I’m thrilled to announce the launch of AlzAuthors new podcast, UNTANGLING ALZHEIMER’S AND DEMENTIA, on the Whole Care Network today.
I’m the producer and host of this passion project. I’m also a founding member and director of AlzAuthors, the global non-profit that seeks to eliminate the silence and stigma surrounding a dementia diagnosis.
The podcast has been in the works for many months. We’re grateful for the guidance and support we’ve received from Chris MacLellan, founder of the Whole Care Network, who nurtured our dream of bringing our authors’ stories to caregivers in this new format.
About AlzAuthors
AlzAuthors is the global community of authors writing about Alzheimer’s and dementia from personal experience. Our mission is to use the art of storytelling to help light the way for others currently on that journey. Each member of our all-volunteer team has witnessed the decline or loss of a loved one with dementia. Together we provide a gateway to quality resources written by those who understand the challenges they face.
Since 2016, AlzAuthors has shared its authors’ dementia stories on our blog and in our anthologies. Why the move to audio?
About the Podcast
The podcast format makes it easier for busy caregivers and those concerned with dementia to learn about the disease and seek much needed guidance. Listening to a podcast does not require sitting in one place. We can listen while in the car, doing housework, anytime, hands free. We hope that by sharing our authors’ stories in this way we are better able to reach those who have little free time but are in desperate need of knowledge, comfort, and support.
With more than 250 author contributors, AlzAuthors has a wealth of knowledge to share. We’ve curated hundreds of powerful and profound stories, spanning all disease types and stages through a variety of genres, including memoirs, non-fiction, novels, children’s literature, activity books, poetry, blogs, and more. Each week a new author shares their dementia story and discusses their book.
The authors’ backgrounds are diverse, and their situations vary. They may be living with the disease themselves, are a caregiver for a loved one at home or in a facility, or may be a healthcare professional specializing in dementia or memory care. Each one wrote a book to help others and was selected to become an AlzAuthor after careful vetting by a member of our management team. Their personal stories offer valuable insight often told through laughter and sometimes tears.
Podcast Schedule
The first season of six episodes kicks off with Wendy Mitchell, bestselling author of the memoir Somebody I Used to Know, who describes her experience living with young-onset dementia.
Following episodes include:
11/9/20: Gincy Heins, creator and editor of Before the Diagnosis: Stories of Life and Love Before Dementia and one of the co-authors of the series 365 Caregiving Tips: Practical Tips from Everyday Caregivers, who talks about caring for a husband with early onset Alzheimer’s;
11/16/20: Loretta Veney, author of Being My Mom’s Mom, who speaks on caring for a mother who lives in a care home;
11/23/20: Kathryn Harrison, author and illustrator of the children’s book Weeds in Nana’s Garden, who shares her journey of caring for a mom with dementia while raising young children;
11/30/20: Irene Frances Olson, author of the novel Requiem for the Status Quo, who discusses caring for her father who had Alzheimer’s;
12/7/20: Lisa Skinner, author of the caregiver guide Not All Who Wander Need Be Lost, and a professional working in the dementia field who also assisted in the care of several family members (and her dog) with memory impairment.
Listen now!
Learn more about AlzAuthors
For more information on AlzAuthors visit AlzAuthors.com where you will find the web’s most comprehensive collection of books and blogs on Alzheimer’s disease and dementia in one place. While there, please browse our bookstore of 250+ vetted titles and view our supportive “Dementia Care During COVID” videos. AlzAuthors is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
About The Whole Care Network
The Whole Care Network is a multi-media, multi-channel platform for caregivers to locate and share trusted resources and take comfort and refuge through real-life stories, while being personally validated in their caregiving journey by those who understand. The Network features a variety of podcasts of interest to caregivers touching on what it calls “the four pillars of health”: physical, social, financial, and spiritual needs.
Marianne Sciucco, Author 