Aging Together // Unfiltered
TL;DR: A podcast for adult children of aging parents and family caregivers who want honest, no-fluff conversations about aging, care, and caregiving. We talk about what’s working, what’s broken, and what needs to change—without sugarcoating or euphemisms.
Aging Together // Unfiltered explores the real challenges and hard decisions families face as they support aging loved ones. Hosted by Dr. Pooja A. Patel—a double-board certified occupational therapist and gerontologist, and longtime caregiver advocate—this show moves beyond “proper” conversations and into the realities families are navigating every day.
After four seasons of carefully curated, polished discussions, this podcast is now intentionally unfiltered. Not for shock value, but because polite language hasn’t fixed broken systems—or made caregiving easier. Our elders and their families don’t need softer words. They need better care, clearer information, and honest conversations that lead to action.
Each episode features clinicians, caregivers, innovators, and leaders who bring both professional expertise and lived experience. Together, we dive into aging in America—what’s working, what’s failing, and where families are being left to figure things out on their own.
Topics include:
- Aging in place and long-term care options
- Care planning, transitions, and crisis moments
- Mental health, grief, and caregiver burnout
- Navigating healthcare systems and resources
- Advocacy, accountability, and better models of care
This podcast is for the sandwich generation, long-distance caregivers, aging adults planning ahead, and professionals working in aging and care who want the truth—not platitudes.
👉 Follow Aging Together // Unfiltered if you’re navigating aging parents, caregiving decisions, or a healthcare system that wasn’t built with families in mind—and you’re ready for real conversations, not polite ones.
🎙️ Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and YouTube.
A production of Aging Together LLC.
Aging Together // Unfiltered
S2E10: Dementia Coaching vs Skilled Therapy: How to Involve the Right Professionals for Your Family
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Before we move into today’s episode, I want to express my sincere gratitude as I wrap up Season 2. This podcast show has come a long way since I first started it in January of 2023. All thanks to YOU all, the audience, this podcast grew from an average of 30 listens/month to 30 listens/week, and further to 100+ listens/week. This is the last episode of Season 2 as I take a little winter break. If you’re interested in what you can look forward to with Season 3, listen through to the end of this episode.
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For this last episode of Season 2, we’re diving into dementia coaching vs skilled therapy. To review this topic, I have the privilege of interviewing Lizette Cloete (“clue-tuh”), OTR/L.
Lizette is a seasoned occupational therapist and the daughter of two parents with cognitive loss. With over 30+ years of experience as an occupational-therapist-turned-dementia-coach and 5 years of being a daughter of dementia, she has helped thousands of families navigate a dementia care journey from diagnosis to death. Her personal experience as a family caregiver to her parents opened her eyes to the complexities related to caregiving, including the balancing act between her own health, her own resources, and her own relationships while caregiving, not to mention navigating the healthcare system with, and for, her parents. This journey prompted her to develop a unique process to dementia caregiving. From a faith-based perspective, she uses science-backed solutions to dementia caregiving based in her education and training as an occupational therapist with specialty certifications in dementia care.
Lizette is on a mission to help Christian spouses and adult children of people with dementia navigate their journey by decreasing caregiver stress. Using Biblical principles, evidence-based solutions to dementia caregiving and addressing caregiver stress through weekly tracking, Think Different Dementia (TDD) shows caregivers how, and where, to decrease their stress and reduce their risk for burnout and redeem your time.
We believe that dementia coaching is the most effective way to help caregivers decrease their stress by anticipating and managing the inevitable dementia-related changes. We know that time is the one resource that cannot be regained, and we help families redeem their time. As a pastor’s wife, Lizette is uniquely qualified to answer dementia caregiving challenges from a Biblical perspective.
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. You can tune into the podcast “Dementia Caregiving for Families” to learn more.
“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, 2 cats, one dog and many chickens.
Together, we’re discussing the difference between dementia coaching and skilled therapy, as well as how to know which professional is the right fit for you and your family.
Looking for activities for someone with dementia? Find puzzles, games, & more at Assistex.
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