Introducing A Rose For Grandma Wellness Hub and the Power of Caregiver Love
Content Courtesy of the Forever Young Podcast with Christiana Egi and Cherrie-Marie Chiu.
On our most recent Forever Young podcast, we discussed the power of love and the work of caregivers. We also introduced the A Rose for Grandma Wellness Hub, a charity organization pioneered by the founder of Alexis Lodge, Christiana Egi. Listen to the full podcast below or keep reading to find out more!
A Rose for Grandma Wellness Hub is dedicated to addressing the unique challenges faced by communities of black, indigenous, and people of color, where dementia is often stigmatized and misunderstood. They work to dispel myths and provide education to help individuals and families understand the disease and its impact through collaboration with community organizations, healthcare professionals, and policymakers to improve access to quality of life and care while providing culturally appropriate services and support that are sensitive to those communities. A Rose for Grandma aims to support underserved communities of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color impacted by dementia by creating awareness breaking down stigma, and empowering positive change in their experiences. We congratulate Christiana on our new charity organization, A Rose for Grandma Wellness Hub.
Christiana Egi has been impacting the lives of those living with dementia for the past 24 years. In that time, she has met many people who work hard to change lives and impact families and communities at large. One of these individuals is Dr. Janice Lessard, who is a geriatrician, Christiana's role model, and the medical director of the Scarborough Memory Clinic. Christiana and Dr. Janice met on the very first day Alexis Lodge Retirement Home opened in 1999. It is not often that you meet a doctor who is totally committed to a patient's holistic well-being. She ensures to spend time explaining the disease to her patients. Christiana mentioned that every time she goes into Dr. Janice's office, she comes back with a new lesson that she holds close to her heart. In this episode, we were joined by our guest Kevin McAllister, who shared his powerful story of love. We discussed the importance of caregiving and how much time and care he has put into caring for his mother who is living with dementia, and also how he juggles two jobs with being a caregiver. Kevin works full-time in fire protection. He considers bodybuilding his passion and has been a trainer for about 20 years. In the recent past, Kevin has worked in media and taken part in interviews in the fitness industry.
We know that many people are overwhelmed by caregiving because not everyone plans to become a caregiver. We know many of our readers and listeners will benefit from our conversation with Kevin and how he became a caregiver for his mother. Kevin's mother had been retired for a few years and taking care of her aged mother. We tend to know our family's personality and changes in personality can become very apparent. Kevin's mother had a few changes that startled him such as memory issues. It took years to get Kevin's mother to get tested, and that is how Kevin and his mother met Dr. Lessard.
While we do not need to be nervous about every little change, it is important to pay attention to these changes as they can sometimes turn into something. We applaud Kevin for taking notice and catching these differences fast enough.
Bowing with your hands up also increases blood flow as your heart works harder. There is a type of Alzheimer's that is referred to as Type 3 Diabetes, and therefore it is important to keep insulin in check so it is able to push sugar into your blood rather than sit in your body and cause problems. We talk about mindful movement on the Forever Young podcast a lot, and it can most definitely help prevent disease and keep you in good health.
Kevin explained that the bows are so easy, that even a 6-year-old can do it! It is as simple as a bow, with the addition of your hands. It is significant because of the interval training aspect of bowing. Doing this up to 12 times a day can greatly benefit your health and fitness. It can lower blood sugar and keep insulin in check, get your heart rate up or down, or even just help you remember to do something! It not only helps physically but also helps the mind.
The power of love will make you climb any mountain to help your loved ones in need. Kevin puts emphasis on the little nuances, form, and technique of exercises rather than lifting heavy weights or extreme cardio. Bowing is an easy method of exercise that will help keep your blood flow circulating and help you in various ways!
We thank Kevin McAllister for being a part of our episode and we are grateful to hear his story about juggling multiple careers and hobbies while being a caregiver to his mother. We see the power of love and caregiving in Kevin's beautiful story and it is a reminder to us all to not be afraid to ask for help and share your stories. Kevin also shared advice he had for fellow caregivers who are struggling in their journey. The most important thing Kevin mentioned was to talk to people. Do not be afraid to ask for help or advice from friends or medical professionals. Most importantly, accept the help you receive in your caregiving journey. Sometimes it may be hard to actually accept the help and advice someone is offering you, but trying to understand the help of someone else will only improve your patient and your own wellbeing.
The one thing that caregivers often forget is taking care of themselves. You just feel like you can do it alone. But remember, you need to always put on your own oxygen mask before assisting others. Take a little bit of time for yourself every day, to relax and unwind.
When your loved one is diagnosed with dementia, unfortunately does not come with a manual and you don't always know what to do. It can be devastating and traumatic, but it is important to find out everything you can know about the disease, find out resources, and ask for help. There are many helpful resources for caregivers such as the Scarborough Memory Clinic, Alzheimer's societies, and now the Rose for Grandma Wellness Hub as well! This is why the wellness hub aims to educate and increase support and awareness for caregivers and patients with types of dementia. You can find more information on the wellness hub here at aroseforgrandma.com
The Forever Young podcast was created and produced by Christiana Egi and Cherrie Marie Chiu. Produced and engineered by Elisse Hill. The podcast represents our opinions and those of our guests. The content should not be taken as medical advice. It is for informational purposes only. Please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions. If you like our show, please tell your friends and leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts. New episodes are available every other Wednesday. Have questions? Email us at ourforeveryoungpodcast@gmail.com.
