The Sound of Connection: A Caregiver’s Voice

When dementia and Parkinson’s made words hard to find, Allegra Miller and her husband, Bob Rinkema, found a new way to connect — through music at the piano. Their shared playing became a language of its own, even when conversation was difficult.On this episode of Living Healthy Together, UVM Health Network’s podcast, Allegra shares her caregiving journey with her husband, following his diagnosis of Lewy Body dementia and Parkinson’s.She’s followed by Dr. Sunny Eappen and Christine Werneke, who reflect on their own experiences with family caregiving and how this longstanding challenge continues to shape care in our communities.Podcast Exclusive BONUS Interview -- Learn more about dementia care, memory care, at-home caregiving and the Dementia Family Caregiver Center. Lori McKenna, the center’s director, Joan Marsh-Reed, a psychologist at the center, and Audrey Winograd, director of the center’s Vermont Bridges Program, discuss how science and research provided the foundation for programs and services that support caregivers, the regional and national challenges facing caregivers, and what the Center’s team is working on right now to support at-home caregivers and those they care for every day.