End-of-Life University Ep. 529 The Dementia Deck: Preparing for Future Decisions with Lisa Pahl and Jamie Thrower
Learn about a helpful conversation game that encourages discussions about advance care planning for dementia.
My guests for this episode, Lisa Pahl and Jamie Thrower, are the co-creators of The Dementia Deck, a new card game to help inspire conversations about demential. Lisa is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Advanced Practice Hospice and Palliative Social Worker who previously created The Death Deck and The EOL Deck–conversation games that are changing the way we talk about death. Jamie is a queer death doula, end-of-life educator and community grief-tender serving the LGBTQ+ community in life and in death. She also runs Queer Grief Club (and I plan to have her back on the podcast to talk about her work!) They discuss how to use The Dementia Deck to overcome fears of dementia and help families prepare for future changes and decision-making. Learn more at their websites:
This episode includes:
- What The Death Deck and The EOL Deck consist of
- The story behind The Dementia Deck and its creation
- How Jamie collaborated on the design of the deck
- Why conversations and advance care planning are important for people with dementia
- Many people fear dementia even more than death
- Millions of Americans are impacted by dementia either as a patient or a caregiver
- How to introduce The Dementia Deck to an individual
- Tips for getting the most out of working with the deck
- Why it’s important to “stack the deck” when you first begin talking about dementia
Links mentioned in this episode:
- Dementia Values and Priorities Tool from Compassion and Choices
- Waiting Room Revolution – get the Roadmap for Alzheimer’s
- Latest post on Substack: Not Just Yet
- What Really Matters Podcast
- View my Patreon tier for Soul Supporters and receive extra reflections as a special bonus
- NEW Gift Guides for Caregivers, People Receiving Care, and People Who are Grieving
- Get my two newest books!! Stories from the Dark Night and The Tao of Death
- Get EOLU Podcast Merch here
- Conversations on Death with ChatGPT – Audiobook here; Print Book here
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- Support your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to Souloin the team at Patreon.com/eolu and receive free gifts like the “Mind if we talk about death?” mini-poster or Love Your Life sticker or coffee mug. PLUS get our regular bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, monthly What to Watch recommendations, Behind the Scenes Bonus content, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously!
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