Have you ever wondered how faith can guide us through the challenging journey of dementia caregiving?

In the world of dementia caregiving, embracing faith can be a powerful source of comfort and strength.

This episode into how faith, especially during the festive season of Christmas, can offer a unique perspective and solace to those facing the challenges of a dementia diagnosis.

0:00:00 Introduction

0:01:28 Understanding the Difficulty of a Dementia Diagnosis

0:02:21 Exploring Faith and Understanding Difficult Providence

0:03:14 Providence: God's Control and Its Connection to Dementia

0:09:29 The Holiness of God and Invitation to Non-Believers

0:10:49 Wishing a Merry Christmas and Encouraging Joyful Memories

0:11:29 Serious Talk: Dementia Caregiving for Families

0:12:12 Wishing You a Blessed and Merry Christmas

0:12:26 Pouring my heart into serving you, leave a review!

0:13:05 Seeking peace of mind despite the dementia diagnosis.

Understanding Through a Faithful Lens

Lizette highlights the importance of viewing a dementia diagnosis through the lens of faith. She emphasizes that understanding and accepting this condition can be more profound when seen as a part of a larger divine plan. This perspective helps caregivers find meaning and purpose in their journey.

Providence and Dementia: A Connection

A central theme of the episode is the concept of providence and its relation to dementia. Providence, in this context, is about seeing God's hand in the challenges we face, including a dementia diagnosis. It suggests that such trials are part of a bigger picture, serving a greater purpose in our lives and the lives of those we care for.

Navigating Challenges with Hope and Understanding

Lizette encourages listeners to approach dementia caregiving with hope and understanding, viewing it as an opportunity for growth and learning. She reassures listeners that, despite the difficulties, there is a deeper meaning and a chance for spiritual development in these experiences.

A Message of Encouragement and Reflection

As the episode unfolds, it becomes a heartfelt message of encouragement, urging listeners to reflect on their own beliefs and how these can positively influence their caregiving journey. It's a reminder that in the face of adversity, faith can be a guiding light.

A Call to Embrace the Season

The episode concludes with a call to embrace the Christmas season, a time traditionally filled with hope and renewal. It's an invitation to make the most of this time, creating joyful memories with loved ones, regardless of the challenges dementia may bring.

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Transcript

Reframing a Diagnosis: Finding Providence in Unexpected Challenges

[0:01] Today is just a shorty episode to wish you a Merry Christmas and for you to understand how to even think about it when you get a diagnosis of dementia or anything else in your life that you weren't anticipating and a way for you to reframe it and to look at it through the providence of God.

So I hope you enjoy this episode today.

Hey there, success seeker. Welcome to Dementia Caregiving for Families.

Simplifying Dementia Caregiving: Seeking an Easier Path

[0:38] Do you feel overwhelmed with the daily struggle of dementia caregiving, looking for an easier path?

You're in the right place. On this podcast, we teach you the skills to simplify caregiving.

We unravel the mystery of dementia and guide you through the often difficult behaviors.

I'm Lizette, your host and fellow family caregiver.

As an occupational therapist, I bring my professional and personal experience to this community.

Here we speak the truth, but without the verbal vomit.

I know you will find value in today's program.

So buckle up while this flight takes off.

Understanding the Difficulty of a Dementia Diagnosis

[1:28] Welcome back to Dementia Caregiving for Families.

This episode is episode number 68, and we're going to be talking about how to understand getting a diagnosis of dementia.

[1:42] And I know that can be a very difficult subject to hear that you or somebody that you love has recently received a diagnosis of dementia.

And so I wanted to take some time today, because this episode will be airing on Christmas Day, to say Merry Christmas and may the Lord bless you.

[2:10] And I wanted to explore with you today a little bit about how to really understand getting a diagnosis of dementia.

Exploring Faith and Understanding Difficult Providence

[2:21] I mentioned in this podcast that I am a Christian. I'm a believer.

And since today is Christmas Day, I thought I would talk a little bit about my faith and my journey of understanding difficult providences that the Lord brings into our lives.

If you're not a believer, stick with me, because I know that there are people who listen to this broadcast that may not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ coming to save them from their sins.

I understand that. However, since it is Christmas, and we are celebrating, in essence, truly the birth of Christ, I thought I would take this opportunity.

Providence: God's Control and Its Connection to Dementia

[3:14] One of the things that helps you to understand how getting a diagnosis of dementia relates to everything in the world has to do with what it means to understand the decrees of God.

So the decrees of God are his eternal purpose according to the counsel of his will, whereby for his glory he hath foreordained whatever comes to pass.

So, God is in control of everything, and He has created everything.

[3:53] World and he has created providence, right?

So how does he do this through creation and providence?

All people know that there is a God.

They just have to look outside the window and see through creation that there is a God.

And the other way that God executes his decrees is through providence.

So, we're going to talk about providence today, specifically in understanding, when you get a diagnosis of dementia.

[4:30] What is providence? It's, you know, something that a lot of people don't necessarily think about.

What is the word providence? What does it mean?

What are God's works of providence?

His works of providence are his holy, his most holy, wise, powerful, preserving, and governing all of his creatures and their actions.

So providence is is God is in control.

And what we need to understand is that God is in control of everything, and He does everything for our good and His glory.

And that also includes a diagnosis of dementia.

That includes a spouse dying at 42.

That includes the miscarriage I had before I had my oldest daughter.

That includes everything, everything in the world.

The car accident that you have, the bum knee that you have, whatever circumstances you have in your life are because it is for your good and for God's glory. And understanding.

[5:51] When we understand dementia in relation to the fact that God is in control, and even through these hard providences in our life, He is still in control of the ultimate outcome of our journey.

And I know there's some people out there that are going to say, but why did it happen to me, right?

Why did it happen to my family?

It's a difficult process. How can a good and loving God bring these circumstances into my life, Lizette?

That doesn't seem good or loving, right?

Well, that also starts with the understanding that we all have, we all bring into our journey, our life, life some sort of a pair of eyeglasses, right?

A worldview that we look at the world through.

People either believe that people are good or people believe that people are sinners, right?

So, you'll hear, oh, but they're a good person.

[7:04] I believe that we are created in the image of God And therefore, we were created good, but because of sin entering into the world through the sin of Adam and Eve, we are now no longer good.

Able to be good. We are not holy.

Holy is what God is, but we are not holy.

[7:32] And so when you come into this equation of how to understand somebody getting a diagnosis of dementia and you think, but they're a good person, how could this happen to them?

Then it is difficult to understand a difficult process and the providence of God.

But if you come from this perspective, which is where I come from, I'm a sinner.

I'm created in the image of God, but I'm a sinner.

And because I'm a sinner, I deserve the wrath of God.

And therefore, I am, am blessed that he has chosen through Christ to save me from my sins, it puts a whole different light on the fact that I have a loved one that I'm helping with dementia or how I went through the experience of a miscarriage 30 plus years ago, right?

So, I wanted to have this conversation today to try to encourage people that to understand a diagnosis of dementia without the reason for the season, which legitimately is Christmas, which means the birth of Christ.

[8:59] Is impossible when you do not understand the goodness of God and the fact that He is upholding you and your loved one with dementia, even through this difficult process, and that He is good and wise and holy, and He is doing it for your benefit, for your sanctification, if you are a brother and sister in Christ.

The Holiness of God and Invitation to Non-Believers

[9:29] Ultimate ability for your, like I said, sanctification to make you holy.

If you are not a believer today, I invite you to reach out to me and talk to me about faith-based occurrences, faith-based things.

But I wanted to take this Christmas day to talk to you a little bit about the good and wise and holy God that I serve.

He is triune. He is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

And today, Christmas Day, we celebrate the incarnation of my Lord Jesus Christ, who came to earth to save and redeem me from my sins.

And because of that, and only because of that, do I know how to understand getting a diagnosis of dementia and that it is the Lord's good and kind providence in my life and that there is something for me to learn and grow through this process as well as for the person who has dementia.

[10:43] So today's episode was a little bit different because I'm putting my faith out in the world.

Wishing a Merry Christmas and Encouraging Joyful Memories

[10:49] I wanted to take this opportunity to wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

This is Dementia Caregiving for Families, and I want you to truly today spend this time time with the people you love and make happy joyful memories and like i said if you are not a fellow believer please reach out to me talk to me ask god to convert you and come into your heart and may the lord bless you this christmas.

Serious Talk: Dementia Caregiving for Families

[11:29] A little more of a serious topic today in our podcast, Dementia Caregiving for Families.

If you like this episode, I invite you to subscribe to it on Apple Podcasts or whichever platform you listen to.

I beg you to please share this with your friends and families.

This program is called Dementia Caregiving for Families.

I want to serve families. If you are Or if you haven't left a review, please leave me a review on Apple Podcasts because that's the one that drives the way to be able to track that people are actually listening.

Wishing You a Blessed and Merry Christmas

[12:12] And have a blessed and Merry Christmas with your families.

Make good, lasting memories.

Take photos, take videos, and have a blast.

Disclaimer: These blogs, videos and any work done by Lizette Cloete OT, as a Member of Think Different Dementia, LLC, is given only as educational content and consulting work. This does not create an Occupational Therapist-Patient Relationship. The educational content and consulting work performed should not be considered medical treatment as an Occupational Therapist. The consulting work does not take the place of medical work normally performed by a licensed Occupational Therapist. Please consult a licensed Occupational Therapist for medical advice.

“Think Different” Dementia’s owner, Lizette Cloete, OTR/L graduated as an Occupational Therapist from the University of Pretoria in South Africa in 1992. She and her husband emigrated to the USA in 1993, and currently reside in South Carolina. They have 2 daughters and one son-in-love, 4 cats, one dog and 16 chickens.

Lizette has almost 30 years of experience as an Occupational Therapist in a variety of settings, the latest being in the home health environment. Among her many accomplishments, she served on the South Carolina Occupational Therapy Association’s Board of Directors from 2008-2014. She enjoys teaching on the topic of dementia, most recently presenting at a national conference on the topic “Dementia Made Simple”