Episode 117

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Published on:

24th Apr 2024

Going to the Movies with Dementia!

This episode of Eldercare Success is guaranteed to give you some useful tools to make it easier to help your loved ones be accepted and function well in your community and public social settings.

Listen in as Nancy May shares the ways that Jim Magnis helped transform his community while caring for his wife with early-onset Alzheimer's Disease.  Love for his wife ignited the creation of "Dementia-Friendly Saline," an initiative that’s now making waves beyond Saline, Michigan. Discover how small acts of understanding and adaptation have worked to create an inclusive environment for individuals facing cognitive challenges, and how you can do this too, in your own community. 

It’s easier than you might think.

Key Highlights: ✨

  • It’s Personal For Everyone: Jim shares his personal journey of caring for his beloved wife, Kathleen, and how it led to the birth of "Dementia Friendly Saline."
  • Easy Education of a Community: Learn about Jim's efforts to educate local businesses and organizations, making everyday activities more accessible and enjoyable for those with dementia. It’s good for business too!
  • Dementia-Friendly Cinema Movies: How a simple idea has increased business for a local movie theater chain, is now bringing joy and a sense of normalcy to families, proving that small changes can make a big difference.
  • Expanding the Movement and Reach: The blueprint for replicating Saline’s success in communities nationwide, encouraging a collective effort towards inclusivity.

💌 Your Takeaway: Inspired by Jim's commitment, let's challenge ourselves to contribute to a dementia-friendly world. Whether it’s through advocating for inclusive practices, volunteering, or simply spreading the word, every action counts.

🕒 Timestamps:

[00:00] Welcome: Introduction to Creating Change

[02:10] Jim Magnis' Story: A Caregiver's Journey to Advocacy

[05:20] Identifying Dementia: Understanding the Early Signs

[08:01] Fighting Stigma: Alzheimer’s as a Disease, Not a Disgrace

[15:27] Dementia-Friendly Saline: A Model for Community Engagement

[21:17] Cinema for All: The Joy of Dementia-Friendly Movie Showings

[30:11] Impactful Moments: Stories That Touch the Heart

[33:52] Scaling Compassion: Spreading the Dementia-Friendly Initiative

[36:58] Conclusion: A Call to Action for Communities Worldwide


🔗 Links & Resources Mentioned:

👥 Spread the Word!: Share this episode and help explain to others about the importance of simple actions can improve the lives of so many we love, who are battling many forms of dementia. Your support can spark change and foster environments where empathy and care flourish.

Final Thoughts: Jim’s initiative illustrates the profound impact of community-driven efforts in supporting dementia care. This episode not only raises awareness about dementia and Alzheimer's but also serves as an inspirational guide for transforming public spaces into welcoming environments for all. Together, we can build a future where every individual, regardless of their cognitive condition, feels valued and supported. Join us next week for more heartwarming stories and insights on Eldercare Success.

Stay well, and let’s make a difference together.


Guest:  Jim Mangi, Founder & Care Partner, Dementia Friendly Saline. Jim's 35-year first career as founder and owner of a successful nationwide consulting firm in no way prepared him for his second, and far more important, career as caregiver for his wife, Kathleen, who has been living with Younger Onset Alzheimer’s since 2008.

An active volunteer with the Alzheimer’s Association, Jim developed and led the 12-week In This Together-Dementia Awareness lecture series at Holy Faith Church in 2019, which led him and his friends to set up Dementia Friendly Saline, which led to Saline being the only nationally recognized Dementia Friendly Community in Michigan with a trained and committed dementia friendly city government.

Host: Nancy May has gone from the Boardroom to the Emergency Room to care for her aging parents and educate business owners, corporate employees, and leaders with more strength and confidence in doing well and doing good.  Nancy is the five-star author of How to Survive 911 Medical Emergencies, Step-by-Step Before, During, After!  and an award-winning expert in managing the complexities of caring for an aging parent or family member, even from over 1200 miles away, or more. For a Free File-of-Life to www.howtosurvive911.com.  Nancy is also the  Co-Founder of CareManity LLC, and the private FaceBook group, Eldercare Success.

 #elderly #caregiver #longdistancecaregiver  #homecare #homehealthaide #carefacilities #elderlycare #traumasurgeon #fallprevention #elderlyfalls #agingparents #poetry #wordsthatheal #healinghearts #strangers #helpinghands #healthmonitoring #mentalmpactsofphysicaltrauma #burnout #worklifebalance,

Disclaimer: The views, perspectives, and opinions expressed in this show are those of the show guests and not directly those of the companies they serve or that of the host or the producer CareManity, LLC. The information discussed should not be taken as medical, legal, or financial advice. Please seek advice from your own personal medical, legal, or financial advisors as each person’s situation is different. (c) Copyright 2024 CareManity, LLC all rights reserved. CareManity is a trademark of CareManity, LLC.



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About the Podcast

Eldercare Success
Doing It Best with Eldercare Success
Join us in Doing it Best with Eldercare Success where we explore ways to relieve the stress, exhaustion and overwhelm that we all face in caring for an aging parent, frail spouse, or partner. Fear, frustration, emotional and financial strain do not have to be your MO! In this show, we dive into unraveling the tricks, traps, and gotchas that create more questions than answers while caring for those we love.
Join Nancy May, and her guests as she helps relieve the pressures and delivers solid ways to find more joy and freedom as we care for those with those we love. Here you’ll learn how to find the ground under your feet again. Hang tight there’s a better road ahead.
keeping our feet on solid ground. Hang tight there’s a better road ahead.

About your host

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Nancy May

Nancy May is a corporate leader, business advisor, author, speaker, and nationally recognized podcast host. She has spent her career working with CEOs, Boards of Directors, and senior leaders in the public and private corporate sectors. These experiences gave her the strength and foundation to step in and provide her parents with guidance and support, both as their POA and Trustee, and diehard advocate as they aged. Nancy credits her father an entrepreneur, innovator of innovative eyewear design, and her mom for encouraging and preparing her to acquire the many skills needed to start, build, and lead several successful businesses. She has transitioned these competencies and life lessons to into her new business, CareManity, LLC, which focuses on providing family caregivers structured ways to obtain practical knowledge, resources, and access much-needed support.