Season Two
Welcome back to Call to Mind
Join Mariko Sakamoto, assistant professor of nursing at the University of Victoria, for the second season of the multi-award-winning podcast series about love and memory loss, recorded by caregivers of family members living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
Becoming a Granddaughter Again
Shifting roles in an intergenerational Punjabi family
When you think about family caregivers, you likely imagine a spouse, or a son or daughter. But there are also young people out there who are doing the lion’s share of care for a grandparent with dementia. Ashley was a full-time student with two part-time jobs when she became one of the primary caregivers for her nani, Devki, in their multi-generational home in Abbotsford.
This is a story about racism and gaps in the healthcare system, and the need for human-centred and culturally sensitive supports. It’s also a story about how a young woman finds her way back to being a loving granddaughter again when she becomes lost in the role of caregiver.
Credits: Toohiyon Hain Main Naahi Ve Sajjana by Niranjan Saar, used with permission.
The Long Dance
Journeying through dementia with a life partner
Caregiving is hard. And journeying alongside a life partner with dementia is like watching your lover, and your relationship, slowly disappear in the rear-view mirror. It’s heartbreaking and you just can’t sugarcoat it. Then there’s all the practicalities and complexities of caregiving. It can be overwhelming.
This is Gerri’s story about the heavy emotional work of caregiving. It’s also a story about finding rest and renewal with her husband Don in nature, with friends and through art and music…with a little help from singer and composer, Jeremy Dutcher.
Credits: Take My Hand by Jeremy Dutcher; Lyrics by Jeremy Dutcher, Basia Bulat and Maggie Paul; Courtesy of Secret City Records
It Takes A Village
Wraparound care with a big family
They say it takes a village and when it comes to caregiving for a family member with dementia, sometimes it takes a big family. Lana-Michele and her dad, Reynold—or Ren as everyone calls him—live on a ranch by a lake in rural BC with her grown-up sons. Some of her siblings recently moved to the area to be closer. She considers herself lucky to have family support and to be able to afford extra care for Ron.
Her story is about the pressure to create the best life for an aging parent and finding the right balance between encouragement and acceptance.
Sleep Well My Little Pussycat
A mother and daughter's end-of-life transition to long term care
Sometimes, for a myriad of reasons, we just can’t take care of our aging loved ones in their home or ours. But caregiving doesn’t end if a family member moves into long term care. Marjorie’s story shows us that we can continue to support our loved ones, to advocate for them, and journey alongside them wherever they are.
Marjorie recorded this audio diary over a period of about six weeks, mostly in her car driving to her mom, Alexandria’s, care home on Vancouver Island. This episode is about a daughter’s love for her mother, right to her last breath.
This 2025 podcast series is part of a UVic research project that explores storytelling, different ways of listening, and the power of being heard.
Hosted by Mariko Sakamoto, produced by Jenni Schine; sound design by David Parfit; executive producer, Suzanne Ahearne.
This podcast series is made possible by the generosity and creativity of the participants in Mariko Sakamoto's research project, and by the University of Victoria. With support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and with Scholar Award funding from Michael Smith Health Research BC/Alzheimer Society of BC.