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The Care Compass

The Care Compass

By: Dame Nicole Brandon
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The time has come to tell my story and to open my heart. Its been a crazy four years with my parents care. I have learned so much. I have learned about senior living and I have learned about myself. I never knew the true definition of care. I now truly know what the word care means. I could never have imagined deep love. I have loved before. Not like this, love is a deep well that never ends and always there is the light shining through. The smile, the laugh, the touch, the wink, the hand held tightly, fingers wrapped and never letting go. It is the unspoken thanks you-s and the tears behind the fears. It is the angels that surround you and the breath, and the kiss that seem like the first kiss and the last kiss at the very same time. It's appreciating each moment, each second, each day, each sunset, each nightfall, each song, each memory in a brand new way. It is life appreciated and a life of gratitude that we are together. I have stepped outside myself for this journey, I actually stepped away from my life, yet I dove in without question, inside this world I never knew called parents and child love. It has been extraordinary and many of you have been by my side for the ride. Thank you. So many days and nights I would talk to myself inside my head, questions, no answers, no one to talk to, no where to turn. My Dad's Cancer, my uncle's Parkinson's, my mom's Alzheimers and her stroke, the uphill battle to keep them together, the journey thru home health and hospice, hospitals and assisted living, caregivers and therapists, doctors and heroes. My friends that sang to my parents, those that came by to say hello, those that sat in the hospital next to me, and said close your eyes, rest, I've got this and knew when I was ready to fall. Each mountain; insurance, Medicare, long term health, feeding tubes, oxygen, wheelchairs and walkers, medical supplies, transportation and days to just cherish another milestone - birthday, anniversary, and new year. Lately I have been compelled to share. I'm heading back on the radio. To create a podcast for other me-s. Other children my age whose parents are aging and need help. I wish someone, anyone would have given me some direction or help. I have been my own compass and guide. If I can help even one person not have the tears I shed, or the sleepless nights, and the fears I endured, then I have gifted my journey and shared that little light. I now want to share what I've learned and open doors and ease hearts in anyway that I can. It's an extraordinary journey. This thing called Life. My new Podcast "The Caring Compass" The Aging Parent's Survival Guide, will launch next week. If you would like to be a sponsor, or a guest please reach out to me directly. If you are on this journey and you have a question, feel free to reach out. Anything that I can share or anyway that I can help, I have reached the top of the mountain and I can say, this is how you climb. For those looking for miracles, my mom is back with my Dad. Yes, I moved her in on Wednesday. She fought her way back to him. (For those that remember; two years ago she spent months in the hospital - unable to move, walk, or to talk) she was in limbo and we would talk to her and whisper in her ear trusting she was inside. Her love for my dad brought her home. This week, the miracle, Now she has returned. She’s walking, and talking, laughing, and hugging, and she can tell you she loves you. That’s the power my parents have together. When she came through the door, she kept saying; Oh God! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Oh God! Thank You! There wasn't a dry eye in the house, the entire facility was crying happy tears. It is a path, it is a journey, it is one step and then the next. Hold my hand and I will walk with you. Steady and together we will stand. See the light, it's there, ….just one step forward. Yes! …. and together we will walk towards love.Copyright 2026 Dame Nicole Brandon Hygiene & Healthy Living Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Relationships Social Sciences
Episodes
  • The Care Compass, October 8, 2026

    The Care Compass, October 8, 2026
    9 Oct 2026
    The Care Compass Elder Law, Estate Planning, and Protecting Aging Parents from Scams with Paul Schlegel Dame Nicole Brandon sits down with Prescott, Arizona attorney Paul Schlegel of Burnham Law to talk through elder law, estate planning, grandparent guardianship, and the scams that target aging parents. Walking Into Care Compass With A Hero Dame Nicole Brandon opens The Care Compass by welcoming listeners back and thanking them for journeying with her through the hardest parts of caregiving. She reports on an extraordinary week in Prescott, Arizona, where the city hosted the Walk to End Alzheimer's and a Senior Health Fair, events she says show families rallying around each other with love and support. Nicole tells listeners she rarely calls anyone a hero, but today's guest is one of the few she does. She introduces Paul Schlegel, an attorney with Burnham Law, and explains why families so often avoid thinking about the law even though life inevitably brings legal circumstances into the picture. Nicole recalls her own most vulnerable moment, saying Paul never made her feel wrong for her fears, and that his ability to listen and then translate her circumstances into real legal solutions is what convinces her he belongs on the show today. Why Families Must Plan Ahead Paul Schlegel explains that families practicing elder law rarely plan ahead, and that he has personally witnessed siblings fight bitterly after parents pass away without estate planning documents in place, disputes that can poison relationships for the rest of their lives. He shares that his own mother is ninety and his father ninety-three, both still living independently in Colorado, and that he and his siblings sat down together to plan their parents' estate so everyone already understands what will happen and there is no tension waiting ahead. Paul then recalls acting as personal representative and power of attorney for an elderly couple living in an RV with no children nearby. When the husband broke his hip during the early days of COVID and never recovered, Paul found himself arranging around-the-clock care for the widow, who had dementia, and sometimes spending the night with her himself when no caretaker was available, an experience that deepened his appreciation for people living with dementia and Alzheimer's. Guardianship, Scams, And A Family's Close Call Nicole asks about grandparents who suddenly become guardians for grandchildren, and Paul explains that courts typically grant permanent guardianship, or sometimes adoption, and he urges grandparents in that position to put estate planning documents in place naming a future guardian for the children. He describes his own contract doing dependency work for the county, representing both parents and children in abuse and neglect cases, visiting foster placements, and growing genuinely attached to the children he represents over cases that can stretch for years. Nicole shares that her mother's RAZ Mobility Phone, which only dials pre-programmed family members, protects her from scammers targeting people with Alzheimer's. Paul then tells his own story: a caller claiming to be an attorney convinced his parents that their grandson had been in an accident and needed thirteen thousand dollars in cash to avoid jail. His parents withdrew the money before calling Paul, who confirmed his son was safe at home, and his parents returned the cash and reported the attempted scam to police. A Career From Classrooms To Courtrooms Paul describes family law as a broad umbrella covering divorce, modification of parenting plans, and enforcement of child support and spousal support, distinct from probate law, which handles wills and powers of attorney. He explains that Arizona requires a parenting class for anyone going through a divorce involving children, a class he taught for the county for about ten years, always stressing that courts decide custody based on the best interests of the child rather than either parent. Nicole asks about grandparents during divorce, and Paul notes Arizona has a grandparent's rights statute allowing petitions for visitation time. He traces his own path from teaching middle school and working summers as a wrangler leading horse pack trips, into a master's degree and an unfinished doctorate in Latin American history at Northern Arizona University, and finally into law school after his own difficult divorce left him determined to understand the legal system. He later served as a city court judge for eleven and a half years. Finding The Right Attorney And Cherishing Time Paul offers practical advice for anyone nervous about calling a lawyer: ask around, since attorneys live and die by reputation, and look for someone compassionate rather than someone chasing money. He clarifies that probate attorneys, not family lawyers, handle wills, living wills, and powers of attorney, so families should match the right specialist to the right need. Nicole shares that her own parents have ...
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    55 min
  • The Care Compass, September 24, 2026

    The Care Compass, September 24, 2026
    25 Sep 2026
    The Care Compass Building A Better Brain: Neuroplasticity And Cognitive Function Therapy With Jen Beyst Dame Nicole Brandon welcomes neuroplastician Jen Beyst, co-founder of Brain Builders Health and the Cognitive Function Development Institute, to explain how targeted brain exercises can help aging parents, stroke and Parkinson's patients, and children with learning labels build stronger, more resilient minds. Nicole Brandon Opens With Her Family's Story Dame Nicole Brandon opens The Care Compass by welcoming listeners back and thanking them for staying on this journey with her. She recaps the family crisis that inspired the show: her father's cancer, her mother's coma, and her uncle's Parkinson's disease, and she admits she handled most of it alone, wishing for a north star or guide who could hand her resources, hope, and a plan. She tells listeners that she now knows they are never truly alone, because remarkable people and overlooked resources exist for families who simply do not know where to look. Nicole calls today's guest a perfect example of that discovery, describing her as an extraordinary gift who arrived in her life at exactly the right moment. She says the show exists so listeners can find answers, solutions, and comfort, and she promises this episode will speak to anyone watching a parent, spouse, or child change before their eyes. Introducing Neuroplastician Jen Beyst Nicole introduces Jen Beyst, whom she calls a mastered NPN, or neuroplastician, and the co-founder and executive director of the Cognitive Function Development Institute and of Brain Builders Health. She recalls the first time she heard Jen describe her work as building better brains and admits she laughed before realizing how personally the idea applied to her own family, including a parent living with Alzheimer's and an uncle with Parkinson's. Nicole describes Jen as working at the intersection of brain function, human behavior, communication, and leadership performance, noting that the approach can help someone who is four years old or a hundred and four. Jen thanks Nicole for the introduction and says their shared heart for helping people creates a strong synergy between them. Nicole then asks Jen to explain, in plain language, what building a better brain actually means for the families listening at home. Explaining Cognitive Function Development Therapy Jen explains that the brain relies on primary cognitive functions, networks that must work together for someone to pay attention, remember, and coordinate daily life. Building a better brain, she says, means optimizing how those networks work together through cognitive function development therapy, known as CFDT, using targeted exercises and engagements that are challenging but genuinely fun rather than simply advising someone to get up and take a walk. Nicole raises the moment every family recognizes, when an aging parent's memory visibly shifts, using her own experience of the Valentine her father forgot to describe how quickly the apple cart can turn over. Jen answers that the sooner families reach out the better, because protective factors keep brain function strong, and noticing early stressors lets someone strengthen weak networks before decline sets in rather than waiting until a crisis forces the issue, though she stresses it is never too late to begin the work. Autopilot, Aging, And The Case For Early Action Jen warns that many people slip into autopilot after retirement, repeating the same routines day after day without ever exercising the brain's networks, which lets functioning quietly atrophy. She urges families to start the conversation as soon as parents reach retirement age, asking directly what they will actively do to keep the brain functioning and build a reserve for the years ahead, the same way people already accept that daily movement matters for the body. Nicole connects this to strokes, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and emotional trauma, asking how the same approach applies across such different conditions. Jen describes starting every case with an objective discovery and assessment that measures where cognitive functions currently stand, showing which networks are strong and which are weak so the work can target exactly what needs strengthening. She adds that the underlying diagnosis matters less than the functional picture, though clients who are completely unwilling, or who have become fully nonverbal, are the ones the program struggles most to reach. From Children's Labels To A Son's Turnaround The conversation turns to children who arrive carrying diagnostic labels such as ADHD, and Jen says families anywhere in the country can call, since remote sessions make the work accessible even to people who cannot travel to the Prescott, Arizona office or one of the program's licensee locations. She tells Nicole that a meaningful number of children have migrated out of special education services after going through the program and shares her own ...
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    51 min
  • The Care Compass, September 17, 2026

    The Care Compass, September 17, 2026
    18 Sep 2026
    The Care Compass Inside Memory Care and Adult Day Programs with Yvonne Napolitano, Sarah Verell, and Laura Drybelbis Nicole Brandon welcomes three Prescott, Arizona caregiving leaders — Yvonne Napolitano of Adult Care Services, Memory Care Director Sarah Verell, and longtime Susan J. Rheem Adult Day Center nurse and director Laura Drybelbis — to explain how memory care communities and adult day programs help families keep aging loved ones safe, social, and together longer. A Good Week and a Personal Update Nicole Brandon opens The Care Compass with happy news: her parents have been reunited after being apart, and her father tells her every day is "perfect" because he is with her mother again. She frames this reunion as part of the larger caregiving journey she has been sharing with listeners since starting the show, and reminds them that hurdles do not have to stay hurdles; she describes turning every wall into a gate that can be opened, even on rusted hinges, so families always have a direction to move. Nicole then introduces the guests she has been wanting to bring together for months: Yvonne Napolitano, Executive Director of Adult Care Services; Sarah Verell, Memory Care Director at the Margaret T. Morris Center; and Laura Drybelbis, a longtime staff member at the Susan J. Rheem Adult Day Center. She tells listeners the hour will cover memory care and adult day programs, and the people and resources behind them. Yvonne Napolitano and the Umbrella of Adult Care Services Yvonne Napolitano describes herself as the Executive Director overseeing Adult Care Services, the nonprofit umbrella above both the Margaret T. Morris Center and the Susan J. Rheem Adult Day Center. She tells Nicole that most families call her organization too late, after they are already deep in a caregiving crisis rather than before one begins, because nobody trains people to become caregivers ahead of time. Yvonne stresses that caregiving is a twenty-four hour, seven day a week responsibility, not something that pauses after a short visit, and that her team tries to support families locally in Prescott and further away by connecting them to trusted people wherever they live. Nicole reflects on her own experience of being blindsided by a phone call and then searching for basic equipment, from oxygen machines to extra tall walkers for her six foot two father, and Yvonne agrees that families rarely know what they will need until they need it. Inside the Margaret T. Morris Center's Open Design Sarah Verell, Memory Care Director of the Margaret T. Morris Center, explains that her community exists solely to serve people with Alzheimer's and dementia rather than offering memory care as one option among several. Yvonne adds that the center is the only assisted living community in northern Arizona built entirely on what is known as the Arizona Model, one of only two such programs still operating from an original group of sixteen. Instead of a locked hallway of apartments, residents live in one of four open neighborhoods designed to resemble a home, each with its own living room, dining room, and dedicated caregivers stationed at the heart of the space. Sarah notes that even the building's colors were chosen deliberately to support people living with dementia. Nicole responds that this is exactly where she would want her own parents to live, calling the model a gift for families searching for safety without losing warmth or independence. The Susan J. Rheem Adult Day Center's Medical Model The conversation turns to the Susan J. Rheem Adult Day Center in Prescott Valley, described as a sister program to the Margaret T. Morris Center that welcomes people with dementia, Parkinson's, autism, and other disabilities. Sarah explains that participants socialize, exercise, dance, and use an outdoor space designed for people with cognitive or physical limitations, and that families often reach out once caregiver burnout or a frightening change, like a wrong turn on a familiar street, becomes impossible to ignore. Yvonne details the licensing behind the center, noting it operates under Arizona's medical-social model of adult day health, which requires participants to be eighteen or older with a documented medical condition and mandates nurses on site at all times. She credits Laura Drybelbis, who joined nineteen years ago as the program's nurse and later became its director, along with a second full-time nurse, for making that level of medical support possible every single day the center is open. Names, Founders, and a Family's Extra Year Nicole asks about the names behind the programs, and Yvonne shares that Susan J. Rheem, the organization's late founding executive director, opened the day center in 1982 after seeing families place loved ones in nursing homes earlier than necessary simply because no other support existed. The Margaret T. Morris Center takes its name from a local rancher whose foundation funded the assisted living community that ...
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    49 min
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