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How do you explain dementia to a child? More importantly, how do you help them continue building a meaningful relationship with someone they love?

In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, host Traci Arieli is joined by author and actor Evan Bass Zeisel to discuss his children's book, How to Play with a Grandma. Together, they explore practical ways families can help children stay connected with grandparents and other loved ones living with dementia.

Drawing on his background in improv, interactive theater, and dementia care, Evan shares why he believes personality persists despite dementia, how small changes in communication can reduce fear and frustration, and why play, curiosity, and emotional connection are often more powerful than memory.

Whether you're caring for a parent, supporting a grandparent, raising children, or working in healthcare, hospice, senior living, or dementia care, this conversation offers a hopeful perspective on maintaining relationships through every stage of dementia.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How to talk with children about dementia in an honest, age-appropriate way

• Why emotional connection often lasts longer than memory

• Simple communication techniques that can improve interactions with someone living with dementia

• How improv and interactive theater can help dementia care

• Why meeting people where they are can transform relationships

If you've ever wondered how to preserve connection after a dementia diagnosis, this conversation offers practical guidance, encouragement, and hope.

Links/Resources

Evan Bass Zeisel - https://www.evanbass.com

Book: How to Play with a Grandma - https://www.howtoplaywithagrandma.com

How You Are to Me, Dementia Communication Training - https://howyouaretome.com

Host: Traci Arieli - https://www.comfortingclosure.com

If you found this conversation helpful, please like, share, comment, and subscribe. Your support helps more families, caregivers, and professionals discover practical conversations about aging, dementia, grief, and end-of-life care.

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Can travel help you heal after the loss of someone you love?

In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, host Traci Arieli is joined by Janice Waugh, founder of Solo Traveler, for a conversation about grief, healing, identity, and finding your way forward after loss.

After the death of her husband Ron, Janice found herself facing a question that many grieving people eventually ask: Who am I now? What followed was not just a physical journey, but a journey back to herself. Through solo travel, meaningful connections, and stepping outside of familiar routines, she discovered new confidence, purpose, and a renewed sense of identity.

Together, Traci and Janice discuss why healing doesn't always happen by standing still, how travel can become a powerful tool for processing grief, and why moving forward doesn't mean leaving your loved one behind. They also share practical advice for anyone considering traveling after a significant loss, including affordable travel ideas, staying safe while traveling alone, overcoming fear, and taking that first step.

Whether you're grieving the death of a spouse, navigating another significant life transition, supporting someone who is grieving, or simply looking for hope after loss, this conversation offers encouragement, practical guidance, and a reminder that healing can take many different forms.

Topics discussed include:

• Healing after the death of a spouse

• Solo travel after loss

• Rediscovering your identity through travel

• Loneliness versus solitude

• Finding purpose after loss

• Safe and affordable solo travel

• Building confidence one step at a time

If you've ever wondered what life can look like after profound loss, this conversation may help you see new possibilities.

Links/Resources

• Janice Waugh from Solo Traveler - https://solotravelerworld.com
• Solo Travel Society (Facebook) - https://www.facebook.com/groups/SoloTravelSociety
• Traci Arieli from Comforting Closure - https://www.comfortingclosure.com
• Home Exchange - https://www.homeexchange.com
• International Greeters (Global Greeter Network) - https://internationalgreeter.org

If this conversation encouraged you or someone you know, please like, share, comment, and subscribe. Your support helps us continue normalizing conversations about aging, serious illness, death, grief, and healing.

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What if the most important part of end-of-life care isn't medical at all?

In this episode of Comforting Closure – Conversations with a Death Doula, host Traci Arieli sits down with Kari Sims Anthon, co-founder of the Peaceful Presence Project, to explore the growing movement of community deathcare.

Drawing from her personal experiences caring for both of her parents during their final months, Kari shares how those journeys inspired her to help build compassionate communities that better support people facing serious illness, caregiving, death, and grief.

Together, Traci and Kari discuss why families are often unprepared for the realities of hospice, what community deathcare really means, the "95/5 Rule" of end-of-life care, why community support matters, and practical ways friends, neighbors, and local organizations can help ease the burden of caregiving. They also explore why normalizing conversations about death can help us live more intentionally and build stronger, more connected communities.

Whether you're caring for a loved one, working in hospice or palliative care, serving as an end-of-life doula, or simply want to be better prepared for life's most difficult moments, this conversation offers practical insights, hope, and inspiration.

Links/Resources

• Peaceful Presence Project: https://thepeacefulpresenceproject.org
• Compassionate Communities USA: https://compassionatecommunities.us
• Comforting Closure: https://www.comfortingclosure.com
• Public Health Palliative Care International: https://phpci.org

If this conversation helped you think differently about caregiving, community, or end-of-life care, please like, share, and subscribe. Every conversation helps normalize discussions about aging, serious illness, death, and grief so that more people feel prepared and supported when these experiences become part of their lives.