Dementia Caregiver Support for Christians: Tips for Alzheimer’s & Dementia Caregivers to Manage Stress, Prevent Burnout & Handle Difficult Behaviors

Lizette Cloete, Christian Dementia Coach
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Sep 30, 2025 • 25min

290. How to Build Support as a Solo Christian Dementia Caregiver

Are you caring for a parent with dementia all by yourself—no siblings, no spouse, a tiny church, and a growing knot of worry in your stomach? That’s Jennifer’s story in Episode 290. Her 84-year-old mom has Alzheimer’s, and Jennifer admits the hardest part is asking for help. I begin, as always, with the focusing prompt: “in six months, what needs to have changed for you to be able to say that your caregiving journey is easier?” She answers simply: more support. Together we turn that desire into a plan. 1) Ask specifically and schedule it. “Let me know if I can help” is not help. Create a small “help list” you keep in your purse—two meals a week, Saturday outing with Mom, lawn care—and when someone offers, hand them the list and put a date on both calendars. People aren’t busy when it’s scheduled. 2) Do the quick safety check. If Mom can no longer scan for items she can’t see (open the fridge to find food, open a drawer to find a phone), she is no longer safe to stay home alone. That single test guides next steps. 3) Begin with the end in mind. If your loved one lives long enough with dementia, 24-hour care will eventually be needed. Start now: list options (paid in-home help, adult day, memory care), review assets, and treat using Mom’s money for her care as stewardship, not selfishness—your health matters too. Because God is not a God of confusion, we pursue ordered, practical steps—relationship-centered care through the Think Different Dementia Method™, truthful communication with Therapeutic Truth-Telling™, and weekly rhythms from the Contented Caregiver Blueprint™. Need steady support? Join the Christian DigniCare Society (lifetime access, monthly AMAs, prayer, curated tools) https://www.skool.com/dignicarebydesign/about?ref=687c3a3591644ccda8fd2b5f5cedfede Or register for the next live workshop listed in the show notes. You don’t have to carry this alone.   💬 What Do I Say When Dementia Makes Words Hard? ✝️ Speak Calm, Not Just Words Get “What Do I Say? How to Connect with Your Loved One with Dementia” — a free guide for Christian caregivers navigating confusion, repetition, and emotional moments. ✅ 10 ready-to-use scripts ✅ Rooted in Scripture ✅ Built on the Therapeutic Truth-Telling™ model 📥 Download the guide now: https://www.dementiacaregivingmadeeasy.com/script   🤝 You Don’t Have to Do This Alone Join other Christian caregivers who are walking this road too — and learning how to care with compassion, clarity, and faith. 👥 Join the free Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/dementiacaregiversupportforchristians   🗣️ Ask Your Question Live — and Be Heard Bring your real-life caregiving questions to Ask the Dementia Coach — our free monthly Q&A session. You’ll get support, clarity, and maybe even be featured on the podcast. 🗓️ Brought to you every month! 🎤 Register here: https://www.thinkdifferentdementia.com/ask   🎓 Want to Reduce Overwhelm Right Now? Join our free workshop: How to Immediately Reduce Dementia Caregiver Overwhelm and Stress — in 3 Simple Steps ✅ Practical tools ✅ Faith-informed strategies ✅ Same-day results 🎟️ Reserve your seat: https://www.thinkdifferentdementia.com/wsl   🧭 Still Feeling Stuck? If you’re wondering what’s underneath your stress, the Caregiver Stress Assessment can help clarify what’s really weighing you down — so you can take your next step with peace. 📊 Take the free assessment: https://www.thinkdifferentdementia.com/dca   ❤️ Enjoy This Podcast? Leave a quick review on Apple or Spotify — it helps other Christian caregivers find encouragement and real help. 🎧 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts
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Sep 26, 2025 • 26min

289. How To Change Caregiver Burden To Christian Stewardship In Dementia

“Why is everything spinning when there’s still no diagnosis?” In Episode 288, we walked with Fran through locked doors, false accusations, ER ping-pong—and the ache of holding Power of Attorney that seems powerless without clarity. Lizette began with the focusing prompt she uses in every session: “In six months from today, what would need to happen for you to say your caregiving journey is easier—keeping your health and your relationships in mind?” Fran’s answer was simple and brave: clarity for Mom and calm for me. Here’s where they landed: 1) Capacity vs. Competency Adults are allowed to make unsafe choices until someone documents impaired capacity. Competency is a legal status set by a court. That’s why APS sometimes can’t act and why many families only gain traction after a hospital evaluation—or by pursuing guardianship. You’re not failing; you’re navigating the rules. 2) Name what you can (and can’t) control You can ensure food, meds, bills, and safe transport. You cannot force cooperation without legal authority. That isn’t a moral failure—it’s accepting reality so you can act wisely. God is not a God of confusion; order begins with honest boundaries. 3) Document patterns Write down delusions, unsafe choices, ER visits, elopement attempts. Patterns open doors for assessment and guide next steps. This is Therapeutic Truth-Telling™ applied: we face the truth kindly so we can steward well. 4) One act of grace—for you This is a dimmer-switch season, not a light-switch fix. Choose one self-kindness today (a walk, a psalm, a call to a trusted friend). The Think Different Dementia Method™ and the Contented Caregiver Blueprint™ exist so you don’t white-knuckle alone. If this is your story, come closer. There’s a calm, biblical path forward—step by step, with community and prayer.   💬 What Do I Say When Dementia Makes Words Hard? ✝️ Speak Calm, Not Just Words Get “What Do I Say? How to Connect with Your Loved One with Dementia” — a free guide for Christian caregivers navigating confusion, repetition, and emotional moments. ✅ 10 ready-to-use scripts ✅ Rooted in Scripture ✅ Built on the Therapeutic Truth-Telling™ model 📥 Download the guide now: https://www.dementiacaregivingmadeeasy.com/script   🤝 You Don’t Have to Do This Alone Join other Christian caregivers who are walking this road too — and learning how to care with compassion, clarity, and faith. 👥 Join the free Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/dementiacaregiversupportforchristians   🗣️ Ask Your Question Live — and Be Heard Bring your real-life caregiving questions to Ask the Dementia Coach — our free monthly Q&A session. You’ll get support, clarity, and maybe even be featured on the podcast. 🗓️ Brought to you every month! 🎤 Register here: https://www.thinkdifferentdementia.com/ask   🎓 Want to Reduce Overwhelm Right Now? Join our free workshop: How to Immediately Reduce Dementia Caregiver Overwhelm and Stress — in 3 Simple Steps ✅ Practical tools ✅ Faith-informed strategies ✅ Same-day results 🎟️ Reserve your seat: https://www.thinkdifferentdementia.com/wsl   🧭 Still Feeling Stuck? If you’re wondering what’s underneath your stress, the Caregiver Stress Assessment can help clarify what’s really weighing you down — so you can take your next step with peace. 📊 Take the free assessment: https://www.thinkdifferentdementia.com/dca   ❤️ Enjoy This Podcast? Leave a quick review on Apple or Spotify — it helps other Christian caregivers find encouragement and real help. 🎧 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts
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Sep 23, 2025 • 20min

288. How To Cope When Christian Dementia Caregiving Starts In Chaos

Are you living in chaos—sure something’s wrong, but there’s no diagnosis yet? That’s where we meet Fran in Episode 288. Her mom changed the locks, accused her of stealing meds, refused help, and bounced in and out of the ER. Fran holds POA, but without clarity she feels powerless. I began with my focusing prompt: “In six months from today, what would need to happen for you to say your caregiving journey is easier… keeping your own health and your relationships in mind?” Fran’s answer: clarity and proper care for Mom. Here’s the hard truth we unpacked: capacity vs. competency. Until someone documents cognitive impairment, adults are entitled to make stupid decisions.  Adult Protective Services may investigate, but if the person still has capacity, they cannot force care. That’s why some families, like Fran’s, don’t get traction until a crisis leads to evaluation—or they pursue guardianship through the courts. So what can you do today? Name what you can and cannot control. You can ensure food, meds, bills, and safe transport; you cannot compel cooperation without legal authority. That isn’t failure—it’s reality. Document patterns and keep asking for assessment. ER visits, delusions, unsafe choices—write them down. Patterns guide the next step. Choose one self-kindness. I asked Fran for one action to make this easier. My suggestion to her—and to you: Be gracious to yourself. You’re doing what you can in a dimmer-switch season, not a light-switch fix. This is why longitudinal community matters: steady prayer, coaching, and a place to ask the right questions before the wheels wobble. If this is your story, come closer—there’s a calm, biblical path forward.   💬 What Do I Say When Dementia Makes Words Hard? ✝️ Speak Calm, Not Just Words Get “What Do I Say? How to Connect with Your Loved One with Dementia” — a free guide for Christian caregivers navigating confusion, repetition, and emotional moments. ✅ 10 ready-to-use scripts ✅ Rooted in Scripture ✅ Built on the Therapeutic Truth-Telling™ model 📥 Download the guide now: https://www.dementiacaregivingmadeeasy.com/script   🤝 You Don’t Have to Do This Alone Join other Christian caregivers who are walking this road too — and learning how to care with compassion, clarity, and faith. 👥 Join the free Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/dementiacaregiversupportforchristians   🗣️ Ask Your Question Live — and Be Heard Bring your real-life caregiving questions to Ask the Dementia Coach — our free monthly Q&A session. You’ll get support, clarity, and maybe even be featured on the podcast. 🗓️ Brought to you every month! 🎤 Register here: https://www.thinkdifferentdementia.com/ask   🎓 Want to Reduce Overwhelm Right Now? Join our free workshop: How to Immediately Reduce Dementia Caregiver Overwhelm and Stress — in 3 Simple Steps ✅ Practical tools ✅ Faith-informed strategies ✅ Same-day results 🎟️ Reserve your seat: https://www.thinkdifferentdementia.com/wsl   🧭 Still Feeling Stuck? If you’re wondering what’s underneath your stress, the Caregiver Stress Assessment can help clarify what’s really weighing you down — so you can take your next step with peace. 📊 Take the free assessment: https://www.thinkdifferentdementia.com/dca   ❤️ Enjoy This Podcast? Leave a quick review on Apple or Spotify — it helps other Christian caregivers find encouragement and real help. 🎧 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts
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Sep 19, 2025 • 35min

287. Can You Be More Ready To Be A Dementia Caregiver?

“She said, I’m not really a caregiver—I just call my dad to check if he ate.” That’s where Episode 287 begins: most of us don’t recognize caregiving until we’re already overwhelmed.  Readiness isn’t a switch; it’s a process God invites us into. 1) Move from unaware to aware. Awareness is grace. When you finally name, “I am a caregiver,” you can respond faithfully instead of reacting frantically. (Proverbs 12:15) 2) Stay watchful—with gratitude. “God calls His people to wake up, be watchful, prepare, and endure.” Watch patterns before they become crises; give thanks in this providence. (Colossians 4:2) 3) Steward what God has given. Skills, resources, and your own well-being all require stewardship. Count the cost (Luke 14:28) and learn practical skills—communication, transfers, bathing with dignity—so you can serve wisely. 4) Practice discernment. Wisdom applied looks like seeking counsel, anticipating problems, and deciding on purpose (Proverbs 15:22; 27:12). Some crises can be prevented (remove throw rugs); others you consciously accept because you chose a path with eyes open. 5) Prepare your foundations. Legal first, then logistics: will, health-care POA, durable financial POA—secured before capacity is lost. Preparation is obedience, not fear. (Proverbs 24:27) 6) Endure in Christ. Readiness produces perseverance, not perfection. You’ll adjust and readjust, and that isn’t failure; it’s faithfulness (Galatians 6:9; Hebrews 12:1–2). If you need steady, faith-anchored help, I just opened the Christian DigniCare Society—lifetime access, monthly AMA calls, prayer gatherings, and a curated resource library (founding members get a 15-minute welcome call).  God is not a God of confusion. He meets you with order, wisdom, and strength for today’s step.   💬 What Do I Say When Dementia Makes Words Hard? ✝️ Speak Calm, Not Just Words Get “What Do I Say? How to Connect with Your Loved One with Dementia” — a free guide for Christian caregivers navigating confusion, repetition, and emotional moments. ✅ 10 ready-to-use scripts ✅ Rooted in Scripture ✅ Built on the Therapeutic Truth-Telling™ model 📥 Download the guide now: https://www.dementiacaregivingmadeeasy.com/script   🤝 You Don’t Have to Do This Alone Join other Christian caregivers who are walking this road too — and learning how to care with compassion, clarity, and faith. 👥 Join the free Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/dementiacaregiversupportforchristians   🗣️ Ask Your Question Live — and Be Heard Bring your real-life caregiving questions to Ask the Dementia Coach — our free monthly Q&A session. You’ll get support, clarity, and maybe even be featured on the podcast. 🗓️ Brought to you every month! 🎤 Register here: https://www.thinkdifferentdementia.com/ask   🎓 Want to Reduce Overwhelm Right Now? Join our free workshop: How to Immediately Reduce Dementia Caregiver Overwhelm and Stress — in 3 Simple Steps ✅ Practical tools ✅ Faith-informed strategies ✅ Same-day results 🎟️ Reserve your seat: https://www.thinkdifferentdementia.com/wsl   🧭 Still Feeling Stuck? If you’re wondering what’s underneath your stress, the Caregiver Stress Assessment can help clarify what’s really weighing you down — so you can take your next step with peace. 📊 Take the free assessment: https://www.thinkdifferentdementia.com/dca   ❤️ Enjoy This Podcast? Leave a quick review on Apple or Spotify — it helps other Christian caregivers find encouragement and real help. 🎧 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts
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Sep 16, 2025 • 15min

286. How To Receive Help as a Christian Dementia Caregiver Without Guilt

“Caregivers are natural givers… when it comes time to ask for help, that guilty voice shows up.” In Episode 286, Linda says, “I hate to ask my sons for help. This is my job, not theirs.”  I answer plainly: “That guilt doesn't protect anyone. It just leaves you drained and makes it harder for you to serve with patience and joy.” As always, I begin with the exact clarifying prompt: “if you look back six months from today and your caregiving journey is easier. What would need to happen for you to say that you have been able to steward it well, keeping in mind your health and your relationships in the process?” Linda’s hope is simple: ask her sons for specific times—“a few hours in an evening or on Saturday or Sunday”—to take Dad out. She hesitates because they’re building their own families. Here’s the reframe I offer: 1) Receiving is part of stewardship. Givers often struggle to receive. But when you never ask, you remove your children’s opportunity to give to you. Offer structured choices and concrete time blocks so they can put it on the calendar. 2) Let “no” be an honest answer. Sons are heads of their households; sometimes the right answer is no. Don’t take it personally. Use that no to pursue other provision: church friends, paid caregivers, wider community. The need you identified is respite—find it. 3) Take one action step. After the call I ask, “What is the one action step you will take?” Start with your children; if they can’t, line up help elsewhere. Longitudinal support matters—join early so you’re not guessing alone. If you want steady, faith-centered help, the Christian DigniCare Society offers lifetime access, monthly AMAs, prayer, and a curated library—plus a 15-minute welcome call if you join before year-end.  Or come to Ask the Dementia Coach live on September 20.  You don’t have to carry this alone.   💬 What Do I Say When Dementia Makes Words Hard? ✝️ Speak Calm, Not Just Words Get “What Do I Say? How to Connect with Your Loved One with Dementia” — a free guide for Christian caregivers navigating confusion, repetition, and emotional moments. ✅ 10 ready-to-use scripts ✅ Rooted in Scripture ✅ Built on the Therapeutic Truth-Telling™ model 📥 Download the guide now: https://www.dementiacaregivingmadeeasy.com/script   🤝 You Don’t Have to Do This Alone Join other Christian caregivers who are walking this road too — and learning how to care with compassion, clarity, and faith. 👥 Join the free Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/dementiacaregiversupportforchristians   🗣️ Ask Your Question Live — and Be Heard Bring your real-life caregiving questions to Ask the Dementia Coach — our free monthly Q&A session. You’ll get support, clarity, and maybe even be featured on the podcast. 🗓️ Brought to you every month! 🎤 Register here: https://www.thinkdifferentdementia.com/ask   🎓 Want to Reduce Overwhelm Right Now? Join our free workshop: How to Immediately Reduce Dementia Caregiver Overwhelm and Stress — in 3 Simple Steps ✅ Practical tools ✅ Faith-informed strategies ✅ Same-day results 🎟️ Reserve your seat: https://www.thinkdifferentdementia.com/wsl   🧭 Still Feeling Stuck? If you’re wondering what’s underneath your stress, the Caregiver Stress Assessment can help clarify what’s really weighing you down — so you can take your next step with peace. 📊 Take the free assessment: https://www.thinkdifferentdementia.com/dca   ❤️ Enjoy This Podcast? Leave a quick review on Apple or Spotify — it helps other Christian caregivers find encouragement and real help. 🎧 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts
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Sep 12, 2025 • 26min

285. How To Make Wise Decisions As A Christian Dementia Caregiver

“Caregiving is full of hard choices… you feel overwhelmed, stuck, and guilty.” That’s how Episode 285 opens—and why we walk straight at the question so many of you are wrestling with: Is it time for memory care? I guide you through a simple, biblical grid to cut through decision fatigue. Run your situation through these five questions—exactly as I teach them in the episode: 1) Is it possible? Do you have the financial, physical, and emotional resources? Count the cost (Luke 14:28–29). 2) Does it please God? Are you motivated by love of God—not guilt or fear of people? Does this honor your parent and protect your marriage and children (Colossians 3:17; Micah 6:8; Mark 10:9)? 3) Is it legal and ethical? Do you have authority—financial POA, health-care POA—and are you acting with integrity (Exodus 20:12; Proverbs 11:3)? Placing a loved one can be the right decision in the right circumstances. Sometimes keeping them at home is the wrong one. 4) How will this impact my family and myself? God’s order matters. Marriage first, then children, then parents (1 Timothy 5:8; Philippians 2:4). Ignoring this order can damage the very relationships God calls you to protect. 5) Make the decision and move forward. Indecision can harm more than an imperfect decision. “Trust in the Lord… He will make your path straight” (Proverbs 3:5–6; Psalm 37:5). Many choices are reversible—including keeping someone home or placing them. Move in faith. If you’re tired of spinning, I’d love to help you practice this process in real time. Join Ask the Dementia Coach on September 20 at 12 p.m. ET; we’ll walk your exact situation through these five questions so you leave with clarity and peace. This is the kind of order-bringing, truth-telling clarity we pursue together—because God is not a God of confusion.   💬 What Do I Say When Dementia Makes Words Hard? ✝️ Speak Calm, Not Just Words Get “What Do I Say? How to Connect with Your Loved One with Dementia” — a free guide for Christian caregivers navigating confusion, repetition, and emotional moments. ✅ 10 ready-to-use scripts ✅ Rooted in Scripture ✅ Built on the Therapeutic Truth-Telling™ model 📥 Download the guide now: https://www.dementiacaregivingmadeeasy.com/script   🤝 You Don’t Have to Do This Alone Join other Christian caregivers who are walking this road too — and learning how to care with compassion, clarity, and faith. 👥 Join the free Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/dementiacaregiversupportforchristians   🗣️ Ask Your Question Live — and Be Heard Bring your real-life caregiving questions to Ask the Dementia Coach — our free monthly Q&A session. You’ll get support, clarity, and maybe even be featured on the podcast. 🗓️ Brought to you every month! 🎤 Register here: https://www.thinkdifferentdementia.com/ask   🎓 Want to Reduce Overwhelm Right Now? Join our free workshop: How to Immediately Reduce Dementia Caregiver Overwhelm and Stress — in 3 Simple Steps ✅ Practical tools ✅ Faith-informed strategies ✅ Same-day results 🎟️ Reserve your seat: https://www.thinkdifferentdementia.com/wsl   🧭 Still Feeling Stuck? If you’re wondering what’s underneath your stress, the Caregiver Stress Assessment can help clarify what’s really weighing you down — so you can take your next step with peace. 📊 Take the free assessment: https://www.thinkdifferentdementia.com/dca   ❤️ Enjoy This Podcast? Leave a quick review on Apple or Spotify — it helps other Christian caregivers find encouragement and real help. 🎧 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts
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Sep 9, 2025 • 22min

284. How to Communicate Differently in Late-Stage Dementia Without Frustration

“I just wish my wife could speak louder so I’d know what she needs.” If that’s your heart today, Episode 284 is for you. Delbert is caring for his wife with late-stage Lewy Body Dementia. Her voice is very soft, sometimes garbled, and most days she sleeps. His deepest desire? “If I could look back six months from now and say, we got our communications back… so I can understand what her needs are.” As always, I began with the exact question I ask every caregiver: “in six months, if things are easier in your caregiving journey, what would need to have happened for you to say that you have stewarded it well, keeping in mind your health, your relationships, and then walking faithfully through this season?” Three anchors from our conversation: 1) Name the gap between expectation and reality. Your loved one is “landing her plane.” With hospice on board and Pseudobulbar Effect (rapid shifts between laughing and crying), verbal problem-solving will not behave. You are not failing; the brain is changing. 2) Communicate differently—beyond words. I had a wonderful “conversation” with Delbert’s wife where neither of us understood the words. Why did it work? Emotional mirroring, eye contact, gentle presence. Like with little ones, you meet needs by process of elimination (reposition, toileting, comfort) and validation, not by chasing perfect sentences. That’s Therapeutic Truth-Telling™ lived out. 3) Prepare for respite with honor and realism. Tell her it’s coming so you know you honored her, but hold a modest expectation of understanding. No one will do it exactly like you—and that’s okay. You need rest. “You cannot be on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week.” These practices sit inside the Think Different Dementia Method™ and the Contented Caregiver Blueprint™—caregiving clarity anchored in Scripture and dignity. Want steady, faith-centered help? Join the Christian DigniCare Society for lifetime support, or register for Ask the Dementia Coach at thinkdifferentdementia.com/ask.   💬 What Do I Say When Dementia Makes Words Hard? ✝️ Speak Calm, Not Just Words Get “What Do I Say? How to Connect with Your Loved One with Dementia” — a free guide for Christian caregivers navigating confusion, repetition, and emotional moments. ✅ 10 ready-to-use scripts ✅ Rooted in Scripture ✅ Built on the Therapeutic Truth-Telling™ model 📥 Download the guide now: https://www.dementiacaregivingmadeeasy.com/script   🤝 You Don’t Have to Do This Alone Join other Christian caregivers who are walking this road too — and learning how to care with compassion, clarity, and faith. 👥 Join the free Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/dementiacaregiversupportforchristians   🗣️ Ask Your Question Live — and Be Heard Bring your real-life caregiving questions to Ask the Dementia Coach — our free monthly Q&A session. You’ll get support, clarity, and maybe even be featured on the podcast. 🗓️ Brought to you every month! 🎤 Register here: https://www.thinkdifferentdementia.com/ask   🎓 Want to Reduce Overwhelm Right Now? Join our free workshop: How to Immediately Reduce Dementia Caregiver Overwhelm and Stress — in 3 Simple Steps ✅ Practical tools ✅ Faith-informed strategies ✅ Same-day results 🎟️ Reserve your seat: https://www.thinkdifferentdementia.com/wsl   🧭 Still Feeling Stuck? If you’re wondering what’s underneath your stress, the Caregiver Stress Assessment can help clarify what’s really weighing you down — so you can take your next step with peace. 📊 Take the free assessment: https://www.thinkdifferentdementia.com/dca   ❤️ Enjoy This Podcast? Leave a quick review on Apple or Spotify — it helps other Christian caregivers find encouragement and real help. 🎧 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts
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Sep 5, 2025 • 25min

283. How to Keep Trusting God When You’re Too Tired to Keep Going

“Have you ever thought, I am so tired, I love the Lord, I pray, I serve, but I don't think I can keep doing this?” That’s where Episode 283 begins—naming the ache many of us whisper in the dark. Lizette shares how the Lord met her own exhaustion and then anchors us in four truths: The race is long—God will renew you. “The Christian life is race… not a sprint. … They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength… they shall run and not be weary.” (Isaiah 40:29–31) The reward is sure. “Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season you will reap, if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9) Faithful, unseen obedience is never wasted—even when the sheets, the night watches, and the hard choices stack up. You are weak—God is your portion. “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psalm 73:26) Our endurance rests not on clinging to God but on God clinging to us. The finish line is glory. “Let us run with endurance… looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:1–2) This journey ends with Christ, not chaos. Because God is a God of dignity, order, and truth, we can care without “therapeutic lying,” and we can keep walking with clarity through the Think Different Dementia Method™, Therapeutic Truth-Telling™, and the Contented Caregiver Blueprint™. Lizette also opens the doors to a new Christian caregiver community—lifetime access for less than 100 dollars, with monthly AMAs, prayer meetings, a curated resource library, and Q&A between sessions. She’s inviting the first 100 caregivers to join.  You’re not running alone. He will carry you to the finish line.   💬 What Do I Say When Dementia Makes Words Hard? ✝️ Speak Calm, Not Just Words Get “What Do I Say? How to Connect with Your Loved One with Dementia” — a free guide for Christian caregivers navigating confusion, repetition, and emotional moments. ✅ 10 ready-to-use scripts ✅ Rooted in Scripture ✅ Built on the Therapeutic Truth-Telling™ model 📥 Download the guide now: https://www.dementiacaregivingmadeeasy.com/script   🤝 You Don’t Have to Do This Alone Join other Christian caregivers who are walking this road too — and learning how to care with compassion, clarity, and faith. 👥 Join the free Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/dementiacaregiversupportforchristians   🗣️ Ask Your Question Live — and Be Heard Bring your real-life caregiving questions to Ask the Dementia Coach — our free monthly Q&A session. You’ll get support, clarity, and maybe even be featured on the podcast. 🗓️ Brought to you every month! 🎤 Register here: https://www.thinkdifferentdementia.com/ask   🎓 Want to Reduce Overwhelm Right Now? Join our free workshop: How to Immediately Reduce Dementia Caregiver Overwhelm and Stress — in 3 Simple Steps ✅ Practical tools ✅ Faith-informed strategies ✅ Same-day results 🎟️ Reserve your seat: https://www.thinkdifferentdementia.com/wsl   🧭 Still Feeling Stuck? If you’re wondering what’s underneath your stress, the Caregiver Stress Assessment can help clarify what’s really weighing you down — so you can take your next step with peace. 📊 Take the free assessment: https://www.thinkdifferentdementia.com/dca   ❤️ Enjoy This Podcast? Leave a quick review on Apple or Spotify — it helps other Christian caregivers find encouragement and real help. 🎧 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts
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Sep 2, 2025 • 14min

282. How To Recognize What Caregiving Costs Your Other Relationships

“I put everything on hold to care for my mom… and left my own kids by the roadside.”  Diana’s words opened Episode 282—and maybe your heart echoed them.  This conversation is for every caregiver whose marriage, children, or friendships have quietly paid the price of devotion. I began, as always, with the same clarifying prompt: “Diana, let’s say it’s six months from today and things are easier in your caregiving journey. What would that look like for you?” She answered, “learning to navigate the emotional ups and downs… setting up some realistic boundaries.” 1) Boundaries with Mom (truth + grace). If your mom has dementia, her needs will increase. Today’s question: is she still appropriate for independent living, or is assisted living safer now that your stepdad (her “thinking partner”) is gone? A quick field check: can she scan her environment—open the drawer to find the phone she can’t see? If not, she likely needs closer supervision. Meet with the community and clarify criteria for moving levels of care. 2) Rebuild the bridges with your kids. Diana realized her adult children felt bewildered by her sudden absence. The assignment: initiate conversations, ask forgiveness, and set simple structures to reconnect—patiently, over time. Pray Psalm 19:14 as you prepare: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable…” 3) Don’t do this alone. Longitudinal support matters. Join our Christian caregiver community for steady prayer, coaching, and clarity—or start with the free live workshop (date in the show notes). The people who benefit most join early—before crisis hits—so they’re not left guessing. You can love your mom well and steward your other relationships. God is not a God of confusion; He gives wisdom for today’s step and peace for tomorrow’s.   💬 What Do I Say When Dementia Makes Words Hard? ✝️ Speak Calm, Not Just Words Get “What Do I Say? How to Connect with Your Loved One with Dementia” — a free guide for Christian caregivers navigating confusion, repetition, and emotional moments. ✅ 10 ready-to-use scripts ✅ Rooted in Scripture ✅ Built on the Therapeutic Truth-Telling™ model 📥 Download the guide now: https://www.dementiacaregivingmadeeasy.com/script   🤝 You Don’t Have to Do This Alone Join other Christian caregivers who are walking this road too — and learning how to care with compassion, clarity, and faith. 👥 Join the free Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/dementiacaregiversupportforchristians   🗣️ Ask Your Question Live — and Be Heard Bring your real-life caregiving questions to Ask the Dementia Coach — our free monthly Q&A session. You’ll get support, clarity, and maybe even be featured on the podcast. 🗓️ Brought to you every month! 🎤 Register here: https://www.thinkdifferentdementia.com/ask   🎓 Want to Reduce Overwhelm Right Now? Join our free workshop: How to Immediately Reduce Dementia Caregiver Overwhelm and Stress — in 3 Simple Steps ✅ Practical tools ✅ Faith-informed strategies ✅ Same-day results 🎟️ Reserve your seat: https://www.thinkdifferentdementia.com/wsl   🧭 Still Feeling Stuck? If you’re wondering what’s underneath your stress, the Caregiver Stress Assessment can help clarify what’s really weighing you down — so you can take your next step with peace. 📊 Take the free assessment: https://www.thinkdifferentdementia.com/dca   ❤️ Enjoy This Podcast? Leave a quick review on Apple or Spotify — it helps other Christian caregivers find encouragement and real help. 🎧 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts
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Aug 29, 2025 • 31min

281. How Being a Dementia Caregiver Changes Your Perspective of God

“I look in the mirror and I don’t recognize myself anymore.” If that’s you, Episode 281 is a gentle reset. Caregiving changes you—but not into less. God is reshaping you in this season. 1) Clarity: Your identity is hidden in Christ Roles shift—daughter, spouse, scheduler—but identity doesn’t. Colossians 3:3–4 steadies us when roles blur: your life is hidden with Christ; when He appears, you will appear with Him in glory. You belong, body and soul, to Jesus. 2) Assess with God’s lens: He is renewing you Yes, it’s busy and costly. Yet 2 Corinthians 4:16–18 says our outer self is wasting away while our inner self is being renewed day by day. This season is temporary; the unseen, eternal work God is doing in you is not. 3) Stewardship: Every task can become worship Caregiving is a series of stewardship decisions—time, energy, resources—done for God’s kingdom, not ours (Col 3:9–10). Even interruptions become witness opportunities as we “put off” impatience and “put on” the new self. 4) Growth: Caregiving as sanctification God uses suffering to conform us to Christ (Rom 8:28–29). Patience, humility, dependence—fruit rarely grows in ease. Through the Think Different Dementia Method™, Therapeutic Truth-Telling™, and the Contented Caregiver Blueprint™, you’ll find caregiving clarity anchored in Scripture. Next steps Join our Christian caregiver community (lifetime access, AMA calls, monthly prayer, curated resources). Or come to the free live workshop on Saturday, September 6 at 12 noon ET to take your next faithful step. thinkdifferentdementia.com/WSL You’re not losing yourself. In Christ, you’re being renewed—today, tomorrow, and for eternity.   💬 What Do I Say When Dementia Makes Words Hard? ✝️ Speak Calm, Not Just Words Get “What Do I Say? How to Connect with Your Loved One with Dementia” — a free guide for Christian caregivers navigating confusion, repetition, and emotional moments. ✅ 10 ready-to-use scripts ✅ Rooted in Scripture ✅ Built on the Therapeutic Truth-Telling™ model 📥 Download the guide now: https://www.dementiacaregivingmadeeasy.com/script   🤝 You Don’t Have to Do This Alone Join other Christian caregivers who are walking this road too — and learning how to care with compassion, clarity, and faith. 👥 Join the free Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/dementiacaregiversupportforchristians   🗣️ Ask Your Question Live — and Be Heard Bring your real-life caregiving questions to Ask the Dementia Coach — our free monthly Q&A session. You’ll get support, clarity, and maybe even be featured on the podcast. 🗓️ Brought to you every month! 🎤 Register here: https://www.thinkdifferentdementia.com/ask   🎓 Want to Reduce Overwhelm Right Now? Join our free workshop: How to Immediately Reduce Dementia Caregiver Overwhelm and Stress — in 3 Simple Steps ✅ Practical tools ✅ Faith-informed strategies ✅ Same-day results 🎟️ Reserve your seat: https://www.thinkdifferentdementia.com/wsl   🧭 Still Feeling Stuck? If you’re wondering what’s underneath your stress, the Caregiver Stress Assessment can help clarify what’s really weighing you down — so you can take your next step with peace. 📊 Take the free assessment: https://www.thinkdifferentdementia.com/dca   ❤️ Enjoy This Podcast? Leave a quick review on Apple or Spotify — it helps other Christian caregivers find encouragement and real help. 🎧 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts

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