Andrew Karesa CEO & Founder of blueBell Village

All Home Care Matters and our host, Lance A. Slatton were honored to welcome the team from Bridgetown Music Therapy as guests to the show.   About: Alexis Baker, MT-BC, CDP   Alexis is the founder & owner of Bridgetown Music Therapy. Alexis is a board-certified music therapist, certified dementia practitioner, and founder of Bridgetown Music Therapy. Passionate about using music to make a difference in the lives of older adults, her mission is to spark joy and connection through meaningful music engagement.   In 2020, she became the innovator of Singing at Home and Music with Alexis, virtual music engagement programs for older adults living with dementia. In 2024, she co-authored the book “The Caregiver’s Advocate: A Complete Guide to Support and Resources”.   About Lindsey Bretzman, CDP:   Lindsey is a passionate Life Enrichment professional, who after caring for her grandfather for many years, began working in senior living in 2010. She has worked in a variety of senior living settings and is credentialed as a Certified Activity Director and Certified Dementia Practitioner.   Lindsey's "heart work" and dedication has earned her program awards through both the Oregon Healthcare Association and LeadingAge Oregon. In the fall of 2022, Lindsey joined the Bridgetown Music Therapy team as Life Enrichment Specialist.   About Tyler Mizak:   Tyler is the LifeStages Activity Director and LifeStories Memory Care Director, Colonial Courtyard at Bedford. He is also the host of the Ageless Adventures podcast, where he shares inspiring stories and insights from the world of senior living and real life Residents.   A passionate advocate for older adults, Tyler is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for seniors through creativity, connection, and meaningful engagement in the larger public community.    About Bridgetown Music Therapy:   Bridgetown Music Therapy’s mission is to make a difference in the lives of individuals living with dementia using the power of music. With services facilitated by passionate, talented board-certified music therapists and certified dementia practitioners, they spark joy and connection through meaningful music engagement.   They value providing programs that are engaging, therapeutic, high-quality, versatile, accessible, affordable, and dementia friendly. Their programs also provide respite to tired, busy, and overwhelmed caregivers.

All Home Care Matters and our host, Lance A. Slatton were honored to welcome esteemed author Eliezer Sobel as guest to the show.   About Eliezer Sobel:   Eliezer is the author of The Silver Lining of Alzheimer’s: One Son’s Journey Into the Mystery, as well as two picture books for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, Blue Sky, White Clouds: A Book for Memory-Challenged Adults, and L’Chaim! Pictures to Evoke Memories of Jewish Life. He has also published Minyan: Ten Jewish Men in a World That is Heartbroken, selected by National Book Award winner John Casey as the winner of the Peter Taylor Prize for the Novel, among 400 entries.   Also, The 99th Monkey: A Spiritual Journalist’s Misadventures with Gurus, Messiahs, Sex, Psychedelics and Other Consciousness-Raising Experiments; Wild Heart Dancing: A One-Day Personal Quest to Liberate the Artist & Lover Within; The Dark Light of the Soul/Encounters with Gabrielle Roth; an e-book titled Why I Am Not Enlightened, and he blogs for PsychologyToday.com.   Eliezer has also led creativity workshops and silent meditation retreats around the U.S.; he is a certified teacher of Gabrielle Roth’s 5Rhythms® conscious movement practice; has served as a hospital chaplain; was the publisher of two magazines, The New Sun and the Wild Heart Journal; served as Music Director for several children’s theater companies on both coasts, and taught music in two alternative high schools. Also an amateur painter, he and Shari reside in Red Bank, New Jersey with their two cats, Shlomo and Nudnick.

The Care Advocates is brought to you by the All Home Care Matters Media team and focuses on providing family caregivers and their loved ones with support, resources, and discussion on the issues facing them in the matrix of long-term care.   The Care Advocates is hosted by Lance A. Slatton & Dr. George Ackerman, also known as Sharon's son George.   The Care Advocates are honored to welcome the sisters from "Confessions of a Reluctant Caregiver" J.J. Elliott Hill & Natalie Elliott Handy as guests to the show.   About J.J. Elliott Hill, MBA:   J.J. is a finance executive turned entrepreneur, caregiver advocate, and podcast co-host. With over 17 years in commercial banking, she advised small to mid-sized businesses on strategic growth, asset management, and navigating regulatory and merger transitions. But in 2013, a corporate downsizing shifted her trajectory—leading her to co-found three startups spanning retail, manufacturing, and real estate.   In 2023, J.J. co-founded the Confessions of a Reluctant Caregiver podcast to raise awareness for the 53 million Americans caring for loved ones—just like she has done since 2019 for her mother, a 22-year Parkinson’s patient. What began as a personal story has grown into a global caregiving platform, with over 300,000 monthly downloads and listeners in 54 countries. Today, Confessions is more than a podcast—it’s a movement, offering training, keynote speaking, and advocacy that centers and elevates the caregiver voice.   In 2024, J.J. brought that same strategic mindset to the caregiving space as co-founder and CFO of CareForward, a public benefit company dedicated to supporting caregivers and the communities around them through technology-driven solutions and volunteer networks.   She holds a B.A. in Economics from Hollins College and an MBA in Executive Management from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. J.J. is a Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) and is completing her certification as a Caregiving Consultant, Educator, and Facilitator through The Caregiving Years Academy.   About Natalie Elliott Handy, MSW:   Natalie is a seasoned healthcare executive with over 25 years of experience in health and human services. She is the CEO of CareForward, a technology-driven platform that connects individuals in crisis with volunteers and partner organizations to meet urgent, short-term needs and improve long-term outcomes. Natalie is also the CEO of Handy Innovative Solutions, a consulting firm focused on trauma-informed, evidence-based strategies for child welfare and behavioral health systems, specializing in transitioning high-acuity youth from congregate care into stable, family-based placements.   Natalie co-hosts the global podcast Confessions of a Reluctant Caregiver with her sister, JJ Elliott-Hill. The show, ranked in the top 5% of podcasts globally and streamed in over 54 countries with 300K+ monthly downloads and streams, brings authenticity, humor, and hope to caregiving conversations. Through storytelling, education, and advocacy, the podcast provides a supportive space for caregivers worldwide.   A passionate advocate, Natalie has served in leadership roles across mental health, foster care, and healthcare systems, including CEO of multiple psychiatric treatment facilities and VP of Government Affairs at Health Connect America. She speaks nationally on caregiving, crisis response, and community solutions.   Learn more about the Self-Care at Sea Cruise: Official Website: https://www.funseas.com/self-care

All Home Care Matters and our host, Lance A. Slatton were honored to welcome Dr. James Vickers as guest to the show.     About Dr. James Vickers:   Dr. Vickers is a Distinguished Professor at the University of Tasmania and the Director of The Wicking Dementia Research & Education Center.     Distinguished Prof Vickers has an extensive track record in interventional cohort studies, cognition, neurogenetics, health services research and neuroscience research, and has published over 200 refereed articles. Distinguished Prof Vickers has held several national leadership roles, such as President of the Australasian Neuroscience Society (ANS, 2014–2016) and Chair of the Scientific Panel of the Alzheimer’s Australia Dementia Research Foundation (2014-2016).   He was awarded a Doctor of Science from University of Tasmania in 2005 in recognition of his contribution to neuroscience research. He is a Board Member of the Dementia Australia Research Foundation and a member of the Dementia Expert Reference Group for the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.   About The Wicking Dementia Research & Education Center:   The Wicking Dementia Centre was established in 2008 with seed funding from the J.O. and J.R. Wicking Trust. The Wicking Centre has an academic mission to undertake globally recognised and high-impact research and education. Research themes relate to the prevention, cause and care of dementia.   Teaching programs include formal university courses at the undergraduate and postgraduate level through to a suite of free online courses, including MOOCs on major neurological conditions.   The social mission of the Centre is centred on making a difference in the lives of people living with dementia and their carers.  

All Home Care Matters and our host, Lance A. Slatton were honored to welcome AlzAuthors and filmmakers to discuss the upcoming AlzAuthors Film Festival.   About the Filmmakers and their Films:   Sept 8: Mary Crescenzo and her film, “Planet A”   Synopsis: Planet A   Planet A reveals the good, bad, and ugly secrets, thoughts and frustrations of past lives and present realities of Alzheimer’s patients, their caregivers and family members. Follow Pauline and others who reside at a care home, when an arts practitioner working with residents unlocks the door to this world through an interwoven narrative of monologues and dialogs from distinct points of view. Planet A bears witness to both inhabitants and visitors who enter this terrain and shines a light in the darkness of this disease. Enter this land of revelation and unintentional masquerade where anyone can be called to reside.   Sept 22: Susie Singer Carter and her film, “No Country For Old People”   Synopsis: “No Country For Old People”   A filmmaker chronicles her mother's last 6 months in a 5-star nursing home exposing the systemic, deadly, profit-over-people business model. No Country For Old People is a scorching documentary posed to set the long term care industry, policy makers, and the country ablaze. Shining a much-needed light on what is truly a national human emergency, it is a clarion call for serious change.   October 6th: Frank Silverstein and his film “Lousy: Love in the Time of Dementia”   Synopsis: LOUSY: Love in the Time of Dementia   LOUSY: Love in the Time of Dementia is a front-row seat to ground-game dementia: its impact on my parents’ life and our family’s response. My parents cling to each other— singing, shouting and dancing— defying a world that overwhelms them. This film documents how their love helps them cope with their dementia and each other, and explores how this reality has restructured our family connections to each other and to the world. Full of painful humor and raw emotion, the film watches our family responding in real time, as we are forced to revise our relationships and rules for engagement on the fly.   November 10th: Kitty Norton and her documentary "Wine, Women, and Dementia"   Synopsis: "Wine, Women, and Dementia:   The documentary feature, Wine, Women, & Dementia, tells the tale of dementia life through the lens of the family caregivers who strive to accept the beauty and the brutality, the hilarious and the horrific - for themselves and their dementia person. It is a road trip around the U.S. in celebration of family caregivers and that swinging dementia lifestyle. Over glasses of wine the caregivers swap tales of love, humor, devotion, and death and most importantly how to honor LIFE on the long road to death.   December 8th: C. Nathan Brown and his film, “The Present”   Synopsis: "The Present":   Celebrating Christmas isn't the same for Mya and her family since her mother died from Alzheimer's disease. But a Christmas miracle could be in store.   Connect and Register for the AlzAuthors Film Festival: Official Website: https://www.alzauthors.com 

All Home Care Matters and our host, Lance A. Slatton were honored to welcome Michele Bolton as guest to the show.   About Michele Bolton:   Michele Bolton, Founder and CEO of MY911 Inc., is a Canadian entrepreneur redefining healthcare technology. Inspired by personal health challenges and a profound commitment to patient empowerment, she established MY911® to revolutionize emergency medical communications, seamlessly connecting patients, first responders, and healthcare professionals. With an illustrious career spanning 30 years in agriculture and wealth management simultaneously, Michele brings a unique blend of expertise to her visionary leadership.   Her innovative approach, rooted in empathy and a dedication to enhancing the patient experience, has positioned MY911® as a pioneering, patient-centric solution that has transformed the healthcare landscape. Michele’s trailblazing efforts have garnered international recognition, earned her an invitation to Global Healthcare Week in Abu Dhabi and prominent features in esteemed publications such as Forbes, Business Insider, MSN, and Insights Success, among others. Through her unwavering commitment to empowering patients as active participants in their healthcare journey, Michele continues to drive transformative change on a global scale.   About MY911 Inc.:   MY911 Inc. is a service that provides users with a customized wallet card displaying a QR code linked to an online profile, designed to streamline emergency medical communications through written and smart technology for patients and healthcare professionals. The user is in control of their online profile, and fills out the information they wish to share. MY911 Inc. is a company founded in London, Ontario, Canada.   CEO Michele Bolton started the service after her own challenges with the healthcare system. It’s comforting to see others experience the same benefits of streamlined medical communications she personally receives from using her innovative, customized MY911® wallet card. A MY911® subscription makes a great gift, providing loved ones with awareness, peace of mind, and convenience! 

      All Home Care Matters and our host, Lance A. Slatton (@lanceaslatton) were honored to welcome Andrew Karesa CEO and Founder of @bluebellvillage as guest to the show.     About Andrew Karesa:   Andrew Karesa is a member of the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation and a proud husband and father of two young sons.   After witnessing how his family coped to support his grandmother with her Alzheimer's diagnosis, Andrew realized he needed to take action. This inspired the creation of blueBell Village, aimed at Restoring the Personhood and Independence of those living with dementia™. With blueBell, Andrew has seen lives transformed for both individuals living with dementia and their caregivers, and he is passionate about fostering a world where care is tailored to each individual’s needs.   Additionally, he is pursuing his doctorate at the University of Calgary, where his research explores Indigenous entrepreneurship in the health sector, with a particular focus on the role of data in new venture creation. Andrew also holds an MBA from the University of Alberta. Before founding blueBell Village, he worked as a practicing engineer in the energy sector.     About blueBell Village:   blueBell Village is a health innovation company rooted in Indigenous values, dedicated to transforming the dementia care experience for families and caregivers. Founded in Canada, blueBell Village focuses on bridging clinical best practices with cultural and community-based knowledge to improve quality of life for people living with dementia—particularly in underserved and Indigenous communities.   Its flagship tool, blueBell Connect, is a digital support platform that helps care teams deliver personalized, culturally appropriate, and clinically grounded care. Unlike traditional caregiver tools, Connect doesn’t just share information—it guides action. It enables caregivers to coordinate with one another, share updates in real time, and receive recommendations that are tailored to the specific needs, routines, and cultural contexts of the individual they support. With a focus on inclusion, personalization, and dignity, blueBell Village is building tools that meet people where they are—and helping communities take care of their own.        

The Caregiver's Journal hosted by Lance A. Slatton with Cindy (PT) & Christina (ST) Hardin-Weiss.   The Caregiver's Journal is the show where we are sharing the caregiving experiences, stories, and wisdom of family caregivers.   Chapter 15 - "Caregiving Love":   About Mary Whitehead:   Mark & I have been partners in life since our first date, a Heart concert, in 1978 followed by our marriage in 1979. Together we raised two children, and along the way we helped care and provide for parents & grandparents throughout their illnesses and aging in place or in senior living centers. I call myself a care partner vs. caregiver because Mark does not need my assistance for everyday tasks. We both use our strengths that complement each other on this path with Parkinson’s and several other chronic illnesses he lives with.   My late mother was my inspiration. In my mid-teens I watched her, over the course of two years, lovingly care for my dying father (lung cancer). I could not have had a better, in-home example of someone who did everything, including care for him, with love. I am married to the most wonderful man who insisted that my mom live with us for what totaled the last 12 years of her life so that she could have a comfortable life with no expenses and be cared for by us after having a massive heart attack two years before she passed away.   When Mark was 47, as we became empty nesters and were poised to live out some dreams that were not feasible during our first 2+ decades together, a diagnosis of young onset Parkinson’s Disease brought our hopes, plans, and his career to a screeching halt. But it couldn’t completely stop this incredible human being, artist, musician/composer, man of many hobbies and a higher math maniac. I like to tease him about trying to share multi-page equations with me for discussion. Side note: he even took an online math course through MIT and I insisted that he buy one of their hoodies to wear proudly. There is so much to Mark that we could never cover in one conversation but rather than dwell on the PD, he prefers to pursue and concentrate on what he CAN do.   We cultivate humor and wit in our relationship. That’s where “Tenacious M” - my care partner/gansta moniker comes from. I combine it with my Cornermam enthusiasm to encourage Mark’s boxing workouts (excellent for PD) and – like a beagle in a brush pile - I pursue every challenge face head on, whether it’s an insurance or pharmacy snafu, etc. Together, we face every aspect of living with PD. And we are both are dedicated PD research participants at Washington Univ., St. Louis, MO, also the location of Mark’s neuro, Dr. Joel Perlmutter (definitely the top doc). I, along with two of our friends are in the non-PD control group. We all have pledged to donate our brains at the end of our lives for PD research.   In 2013, inspired by a Parkinsons Foundation resource kit, we created a PD Awareness & Research fundraising blitz, raising nearly $3k for Dr. P’s research. Friends, family & my coworkers held Pancakes for PD, Dine-out nights, a proclamation by our city mayor, and, among many other activities, we raffled a beautiful quilt that Mark & I designed, and I did the hand-embroidery.   Like the motto in our Parkinson’s & Dystonia private FaceBook group, we will never give up.   And I’d like to credit the group’s founder/lead admin, Erika, for creating a safe and supporting space for people with PD and the caregivers & care partners.

All Home Care Matters and our host, Lance A. Slatton  are honored to welcome Kimberly Anderson as guest to the show.     About Kimberly Anderson, Director of Business Development at QuickChange Wrap for Men by UI Medical :     Kimberly Anderson is the Director of Business Development at UI Medical, makers of the QuickChange® Wrap—a urine management device for men. With over 20 years in the medical field, she spent the last eight traveling nationwide to educate healthcare providers on QuickChange, previously serving as UI Medical’s Director of Clinical Education. Kimberly is passionate about restoring dignity for men with incontinence and supporting caregivers through education on alternatives to traditional devices, helping to prevent UTIs, dermatitis, and pressure injuries.     About UI Medical the Makers of the QuckChange Wrap:     UI Medical LLC is a California-based company dedicated to improving the lives of less mobile individuals through innovative, easy-to-use solutions. We manufacture the QuickChange® Wrap, a Class I medical device designed specifically for men who are wheelchair users, bed-bound, or have unique incontinence needs. Proudly made in the USA, the QuickChange Wrap is available through major distributors like Medline Industries, as well as online retailers including Amazon and Walmart. Our patented design serves a distinct yet underserved population—approximately 15% of incontinent men—and we're committed to supporting both users and caregivers with a product that brings comfort, dignity, and convenience.     UI Medical holds international patents and complies with CE and UKCA standards. We are registered in the U.S., EU, UK, Australia, and many other countries. Our ISO 13485–certified manufacturing facility in California ensures high-quality production and minimizes supply chain risks. A list of our institutional clients can be found on their website at www.quickchange.com.  

    All Home Care Matters and our host, Lance A. Slatton were honored to welcome Natalie Black as guest to the show.     About Natalie Black Chief Executive Officer, Comfort Keepers, North America:   Natalie joined CK Franchising, Inc. in October 2023 as Chief Executive Officer. She is a passionate and highly intuitive leader with professional experience across the healthcare, financial services and entertainment industries. Natalie joined Sodexo in 2015 as Director of Strategy and Franchise Business Development and later served in leadership roles including CFO of Worldwide Home Care and COO of Worldwide Home Care at Sodexo.   Natalie earned a Bachelor of Science in Financial Mathematics and Statistics from University of California Santa Barbara and a Master of Business Administration from Pepperdine Graziadio Business School.     About Comfort Keepers:     For 25 years, Comfort Keepers® has been Elevating the Human SpiritSM through its in-home care network for seniors and other adults by empowering them to maintain their independence and realize joy in the everyday moments. Comfort Keepers operates a franchise network that has grown to more than 600 locations in the U.S. and Canada, serving hundreds of thousands of clients since 1998.   The company’s nationwide network employs thousands of caregivers, also known as Comfort Keepers®, who deliver joy through interactive caregiving by continually communicating with, involving, and engaging with seniors in everyday tasks and activities.