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Proudly Hosting The Dementia Collective Podcast!

What does it mean to care for someone with dignity when culture, language, family, and personal identity are often overlooked? In this episode, Andrew Karesa sits down with Varsha Bhat, business and innovation leader, caregiver advocate, Vice-Chair of the Alzheimer Society of Montreal, and host of the Aging With Dignity podcast. Varsha shares how her mother’s dementia diagnosis and her father’s sudden cardiac decline changed the course of her life. While continuing to work and manage her own responsibilities, she helped coordinate home care, palliative care, medical decisions, and support for both parents. Together, Andrew and Varsha explore why dignity is personal, why cultural competency matters in dementia care, and why completing tasks is not the same as truly caring for someone. They also discuss the role of community, the challenges faced by first-generation immigrant families, caregiver burnout, family privacy, and the pressure to make every decision correctly. This is a conversation about dementia, culture, caregiving, grief, compassion, and the importance of seeing the person behind the diagnosis. In this episode: • Varsha’s journey from daughter to caregiver • Her mother’s corticobasal degeneration diagnosis • Caring for both parents at the same time • Cultural competency in dementia and eldercare • Why dignity means something different to every person • The role of community in supporting caregivers • Navigating home care and palliative care • Why caregivers cannot do everything alone • Accepting that caregiving decisions will not always be perfect • How Varsha’s experience inspired Aging With Dignity Whether you are a caregiver, healthcare professional, or family member, this conversation offers an honest look at what dignified care requires and why compassion must remain at the centre of it. Learn more at:⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.bluebellvillage.ca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://agingwithdignity.podbean.com/ ——— Join The Village and help shape conversations like this by submitting questions to our guests: https://www.patreon.com/cw/blueBellVillage ——— 00:00 Aging with Dignity: The Caregiver's Role 10:42 Navigating Nonverbal Communication in Caregiving 20:13 Personal Journey: From Daughter to Caregiver 30:16 Community Support: The Role of Cultural Connections 40:18 Breaking Stigmas: Normalizing Conversations Around Dementia 45:28 Navigating Grief and Career Transition 48:36 Aging in Place and Palliative Care Advocacy 49:16 Lightning Round ——— Disclaimer: The information shared in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any medical condition. Always consult your physician or another qualified healthcare provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or treatment. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Andrew Karesa, blueBell Village Ltd., or any of its employees, contractors, or team members. 1:3:28
YouTube Video UExxYWcwUU01bW5IaEN3dFNkQ21kOUFFTE1FYUtYSHM2SC5DREQyNTBBODE4MzEyMjg4

Why Dignity in Care Looks Nothing Like You Think (with Varsha Bhat) | EP42

What happens when dementia challenges not only how we care, but what we believe about a person’s value? In this episode, Andrew Karesa sits down with Lizette Cloete, founder of Think Different Dementia, occupational therapist, dementia advisor, family caregiver, and host of the Dementia Caregiver Support for Christians podcast. Drawing on more than 30 years of experience and her own caregiving journey, Lizette shares how her Christian faith has shaped the way she understands dementia, caregiving, personhood, and responsibility. She reflects on caring for her father, the challenges of family caregiving, and why dementia often exposes deeper questions about relationships, expectations, suffering, and what it means to love someone well. Together, Andrew and Lizette explore the tension between truth and validation, caregiver burnout and stewardship, and why many families struggle to ask for help. They discuss the role churches can play in supporting dementia caregivers, how faith communities can better respond to cognitive change, and why people living with dementia never lose their dignity or worth. This is a conversation about caregiving, faith, family, burnout, dignity, responsibility, and the enduring value of every person living with dementia. In this episode: • Lizette’s journey into occupational therapy and dementia care • Becoming a caregiver for her own father • Why family caregiving is different from professional caregiving • The role faith plays in navigating dementia • Truth-telling, validation, and therapeutic fibbing • Why caregiver burnout should be viewed through the lens of stewardship • The hidden impact of family history and relationships • How churches can better support dementia families • Cultural expectations around caregiving • Why people living with dementia never lose their value • Why caregiving was never meant to be done alone Whether you are a caregiver, a healthcare professional, a member of a faith community, or simply trying to better understand dementia, this conversation offers a thoughtful perspective on caring for others while remembering the dignity and humanity that remain throughout the journey. Learn more at:⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.bluebellvillage.ca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.dignicarebydesign.com/ ——— Join The Village and help shape conversations like this by submitting questions to our guests: https://www.patreon.com/cw/blueBellVillage ——— 00:00 Navigating Truth and Validation in Dementia Caregiving 03:19 Emotional Sensitivity and Caregiver Dynamics 06:27 Managing Expectations in Caregiving 09:18 The Journey into Dementia Caregiving 12:07 The Influence of Personal Experience on Caregiving 14:56 The Impact of Family Dynamics on Caregiving 17:53 The Challenges of Family Caregivers vs. Professionals 20:50 Understanding the Value of Individuals with Dementia 23:53 The Role of Faith in Caregiving 26:57 The Importance of Personal History in Caregiving 29:58 The Influence of Grandparents on Caregiving Perspectives 32:53 The Path to Occupational Therapy and Dementia Care 35:55 Biblical Worldview vs. Modern Dementia Care 38:51 Therapeutic Truth-Telling in Dementia Care 41:48 Navigating Caregiving Across Different Beliefs 48:19 Navigating Caregiving with Faith 51:41 The Role of the Church in Caregiving 56:17 Stewardship and Sacrificial Love in Caregiving 01:01:28 Cultural Perspectives on Caregiving 01:05:45 Lightning Round and Personal Insights ——— Disclaimer: The information shared in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any medical condition. Always consult your physician or another qualified healthcare provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or treatment. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Andrew Karesa, blueBell Village Ltd., or any of its employees, contractors, or team members. 1:16:46
YouTube Video UExxYWcwUU01bW5IaEN3dFNkQ21kOUFFTE1FYUtYSHM2SC5CNTk5RDhGNzdCMkRBRDUz

When Caregiving Becomes Stewardship (with Lizette Cloete) | EP41

People sometimes describe receiving a dementia diagnosis as something that feels like it will shatter their life. In this Ask the Experts conversation, Andrew Karesa asks Michael Booth, Samuel Simon, and Phyllis Fehr: “As someone who has been through this journey, what is the first step that you would have to support someone in moving past the initial fear and reclaiming control over their future?” Speaking from lived experience, they discuss what helped them move forward after diagnosis, including accepting support, talking openly with others, seeking professional and peer support, allowing space for grief without remaining trapped in it, and learning to live more fully in the present. They also reflect on making practical changes, planning for the future, protecting personhood, challenging stigma, finding purpose, and adapting to life in ways that still allow for choice, connection, and meaning. This is not a conversation about giving up on the future. It is about recognizing that a diagnosis does not erase the person, and that reclaiming control can begin with one honest conversation, one decision to accept support, and one step toward living in the present. If this conversation resonates with you, please like, comment, and subscribe. On podcast platforms, follow the show so you do not miss future conversations. Consider becoming a member of the village on Patreon, it will go a long way in helping break dementia stigma. For only the price of a Starbucks coffee per month, you can help support conversations like this and submit questions for future guests: https://www.patreon.com/cw/blueBellVillage ——— 00:00 Diagnosed with Dementia. Now What? 00:17 Michael Booth | Author of 'Forget Me Not: The Letter in the Headboard' 05:43 Samuel Simon | Dementia Man 07:38 Phyllis Fehr | Co-Author of 'How to Live Well with Dementia' 14:43 Jim Mann | Canada's Leading Voice on Dementia Stigma ——— Disclaimer: The information shared in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any medical condition. Always consult your physician or another qualified healthcare provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or treatment. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Andrew Karesa, blueBell Village Ltd., or any of its employees, contractors, or team members. 19:23
YouTube Video UExxYWcwUU01bW5IaEN3dFNkQ21kOUFFTE1FYUtYSHM2SC5GQ0FFREZGNjRBNUVFQUVB

Ask the Experts: What Comes After a Dementia Diagnosis?

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Want more informative and impactful demetia content? Check out The Dementia Collective for more information.