49: The 'D' Word with Pete Hill - Episode 49

49: The 'D' Word with Pete Hill - Episode 49

Episode Overview

• Zander's poignant account of recognizing his father's dementia symptoms and the emotional impact
• Challenges faced in obtaining post-diagnostic support and the variability of support services
• The profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Zander's father's dementia care
• Insights into the intersection of dementia care and LGBTQ+ inclusivity, highlighting the need for culturally competent and inclusive support services
• Zander's initiatives in establishing the LGBTQ Caregiver Center and advocating for inclusive dementia care

“I'm actually a trans man. So I started out my life as a girl and a young woman. You know, I'm still female sex, but I live in the world socially as a man. And so I started thinking about when my father's memory starts to fade and as an only child, is there going to come a time where my father starts saying, where's my daughter? Why isn't my daughter coming to visit? And I thought, how am I going to handle that? Like, do I do I tell the nursing home staff? Do I who do I talk to about this? So I spoke to some specialists, some people who are like caregiving experts and coaches. And I got some really sound, you caregiving experts and coaches, and I got some really sound, you know, advice and guidance in that area.”