A Balancing Act: Navigating A Loved One's Memory Loss
Kelly A Bertenshaw, MA CCC SLP ECDCS
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About This Podcast
When a loved one is diagnosed with Memory Loss or Dementia, family members can feel completely unprepared and overwhelmed. You're now trying to juggle managing your loved one's increasing need for care while also tending to your own family, career and life. It can truly feel like a balancing act.
I'm Kelly Bertenshaw, a licensed Speech Language Pathologist and certified Dementia Care Specialist. I have worked with those affected by memory loss and their families for more than 20 years. I started this podcast to help you, the family members, as you navigate this journey. Your questions, comments and experiences will drive all our content.
My goal is to provide you with proven strategies, relevant information and research, as well as actionable steps you can take today .
Together, we'll find the answers. Because no one should walk this journey alone.
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Recent Episodes
S2E16 When Care Needs Change Fast: A 3-Year Future Mapping Guide
Don't wait for a crisis. If someone you love is showing early signs of memory loss, the time to plan is now. In this episode, Kelly walks you through how to build a simple, realistic three-year care…
S2E15 Dementia and Hoarding: Fear of the Void
This episode explores dementia-related hoarding, why it happens, what it means, and how families can respond with compassion. Kelly reframes hoarding not as stubbornness or manipulation, but as the…
S2E14 Weight Loss and Dementia
This episode explores why people with dementia often experience significant weight loss and changes in eating and drinking habits. Kelly explains how aging can affect eat and drinking, as well as how…
S2E13 Refusing Medications: From Resistance to Cooperation
When a loved one refuses their medications, it can feel like an emergency. The risks are real, the pressure is immediate, and the instinct to push for compliance is strong. But in many cases, that…
S2E12 Beyond Puzzles: Redefining "Brain Training" for those with Dementia
In this episode, Kelly challenges the idea that cognitive activities like puzzles and card games are always beneficial for loved ones with dementia. She explains that as the disease progresses, these…
S2E11 A Turning Point: When "Fine At Home" No Longer Holds
In this episode, Kelly explores how a medical crisis, such as a fall or infection, often becomes the unexpected turning point when families first recognize the true extent of a loved one's dementia.…
S2E10 Dignity of Risk: Balancing Safety and Independence
In this episode, Kelly tackles the ethical tension caregivers face between keeping loved ones with dementia safe and preserving their independence and sense of self. Through real-life stories, she…
S2E9 Radical Acceptance: Overcoming Denial of a Loved One's Dementia
In this episode, Kelly explores how families often fall into denial when a loved one begins to show signs of dementia. And sometimes, even after the formal diagnosis. Kelly emphasizes this isn't…
S2E8 The Built-In Caregiver: Home
Today's focus is on ways to capitalize on and modify the home environment to support a loved one with memory loss. Kelly walks listeners through thoughtful home modifications that can act as an…
S2E7 "No strangers in my house!"
For someone living with memory loss, life already feels less predictable. Control is slipping in quiet ways. And home may be the last place that still feels familiar. The last place where they feel…
S2E6 ENCORE EPISODE: "Is It Alzheimer's?"
Today, Kelly shares our most listened-to episode, "Is It Alzheimer's?". Aside from cancer, Alzheimer’s Disease is often regarded as one of the greatest fears for many individuals. In fact, when…
S2E5 Navigating Denial: When A Loved One Struggles With Reality
Today’s episode explores one of the most tender, and often misunderstood, parts of dementia care: denial. Kelly will talk about why denial shows up, why it isn’t always stubbornness, and how fear,…
S2E4 A HOLIDAY MESSAGE
As this year comes to a close, I just want to take a moment to thank you for being here. Whether you’re listening while driving, folding laundry, sitting quietly after a long day, or taking a…
S2E3 Holidays and Caring Across Distances
The holidays bring joy, memories, and for long-distance caregivers, a mix of love and guilt. In this episode of A Balancing Act, Kelly offers loving, practical ways to stay connected with your loved…
S2E2 Season 2 Episode 2 Thanksgiving & Memory Loss
Thanksgiving is here, and while the holidays can be full of joy and tradition, they can also be challenging when someone you love is living with memory loss and dementia, In this episode, Kelly…
S2E1 Season 2 Episode 1 When Time Slips: Dementia and Calendar Confusion
In this episode, we talk about what happens when a loved one begins losing their sense of time — mixing up days, seasons, appointments, or believing events are happening “right now” when they aren’t.…
S1E30 Season 1 Episode 30 Dementia & Driving: When To Take The Keys
Taking away the car keys is one of the hardest moments in dementia care. It’s not just about safety. It’s about love, dignity, and protection. In this week’s episode, Kelly will guide you through the…
S1E29 Season 1 Episode 29 Avoiding Diagnosis: The Stigma of Dementia
Many families delay a dementia diagnosis because they’re afraid of what it means—losing independence, disrupting family life, or facing an uncertain future. But silence only makes the journey harder.…
S1E28 Season 1 Episode 28 Dementia and Refusing Help
One of the hardest challenges in caregiving is when a loved one with dementia refuses help. You see the risks — missed meals, cluttered spaces, unpaid bills — but every offer is met with “I don’t…
S1E27 Season 1 Episode 27 Caregiving Tech: Tools, Tips and Comfort
Caregiving is rewarding, but it can also feel overwhelming—like you’re carrying the weight of a thousand little tasks. In this episode, Kelly explores the best tech tools designed to lighten the…
Frequently Asked Questions
A Balancing Act: Navigating A Loved One's Memory Loss has published 46 episodes since October 2024, covering topics in Kids & Family, Relationships.
A Balancing Act: Navigating A Loved One's Memory Loss is currently highly active with new episodes every 2 weeks. Average episode length is 13m.
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