Upcoming Live Chats

Diminishing Stress During the Holidays

Live chat with expert: Lakelyn Hogan and Molly Carpenter

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Live Chat with expert: Lakelyn Hogan and Molly Carpenter

Family traditions, hosting get-togethers, cooking large meals, shopping for gifts and out of town guests accompany the holiday season. Add that to the top of a family caregiver’s daily routine and this time of year can bring on additional stress for family caregivers and those living with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. Join Home Instead Senior Care’s gerontologists, Lakelyn Hogan and Molly Carpenter for a tip-filled conversation about caring for your loved one (and yourself) throughout the holiday season.

Get tips on:

  • How to manage caregiving during the holidays and ask for help
  • Set expectations with loved ones and visitors
  • How to bring your loved one with Alzheimer’s into the celebrations
  • How to care for yourself during a busy season
  • Gift ideas for loved ones with Alzheimer’s

We will take live questions during the chat, or feel free to send them in ahead of time to [email protected].

About the expert

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Lakelyn Hogan and Molly Carpenter
Lakelyn Hogan is a Gerontologist and Caregiver Advocate for Home Instead Senior Care. She educates professionals, families and communities on Home Instead’s services and the issues older adults face. Lakelyn hosts these monthly live chats helping connect family caregivers with resources and suggestions. Lakelyn is a doctoral student at the University of Nebraska-Omaha where she is studying Social Gerontology. She has a Master of Arts in Social Gerontology and a MBA from UNO. Lakelyn loves giving back to her community and is currently Vice President of the Board of Directors for the Dreamweaver Foundation. Dreamweaver grants lifelong wishes for terminally ill older adults. She is also active in the Alzheimer’s Association’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Lakelyn has a passion for helping others, especially aging adults and their families. Molly Carpenter is a Gerontologist and Director of Business and Academic Research for Home Instead Senior Care. Author of “Confidence to Care,” Molly brings years of personal and professional senior care experience and training to families navigating aging and chronic conditions like Alzheimer’s. In her role, Molly works with a team responsible for connecting with business and academic partners to facilitate research focused on the elevation of the caregiving profession, ensuring increased support for family caregivers, and advancing the senior care industry. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in family science with a gerontology specialization from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and a master’s degree in education with a gerontology specialization from the University of Nebraska-Omaha and second master’s degree in social gerontology also from UNO. Her personal experiences helping to care for her grandmothers have further inspired her career.

Chat Archive

Family Dynamics in Caregiving: How to Improve Communication & Make Decisions Together

Live chat with expert: Terry Frangiosa

There are nearly 16 million adult family caregivers caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. Often multiple family members are involved to help with care, make decisions and fund care-related expenses. But sharing the responsibilities amongst the family isn’t always easy or equal. Siblings can squabble over unpaid bills, heirlooms, who’s providing care, hiring care and the list can go on.  

Join Terry Frangiosa, a former family caregiver for her mom with Alzheimer’s and passionate Alzheimer’s advocate at UsAgainstAlzheimer’s for a unique perspective on hiring in-home care for a loved one living with Alzheimer’s and navigating the ups and downs of siblings working together (or not) to care for an aging loved one. Get tips on how to more successfully navigate the variety of family dynamics involved in caregiving and how to improve communication and decision-making abilities.

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Alzheimer’s & Home Care – How it Works

Live chat with expert: Linda Lundeen

Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia takes a team: physicians, pharmacists, caregivers, loving family and neighbors. Adding a professional caregiver, who is trained in Alzheimer’s care, to the team to help with your loved one’s personal care, meal preparation, medication reminders and housekeeping can provide much needed respite for family caregivers, as well as social and mental engagement for your loved one.

Join Linda Lundeen, 2019 West Region CAREGiver of the Year, to learn more about when and how to introduce home care into your loved one’s caregiving plan. Linda will share what families can expect from a professionally trained Alzheimer’s caregiver, tips for a smooth transition, and various funding options to pay for home care.

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Empowered to Become a Dementia Friend

Live chat with expert: Colleen Fritsch

When someone receives a dementia diagnosis, it impacts more than the individual; family members, employers, neighbors and communities. Understanding Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia can help communities at large support those with dementia. Join Colleen Fritsch, Master Trainer with Dementia Friends to learn what it means to be a dementia friend.  

 Whether you’ve never heard of the disease or you’re actively providing care, we hope to provide you with tools to improve dementia awareness and empower you to be more cognizant of how we all can help someone with dementia or a caregiver. We’ll also discuss common dementia misconceptions and share Alzheimer’s friendly business practices. 

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Boundaries in Caregiving: Preventing & Avoiding the Martyr Syndrome

Live chat with expert: Jennifer Fitzpatrick

Caregivers are amazing individuals, selflessly devoting their time, energy and financial resources to make life better for a loved one living with dementia. Despite good intentions, many caregivers unintentionally take on too much, putting their own health and well-being at risk. When caregivers develop “the martyr syndrome” and are reluctant to look for or accept help, the consequences can be devastating. Join expert Jennifer Fitzpatrick, author of “Cruising Through Caregiving: Reducing the Stress of Caring for Your Love One” and host Lakelyn Hogan us for an interactive discussion to learn how to set caregiving limits while still providing excellent care for a loved one.

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Updates from Leaders in Alzheimer’s Research & Caregiving

Live chat with expert: Lakelyn Hogan

Until there is a cure, there is care, education and advocacy to help those living with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers live the best quality life. Join Lakeyln Hogan, caregiver advocate and gerontologist for Home Instead Senior Care, to learn what’s new from leading Alzheimer’s researchers, doctors and advocates. Hear the latest in dementia and caregiving research and advocacy efforts to continually improve quality of care and respite for caregivers. These highlights are coming from the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference that just wrapped up, July 18, 2019.

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Making the Longest Days of Caregiving Seem Shorter

Live chat with expert: Lori La Bey

Every three seconds someone in the world develops dementia and another person becomes a family caregiver or care partner. The days of an unpaid caregiver are long and often thankless. Join Lori La Bey, founder of Alzheimer’s Speaks to learn more about her personal caregiving experience while caring for her mother with Alzheimer’s. Lori will share what she learned throughout the caregiving journey to manage the stress and emotions of caregiving and how she’s transitioned her experience to advocacy to help other caregivers thrive.

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Transitioning to a Specialized Memory Care Center

Live chat with expert: Beau Rusk

Live Chat with expert: Beau Rusk

Join Beau Rusk, Memory Care Director for Aksarben Village and Dial Retirement Communities’ West Regional Dementia Care Trainer to learn how to successfully transition a loved one into a specialized memory care center. Beau will share what to do once your loved one, caregivers and physician agree it’s time to move to a specialized care center, what to expect during the actual transition process and how family caregivers can adapt to their changing role. You’ll also learn how caregivers can contribute to a loved one’s success in a memory care center and the role home care may play in a successful transition.

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Debunking Alzheimer’s Aging in Place Myths

Live chat with expert: Meaghan Walls

Live Chat with expert: Meaghan Walls

Join Meaghan Walls, founder and president of Assistology, LLC, to learn how assistive technology can enable those with Alzheimer’s disease to increase their participation in activities they enjoy and daily living. Meghan will debunk common aging in place myths and share how assistive technology is much more than a walker or wheelchair. With the help of assistive technology, senior loved ones and those with dementia can age where they’re most comfortable, access their environments more readily and improve quality of life.

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Faith’s Role in the Caregiving Journey

Live chat with expert: Rick Hamlin

Live Chat with expert: Rick Hamlin

Rick Hamlin is the executive editor of Guideposts and author of numerous books exploring the power of prayer and faith. His book Ten Prayers You Can’t Live Without was published in 2013 and discusses how you can talk with God about anything. Rick will share encouragement on how to cultivate a relationship with faith and the key roles faith and prayer play in managing a dementia diagnosis and its progression.

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Alzheimer’s Live Chat – Living With Hope

Live chat with expert: Geri and Jim Taylor

Live chat with experts: Geri and Jim Taylor

Geri Taylor is living with the early stages of Alzheimer’s. She and Jim Taylor, her husband and care partner, will be joining our host Lakelyn Hogan of Home Instead Senior Care for our next Live Chat. The couple was featured in The New York Times, “Fraying at the Edges,” and they are active advocates within the Alzheimer’s community. Geri and Jim will share their story along with practical tips for living with Alzheimer’s, strategies for remaining independent, and how they continue to pursue their passions and make a difference.

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