Hands solving a puzzle which are beneficial for the brain and reduce memory loss, image of new episode of Harvesting Happiness Talk Radio with Dr. Dan Gibbs & Anne Basting Ph.D.

Caretaking the Brain and Minding the Odyssey of Memory Loss

Original Air Date Wednesday, June 30, 2021

Eldercare is often over-medicalized and approached as a service in long-term and late-life care facilities. But, this method of care can stunt the mental faculties of those whose cognitive abilities are waning. Stories from more mature family members can ripen the lives of younger members of our families and society as a whole. So, why aren’t preventative measures and creative solutions common in the realm of elder care?

To better understand the brain and its cognitive process of aging, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with two doctors who strive to maintain mental well-being in their aging patients.

Dr. Dan Gibbs is a retired neurologist with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease who describes key learnings from his book A Tattoo on my brain: A Neurologist’s Personal Battle against Alzheimer’s Disease.

And English Professor, Dr. Anne Basting describes her work in reimagining late-life and long-term care based on a creative approach as detailed in her book, Creative Care: A Revolutionary Approach to Dementia and Elder Care.

Tune in:

Meet Our Guests:

Caretaking the brain and minding the odyssey of memory loss with Dr. Dan Gibbs & Anne Basting Ph.D.

Daniel Gibbs is a retired neurologist in Portland, Oregon, with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. Having spent twenty-five years caring for patients, many with dementia themselves, he is now an active advocate for the early recognition and management of Alzheimer’s.

Book: A Tattoo on my Brain: A Neurologist’s Personal Battle against Alzheimer’s Disease

Dr. Dan Gibbs — Caretaking the brain:

  • Dan outlines risk factors and actionable steps to manage Alzheimer’s disease from an early age. {1:41}
  • The genetic markers that increase the risk and likelihood of Alzheimer’s disease. {4:04}
  • Dan Gibbs shares his journey into Alzheimer’s including the changes in his olfactory system. {11:49}
  • How aerobic exercise and lifestyle choices can help manage memory loss and Alzheimer’s symptoms. {16:03}
  • Is there a connection between untreated depression and Alzheimer’s disease? {22:19}
  • Dan describes diets that benefit Alzheimer’s prevention and the cardiovascular system. {24:15}
  • Demographics show commonalities in the likelihood of Alzheimer’s disease in particular ethnicities. {28:19}

Follow Dr. Dan Gibbs:

Caretaking the brain and minding the odyssey of memory loss with Dr. Dan Gibbs & Anne Basting Ph.D.

Anne Bastings Ph.D. is a Professor of English at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee where she teaches storytelling and community engagement. Basting has spoken or been featured in the PBS documentary Penelope, the TED MED stage, and NPR’s All Things Considered.

Dr. Anne Basting — Light at the End of Life:

  • The ‘tyranny of care’ describes the existing service model of late-life systems and communities. {32:37}
  • The Penelope Project is a creative process that reimagines long-term care communities based on Homer’s The Odyssey. {35:02}
  • The concept of creative care is transforming a medicalized health setting into a cultural setting where meaning and joy are created every day. {36:39}
  • Anne Basting describes how she started making art with people older than she as detailed in her book, Creative Care: A Revolutionary Approach to Dementia and Elder Care. {42:05}
  • Strategies to reframe the way we address dementia and the brain and memory loss with our elders {45:56}
  • Creative care aims to reorient care as reciprocal and generative. {50:50}

Follow Dr. Anne Basting:

Shareables:

“80% of people with Parkinson disease develop olfactory problems.” Dr. Dan Gibbs on @HHTalkRadio Share on X “Virtually all patients with Alzheimer’s when their smell is tested have some degree of impairment but most aren't aware of it.” Dr. Dan Gibbs on @HHTalkRadio Share on X “Everyone has a story they can share but it is up to us to invite it into being.” @TimeSlipsCreate on @HHTalkRadio Share on X “With people with dementia, life moves so fast. They don't know where to enter. They think it has already gone by.” @TimeSlipsCreate on @HHTalkRadio Share on X

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