#079 - Chrissy Thelker was 55 years old when she had her first stroke and was subsequently diagnosed with Vascular Dementia.  In today's interview, Chrissy shares her experience of living with dementia and her journey to finding purpose and hope.   With more and more people living with dementia, it's imperative that we gain perspective and understanding of the lived experience of people living with dementia and the importance of advocacy, peer support, and building a purpose-filled life living with dementia. In this episode, Chrissy Thelker shows us how. Click here to visit the show notes page for all the resources mentioned in today's episode: Older Adult / Family? Download the Memory Loss & Mental Health Guide Professional? Grab the Mental Health Professional’s Guide to Working with Older Adults Help others find this show by subscribing and leaving a review wherever you listen to the podcast, or here on i-tunes. Are you a licensed therapist, psychiatrist, or neuropsychologist who specializes with older adults?Join us in building the ONLY geriatric mental health provider directory in the nation. Click here to build your profile. It's FREE!