The Dementia Collective
The Dementia Collective is a podcast for caregivers of people with dementia, offering practical support and fresh ideas. Hosted by Andrew Karesa, founder of blueBell Village, each episode features conversations with caregivers, clinicians, and innovators. The show covers daily challenges, emerging supports, and personal stories from others on the journey. It aims to provide real help and resources so that caregivers don't feel alone.
Episodes
Build With Us Not For Us: What Aging Well Really Looks Like (Part 1)
NOTE: This is Part 1 of 2 of our Silver Tech Summit 2.0 special.In this special episode of The Dementia Collective, Andrew Karesa sits down with seven guests at the Silver Tech Summit 2.0 in Edmonton to explore what aging well really looks like, who gets a say in shaping that future, and why older adults need to be part of the conversation.Featuring:Darlene Schindel, Founder, NurseWell CollectiveD
Build With Us Not For Us: What Aging Well Really Looks Like (Part 2)
NOTE: This is Part 2 of 2 of our Silver Tech Summit 2.0 special.In this special episode of The Dementia Collective, Andrew Karesa sits down with seven guests at the Silver Tech Summit 2.0 in Edmonton to explore what aging well really looks like, who gets a say in shaping that future, and why older adults need to be part of the conversation.Featuring:Darlene Schindel, Founder, NurseWell CollectiveD
The Bondi Lifeguard Taking on Dementia (with Andrew “Reidy” Reid)
What happens when someone who has spent his life rescuing people faces something he cannot rescue his own mum from?In this episode, Andrew Karesa sits down with Andrew “Reidy” Reid, longtime Bondi Rescue lifeguard, endurance athlete and dementia advocate, for an incredibly open conversation about lifeguarding, family, caregiving, grief, endurance sport, and his mum Trish’s journey with dementia.Re
Childhood Dementia: A Family's Journey to Save Their Daughter (with Emily Forrester)
What if your two-year-old was happy, healthy, and meeting her milestones, but you were told she would eventually begin to lose everything she had learned?In this episode, Andrew Karesa sits down with Emily Forrester, mum to Leni and childhood dementia advocate, to share her family’s journey after Leni was diagnosed with Sanfilippo syndrome Type B, a rare and progressive form of childhood dementia.
Inside Canada's First Dementia-Inclusive Park
What would it look like if our public spaces were designed to include people living with dementia?In this special episode of The Dementia Collective, Andrew Karesa sits down with Junette Huynh, Director of Projects, and Lindsay Paul, Director of Philanthropy and Partnerships at Parks Foundation Calgary, to explore the story behind the Martin Family Legacy Garden, Canada’s first dementia-inclusive
Building a Better World for Dementia (with Valerie Larochelle)
What if we could build a world that works better for people living with dementia?In this episode, Andrew Karesa sits down with Valerie Larochelle, CEO and co-founder of Eugeria, to explore how better products, technology, environments, and communities can help people living with dementia maintain independence, autonomy, and quality of life.Valerie’s work is deeply personal. Three of her four grand
The Truth About Dementia Villages (with Eloy van Hal)
What if the biggest problem with dementia care is not dementia, but the way we have designed care around it?In this episode, Andrew Karesa sits down with Eloy van Hal, co-founder of the Hogeweyk and senior managing advisor with Be Advice, to explore how one of the world’s most recognized approaches to dementia care grew from a traditional institutional nursing home into a neighbourhood built aroun
She's Up At 2AM Because That's When Caregivers Need Her Most (with Katie Kristofic)
What does caregiving look like when no one sees what you’re carrying?In this episode, Andrew Karesa sits down with Katie Kristofic, founder of The Carefullist, caregiver advocate, and former family caregiver, to explore the realities of supporting a loved one through Alzheimer’s disease and why she now spends her late nights helping caregivers who have nowhere else to turn.After caring for her mot
The Letter in the Headboard: A Novel Born from Dementia (with Michael A. Booth)
What happens when the caregiver becomes the person living with dementia?In this episode, Andrew Karesa sits down with Michael Booth, dementia advisor, educator, advocate, and author, to explore what it means to navigate life after a young onset Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis while continuing to create, teach, and challenge the stigma surrounding dementia.Michael shares the deeply personal journey o
The Gift of Talking About Death Before It's Too Late (with Lisa Pahl)
What happens when we stop avoiding conversations about death and start talking about what matters most?In this episode, Andrew Karesa sits down with Lisa Pahl, licensed clinical social worker, end-of-life educator, healthcare and death doula, and CEO of The Death Deck, to explore why some of life’s most difficult conversations may also be the most important.Drawing on nearly two decades of hospice
Ask the Experts: What Comes After a Dementia Diagnosis?
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, Phyllis Fehr and Jim Mann:“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
Five IRONMANs to Beat Alzheimer's (with Hassan Fadli)
What does it take to turn one father’s final request into a movement that is changing how the world thinks about dementia?In this episode, Andrew Karesa sits down with Hassan Fadli, engineer, endurance athlete, filmmaker, and founder of the nonprofit initiative Five Ironmans Beat Alzheimer’s. After his father’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis, Hassan was asked to do something not just for his family, but fo
What a Dementia Village Actually Looks Like (And Why We Don't Have More)
In this bonus episode of The Dementia Collective, Andrew Karesa takes a close look at what a dementia village actually is — and why, despite decades of evidence that they work, Canada has yet to build one at scale.The video begins with a simple number: more than 400 Canadians are diagnosed with dementia every day. By 2050, that number is projected to reach 1.7 million. Andrew uses that as a starti
When Words Fail, Stories Heal in Dementia Care (with Dr. Cindy Weinstein)
What happens when someone whose life has been built around words is forced to watch the person they love slowly lose the ability to find them?In this episode, Andrew Karesa sits down with Dr. Cindy Weinstein, the Eli and Edythe Broad Professor of English at Caltech, Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health, and co-author of Finding the Right Words. Together, they explore her father’s journey wit
Reframing Dementia: The Case Against Assisted Dying (with Samuel Simon)
What does it mean to keep living fully after an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, especially when the world so often treats dementia as the end of a person’s life?In this episode, Andrew Karesa sits down with Samuel Simon, playwright, former consumer advocate, and the creator of Dementia Man. After a lifelong career fighting for the public interest, Sam is now using theatre to challenge one of the most damag
Why Dignity in Care Looks Nothing Like You Think (with Varsha Bhat)
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 sudd
When Caregiving Becomes Stewardship (with Lizette Cloete)
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 journ
Caregivers Are Not a Given: Why the System Is Breaking (with Stephanie Muskat)
What happens when the people holding the care system together start to break?In this episode, Andrew Karesa sits down with Stephanie Muskat, an award-winning registered clinical social worker, psychotherapist, caregiver advocate, and founder of Compassion in Caregiving, to explore the emotional, practical, and systemic realities of caregiving.Stephanie shares her story of becoming a caregiver at 1
What a Year of Dementia Advocacy Taught Me (with Anoushka Fernandes)
What can one year of dementia conversations teach us about care, stigma, grief, advocacy, and hope?In this special one-year anniversary episode of The Dementia Collective, Andrew Karesa steps out of the interviewer’s chair and becomes the guest. Joined by guest host Anoushka Fernandes, Andrew reflects on how the show began almost by accident, what it has grown into, and what a year of conversation
Dementia Before 30: When FTD Changes Everything (with Katie Brandt)
What happens when dementia enters your family before you even know how to name it?In this episode, Andrew Karesa sits down with Katie Brandt, global advocate, national dementia care expert, and Director of Caregiver Support Services at the Massachusetts General Hospital Frontotemporal Disorders Unit, to talk about young caregiving, frontotemporal dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, grief, advocacy, and
Inside the Broken System Destroying Elderly Lives (with Susie Singer Carter)
What if Hollywood’s dementia problem is not just what it shows, but what it leaves out?In this episode, Andrew Karesa sits down with filmmaker, writer, director, producer, and caregiver advocate Susie Singer Carter to explore dementia, storytelling, long-term care, and the responsibility that comes with representing people who are too often misunderstood.Susie shares the story of caring for her mo
The Growing Pressure on Working Caregivers (with Cindy Diogo)
In this episode, Andrew Karesa sits down with Cindy Diogo, CEO and Co-Founder of ConSoul, to explore what it means to support employees who are caring for a loved one living with dementia. Drawing on her background in HR and People & Culture, as well as her own family caregiving journey, Cindy reflects on the growing reality that more families are trying to navigate dementia care while sti
Who Tells the Story? Dementia, Hollywood, and Caregiving (with Alfredo Botello)
What if dementia is not only a medical condition, but a story shaped by who gets to tell it?In this episode, Andrew Karesa sits down with novelist and screenwriter Alfredo Botello to explore caregiving, storytelling, and the power of representation.Alfredo shares his experience caring for his mother and how that journey influenced his writing. From the private realities of family caregiving to the
Why 30 Years of Dementia Caregiving Broke Every Assumption She Had (with Lori La Bey)
What happens when a family is left to navigate dementia without clear guidance or support?In this episode, Andrew Karesa sits down with Lori La Bey, founder of Alzheimer’s Speaks, to explore what a decades-long caregiving journey reveals about the realities of dementia care.Lori supported her mother through a 30-year experience with dementia. What began as confusion and uncertainty became a lifelo
Anosognosia: Why They Don't Believe Anything's Wrong (with Karen Tyrell)
What happens when correcting someone you love no longer brings clarity, and may actually increase distress?In this episode, Andrew Karesa sits down with Karen Tyrell, founder and CEO of Personalized Dementia Solutions, to explore one of the most common and misunderstood challenges in dementia care: the instinct to correct.With more than 30 years of experience supporting families and frontlin
Ask the Experts: Male Caregivers Speak Out on Their Biggest Challenge
In this Ask the Experts conversation, Governor Martin Schreiber, Ron Beleno, Alfredo Botello, and Spencer Cline explore why so many male caregivers struggle to ask for help. The discussion examines the pressure men often feel to stay strong, handle everything alone, and suppress their own needs, while also unpacking the guilt, silence, and isolation that can come with caregiving.Disclaimer: The in
Dementia, Shame, and What Daughters Carry Alone (with Anoushka Fernandes)
What happens when dementia enters a home where achievement is expected, aging is denied, and illness isn’t talked about until it can’t be ignored?In this episode, Andrew Karesa sits down with Anoushka Fernandes — caregiver, consultant, and founder of The Soggy Sandwich — to explore how dementia shows up inside South Asian families and why silence still surrounds it. After leaving a senior governme
Where’s the Plan for Dementia Care in Canada? (with Dr. Saskia Sivananthan)
What if the problem isn’t whether Canada has a dementia strategy, but whether families can actually feel it?In this episode, Andrew Karesa sits down with Dr. Saskia Sivananthan to examine the gap between Canada’s National Dementia Strategy and the lived reality of families, clinicians, and communities trying to navigate brain change.Drawing on her experience working at the intersection of research
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 mot
Knowing Sooner Changes Everything in Dementia Care (with Greg McGillis)
What happens when families sense cognitive change years before dementia is ever named, and are left living in uncertainty while waiting for clarity that arrives too late?In this episode, Andrew Karesa sits down with Greg McGillis, engineer, entrepreneur, and founder of Brain Care Technologies, to explore why dementia is so often detected only after lives have already been disrupted, and what might
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. Aft
Claiming Your Voice When Systems Try to Silence You (with Phyllis Fehr)
What happens when a diagnosis doesn’t just change a life, but quietly changes the way a room responds to you?In this episode, Andrew Karesa sits down with Phyllis Fehr, an international dementia advocate, registered nurse, author, and human rights leader who has been living with a diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s since the age of 53. Phyllis’s relationship with dementia began long before her o
The Surprising Power of Personal Stories in Dementia Care (with Karen Murdock)
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 supportin
Feeling Helpless as a Caregiver? Here's Your Roadmap (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, we sit down with Tammy Lautner, a Registered Social Worker and founder of Peace of Mind Consulting, who helps families navigate th
Dementia Care in Canada Is Broken — Here's Why (with Dr. Sharon Kaasalainen)
What happens when a system built to protect people becomes the very thing that limits their freedom — and the people inside it are left to carry the emotional weight?In this episode, Andrew Karesa sits down with Dr. Sharon Kaasalainen — nurse, researcher, and co-lead of the SPA-LTC palliative care initiative — to explore what long-term care looks like from the inside, why caregivers often feel s
Presence Over Perfection in Dementia Care (with Teepa Snow)
What if dementia care isn’t about having the right answers, but about responding to the moment you’re in?In this episode, Andrew Karesa sits down with Teepa Snow, one of the most respected voices in dementia care, to explore what it really means to support someone living with brain change when memory, language, and recognition come and go.Drawing on more than four decades of experience as an occup
The Race Against Dementia Starts With a Single Step (with Jason Boschan)
What if one man’s run could change the course of dementia research?In this episode, Andrew Karesa sits down with Jason Boschan, founder of Run4Papa, to explore how one grandson’s promise to his “Papa” became a global movement for hope, awareness, and change.Inspired by his grandfather, Dr. Louis “Papa” Heyman — a lifelong pediatrician who dedicated his life to caring for others — Jason has run mar
Good Dementia Care Isn’t Perfect (with Dr. Natali Edmonds)
What if good dementia care was not about getting everything right, but about understanding the person in front of you?In this episode, Andrew Karesa sits down with Dr. Natali Edmonds, board certified geropsychologist and founder of Dementia Careblazers, to explore what caregivers are rarely told about dementia care, and why striving for perfection often makes the journey harder, not better.Natali
Harder Than Being Governor: Caring for My Wife with Alzheimer’s (with Governor Martin J. Schreiber)
What does it mean when a former governor says caregiving was harder than public office?In this episode, Andrew Karesa sits down with former Wisconsin Governor Martin J. Schreiber, author of My Two Elaines, for a deeply personal conversation about loving, caring for, and slowly losing his wife Elaine after her Alzheimer’s diagnosis.Marty brings a perspective few people can offer. He has lived in th
What If Dementia Care Was About Connection Instead of Decline? (with James Lee)
What if dementia care wasn’t about managing decline — but about nurturing connection, learning, and joy?In this episode, Andrew Karesa sits down with James Lee, co-founder and CEO of Bella Groves, a dementia care community in Bulverde, Texas, that’s redefining what person-centered care can look like.For nearly 20 years, James has been reshaping senior living from the inside out — from his early da
The Cultural Truth About Dementia Care Nobody's Talking About (with Dr. Rose Joudi)
In this powerful episode of The Dementia Collective, host Andrew Karesa sits down with Dr. Rose Joudi — a globally recognized expert in aging, ethnocultural diversity, and elder abuse prevention.Drawing from a life that spans the Middle East, Australia, and now Canada, Dr. Joudi shares her deeply personal journey and the cultural lens she brings to elder care, trauma-informed practice, and system-
Pixar Quietly Told the Truth About Memory in Coco
What if the most powerful story in Coco isn’t about music at all?In one quiet moment near the end of the film, Pixar reveals something deeply human about memory, aging, and the fear of being forgotten. When Miguel sings Remember Me to Coco, the song stops being about fame or performance and becomes something far more personal — a bridge back to memory.In this video, we explore the hidden story ins
What Happens When Dementia Takes You Back in Time (with Glenna Hecht)
How do you stay connected to someone when dementia seems to be pulling them further away?In this episode of The Dementia Collective, Andrew Karesa sits down with Glenna Hecht, author, speaker, and former HR executive, to explore the unexpected game that transformed her nine year journey caring for her mother living with dementia.Glenna shares the moment everything shifted. After watching her mothe
Inside Out Might Be the Most Accurate Film About Memory Ever Made
What if Inside Out accidentally explained how memory really works?Pixar created a world where memories form as glowing spheres, fade over time, and are reshaped by emotion. It’s a beautiful storytelling device.But it’s also surprisingly close to what researchers understand about how human memory actually works.In this video, we explore why Inside Out might be one of the most accurate films about m
Ask the Experts: Can You Ethically Disguise Exits in Dementia Facilities?
In this Ask the Experts conversation, Teepa Snow (Positive Approach to Care), Carrie Aalberts (Dementia Darling), Dr. Natali Edmonds (Dementia Careblazers), and Rachael Wonderlin (Dementia by Day) explore the ethics of disguising exits in dementia care. The discussion includes real-world examples such as bookshelf-painted doors, waterfall murals, and other environmental design strategies used to r
10 Races, 1 Million Dollars, and a Mother's Legacy (with Stephanie Fauquier)
In this powerful episode of The Dementia Collective, host Andrew Karesa sits down with Stephanie Fauquier — strategic leader, endurance athlete, and founder of Race with Steph — to explore how love, movement, and purpose can transform the way we talk about dementia.When Stephanie’s mother, Dr. Robin McLeod, an Order of Canada recipient and trailblazing surgeon, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, she
The Voice Caregivers Trust: Lessons from 20 Years in Home Care (with Lance A. Slatton)
What does trust look like when you’re caring for someone with dementia — and how do families rebuild it when systems, stress, and exhaustion get in the way?In this episode, Andrew sits down with Lance A. Slatton — known to millions as The Senior Care Influencer and host of the award-winning podcast All Home Care Matters.For more than 20 years, Lance has walked alongside families through the hardes
She’s Still There: Separating Alzheimer’s from the Person You Love (with Erin Chalmers)
What does it mean to love someone whose personality is changing and to slowly realize it is not them?In this episode, Andrew Karesa sits down with Erin Chalmers, co-anchor of Global Edmonton Morning News, daughter, caregiver, and Board Member of the Alzheimer Society of Alberta and Northwest Territories, to talk about her mother’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis and the quiet shift from confusion to clarity
Can Dementia Separate Us From God? (with Elisa Bosley)
What happens to faith when memory fades, words disappear, and the person we knew begins to change in ways that feel unfamiliar, or even unsettling?In this episode of The Dementia Collective, Andrew Karesa sits down with Elisa Bosley, chaplain and founder of SpiritualElderCare.com, to explore how faith, music, and presence continue to matter in dementia care, especially near the end of life.Elisa b
Nearly Half of Dementia Could Be Prevented. Why Isn’t It Happening? (with Dr. Tommy Wood)
What if dementia isn’t just something that happens to us, but something shaped over time by how we live?In this episode, Andrew Karesa sits down with Dr. Tommy Wood, neuroscientist, physician, and author of The Stimulated Mind, to explore one of the most challenging ideas in brain health: that a significant portion of dementia may be preventable, and that everyday choices play a meaningful role ac
Why Men Struggle to Ask for Help in Dementia Care (with Ron Beleno)
Why do so many men struggle to ask for help when caring for someone living with dementia?In this episode of The Dementia Collective, Andrew Karesa sits down with Ron Beleno, caregiver advocate and leader in the aging and dementia space, to explore the role men play in dementia caregiving and why many feel pressure to handle the responsibility alone.Ron begins by sharing his own caregiving journey
Batman's Lazarus Pit Exposes Our Obsession With Cure
In this short bonus episode of The Dementia Collective, Andrew Karesa turns to the DC universe and one of Batman’s most fascinating ideas: the Lazarus Pit.Within the mythology of DC Comics, the Lazarus Pit offers an extraordinary promise. When the body begins to fail, the pit restores it. Age recedes. Strength returns. Life begins again.But beneath that supernatural premise lies a deeper cultural
When Dementia Stopped Being Taboo (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
The Dementia Care Mistake Families Make Out of Love (with Dr. Haidong Liang)
What if supporting people living with dementia was not only about care, but about activity, connection, and purpose?In this episode, Andrew Karesa sits down with Haidong Liang, gerontologist and CEO of WE Seniors and the Westend Seniors Activity Centre, to explore why meaningful activity is critical in dementia care and healthy aging.Haidong shares how his work bridging research, policy, and real-
Language in Dementia Care: What Nobody's Talking About
In this episode of The Dementia Collective, Andrew Karesa discusses the profound impact of language in dementia care. He emphasizes the importance of using respectful and person-centered language, which acknowledges the individuality of those living with dementia. By reframing terms and focusing on the person rather than the diagnosis, caregivers can foster better relationships and improve the qua
I Nearly Died — So I Built This to Help Families Remember Forever (with Aaron Tong)
What if your family forgot who you were? What if you had just minutes to prepare to be remembered?In this episode, Andrew talks with Aaron Tong, caregiver, father, and founder of Aeternum — a private, inheritable digital platform designed to preserve memory, legacy, and identity across generations.Aaron shares the deeply personal story behind Aeternum: a terrifying flight, a conversation with his
Dementia Care Doesn't Work Without This One Thing (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 d
Their Reality Comes First (with Rachael Wonderlin)
What if better dementia communication didn’t start with correcting someone — but by stepping into their world?In this episode, Andrew Karesa sits down with Rachael Wonderlin, internationally recognized dementia care expert and founder of Dementia By Day, to explore a transformative idea reshaping how caregivers connect with loved ones: their reality comes first.Rachael shares how her early experie
The Farm That’s Changing Dementia Care in Canada (with Rebekah Churchyard)
What if the future of dementia care wasn’t in a hospital, but on a farm?In this episode, Andrew Karesa sits down with Rebekah Churchyard, Founder and CEO of Green Care Farms, to explore how one granddaughter’s love for her grandparents sparked a new model of dementia care rooted in nature, purpose, and community.After witnessing the gaps her grandparents faced in rural dementia care, Rebekah set o
The Unexpected Power Of A Dog Named Dolly (with Katie Fyfe)
What does it really mean to care for someone with dementia — not just keep them safe, but keep them seen?In this episode, Andrew talks with Katie Fyfe, caregiver, storyteller, and founder of Eldering.co.uk, who moved her father next door and gave him a dog — not because it was easy, but because it was right. That decision sparked a journey that led to the creation of @dadanddolly, a growing commun
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: caregi
I Carried a Weight I Couldn't Name (with Spencer Cline)
What happens when childhood unfolds alongside loss — not all at once, but slowly, quietly, and long before anyone knows how to name it?In this episode, Andrew Karesa sits down with Spencer Cline — FTD advocate, former college basketball player, endurance athlete, and AFTD Ambassador — to talk about what it means to grow up while a parent is living with dementia. Spencer’s father began showing symp
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 Personalized Dementia Solutions Inc., and Andrew Karesa, founder of blueBell Village, as they share insights on how to feel more confi
How Pokémon Explains What's Really Happening in Dementia
In this short bonus episode of The Dementia Collective, Andrew Karesa challenges one of the most common assumptions in dementia care: that a person living with dementia is simply “confused.”What if that word is masking something more specific?Through an unexpected comparison using characters from Pokémon, this five minute reflection explores the difference between slowed cognitive processing and n
The Practice of Joy in Dementia Care (with Carrie Aalberts)
What happens to joy when dementia enters the picture? When routines change, roles shift, and caregiving becomes heavier than anyone expected, is joy still possible, or does it quietly disappear?In this episode of The Dementia Collective, Andrew Karesa sits down with Carrie Aalberts, gerontologist, dementia educator, and founder of Dementia Darling, to explore why joy still matters in dementia care
Star Trek Predicted What We're Getting Wrong About Dementia
In this short bonus episode of The Dementia Collective, Andrew Karesa turns to Star Trek: The Next Generation and the episode “Sarek” to examine a deeper cultural question:What happens when a society built on logic confronts cognitive decline?Through the allegory of Bendii Syndrome, this five minute reflection moves beyond disease comparison and into structural critique. Vulcan culture equates con
The Story Behind blueBell — And the Woman Who Inspired It
In this special solo episode of The Dementia Collective, host Andrew Karesa shares the personal story behind blueBell Village. This company was not built from a business plan. It was built for one person—his grandmother, Shirley Bell.Andrew opens up about how caring for his grandmother shaped everything. From her love of gardening to her sharp mind and daily scrabble games, Shirley inspired a visi
The Notebook Asked the Question Nobody Wants to Answer
What if The Notebook was never really a love story?Most people remember it that way.But underneath the romance, the film is doing something much more unsettling.It’s exploring what happens when memory fades… to the point that identity itself begins to break apart.In this video, we look at why The Notebook might actually be one of the most revealing films about dementia, caregiving, and the way we
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