Allyson Schrier's Compassionate Journey
Allyson Schrier is a Program Manager at the University of Washington’s Memory and Brain Wellness Center, having previously worked as a family care partner. She is also a writer, teacher, dementia consultant, and Co-founder of Zinnia TV. Allyson has received the 2020 Maude’s Awards for Innovation in Alzheimer’s Care and was named the Visionary Caregiver of 2020 by www.caregiving.com.
In today’s podcast, Nicolette interviews Allyson Schrier, an expert on dementia who, after her husband's diagnosis, left her job in technology to become a caregiver and educator on dementia care. She teaches professional caregivers, family, and friends how to create a safe and welcoming environment for people living with dementia. Allyson also co-created a streaming service with videos made for people with dementia, and she explains the hundreds of different types of dementia and how the brain works.
“Hiding your diagnosis is on the list of the worst things you can do…getting into support group is mission critical.”
Allyson’s experience as a caregiver and her natural inclination to solve problems is evident in all her work to support the dementia community. She shares the systems she used after her husband's diagnosis to manage life with her family and friends and highly recommends having a spiritual community. Nicolette and Allyson discuss various topics, including caregiving, the turnover of caregiving professionals, low-income families with dementia, the medical system, prevention over curing dementia, how apple memories inspired Zinnia TV, and the importance of food as medicine. Allyson advocates for the Mind Diet - a combination of the DASH Diet and the Mediterranean Diet. Learn more in this episode.