Who Really Hold The Healthcare System Together? (with Dr. Sharon Anderson)
Who Really Holds the Healthcare System Together?
What if we recognized caregivers not as afterthoughts — but as the backbone of our healthcare system?
In this episode of The Dementia Collective, we sit down with Dr. Sharon Anderson — researcher, educator, caregiver, and one of the leading voices behind Alberta’s caregiver-centered care movement.
Sharon’s path to this work isn’t just academic — it’s deeply personal. Her own experience as a family caregiver opened her eyes to the cracks in the system, and she’s spent the last decade working to repair them from the inside out. Through education, co-design, and policy change, she’s helping reshape how caregivers — especially those supporting people with dementia — are seen, supported, and included.
Together with host Andrew Karesa, Sharon reflects on:
• Why double duty caregiving is becoming unsustainable — for people and for the system
• How her personal story became the catalyst for systems change
• The critical shift from patient-centered to caregiver-centered care
• What a caregiver-safe, dementia-friendly community actually looks like
• What gives her hope about the future of dementia support
This episode is a call to reimagine care — not just for those living with dementia, but for those walking beside them every step of the way.
What If The "D" Word Wasn't Taboo Anymore? (with Pete Hill)
What if dementia wasn’t a whispered word, but a conversation broadcast across the world?
In this episode of The Dementia Collective, we sit down with Pete Hill, the voice behind The ‘D’ Word — the UK’s only weekly radio show dedicated to dementia.
Pete’s path wasn’t a straight line. After more than 30 years in local government and a side career in sports radio, his outlook shifted when he joined the Alzheimer’s Society in 2016. There, he managed community groups for people living with dementia and saw firsthand the need for connection, visibility, and dignity. Out of that experience came The ‘D’ Word, a show that has since grown into a global platform with hundreds of episodes and listeners from every corner of the world. Together with host Andrew Karesa, Pete reflects on:
• The rainy-day moment that sparked the idea for The ‘D’ Word
• Lessons learned from hosting nearly 300 conversations on dementia
• How radio can break stigma and make space for lived experience
• The global voices that have shaped the show’s impact
• His hopes for what still needs to change for people living with dementia
Pete’s journey shows the power of turning silence into sound — and how one voice can amplify a movement
When Families Become Caregivers: Finding Clarity in the Chaos (with Tammy Lautner)
When someone you love is diagnosed with dementia, life can change overnight. You go from being a spouse, a child, or a friend — to suddenly becoming a caregiver. It’s emotional, overwhelming, and often filled with uncertainty.
In this episode of The Dementia Collective, Andrew sits down with Tammy Lautner, a Registered Social Worker and founder of Peace of Mind Consulting, who helps families navigate the complex realities of caregiving.
Drawing from her own lived experience and years of professional practice, Tammy shares how families can move from confusion to clarity — and how the right guidance can make all the difference when the system feels impossible to navigate.
In this episode, we explore:
• What to do when you suddenly become a caregiver
• How to prepare for the emotional and logistical challenges of dementia care
• The identity shift from family member to care partner
• How Peace of Mind Consulting supports overwhelmed caregivers
• Practical advice for navigating systems, services, and support options
Whether you’re just starting your caregiving journey or supporting someone who is, this episode offers clarity, compassion, and a path forward.
The Man Who Built Canada’s First Dementia Village (with Elroy Jespersen)
What if dementia care could feel more like a neighborhood than an institution?
In this episode of The Dementia Collective, we sit down with Elroy Jespersen, the brainchild behind The Village Langley, Canada’s first dementia village.
Elroy shares how his formative years in a children’s home, surrounded by community and collective living, shaped his belief that people thrive best when they belong. After decades in recreation and senior living, he saw a gap in how dementia care was delivered — and set out to change it. That vision became The Village Langley, a groundbreaking community where people living with dementia live with freedom, dignity, and connection.
Together with host Andrew Karesa, Elroy reflects on:
• How his upbringing influenced his approach to community and care
• The journey from concept to reality in building Canada’s first dementia village
• Balancing freedom and safety in a new model of care
• The global attention sparked by National Geographic’s feature on The Village Langley
• What the future of dementia care could look like if we dared to reimagine it
Elroy’s story is a testament to how vision, courage, and lived experience can spark system change.
18 Years with Alzheimer’s — Jim Mann, Canada’s Leading Voice on Dementia Stigma
What if receiving a dementia diagnosis wasn’t the end of the story — but the start of something new?
In this episode, we meet Jim Mann, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2007 and has spent the years since as a leading voice in dementia advocacy across Canada. With host Andrew Karesa, Jim reflects on how the diagnosis impacted his identity, why he didn’t feel devastated by the news, and what motivated him to step into public advocacy.
Together, they explore how challenging stigma, staying connected, and focusing on contribution can shape a meaningful life — even with a progressive diagnosis.
In this episode:
• What Jim noticed before his diagnosis
• Why hearing “you have Alzheimer’s” didn’t break him
• How stigma affects people living with dementia
• Why Jim chose to become an advocate
• Strategies that support well-being over time
• What he wants caregivers to understand
Whether you’re living with dementia, supporting someone who is, or working in care, Jim’s story offers a grounded, hopeful perspective on what’s possible after diagnosis.
How Storytelling Can Strengthen Dementia Care — Karen Murdock on Voiced Memories
Caring for someone with dementia can make you feel like you’re constantly balancing between tasks and meaning — between caregiving and connection. In this episode, we meet Karen Murdock, founder of Voiced Memories, a digital storytelling platform that blends personal photos and audio narration to reduce isolation and support cognitive health.
Karen shares her own caregiving journey — from supporting a close friend through diagnosis and decline, to creating a practical, deeply human tool that helps caregivers reconnect with the person behind the diagnosis. Together with host Andrew Karesa, they explore how technology, storytelling, and community can reshape the caregiving experience. In this episode:
• Karen’s personal journey into caregiving • How Voiced Memories was born from lived experience
• The emotional weight of long-term care
• The power of stories in maintaining identity and relationships
• The three-pillar system: prevention, connection, and early detection
• How technology can enhance — not replace — human care
• An introduction to Cogimetry and the Silver Connection Network
Whether you’re a caregiver, service provider, or innovator, this conversation offers a refreshing look at how memory, voice, and design can bring people closer — even as dementia progresses.
Can Tech Help Dementia Caregivers? with Karen Tyrell
Caring for a loved one with dementia is deeply personal — and often overwhelming. In this episode, we explore how practical strategies and personalized technology can help lighten the load for family caregivers. Join Karen Tyrell, dementia care expert and founder of Dementia Solutions Inc., and Andrew Karesa, founder of blueBell Village, as they share insights on how to feel more confident, supported, and connected throughout the caregiving journey. In this episode:
• An overview about dementia and the journey
• Why technology in dementia care matters
• Different ways technology is currently being used in dementia care
• The benefits of using technology in dementia care
• Cautions and ethical considerations
• An introduction to blueBell Connect, a new tech tool built to support caregivers with real-time recommendations and care team coordination
Whether you’re supporting a parent, partner, grandparent, or friend, this conversation offers real tools, real empathy, and real hope.
Introducing The Dementia Collective
This new podcast series opens the door to the often unseen world of dementia caregiving. Through expert insight, lived experience, and practical solutions, The Dementia Collective explores what it means to care — and to be cared for — in the face of memory loss.
From blueBell Village, and hosted by founder Andrew Karesa, this show brings together voices from the front lines of dementia care: caregivers, clinicians, and innovators who are reshaping how we support those living with dementia