Fighting Dementia Podcast

Welcome to the latest episode of the Fighting Dementia Podcast. Peter Berry was diagnosed with young onset dementia at 50, and nearly 12 years on he's still riding his penny farthing. Peter and his friend and co-author Deb Bunt are back to catch up with Fran and Leon about their new book, Patching the Puncture: Continuing to Live Well with Dementia, the follow-up to Slow Puncture. Peter explai...

This week Leon is joined by Marion, Tom's wife and the person who books every guest on this podcast. She talks about what's coming up on the show, including a guest who works on the assistive technology Liverpool City Council uses in care homes, and a GP joining a future episode who has young onset dementia herself. Marion talks honestly about what it's like day to day, the good days a...

Fran and Tom are back from their summer break, and they've both picked up new hobbies while they were off. Fran's been knitting, doing embroidery and finishing jigsaw puzzles with her granddaughter Daisy. Tom's deep into oil painting and getting ready for an exhibition at St George's Hall in Liverpool next year. Fran talks about filming with the BBC's The One Show at Liverpool...

On this episode of the Fighting Dementia Podcast, hosts Leon, Fran, and Tom speak with Dr. Sabine Donnai, a Belgian-trained GP who now runs a London clinic focused on optimising whole-body health to support brain function. Dr. Donnai explains dementia as the brain protecting itself from harmful drivers - such as diabetes, high blood pressure, excess weight, toxins, gut and hormone issues, or head...

On this episode of the Fighting Dementia Podcast, presenters Leon, Fran and Tom (who live with Alzheimer’s/mixed dementia) welcome Sonya Rahman, a local services manager at the Alzheimer’s Society who leads SAHARA, the South Asian Dementia Support Service across Greater Manchester’s 10 boroughs. Sonya shares her lived experience of caring for family members with vascular dementia and early-onset A...

On this episode of the Fighting Dementia Podcast, hosts Fran, and Tom speak with Zeke about “smart socks” developed after his great-grandmother’s dementia journey. He explains how the socks were created through care home volunteering and PhD research at the University of Bristol, focusing on detecting early signs of distress linked to unmet needs and addressing why wrist-worn devices often fail in...

On the Fighting Dementia Podcast, presenters Leon, Fran (living with Alzheimer’s), and Tom (living with mixed dementia) welcome Anne, a solicitor from Tonne Gregory Solicitors, to discuss why having a professionally prepared will matters, especially for people affected by dementia. Anne explains key will components such as choosing executors, naming beneficiaries (including sentimental gifts), and...

On this episode of the Fighting Dementia Podcast, presenters Leon, Fran (Alzheimer’s) and Tom (mixed dementia) speak with Liverpool City Council’s Emma (Senior Public Health Practitioner and healthy ageing lead) and Ellie (Director of Adult Strategic Commissioning) about Liverpool’s newly launched dementia strategic action plan and how public health, adult social care and NHS partners are working...

Leon, Fran and Tom welcome Kirsty Robinson, a dietetic team lead for stroke and neuro with nearly 20 years’ experience and a personal connection to dementia through her grandfather. They discuss what dietitians do, why nutrition matters as one pillar of brain health alongside exercise, social interaction, stress reduction, avoiding smoking and limiting alcohol, and why there’s no single “magic bul...

On this episode of the Fighting Dementia Podcast, presenters Leon and Fran are joined by Kathy, a project facilitator from House of Memories in Liverpool. Kathy explains how the programme uses museum objects to spark conversation and reminiscence through free themed “memory suitcases,” a mobile museum van with immersive digital screens, and a free app that puts themed museum collections “in your p...

On this episode of the Fighting Dementia Podcast, Leon is joined by presenters Fran (Alzheimer’s/mixed dementia) and Tom (mixed dementia) alongside guest Nat from Merseyside Dementia Friendly Radio (MDFR). Nat explains he founded MDFR in early 2020 after caring for family members with dementia and wanting comforting audio without distressing content. The station is dementia friendly rather than de...

On the Fighting Dementia Podcast, Leon is joined by co-hosts Fran and Tom, who live with mixed dementia, and guest Anne Forrester, a chartered legal executive, to discuss why families should arrange lasting powers of attorney (and eventually wills) as early as possible. Anne explains how powers of attorney help trusted people make financial and health/welfare decisions, avoid social services or co...

On the Fighting Dementia Podcast, Fran (Alzheimer’s/mixed dementia), Tom (mixed dementia), and Marion speak with Jack, chair of the Liverpool Dementia Action Alliance (DAA), about how he became involved through Dementia Friends training and how the DAA works as a Liverpool-wide federation of 114 member organisations. Jack explains the DAA’s focus on spreading dementia awareness, improving dementia...

In this episode, the hosts discuss behaviour change with Tom, who lives with dementia, focusing on how hard it can be to build habits like drinking more water and adjusting diet. Tom explains that he often forgets to drink, even during cycling or long periods of focused activity like painting or building a racing simulator, and he questions the point of changing habits given his diagnosis, despite...

Leon catches up with Marian, Tom’s wife and co-host, on how behavior changes have gone as Tom’s dementia progresses, focusing on hydration, diet, routines, and learning new skills. Marian says Tom enjoys painting and golf, but finds drinking enough water harder, using Alexa reminders, fridge stickers, and bottled water visibility to help. They discuss taste changes driving a sweet tooth, small die...

In this episode, the host catches up with Fran about behaviour change months after focusing on habits like drinking more water, improving sleep, and learning new skills. Fran shares that a type 2 diabetes diagnosis pushed her to take diet and hydration more seriously, cutting back on high carbs, sugar, processed foods, and snacks like chocolate and crisps, while aiming for an “80/20” balance and u...

Dave Bellis of Radfield Home Care, a domiciliary home care franchise in northwest England, explains how his company supports around 80 people at home across areas including Waterloo, Crosby, Sefton, Southport and Formby, and how clients find them through word of mouth, advertising, and local authority links rather than dementia-specific referrals. He shares why he left a 30-year corporate accounti...

In this episode, we continue the discussion from last week about the importance of routines, especially for those living with dementia. Hosts Tom, Fran, and their partners Mary and Frank share personal experiences on how maintaining a routine helps them manage daily life and cognitive function. We talk about the disruptive impact of festive seasons like Christmas on their routines and how they ada...

In this episode of the Fighting Dementia Podcast, we are joined by Frank and Marion, partners of Tom and Fran, as we discuss the significance of maintaining routines for those living with dementia. With the aftermath of the Christmas holiday season as a backdrop, our guests share their experiences and challenges in managing daily routines. We dive into how disruptions during holiday periods can le...

Welcome to the latest episode of the Fighting Dementia Podcast, where hosts Leon, Tom, and Fran share their personal experiences and insights into living with dementia. Joined by Tom's wife Marion, they discuss the significance of adopting new skills and hobbies for brain health and emotional well-being. Hear inspiring stories of painting, polygraphy, golf, and even candle making, and learn ho...

In this episode of the Fighting Dementia Podcast, hosts Leon, Fran, Tom, and Lizzie welcome music therapist Lizzie for an enlightening discussion on the benefits of music therapy for those living with dementia. Lizzie shares her journey into music therapy, highlights the personalised approach she adopts to engage patients of all ages, and recounts heartwarming stories of how music has helped indiv...

Leon hosts Tom and Fran - both living well with dementia (Tom diagnosed 8 years ago, Fran 6 years ago) - alongside guest Grahame Smith, Associate Professor in Mental Health Innovation, to discuss brain health, neurodegeneration, and practical ways to live positively with dementia. The episode highlights Tom’s detailed painting of a ship in a cove (completed over three weeks) and how learning new s...

Welcome to the Fighting Dementia Podcast! In this episode, hosts Leon and Tom, who was diagnosed with dementia eight years ago, are joined by Meryl and Dawn. Dawn shares her experience of living with posterior cortical atrophy, a rare form of dementia, while Meryl discusses her role as a supportive partner. The group converses about their daily routines, the challenges of maintaining independence,...

Welcome to this episode of the Fightin g Dementia Podcast where hosts Leon, Fran, and Tom discuss their intentions for 2026 in the context of living with dementia. They stress the importance of focusing on intentions rather than goals for a kinder approach to managing expectations. The conversation touches on brain health, early detection, and the importance of public awareness and support for dem...

Welcome to the Fighting Dementia Podcast! In this special episode, we reminisce about our journey over the past year, discussing with experts, those living with dementia, and their supporters. Hear highlights of our many heartwarming and inspiring conversations, including guest appearances from individuals who continue to live full lives despite their diagnoses. Join us as we reflect on the insigh...