Rediscovering Voices: Digital Storytelling in Elderly and Dementia Care

Every life holds a story waiting to be told, and Lisa Joworski has dedicated her life to bringing those tales to the fore. Join us as we journey with Lisa, a compassionate Common Language Digital Storytelling facilitator, who has turned her profound experiences with the senior community and individuals with dementia into a mission of empathy and connection. Through the recounting of her own evolution from a teen working in long-term care to a supportive figure in outpatient services, Lisa shares with us her innovative activity kits designed to not only bridge generations but also to celebrate the rich tapestry of personal histories often overshadowed by healthcare needs.

This episode is a tribute to the power of narrative and the healing it can foster, especially when it uncovers talents and dreams later in life. We discuss the impactful story  Lisa's mother created about how her artistic voice emerged following a life-changing diagnosis in her fifties, and we discuss the resonant theme of women recognizing ADHD symptoms in their later years.  Lisa shares more about her business Awestruck Aspirations, showcasing how self-reflection and creative exploration, from drama to music, can be a beacon of joy and restoration during life's trying chapters. Listen in and be inspired by the stories that animate our lives and the shared realizations that connect us all.

Other Links Mentioned

• Capturing Essence - A digital story by Lisa
• Watch more digital stories created with Lisa
• Conversation and Activity Kits available on Etsy

About Our Guest

For the last two decades, Lisa Joworski has worked in therapeutic recreation with individuals living with various forms of dementia (such as Alzheimer's Disease, Lewy Body Dementia and Frontotemporal Degeneration).  She is also a certified Guided Autobiography (GAB) instructor and Common Language Digital Storytelling facilitator.  Lisa's goal is to give individuals a platform to share their personal stories, have their voices heard and capture the essence of who they are for when it truly matters.

About Leading Through Stories

Everyone has a story to tell—and what we do with that story can create lasting impact. Every episode, Leading Through Stories, helps unravel the how and why of digital storytelling with host Kristy Wolfe.

Life is made up of meaningful moments—which ones do you want to share?

This podcast is presented by Common Language DST, digital storytelling facilitation training for health and wellness changemakers.

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Transcript

Lisa Joworski: 0:02

We're having Digital Stories start our team rounds meetings, which is really exciting. We're just piloting it for six weeks, but it's to start us on the right page, like thinking about how we can see the clients that we work with, even though they're not their specific stories, but like let's see the larger picture on what the healthcare needs of a person is, maybe what their backstory is, instead of just like here are the problems now how do we fix it?

Mike Lang: 0:31

Welcome to Leading Through Stories, a podcast that explores the how and why of digital storytelling. My name is Dr Mike Lang and I'm the founder and lead instructor of Common Language Digital Storytelling. In each episode, our Level 3 facilitator, Kristy Wolfe, connects with storytellers or common language trained facilitators to learn more about the health and wellness stories that they are creating and sharing. Life is made up of meaningful moments. Which ones do you want to share?

Kristy Wolfe: 0:59

With me today is Lisa Joworski. Now Lisa is one of our common language digital storytelling facilitators and she just helped us understand guided autobiography in one of our common language continuing education sessions. Lisa, will you take a minute and introduce yourself, please? Sure.

Lisa Joworski: 1:18

I'm Lisa Joworski, as you said my name. Very well, thank you Did.

Kristy Wolfe: 1:23

I.

Lisa Joworski: 1:23

Yes, yeah.

Kristy Wolfe: 1:24

We were giggling friends. Because I wrote it out phonetically, because that's how I roll Super visual. Thank you, lisa.

Lisa Joworski: 1:32

Yes, no, I appreciate that we get all kinds of different sounds and spellings and everything else for my name. So, yes, I appreciate that. Thank you. In a nutshell, I guess I stand for all things that help us reduce judgments of ourselves and each other. I'm a bit of a soul searcher, I guess you could say I'm a daughter, sister, wife, mom to two beautiful and quickly growing children. One is actually an official adult, which is hard to believe.

Lisa Joworski: 2:04

I realized in my teen years, during a co-op placement in a long-term care home, that I felt a sense of purpose when working with older adults who lived there, and so then, after high school, I took some time off to travel and work, then chose to pursue that interest and took recreation and leisure studies at Algonquin College in Ottawa.

Lisa Joworski: 2:25

Since then, 1999, which is hard to believe, that's 25-ish years ago I've been working with the senior population in all kinds of settings. So long-term care is where I started. I've worked in day programs for dementia care and then, through my current work role, I'm employed through a hospital setting, but I work outpatient, so with people living in their residential homes or in retirement homes, long-term care, really, anywhere that they are, we meet them. So, yeah, so I found that my special skill set, though, is really working with people who are living with dementia, but I also do work with people 65 and over who have mental health conditions as well, so that's really me in a nutshell, but I don't like starting with. Well, I am a recreation therapist, because that's there's really more to a person than their occupation.

Kristy Wolfe: 3:19

So much, so much, and I'm glad you said that. Now I also want you to explain how you got involved with Common Language.

Lisa Joworski: 3:25

So I did a deep dive on the internet on how I could create what I called life story videos and healthcare, so you can imagine the Google searches that I would have continued to do and Common Language DST came up, thankfully. So, since 2016, I found my main mission is to empower, inspire and educate people on how they can capture their own life stories or help their loved ones do this. It started when I had a light bulb moment when reading with my daughter, actually one evening. You know how you do your bedtime. Actually, I know that you do your bedtime readings as well because of your video. Christy, I 100% do. Yeah, so we did that as well. I kind of miss those moments. I don't think they want me reading to them when they're almost 16 now. So I had this light bulb moment when I was reading with her and I had to run. I was like right, go grab a piece of pink paper for it. Like there was a notepad in the other room. So, um, and I had this like aha moment that I just needed to jot down, like draw it out and write down my thoughts, and it was this whole conversation activity kit and I'll I can explain more about that. But, um, this was like.

Lisa Joworski: 4:40

The idea was to do these conversation cards and have different activities within this kit that helped people have ideas on how to create meaningful conversations, but also how to engage somebody who has dementia, so, whether they have some form of aphasia, like loss of speech, or they're not able to communicate effectively or their memory's not great, I had all of these different little tools and ideas and activities in my head, so I started to jot down these different pieces, but the idea being that the conversation kit I wanted them to record their loved ones while they were engaged in a positive way, so that they could have this little glimpse of doing something well to then share with whoever their care team, their healthcare team was. So that was the whole idea of it was like this aha, I'll create this, you know, activity kit. So that was the first part, and then so, for years, I worked on developing this kit, developing the questions, working on the layout, the printing, the cutting. So, for years, I worked on developing this kit, developing the questions, working on the layout, the printing, the cutting, laminating, trying it out with groups of people, neighbors, friends, like whoever would have me over, and then so the whole purpose, though, was to give people the tools that they needed in order to pick up their phone or whatever they had, to record their positive interactions with their loved one.

Lisa Joworski: 6:07

So then, looking back, this all stemmed from a few frustrating moments I've had along my work journey. I've supported family members during care conferences of long-term care, which, initially, they take place within five to six weeks of a person moving in, and then they happen about annually after that. So there was a time when the meeting this meeting I went to with the doctor and the multidisciplinary team started with an extremely negative tone. The wife, who I was there to support through this experience, had been so nervous going into this, and for good reason apparently. It started with the doctor stating all of the negative behaviors they were seeing there. It felt like bullying.

Lisa Joworski: 6:52

To be honest, to me it was the doctor's way or the highway is how it came across If it had just started with trying to get to know the person with dementia in an effort to understand him, his strengths and what mattered to him. Getting to know the person with dementia in an effort to understand him, his strengths and what mattered to him. Getting to know who he is and who he was to his wife and his children. I think it would have gone differently. We need to start by knowing the person, which is what we're supposed to do, hence what we call person-centered care in healthcare, right Well?

Kristy Wolfe: 7:24

what you're saying really resonates with me from two different perspectives. Like that idea of I was an educator for years, so teaching in the school system and any students that had special needs or were on IPPs or that kind of thing. Like we always tried to make it a strength-based focus, which is exactly what you're talking about, right, like turning it around not all the challenges, not all the deficits, but what are the things that we can do and that they enjoy and how can we teach things through that lens. And then, on the flip side, having a son with congenital heart disease, like what you're talking about, and the way healthcare providers see him and maybe not now in pediatrics but when he transitions to adult care that's something that I find really concerning. Like how do you share who this kid is and all of these experiences that have gone into it in your first 15 minute consult?

Lisa Joworski: 8:15

Do you know what I mean?

Kristy Wolfe: 8:15

Yep.

Lisa Joworski: 8:16

Yep, exactly done this with your screenings of digital stories that you know, by starting the conversation with a video that can. That can help to focus the whole healthcare meeting with that person centered lens. So, even if it's like right now I'm working on something through my work role, where we're having digital stories, start our team rounds, meetings, which is really exciting we're just piloting it for six weeks but it's to start us on the right page, like thinking about how we can see the clients that we work with, even though they're not their specific stories, but like let's, let's see the larger picture on what the healthcare needs of a person is, maybe what their backstory is, instead of just like this person was diagnosed with A, b and C. Here are the problems now, how do we fix it? And instead thinking, you know, like human wise, this human need and what's missing and how can we help them be their best selves.

Kristy Wolfe: 9:17

So that reminds me of a podcast that has just been released. It was with the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario with Mike and a woman named Clara, and she had hired Mike to do digital stories specifically for their symposium on childhood cancer. So patient and family stories, and then further on healthcare provider stories to share for the purposes of the conference. Bringing that patient voice in in a short, short, succinct video. Right, that's not putting that person on stage. I love that.

Lisa Joworski: 9:53

Alberta Health Services now has, probably because of Mike Lang's help and maybe other facilitators' assistance with these like a whole list of probably what over 800 videos that are there to access through patient experience on their website through digital storytelling. So I've been using some of those like being able to search up. You know, if I wanted to find one that was related to somebody with dementia or somebody with mental health or a senior citizen, then I can put that in and find videos as well, as I know your YouTube site, mike's YouTube site, crystals, and so on, like there's so many and they're so important for us to use for that educational purpose and increase awareness. And it doesn't mean they we've obviously gotten consent, which you and I know they've the person's given consent to have their story shared in a certain way and for those purposes. I mean it's. It's just a benefit to everyone.

Lisa Joworski: 10:52

Actually, yesterday I'll just share this quickly that we had our team rounds, because we have them on Tuesdays and I showed one video it's so we did that video together and because she's my mom and she's older and a senior, I guess you could say it was a perfect story. I said to my team like you know, are you open to seeing my mom's have. I showed it to you before. Some of them have seen it, some of them want to see it again. They all raise their hand. So I showed that one and then they were thinking, oh, I want it, but I thought you're going to show us that video of whatever. So they wanted to see another video. I'm like I think probably we could wait, but they love it and so I do love my team and we get along really well. But they see the value in it. It's not me pushing it on them, it's there. I think it's almost like they're craving that human connection. The messages are so powerful that we're craving, that, we're hungry for that connection. I think.

Kristy Wolfe: 12:06

Yeah well, will you explain a little bit about your mom's story? Why don't we talk about that story a little bit? Because I think that that is one of the ways I think about how I personally use digital stories. Like people learn a lot about me in a short period of time. I have my own digital stories, but my mom also has a digital story and I recently used it at a presentation to introduce digital storytelling, but also through the lens of connection to me. But you're right, that piece around storyteller well-being and the consent is incredibly important and the stories is wild to think about, like you know you kind of question like why can't?

Lisa Joworski: 13:03

Why is it a child psychiatrist, right?

Lisa Joworski: 13:05

Normally, maybe it's the diagnosis are at that age, but I think of the population I work with now and that wasn't a thing that people were looking for and diagnosing back in those years.

Lisa Joworski: 13:17

So anyway, her story is really around that and the positive piece being that once she was diagnosed and once she got the proper treatment, then she was able to really find the strengths and, I think, see the strengths in herself as well. Like she said, her whole story starts with I didn't pick up a paintbrush until you know her fifties or something like that. So it wasn't until you know she had the treatment that she felt she had this artistic flair that she could explore. We all knew she had it before that and she showed us in different ways, like she did calligraphy and would sketch and draw and you know her sewing was amazing, like she had so many artistic flares. But for her to see that in herself and actually do watercolor paintings and find joy out of it rather than feeling stressed or needing something to make it, you know, manageable, it was a whole different experience. So that's really what her story is about.

Kristy Wolfe: 14:19

I remember that digital story from one of the kitchen table nights and I remember people's reactions to it and that's, I think, one of my favorite things. We've talked about this, but the idea of conversation and people kind of going me too, and I don't know if it's the age I am right now, but this story is happening over and over around me right now and that women kind of being diagnosed with ADHD later in life. And thanks to your mom for talking about it, because I think that that's always kind of a jump off point If we're not talking about it, nobody knows about it.

Lisa Joworski: 14:53

I guess a few different things. Back when I did the training with Mike for the level one facilitator training when you're asked the question and to find a meaningful moment I had a really hard time. I had already done one story with Story Center which people can look up as well, and so that was my story called Capturing Essence. And, as I said in the very beginning, my whole focus is the life story video piece and it being used as a person-centered care tool to help health care teams and even family members get to know who their loved one is and what really matters to them. It's not going to be the be all and end all, but I really went into the life story video Google search trying to find out how one would do a life story video. So I started with StoryCenter, created that video called Capturing Essence and then found out about digital storytelling and healthcare. And that's when common language digital storytelling came up and I'm going to add that it didn't hurt that he's Canadian. I was like common language digital storytelling came up and I'm going to add that it didn't hurt that he's Canadian. I was like it's right here in Canada, that's amazing. So I jumped on that opportunity, did a proposal for through work and really just push the idea on how important this is. So then, through that training, like I said, I did my mom's story, but you also have to do your own story before you move on to having a volunteer.

Lisa Joworski: 16:21

My own story was really hard for me to figure out what that was going to be, and so, like I mentioned, about that gentleman in long-term care and me supporting his wife, I was a bit of a mess because I was trying to figure out how to tell that story and I was so passionate and angry, and so it was one of those moments where I think Mike maybe had to tell me as well as me going it's just too hard, like I just couldn't do it, so it just wasn't the time to tell that story.

Lisa Joworski: 16:57

So that's what I'm digging into now. I'm trying to figure out because it's also going to help me develop and refine my website my awestruck aspirations piece, which I can chat about. But really I need to get this story out, and so it took me a while, which I talked about during the guided autobiography presentation that we did about me taking some time to do my own branching point or turning point, and what that looked like, which is very similar to the meaningful moment topic we have in digital storytelling. So it took me some time to do that story, but now it's time for me to tell this story about what it was like for me to support that wife and you know also her husband, who was the one really being I don't want to say targeted, but the one blamed, you know, uh, for the behaviors that he had due to his diagnosis of dementia. That I need to tell, and it was hard for me to tell it when I was so angry and the story seemed so big. So that's really what I'm working on now.

Kristy Wolfe: 18:09

Why don't you take a second and talk about awestruck aspirations, since it came up, and I think that's also where your conversation cards are, so tell us about awestruck aspirations.

Lisa Joworski: 18:18

So awestruck aspirations came to be when I was having my own hard time. So I went through that stressful time in life, had a four week stress leave from work, but I took full advantage of that and really dug deep and did as much learning and soul searching as I possibly could, and so from that I realized that I needed to use my own, the things that made me happy like, rather than just to focus on the risks in my work and the challenges with behaviors and all of the hard stuff. I needed to find some level of fun in there for me. So I went back to what I really enjoyed and I, you know, did a lot of writing to think about what that looked like, what I really wanted. So that led me to remembering my interest in theater and drama and public speaking, music and and just having fun with with people, more of the comedy side, the lighthearted side, and then also the recreation and working with people with dementia. So it all kind of tied together and I thought I need to create some kind of a platform for anyone, for all people, not just famous people, celebrities, you know, where you hear their stories, kind of like you're doing Christy, like where we talk about and we talk with people who have something to share, but it's not like any of us are well known, you know, throughout the world, and it doesn't matter, because we all have things to share. So I wanted to somehow utilize my strengths and my interest in really listening and learning and really empower and inspire and educate people through people's stories. So Awestruck Aspirations is a newer I guess you could say little social enterprise. It has now an Etsy shop, which I developed in 2021. And that's also called Awestruck Aspirations, so people can look that up and, yes, that's where those conversations kids.

Lisa Joworski: 20:20

Instead of me printing and laminating and doing all of that work, I thought at least I could just put them on Etsy for now and people can download them and print them themselves. So I've tried to explain like you can laminate them, print them as many, as many times as you want so that long-term care homes, retirement homes, family members can print off whatever makes sense for them, and they're pretty reasonable, like a couple bucks here and there. So that's the Etsy side. And then, yeah, the other side is really to be continued. Yeah, with just having conversations doing digital stories. Um, yeah, with just having conversations doing digital stories.

Lisa Joworski: 21:03

My love in the digital storytelling realm would be obviously the life story videos. I welcome and would love to work with people who have dementia, along with their, their care partners, and then, um, also the origin stories which, if they make sense to me to do them, you know, like, like the one her name is Monica, she works with, her company is called Hugo and Company and she helps people transition and downsize into, say, dementia care retirement homes from home. So that's really it made sense for me to offer. It was one of those partnerships like can I do your story? You know it'll help your message get through, but it'll help me to practice my and refine my skills, which is the same that I did with the with Flora Brown, who's the guided autobiography life story coach that that we recently collaborated with for that presentation that you were mentioning.

Kristy Wolfe: 21:56

Yeah, that is amazing, and I know that you have a YouTube channel. We can put all of this there so that people can find all of the pieces that you have been putting together, because it is a lot of work and it's a lot of work across multiple platforms that you're doing. So I 100% feel this that solo entrepreneur side of things and you've mentioned that, like you originally got your digital story training through an organization, but like it's also something that was important to you, yeah, and so I find that with a lot of our facilitators, that's often the case. They do it for work, but there's also a passion outside of work that drives other parts of the digital storytelling. So I am really excited because Lisa and I actually get to see each other in June when the Common Language Retreat happens, so facilitators come together, and we had our first retreat last June. We're doing it again this year. What is your favorite part about bringing those digital storytelling facilitators together?

Lisa Joworski: 22:52

Oh boy, you know, what I love is, again, it's the human connection part of it. Like there's so many skills and technical pieces that are really great to learn and really helpful. You know the editing piece and voiceovers and all of those other elements that we learn but the piece that is the most exciting and the part I look most forward to is getting to connect with everybody there and hear what's going on. As well as this, these stories like the digging deep on who we are, because as much as we're all facilitators, we all have our own little niche. So it's not like there's any stepping on toes, you know. There's really a mutual respect and admiration, I think, for one another, which I love, you know. So it's it's more that like, what do you want to work on? Like, and finding what that creative brainstorming looks like and helping each other really be successful in whatever way that looks like in the moment. So that's what I look most forward to.

Kristy Wolfe: 24:05

Lisa, I am super excited to see you in June. Thank you for coming on the podcast. I appreciate it and we'll make sure we put all those links in for people to check out. Okay, sounds good. Thanks for having me, okay sounds good.

Mike Lang: 24:19

Thanks for having me, thanks for listening to this episode of Leading Through Stories presented by Common Language Digital Storytelling facilitator, training for health and wellness change makers. Everyone has a story to tell and we would love to hear from you what resonated for you in this episode. What health and wellness story do you want to tell? You can email us at kristy@commonlanguagedst. org, or find us on Instagram at @leadingthroughstories. Don't miss out on the next episode. Subscribe to Leading Through Stories on your favorite podcast platform or sign up for our newsletter to get new episodes straight to your inbox. Thanks again for listening and we'll see you next time.