Susan Farese MSN, RN Untangles Poetic Expressions in Dementia Care
- S2023E86
- 53:17
- February 27th 2023
Poetry, whether reading or writing it, can be a powerful tool to ease our dementia caregiving journey, allowing us to express our deepest emotions, unravel our confusion and angst, and learn from and understand others.
Susan J. Farese, MSN, RN is the author of Poetic Expressions in Nursing: Sharing the Caring, poems written when she became a nurse poet in the 1990's. Heartbreaking memories of losing her grandmother, Ann, to early onset Alzheimer's when she was a young teen inspired her first poem, Ann's Zest Ends.
In this episode, we discuss how witnessing her grandmother's decline as a child profoundly impacted her even 50 years later, why a chance scene in a movie inspired her to start writing poetry, and the value of poetry as expression for nurses and caregivers.
A native of New Jersey, Susan has decades of experience in health care and communications, including military and civilian nursing practice, management, education/training, public speaking, research, and consulting. She is owner/president of SJF Communications, based in San Diego, California. SJF Communications provides public relations, marketing, social media, websites, writing, filmmaking, acting, public speaking, mentoring and photography. She currently teaches "Capturing Your Creativity with Haiku" workshops and has published poetry and articles on a variety of topics.
In addition to being on the advisory board of San Diego Film Week, Susan is a member of SAG-AFTRA, American Legion Post 43, Veterans in Media & Entertainment, San Diego Writers Ink the San Diego Press Club, the Southern California Writers Association, the Army Nurse Corps Association. Since 2017, she has been a Mentor in San Diego State University’s Aztec MentorProgram.
April is National Poetry Month
Please join us on April 18th at 2 pm when we present Poetry for the Dementia Journey, an AlzAuthors Live! Virtual Q&A featuring several of our poets. Subscribe to our website at alzauthors.com to receive notice of these events.
After the Podcast
Read Susan's AlzAuthors post:
Susan J. Farese Reflects on Alzheimer’s and Nursing in Poetry
Buy the book:
Purchase Poetic Expressions in Nursing: Sharing the Caring
Note: We are an Amazon Associate and may receive a small commission from books sales.
Listen to Susan read Ann's Zest Ends, her tribute to her grandmother, on Audible
Connect with Susan
Facebook Business Page
Instagram @sjfcommo
Twitter @sjfcommo
Contact: [email protected]
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About the Podcast
AlzAuthors is the global community of authors writing about Alzheimer's and dementia from personal experience to light the way for others. Our podcast introduces you to our authors who share their stories and insights to provide knowledge, comfort, and support. Please subscribe so you don’t miss a word. If our authors’ stories move you, please leave a review. And don’t forget to share our podcast with family and friends on their own dementia journeys.
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AlzAuthors: Untangling Alzheimer's & Dementia
Welcome to the AlzAuthors podcast! We’re so glad you found us. We are the global community of authors writing about Alzheimer's and dementia from personal experience to light the way for others. Join us each week as one of our authors shares their dementia journey, revealing intimate details and painfully obtained knowledge to help others currently on this path. We hope our stories offer comfort and support as we strive to break the silence and stigma surrounding a dementia diagnosis. May one of our authors speak to your experience. For more info please visit https://alzauthors.com.
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Meet Our Hosts
Marianne Sciucco is a registered nurse, dementia daughter, and author of the novel Blue Hydrangeas, an Alzheimer’s love story, based on a couple she met through her work. It is a testament to the power of love in the face of this heart-wrenching disease. Marianne cared for hundreds of dementia patients over a 20+-year nursing career. She provided care to her stepfather during his dementia journey, and witnessed the painful decline of four beloved aunts to the disease. She's a founding member of AlzAuthors, sits on the Board, and is a director and manager. She can talk about AlzAuthors all day.
Christy Byrne Yates is a Licensed Educational Psychologist (LEP), retired school psychologist, author, speaker and coach/consultant. Her book, Building a Legacy of Love: Thriving in the Sandwich Generation recounts her journey as a working mother of two who also managed the care of her parents, both of whom had some form of dementia. Combining her lived experience with her professional expertise in human development, wellness and a strengths based approach to finding solutions, Christy develops content, workshops and coaching to support Sandwiched families. She incorporates meditation, mindfulness and other evidence based mind/body practices into her work. She’s worked with care communities, financial professionals, estate planners and employers. Christy has a master’s degree in counseling psychology, and graduate credentials in both education and school psychology.
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AlzAuthors is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization totally reliant on donations to do what we do. The podcast is one way we provide knowledge, comfort, and support to busy caregivers desperate for information. Your generosity will help us to continue our mission to lift the silence and stigma that often accompanies a dementia diagnosis. Please consider making a donation. Thank you.