Stop The Caregiver Guilt: Finding The Person Behind Dementia with Dr. Daniel Potts

In this powerful and soulful rewind episode, Laura welcomes Dr. Daniel C. Potts, an esteemed neurologist, dementia specialist, and the Founder/President of the Cognitive Dynamics Foundation. They explore a fundamental question: How do we find, honor, and build a relationship with the person still there, even as dementia changes everything?

Dr. Potts shares the deeply personal story of his father, Lester, whose unexpected discovery of watercolor painting following his Alzheimer's diagnosis transformed Dr. Potts’s entire clinical and personal paradigm. This conversation is a profound dive into the Pillars of Personhood, the healing power of creativity, and the spiritual walk of caregiving.

🙋‍♀️ Meet Dr. Daniel C. Potts:

Dr. Daniel C. Potts, MD, FAAN (Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology), is a neurologist at the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center and the University of Alabama. His approach to dementia care is rooted in personhood, empathy, and the arts, shaped by his journey as a care partner to his father, Lester. Dr. Potts is also the Founder of the Cognitive Dynamics Foundation and an accomplished poet.

✔️ Topics Discussed:

- The personal challenge of diagnosing dementia in your own family, even as a neurologist, and overcoming the resulting guilt.

- The essential shift from seeking a cure to focusing on living well and fostering deep connection.

- The Pillars of Personhood: Believing the person is still there and capable of relational interactions.

- Tapping into a loved one's core traits, remaining gifts, and life history to rebuild your relationship.

- The breakthrough power of creativity: Lester's watercolor art as a non-verbal medium for expression and memory.

- The mission of the Cognitive Dynamics Foundation and the "Bringing Art to Life" program.

- The role of faith and spirituality in transforming the pain of caregiving (the need to transform pain, not transmit it).

- Why caregivers must "put away their ego's idea of how things should be" and meet their loved one where they are now.

⏱️ Timestamps (Approximate):

00:00 - Welcome & Intro to Dr. Potts

02:40 - Empathy and the compassionate physician

08:10 - The difficulty of diagnosing your own parent

14:45 - Shifting the paradigm: From cure to relationship

21:30 - Introducing the Pillars of Personhood

27:00 - Lester's watercolor art and creativity

32:10 - Why "you have to believe the person is there"

44:20 - Faith, spirituality, and transforming caregiver pain

50:15 - Creating a culture of compassion

56:00 - The Cognitive Dynamics Foundation and "Bringing Art to Life"

✨ Key Takeaways:

- The Person is Still There: True person-centered care requires the absolute belief that your loved one is present and capable of meaningful connection.

- Find the Pillars: Build your relationship on their remaining core strengths, loves, and characteristics, not on past expectations.

- Art Unlocks Story: Creative outlets are powerful non-verbal ways for people with dementia to process their life and share their memories.

- Self-Compassion is Key: The caregiving journey is a spiritual one. Practice gratitude and self-compassion to transform the pain of loss and resentment.

📚 Resources Mentioned:

Cognitive Dynamics Foundation: https://www.cognitivedynamics.org/

Amazon Author Page for Dr. Daniel C. Potts, M.D.: https://www.amazon.com/Daniel-C.-Potts-M.D./e/B078PYPWR8%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share?tag=askcom05deals-20

🔗 Connect with Dr. Daniel C. Potts:

Website: https://www.cognitivedynamics.org/

Twitter: @DanielCPots

Instagram: @DCPOTSMD

Connect with Laura Vaillancourt & the Life on Repeat Podcast:

Website: https://lifeonrepeatpodcast.com

Instagram: @lifeonrepeatpodcast

Facebook: Life on Repeat Podcast

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LifeonRepeatPodcast

If this episode gave you a breath of hope, please like, subscribe, and share it with a caregiver or clinician who needs it.

You're not alone.