Building Connections and Creating Moments of Joy

Caregiving advocate, community educator, and longtime caregiver Carolyn Schick will share insights from her journey of caring for her parents and the profound impact that Jolene Brackey’s book Creating Moments of Joy had on her and her approach to caregiving.

During this interactive presentation, Carolyn will model and share anecdotes illustrating how she embraced her parents’ reality and used dynamic storytelling, a spirit of adventure, and a growth mindset to build new connections and create moments of joy amidst cognitive change and dementia.

Learning Objectives

• Participants will learn how adopting a growth mindset and embracing the principles from Creating Moments of Joy can transform the caregiving experience.
• Participants will witness and try out strategies, such as dynamic storytelling and fostering a sense of adventure, to create meaningful moments with loved ones facing cognitive decline.
• Participants will gain insights into how accepting and embracing the reality of a loved one with dementia can lead to more compassionate, supportive, and fulfilling caregiving relationships.

For 23 years, Carolyn Schick had the honor and privilege to care for her parents – advocating for them, creating moments of joy with them, and helping them live well until it was time for them to die.  Having “graduated” from caregiving, Carolyn offers dementia training to the community through her lived experience, she serves as a Big Buddy at Camp Erin (a grief camp for kids run through CaringMatters), and she is a college-level educator, empowering students to articulate their ideas, help one another, and capture their dreams.