Capturing Essence for Care
Capturing Essence for Care
Podcast Description
Capturing Essence for Care focuses on the importance of incorporating personal life stories into health care and through each episode, Lisa invites guests and listeners to share their ideas and insights from their own experiences. We dive into various ways we can capture our own essence and have meaningful conversations about all types of storytelling methods, including through writing, video, voice, visuals and so much more! Join Lisa for solo episodes and interviews with diverse storytellers including personal historians, digital storytellers, guided autobiography instructors, healthcare practitioners among many others.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast delves into personal narratives, care transformations, and storytelling methodologies with specific episodes exploring topics like the impact of sharing life stories on dementia care and techniques for guided autobiography, emphasizing the exploratory nature of personal histories.
What if healthcare teams knew what lights you up?
Capturing Essence for Care celebrates the everyday moments, passions, and stories that make us who we are—right now, while we’re living fully.
This podcast explores the many ways we can capture and express our essence: through storytelling, photography, video, music, autobiography, meaningful conversations, creative arts and more. We talk with artists, musicians, storytellers, people living vibrant lives, and experts who help preserve stories. Along the way, we discover how engaging with our creativity and stories isn’t just about preservation—it’s about nurturing our overall health and wellbeing in the present moment.
Why “for Care”?
Because life is unpredictable. When we eventually need healthcare support—whether for ourselves or loved ones—having our essence captured means care teams can see us as whole people, not just patients. They’ll know what brings us joy, what matters most to us, and how to connect with who we truly are.
This podcast is for:
- Anyone who wants to preserve what makes them uniquely themselves
- People curious about life story work, personal history, and creative expression
- Those who believe our identities matter throughout our entire lives
- DIY-ers looking to learn how to capture stories themselves
- Professionals interested in person-centered approaches
- Anyone inspired by hearing how others capture and share their essence
Join host Lisa Joworski
Lisa is a Recreation and Life Story Resource specialist who brings together storytellers, artists, musicians, advocates, people living with dementia, healthcare practitioners, and life story experts. Each conversation offers insights and practical approaches for the beautiful ways we can honour our own stories and the stories of those we love—not just for memory’s sake, but for the fullness of living and for the care we may one day need.
Connect with Lisa:
- Email: [email protected]
- Facebook: facebook.com/AWEStruckAspirations
- Etsy Shop: etsy.com/ca/shop/AwestruckAspirations
New episodes release every other week. Subscribe so you never miss a conversation!
Episode Description:
We talk with Linda Wiebe about loving and caring for her husband Herb through Alzheimer's disease and Lewy Body Dementia, and how digital storytelling helps others see the person behind the diagnosis. We also name the hidden load caregivers carry — from isolation and stigma to the practical decisions that protect a family before crisis hits.
- the digital story When Words Fade, and why it helped others understand
- Herb's zest for life and the early changes that signalled something was wrong
- delays in diagnosis and how uncertainty compounds caregiver stress
- deciding what to share publicly while protecting dignity and privacy
- why speaking up can bring relief to those who already notice changes
- caregiver advocacy through COVID and the realities of 24-7 care
- financial and legal basics — power of attorney, health care directives, and account safeguards
- emergency planning and the complexity of family-managed care at home
- the difficult first year after moving into long-term care
- helping staff know the person through photos, routines, humour, and respectful communication
- connecting without words using eye contact, touch, tone, and presence
- how friends can help by showing up with simple gestures and time
Guest Bio:
Linda Wiebe is a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and lifelong servant-leader whose life has been shaped by a deep commitment to people and community. She has worked and served in several countries, primarily in administrative roles, supporting organizations and ministries. Alongside her husband, Herb, Linda shared a life rooted in ministry, mentoring, and hospitality. Together, they trained and invested in young people and leaders, creating welcoming spaces where others felt seen, valued, and encouraged.
When Herb was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia and Early-Onset Alzheimer’s, the couple made the courageous decision to continue living outwardly, sharing their journey with honesty and compassion. Through storytelling, including the digital story When Words Fade, Linda now supports and encourages others walking similar paths. Her voice carries empathy, wisdom, and hope, reminding others that love, connection, and dignity endure—even when words fade.
Thank you for listening!
Do you have a question or a topic related to ”capturing essence for care” that you would like discussed on the podcast? Text the show using the link above or send Lisa an email: [email protected]
Interested in learning more?
Intro and outro music with thanks: Upbeat and Sweet No Strings by Musictown
Lisa brings over 25 years of experience working in healthcare settings with older adults. The perspectives shared on this podcast are her own and do not represent the views of any past or current employer. Patient/resident stories are shared only with explicit permission or as anonymized composites for educational purposes.
Disclaimer
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