Your Brain On

Your Brain On... Caregiving

Sep 4, 2024

Dr. Natali Edmonds, a board-certified geropsychologist and founder of Dementia Careblazers, and Dr. Helen Lavretsky, a Psychiatry Professor at UCLA, dive into the vital topic of caregiver well-being. They discuss the emotional toll caregiving takes, emphasizing the importance of self-care. Learn how lifestyle changes and meditation can offset stress, and hear about the need for community support and policy reforms. They also touch on emerging tech solutions, including robotics, that can ease the burden of caregivers.

40:48

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Episode guests

Dr. Natali Edmonds

Helen Lavretsky

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

The chronic stress of caregiving can lead to cognitive decline, emphasizing the critical need for effective self-care practices among caregivers.

Building a supportive community network enables caregivers to share experiences and resources, significantly enhancing their emotional resilience and caregiving quality.

Deep dives

The Strain on Caregivers

The growing aging population in society poses significant socioeconomic challenges, particularly for caregivers who support family members suffering from disabilities, chronic illnesses, or neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. Approximately 70 million people in the U.S. are taking on caregiver roles, providing nearly double the value of labor compared to what the caregiving industry invests. This immense burden can lead caregivers to experience higher risks of cognitive decline themselves, often due to the stress and lack of self-care associated with their responsibilities. Addressing the needs of caregivers through stronger healthcare support systems is crucial to prevent the deterioration of their well-being.

Intro

2min

Navigating the Emotional Landscape of Caregiving

19min

The Essentials of Self-Care for Caregivers

3min

Navigating Caregiver Communication

7min

Caring for Caregivers

5min

Advancements in Caregiving: Robotics and Community Support

2min

Self-Care Strategies for Caregivers

3min

As populations have aged, our need for caregivers has risen fast. The stresses of caregiving present brain health concerns that we must address urgently.

Caregivers are heroes. But they’re often so focused on looking after someone else, they neglect themselves. And self-care is so vital for caregivers, because the role is one of the most physically-, emotionally-, and psychologically-demanding responsibilities anyone can take on. Here, we discuss what that self-care can look like.

In this episode of ‘Your Brain On...’, we discuss:

• How the chronic stress of caring for a loved one with a neurodegenerative disease like dementia can affect your brain

• The ways we can mitigate these stresses, at the individual, family, and community levels

• How self-care can help caregivers be more effective and attentive in their roles

• Lifestyle interventions and meditative practices that can help alleviate the risks associated with caregiver burden

• The need for better caregiver support at the socioeconomic and policy level

• How emerging technologies are starting to help make caregivers’ workloads more manageable

Joining us for this poignant conversation are two wonderful guests:

DR. NATALI EDMONDS, a board-certified geropsychologist and founder of Dementia Careblazers, a platform providing support and guidance for dementia caregivers.

DR. HELEN LAVRETSKY, a Professor of Psychiatry at UCLA and a leading researcher in geriatric psychiatry, who has researched the neurological benefits of lifestyle changes and de-stressing meditation for the cognitive and mental wellbeing of caregivers.

‘Your Brain On’ is hosted by neurologists, scientists and public health advocates Ayesha and Dean Sherzai.

Drs. Ayesha and Dean are now welcoming patients via the Brain Health Institute: https://brainhealthinstitute.com/

‘Your Brain On... Caregiving’ • SEASON 3 • EPISODE 5

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LINKS

Dr. Natali Edmonds:

Dementia Careblazers: https://careblazers.com/

The Dementia Careblazers podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/dementia-careblazers/id1634661439

Dementia Caregivers on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DementiaCareblazers

Dr. Helen Lavretsky:

At UCLA: https://www.uclahealth.org/providers/helen-lavretsky

Study on yogic meditation for dementia caregivers: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3423469/