Aging With Dignity

06/02/2026

Welcome to Aging With Dignity - Season 3, Episode 10

What happens when the responsibility of caring for aging parents quietly becomes yours alone?

In this episode, Charlie Pechousek shares a deeply personal journey - navigating the care of both parents, now living separately, after a major family transition that included selling the family home.

This is a story shaped by duty, cultural expectation, sibling distance, and the emotional weight of doing what often feels unseen. This is caregiving in real life. Not idealized, not evenly shared, but lived day by day.

Listen here: https://youtu.be/NfJb1y41_iQ

Charlie Pechousek shares his caregiving journey supporting both par...

05/26/2026

Welcome to Aging With Dignity - Season 3, Episode 9

Some caregiving journeys don’t end, they evolve.

In this episode of Aging With Dignity, three sisters open up about caring for their mother through dementia until her passing in January 2025, and now navigating the early stages with their father.

What unfolds is a deeply human story of love, imbalance, cultural expectation, grief, and resilience… set within a South Asian family living in Quebec.

This is not just about caregiving. It’s about what we carry, what we don’t share equally, and how families find their way through it anyway.

Watch here: https://youtu.be/Aci4zyoCZg0

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Three sisters share their family’s caregiving journey: supporting their mother through dementia until her passing, and now caring for their father in early ...

05/22/2026

Aging well means having a voice in shaping it.

I’m pleased to share that I am serving as the Montreal-based Central Region Representative (Volunteer), Older Adult and Caregiver Advisory Committee, for AGE-WELL - Canada’s technology and aging network.

In this role, I help connect older adults, caregivers, and community members in the Montreal area with opportunities to share their needs and experiences while engaging with new technologies, insights, and solutions in aging.

Over the past several years, my work as a caregiver advocate, podcast host, and community connector has deepened my commitment to improving the experience of aging in Canada.

My focus is on aging issues that impact older adults and families, with an emphasis on supporting dignity, independence, and quality of life. I am also passionate about culturally informed, inclusive approaches to caregiving and aging that ensure diverse communities feel seen, understood, and respected within care systems and community spaces.

Through this role with AGE-WELL, I look forward to helping amplify the voices of older adults in Montreal and connecting people to meaningful opportunities that shape the future of aging, caregiving, and Age-Tech in Canada.

What continues to inspire me about AGE-WELL is its national leadership in bringing together researchers, caregivers, innovators, healthcare professionals, and older adults to co-create practical solutions that support independence, wellness, and quality of life for aging Canadians.

If you are:

• An older adult interested in participating
• A caregiver wanting to stay connected to innovation & resources
• An organization serving seniors
• A researcher, healthcare professional, or community leader interested in collaboration

- I would love to connect!

Montreal has an important role to play in shaping the future of aging in Canada, and I’m excited to help contribute to that work.

You can learn more about AGE-WELL here:
https://agewell-nce.ca/about-age-well

05/21/2026

There are moments that remind us just how deeply these conversations are needed in our communities.

This week, I had the privilege of delivering my workshop, “From Silence to Conversation: Aging, Caregiving & Planning with Clarity,” to older adults in Montreal’s West Island South Asian community at the Hindu Mandir of Quebec.

We anticipated a modest gathering of 25–30 participants. More than 60 older adults attended.

What followed was not simply a workshop - it became an open, heartfelt community conversation around aging, caregiving, independence, family expectations, planning ahead, dementia, isolation, dignity, and the realities many families quietly carry.

The willingness of attendees to engage honestly, share personal reflections, ask difficult questions, and support one another through lived experience was heartwarming. It reinforced something I continue to see through the Aging With Dignity podcast: when safe spaces are created, people are ready to talk.

As our communities age, there is a growing need for practical, culturally sensitive conversations that help families move from reacting in crisis to planning with clarity and compassion.

My sincere thanks to the Manoranjan Group organizers and the leadership and volunteers at Hindu Mandir of Quebec for welcoming this important dialogue into the community.

05/19/2026

Welcome to Aging With Dignity - Season 3, Episode 8

What does caregiving look like when you’re not in the same city… and you’re the only child?

Jerry Godinho’s story is one many families quietly live but rarely say out loud. Six years of his father’s dementia. Distance that made every decision harder. A mother holding on to “he’s fine” even as things changed. And the weight of being the only one carrying it all.

This conversation goes beyond logistics. It’s about culture, denial, love, and the reality of caring across distance while trying to hold your own life together.

This is what caregiving looks like when there is no shared load.
Listen here: https://youtu.be/eLFKL7R2ISY

Jerry Godinho shares his caregiving journey as an only child suppor...

05/19/2026

A few days ago, I attended a truly special one-night-only production of Ghostlight: A Broadway Cabaret in Montréal for Hope for Dementia. The incredibly powerful voices and performances transported us from the Broadway classics of the 1960s right through to present-day productions - all in an intimate cabaret setting.

Reflecting on the title at the end, I was left deeply moved by the symbolism behind the word “Ghostlight”…

A ghostlight is a lone light left burning on a darkened theatre stage - by tradition, a hopeful symbol of presence even after the curtain falls.

How many cultures and institutions, in their own way, carry similar traditions of remembrance, honour, and light?

When my mother spent her final days at the Teresa Dellar Palliative Care Residence, they lit a candle at the time of her passing. I carried that candle as we escorted Mom through the residence for her final journey, passing attendants, staff, volunteers, and medical professionals who had cared for her with such compassion.

That candle remained lit at the residence entrance for 24 hours - a tribute to Mom’s life, her presence, and the imprint she left behind.
A candle.
A light.
A spotlight on the earlier presence of a soul.

The evening reminded me that perhaps this is what we all carry forward for those we have loved and lost - their light within us.

Thank you to everyone involved in this meaningful and beautiful performance.

05/15/2026

Music has a remarkable way of connecting us - across generations, experiences, and stages of life. Recently, I attended the Festival de la Voix Big Band concert featuring the incredible Ranee Lee in celebration of Gloria Clarke Baylis, and it became much more than an evening of entertainment. It was a powerful reminder of the role music can play in healthy aging and emotional well-being.

What stood out most was the audience itself. The majority of attendees appeared to be older adults, many in their 70s, 80s, and 90s. The concert was sold out, extra seating had to be added, and the energy in the room was absolutely contagious.

At 84 years old, Ranee Lee delivered a stunning performance filled with warmth, humour, elegance, and incredible vocal talent. The orchestra and performers shared not only music, but decades of passion and artistry. Audience members were tapping their feet, singing softly, dancing, smiling, and fully engaged throughout the evening.

We often hear about the benefits of music therapy for older adults and individuals living with neurocognitive disorders:
• improved mood
• cognitive stimulation
• reduced anxiety
• social connection
• emotional engagement

This evening brought all of that to life in the most beautiful way.

A heartfelt thank you to City of Dorval for hosting such a wonderful community event, and to the legendary Ranee Lee for reminding us that passion, creativity, and joy have no age limit.

05/14/2026

Thank you to the wonderful team at the ARC Assistance and Referral Centre - Caregiver Cafe for inviting me to speak and facilitate an interactive caregiver workshop focused on dementia caregiving, aging in place, and lessons learned from caring for my mom and dad.

What made this evening especially meaningful was not just sharing my own journey or how it eventually led to creating the Aging With Dignity podcast, it was the incredible participation from caregivers in the room.

Through our breakout discussions, caregivers explored and shared:
• caregiving challenges they are navigating
• creative solutions they have found to help loved ones age in place
• the caregiver worries and uncertainties they carry
• the support they wish existed
• practical wisdom gained through lived experience

The conversations were honest, thoughtful, emotional, and deeply energizing. It reinforced something I continue to learn again and again: caregivers are not only carrying enormous responsibility - they are also carrying valuable knowledge that deserves to be heard and shared.

Thank you again to ARC for creating spaces where caregivers can connect, learn from one another, and feel supported.

05/12/2026

Welcome to Aging With Dignity - Season 3, Episode 7

Karine Saba, co-founder of , opens up about her journey as a caregiver: the challenges, the heartbreak, and the lessons that shaped her life and inspired her work.

This episode is for every caregiver who feels unseen, exhausted, or unsure how to care for themselves. 💛

Listen here: https://youtu.be/dClAWMeXb8c

05/10/2026

The Power of Sharing the Caregiving Journey...

Some events stay with you long after they’re over, and the 7th Annual Colloquium hosted by the Société Alzheimer de Montréal was one of them.

I came away with so much… new insights into medical advancements, meaningful conversations, innovative technologies, and new connections that already feel like friendships.

I also had the privilege of participating in the opening panel alongside three incredible caregivers: Marie-Eve Pomerleau, Jodi Taylor, and Andre Richard, and our insightful moderator Dr. Julia Chabot. The audience response was deeply moving and it reinforced something I believe strongly: there is real power in sharing the caregiver journey openly and honestly.

When lived experience is given space alongside research, clinical expertise, and innovation, people feel seen, understood, and less alone.

A heartfelt thank you to the entire team at the Société Alzheimer de Montréal for putting together such a thoughtful and impactful 7th colloquium. You created a space for learning, connection, and humanity.. and it truly showed.

Grateful to have been part of it.