant, best-seller author, and a passionate advocate for caregivers. After stepping away from corporate America to care for her parents and mother-in-law living with different forms of dementia, Debbie transformed her personal journey into a mission to help caregivers reduce stress, prevent burnout, and find hope

00:00:47 – 00:01:48
along the way. So, in this episode, Debbie shares what every caregiver should know about dementia, practical strategies for navigating daily challenges, and why education and support can make all the difference. So, let’s get started. Welcome to the podcast, Debbie. >> Thank you for having me, Dennis. I’m glad to be here. Oh, we’re really grateful that you were able to take out the time today for our listeners today and we really hope that this is a very fruitful session for all

00:01:18 – 00:02:27
our listeners from wherever they are listening. Thank you. Thank you again. >> Okay, so without wasting any time, I’ll straight away jump in with my first question for you. So, uh Debbie, what are the biggest misconceptions caregivers have about dementia when they first begin their journey? challenge. When someone first gets dementia, you want to re-educate them. You want to feel like you can still teach them how to do things a different way and you can’t. And they may not understand that when someone gets

00:01:52 – 00:03:00
dementia, two sections of the brain are actively dying. >> Not just shrinking, but dying. And it is terminal. It’s um and while that’s really hard and it’s hard to say, there are things that you can do to slow down the progression, >> but there’s no cure. Currently, there is no cure for dementia. And so that’s where education, which we’ll talk about a little later, I’m sure, comes in and helps. If the caregiver can educate themselves on what they’re dealing with

00:02:26 – 00:03:30
and how to better prepare for it, they’ll have a much easier time and a much more sustainable journey. >> Okay. And just continuing with this question, so how can home care agencies better prepare to support clients living with different types of dementia? >> Education is so critical. When my dad developed Parkinson’s, I’d never even been around anyone who had Parkinson’s before. I had no idea what I was dealing with. And it is a form of dementia. Didn’t know that either at the time.

00:02:59 – 00:04:07
>> Okay. >> And so, um, educating the caregivers, teaching them real life action steps that they can use because what I found as going through, I’m a three-time primary caregiver and I couldn’t get the support that I needed. I couldn’t find it. I found what’s happening in his brain, why he’s hallucinating. That doesn’t help. What I needed was how can I deal with it? Are there ways to reduce its occurrence? And so that’s why when I formed my company, that is exactly why to give caregivers

00:03:31 – 00:04:33
those answers to give them real life support strategies that they can use, things that I have done that I know work. And everyone is different. Every situation is different. And that’s why a caregiver needs a big toolbox with a lot of different things that they can draw from to be able to take care of their loved one. >> So you’ve been practically through it. So you obviously have real real life experiences on that. Yeah. >> Yes. >> That that really does help. >> Yeah. I didn’t get my certifications

00:04:03 – 00:05:04
until after two of my loved ones passed away. And so then when I got the training, I learned some more things that would have been real helpful had I known sooner. >> Um but I just didn’t know. And so and then a lot of my um knowledge just comes from being in the trenches three times because my mom had vascular dementia for 21 years >> and she was the first to be diagnosed and the last one to pass away. But in between there, my dad had Parkinson’s for eight years and then I cared for my

00:04:34 – 00:05:36
mother-in-law with uh Alzheimer’s for seven and a half years. >> Oh, >> multiple journeys. >> Multiple journeys. Yeah. >> Yes. >> It’s pretty hard to even imagine about it, but you’ve been gone through it probably. >> You got to juggle. >> Yeah. >> You got to juggle, you got to laugh, and you got to let go of perfectionism because it’s a killer. >> Yep. Yep. Yep. Definitely. And uh how can caregivers communicate more effectively with a client with dementia

00:05:04 – 00:06:24
becomes confused, resistant, or even frustrated? >> That happens a lot. And some things to remember first off is that a person living with dementia is only catching about one out of every four words that you say. So, we need to slow down >> and speak clearly and use um visual cues whenever you like to eat and make gestures to help them to make it easier for their brain to interpret what it is. Quite often what I see when someone uh thinks that a person has all these behavioral issues, you know, and they

00:05:44 – 00:06:40
get upset and angry, most of the time it’s because the caregiver did not approach them in the right way because also their peripheral vision goes. Their peripheral vision is gone. As soon as they get dementia, they’ve already lost a big chunk of their peripheral vision. >> And so if you’re coming up from behind them, they don’t even know you’re there. And so you’re startling them. Of course, they’re going to react. They didn’t know you were present. >> So, we need to, you know, wait. Approach

00:06:13 – 00:07:20
from the front. >> Let them see us. >> Let them recognize. And you’ll see the recognition on their face when they’ve figured out who you are. And then step in closer. So, the bottom line is slow down. Slow down. Give them a chance to process. And then if they’re just not going to cooperate with you, because sometimes we have those days >> where it doesn’t matter what you want them to do, they’re not going to do it, back up. Just back away >> and wait a minute and come back and

00:06:46 – 00:07:49
approach it again from a different angle because that’s the um that’s the kind of beauty of dementia. It’ll be brand new. And so you have a real good chance that you’re going to get a different response if you come at it from a different angle. And so just back away. Don’t keep pushing. You’re not going to be able to convince them of anything logical specifically because logic is the first thing in the brain that’s attacked. So the logic center goes away. But they still have the feelings, the

00:07:17 – 00:08:28
emotion, and they still respond to music, >> things like that. So work with them on that level. Play the kind of music that they like to help get them in a better mood >> before then requesting them to do something. >> I’m learning a lot of new things about dementia today and all our listeners are >> good. And uh you’re talking about education. So just my question on that part is what practical dementia care skills should every caregiver learn regardless of experience level?

00:07:54 – 00:09:03
Everybody should know the basic steps of the disease and the warning signs, what to look out for, what comes next. If you know what’s ahead on the journey, you can better prepare for it. And that’s why on my blog, the purplevine.com, >> I put articles out there that tell you steps and stages of the disease again, so that you can be prepared. Everyone doesn’t always go through every step, >> but a lot of times they do, and there are very there are a lot of similarities, but you know, if it’s

00:08:29 – 00:09:35
Alzheimer’s, they typically are going to follow this certain path. If it’s vascular dementia or frontal temporal dementia, they’re typically going to have to do these certain things. If it’s Parkinson’s, they’re going to have another set of behaviors and issues. So, education is super important. And so you need to learn about what’s happening so that you can better deal with them. And you have to understand it’s not going to get better. And that’s hard. And and what drives you crazy today because

00:09:02 – 00:09:53
they’re repeating and repeating and repeating and it drives you nuts. One day you’re going to wish they could because that ability will go away. >> No, I’ve also had a small experience with uh my mother-in-law at present. She has dementia. It’s just starting phase just now. So that’s why these things definitely would help my wife also that she’s been taking care of her. >> Yes. >> Yeah. So I’m learning a lot of new things. >> Your your wife will want to get a copy

00:09:28 – 00:10:42
of these books, The Caregivers’s Advocate, Volume 1 and two. >> Those are >> Yes. I gathered um 20 experts, 20 well 21 and 22 experts from four different countries and had them write about something they wish they would have known at the beginning of the journey. >> And then in volume two, I had them write about things that every caregiver needs to know. And so they’re both just blowing up internationally. They’re number one bestsellers in multiple countries. And it’s because people need actionable,

00:10:04 – 00:11:12
useful information. And so every chapter has the author’s full page bio and all their contact information. So you’re not just getting a book, you’re getting a wonderful resource >> full of 21, 22 different people and how to reach them, how to connect with them, how to get their free resources, all the things. And then the last chapter of both the books have a resource chapter that and they’re different. It’s just the resources from those authors that they use that they have vetted that they

00:10:39 – 00:11:34
know are good and reputable companies that support caregivers. And so that that’s a whole big thing in itself because you if you’re just going to Google, you don’t know if they’re good or not. >> These are sources that we know are good and reputable. It’s really good to know that and uh definitely our listeners and when they’ll be watching our session so definitely they should also take care of this thing so that they can order the correct thing that they would be needing.

00:11:06 – 00:12:16
>> Yes. And the caregivers’s advocate volume three comes out July 21st 2026. >> So the third volume. >> Yes. Coming soon. >> Okay. Good to know that. Good to know that, Debbie. And Debbie, as we move through 2026, what dementia care challenges should home care agencies be preparing for now? Anything changes that are there from the past? >> Absolutely. Baby boomers are aging. The number one risk factor for Alzheimer’s is old age. >> Mhm. >> So, the baby boomers are getting older.

00:11:41 – 00:12:38
We’re living longer. More and more people are needing a caregiver every single day. >> Yeah. We are, you know, the baby boomers are the largest generation. There’s not enough people to care for all of them. And all these brand new caregivers need to be trained, need to know what it is that they’re going to be doing. And that’s a benefit, you know, for me creating these books will help my children >> take care of me one day. >> Yeah. Really? Yeah. That’s that’s

00:12:10 – 00:13:17
correct. That’s correct. And finally, the last thing everybody is talking about nowadays, AI. It’s becoming more common in home care. >> So, where do you see AI helping dementia uh caregivers and where will the human touch always remain essential? >> AI cannot give you a hug and everybody needs hugs. >> Yeah, definitely. >> And especially uh someone living with dementia, personal touch, I mean, I just can’t emphasize that enough because if they can’t understand your words,

00:12:44 – 00:13:53
they understand a hug. >> Mhm. and they they understand that and so your presence is so important and so needed and there are some great AI tools that are um coming on the market and the the shoe inserts that have GPS tracking in them those are fantastic I would have loved to have had that when my mother-in-law was wandering and my dad too would have been great wasn’t invented then it is now and there are so many other things uh that you can use technology has really advanced in the home care space,

00:13:17 – 00:14:29
>> but you always have to have that human touch. You always have to have the person looking at them and talking to them. And people can be really upset, too. If they have dementia and you have this voice talking from out in the air to them, it can scare them. It really scares them. And then you’ve got somebody huddled up in a corner afraid because there are aliens attacking. >> I would definitely tell Debbie about this small 15minute session that I had with you. I learned a lot of new things

00:13:55 – 00:14:53
and we would really love to collaborate with you again in future for much longer sessions because this definitely would help more and more people and basically the caregivers that what they’re learning new and how they can develop more skills for dementia patients. >> I would love it. I love sharing. >> Thank you. Good to know that. Good to know that. So thank you. Thank you for your time today and it was lovely talking to you. very knowledgeable session I would say I know a small one

00:14:24 – 00:14:56
but we will definitely have a longer session with you in future and uh thank you thank you to all my listeners who were there uh who are there then watching our session and uh till next time I’m signing off this is Dennis Gill I’ll be coming back shortly.