63. Meaningful Conversation: Five Essential Tips / Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias

The Caregiver's Journey

Sue Ryan and Nancy Treaster

Personal Journals, Self-improvement, Non-profit, Society & Culture, How To, Business, Health & Fitness, Mental Health, Education

5.0 • 3.7K Ratings

🗓️ 2 June 2026

⏱️ 25 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

"Once caregivers get it, they're like, 'My gosh.' You just have to train yourself to walk around the brick wall to the moment, the now, and the imagination." — Anne Basting

Do you struggle to create meaningful connections with your loved one living with dementia? Almost all of us do. You're not alone — and there are concrete tools you can learn right now to change that.

We are Sue Ryan and Nancy Treaster. As caregivers for our loved ones with Alzheimer's and other types of dementia, we understand how isolating it can feel when conversations stall and connection seems just out of reach. We're sharing five tips for creating intentionally meaningful moments with your loved one, from Anne Basting, founder of the award-winning nonprofit TimeSlips, who has spent 30 years developing and researching creative storytelling approaches for people living with dementia.

Let's explore five essential tips for creating meaningful connections — from believing in your own creativity to turning shared moments into lasting gifts.

Connect with us and share your tips:

Website: https://thecaregiversjourney.org/
Donate: https://give.cornerstone.cc/thecaregiversjourney
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecaregiversjourney/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecaregiversjourneys/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suearmstrongryan/, https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancytreaster/
Email: sue@thecaregiversjourney.org, nancy@thecaregiversjourney.org

Full Show Notes

https://thecaregiversjourney.org/63-meaningful-conversation-five-essential-tips-alzheimers-and-other-dementias/

Additional Resources Mentioned

Support the nonprofit The Caregiver's Journey: https://give.cornerstone.cc/thecaregiversjourney
TimeSlips: https://www.timeslips.org/
Dementia Friendly America: https://dfamerica.org/timeslips/
The Caregiver’s Journey Navigating Dementia Caregiving Roadmap: https://roadmap.thecaregiversjourney.org/ Available as an interactive page on our website that walks you through the three stages of your dementia family caregiver journey. Includes the option to download the guide for free.

Takeaways

We shared 5 tips:

Believe in your own creativity
Forget memory
Open with a beautiful question
Use beautiful listening
Create gifts from the experience

Read More in This Blog

https://thecaregiversjourney.org/63-meaningful-conversation-five-essential-tips-alzheimers-and-other-dementias-2/

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is the Whole Care Network, helping you tell your story one podcast at a time.
0:16.0	Content presented in the following podcast is for information purposes only.
0:22.7	Views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and guests
0:28.1	and may not represent the views and opinions of the Whole Care Network.
0:33.2	Always consult with your physician for any medical advice.
0:36.8	And always consult with your attorney for any legal advice. And always consult with your attorney for any legal advice.
0:40.2	And thank you for listening to the Whole Care Network.
0:52.8	Do you struggle to create meaningful connections with your loved one living with dementia?
0:58.8	Almost all of us do.
1:01.2	In this episode, Sue and our talking with Anne Basting, founder of the award-winning nonprofit
1:06.4	time slips about how to create intentionally meaningful moments and connections.
1:12.6	We're sharing five tips.
1:16.6	Welcome. We're Sue Ryan and Nancy Treister.
1:19.6	This podcast brings our years of experience in a variety of family caregiving roles
1:24.6	to prepare you to navigate your caregiving journey.
1:33.4	We're sharing our personal experiences, not medical advice, and because it's our passion to support you on your journey, we believe no topic is off limits. Let's get started.
1:42.7	Anne, thank you so much for joining us today.
1:45.7	You're an artist, a writer.
1:47.6	You're also the founder of the nonprofit Time Slips, where you use creative storytelling to bring meaning and joy through creative engagement.
1:57.2	We're excited to bring the concepts you're championing at Timelips to our listeners because they make such a positive change in our connection with our loved ones while they're living with dementia.
2:10.6	And please tell us more about yourself and about today's topic.
2:15.6	Well, I'm thrilled to be here. Thank you for the work that you do.
	...

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