This week on Mind What Matters, Nikki DeLoach and Elizabeth Humphreys sit down with author, educator, and caregiver Sarah Maguire Marston to talk about one of the hardest conversations many families never expect to have: explaining dementia to children.

After Sarah's mother was diagnosed with Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) and Primary Progressive Aphasia, she struggled to help her young children understand why their grandmother could no longer speak, play, or tell them she loved them. That experience inspired her to write When I Can't Say I Love You, a children's book created to help families navigate dementia with honesty, compassion, and hope.

Together, Sarah, Nikki, and Liz share their own caregiving experiences, discuss the unique challenges of Frontotemporal Dementia, and explore why children often understand more than we realize. They also talk about anticipatory grief, family communication, memory care, and the lasting connection that remains even after words are gone.

This episode is a reminder that while dementia changes how we communicate, it never changes the love that remains.

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Mind What Matters is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

This week on Mind What Matters, Nikki DeLoach sits down with nationally recognized gerontologist, social worker, and dementia care expert Dr. Macie Smith for one of the most practical conversations we've had about caregiving.

With more than 25 years of experience supporting families living with dementia, Dr. Macie shares the advice she wishes every caregiver received long before a crisis begins. From healthcare power of attorney and family conflict to caregiver burnout, advocacy, and navigating a diagnosis, she offers clear, compassionate guidance rooted in both professional expertise and personal experience.

Nikki and Dr. Macie also explore why so many caregivers feel like they have to do everything alone, how to ask for help without guilt, and why authentic education, not fear, is one of the greatest tools families have.

Whether you're caring for someone with dementia today or simply want to prepare for the future, this conversation is filled with practical wisdom that can help you navigate one of life's most challenging seasons with greater confidence and grace.

Learn more about Dr. Macie Smith and her caregiving resources:

https://drmaciesmith.com

To learn more about Mind What Matters or to support our mission head to our website.

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Mind What Matters is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

Walking in Her World: Ty Lewis on Faith, Dementia Care, and Sacred Advocacy week on Mind What Matters, Elizabeth Humphreys and Nikki DeLoach sit down with caregiver, educator, and certified dementia practitioner Ty Lewis, the voice behind I Am Gertrude Jordan.

Ty has been sharing her mother’s late-stage dementia journey with honesty, tenderness, and deep wisdom, offering other caregivers a window into what it means to care with both fierce advocacy and extraordinary love.

With a background in special education, Ty brings a uniquely research-informed approach to dementia care, using strategies rooted in patience, adaptation, assistive tools, and meeting her mother exactly where she is.

Ty opens up about the emotional toll of caregiving, the role of faith in helping her stay present, and the sacred responsibility of walking with a loved one through the hardest parts of life. This episode is a powerful reminder that caregiving is not about getting back to who someone used to be. Sometimes, it is about learning how to enter their world with grace.

To learn more about Mind What Matters or to support our mission head to our website.

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Mind What Matters is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.