Dementia Discussions

Are you a caregiver with a story to share? Please call Barbara at 310-362-8232. Today Barbara is joined by Kimberly Cruelle, whose husband  was diagnosed with young onset Alzheimer’s six years ago at the age of 47. She tells Barbara about the early signs, starting with memory loss that quickly became severe. They discuss the challenges of young onset Alzheimer’s – when the patient’s age makes it d...

Barbara kicks off today's episode with a question for you: Would you (or someone you know) like to help other caregivers by sharing your caregiving story on Dementia Discussions? If so, Barbara would love to hear from you! Call or text: 310-362-8232. Next, Barbara welcomes facility placement specialist Stacy Brooks. Stacy’s company, Heart Light , helps place seniors in assisted living facilit...

Today Barbara welcomes back Dotti McLean, whose husband Brian was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease seven years ago. They talk about how the disease has progressed, and all the things Dotti has learned along the way. Dotti describes some of the physical problems – losing his muscle memory, having a hard time walking, getting dizzy and falling down – as well as the memory decline. She says that Br...

Today Barbara is joined by Marty Stevens-Heeber, founder and CEO of Clear Home Solutions . An accomplished business woman and entrepreneur, Marty tells Barbara why she was drawn to working with older adults. They discuss her work as a Senior Move Manager, a fairly new but growing role devoted to helping families deal with the difficult (and potentially traumatic) experience of moving loved ones in...

Today Barbara is joined by Bobbie Schwarcz to talk about Bobbie’s father-in-law, Chuck, who died several years ago. When Bobbie met Chuck, he’d already been diagnosed with dementia. Bobbie describes Chuck as an intelligent, charming, and fascinating man who’d been quite an accomplished musician. As his disease progressed, Bobbie started listening to music with him. When she’d play Marie Callas, hi...

Today Barbara is joined by social gerontologist Benjamin Surmi. As director of culture, training and Koelsch Innovation Lab for Koelsch Communities , Benjamin focuses on seeking the most effective ways to support family caregivers. In the past, he says, most tools were human – nurses, dog walkers, house cleaners, drivers, bookkeepers. These days, thanks to technological advances and COVID, many ar...

A lot has happened since Ted Snyder was Barbara’s guest on Dementia Discussions last April. Today he tells Barbara how his wife Rena’s condition has progressed from mild cognitive impairment to late-stage Alzheimer’s; how she is often unresponsive, although she always responds well to music. Unstable on her feet, after Rena fell several times in the long-term care facility, Ted moved her into a sm...

Today Barbara welcomes back Owen Frances. Owen lost Rhonda, his precious wife of 52 years, to Alzheimer’s disease last year. In a beautiful, heartfelt, and extremely moving tribute, Owen shares memories and stories about Rhonda. He describes a remarkable woman who helped countless others through their grief as a bereavement counselor. “There was nobody who ever met her who didn’t come away better...

In her first podcast of 2022, Barbara is joined by Cheri Dickard whose mother, 82, was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia (LBD) three years ago. Cheri tells Barbara how one of her sisters -- a professional healer who works with many older clients -- had picked up on the signs much earlier, recommending natural remedies (exercise, fresh air). But her parents are traditional and waited until they rec...

Happy Holidays from Dementia Discussions! In Barbara’s last podcast of 2021, she reflects on the past year and why she started Dementia Discussions. She also talks about the importance and benefits of gratitude, and two of the things she’s especially grateful for this year. 

Today Barbara is joined by Dr. Linda Ercoli, a clinical psychology professor and the director of UCLA’s Longevity Center. Linda has always been fascinated by what happens in the brain with dementia, and her graduate work was in geriatric psychology and the issues that elders face in our society. She talks to Barbara about neuropsychology, in which the focus is an assessment of cognizant and intell...

Today Barbara welcomes Stefanie Elkins to the podcast. Stefanie is an aging-life care manager and an end-of-life doula whose company, Be Present Care , supports and guides families through end-of-life caring and planning decisions. They discuss the breadth and roles of a family caregiver, and how difficult it can be to make end-of-life decisions for a loved one. Stefanie talks about the importance...

Today Barbara talks with Karen Tucker, who attends her Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) support group at UCLA. Karen takes care of her 71-year-old husband, who was diagnosed with LBD last year, as well as her 95-year-old mother who lives in her guesthouse and her 45-year-old son who still struggles after a psychotic break at 23. They discuss Karen’s journey as her husband’s condition declined, and some of...

Jay Swerdlow joins Barbara to talk about caring for his wife, who is in denial about her dementia diagnosis. They discuss different ways to deal with her unrealistic demands and share insights to help caregivers with traveling and getting around airports. Jay expresses the many emotions he has about this difficult journey he’s on with his wife, and how important it is to make time for himself. 

Amy Bean joins Barbara to tell us about her dad, an accomplished and successful businessman who’d planned for exciting travels during his retirement. Unfortunately those plans changed with his diagnosis of vascular dementia. She reveals the stress and struggles of those early stages, and talks about the fear she often saw and heard in him. Since cars were a big deal to him, Amy tells us how they h...

It’s been 13 years since Angela Taylor kicked off her journey to understand Lewy Body Dementia (LBD). As a family caregiver for her father when he had a hard time managing medicine and finances, it took her awhile to figure out something was really wrong. Today, she is the Senior Director of Research and Advocacy at the Lewy Body Dementia Association (LBDA). She’ll explain how her father’s diagnos...

Today Barbara is joined by Karen Patterson, who attended Barbara’s “Memory Club” and other memory-care groups with her husband, Bob. Bob was -- literally -- a rocket scientist, and in his late 50s he was the first to notice that something was wrong. Karen believes it was the pressure of his work on top of his brain changing that was too much, and once he started making mistakes and forgetting impo...

Today Barbara talks to Beth Harris about caring for her mother, Gail. Gail was first diagnosed two years ago with a Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), then with Alzheimer’s two months ago. Beth says it was hard to accept her mother’s diagnosis at first, because she remained lucid and sharp. They discuss the “common themes” of Alzheimer’s -- getting lost, forgetting things, having trouble processing...

Today Barbara is joined by Carole Lieber-Wilkins whose mother, Fran, has suffered from dementia for the past 12 years. Carole talks about Fran’s illness, which began when trauma from 9/11 caused a psychotic break. They discuss Fran’s journey since then, from assisted living to moving in with Carole and her husband to finally landing in a full-time care unit when she couldn’t be left alone. Carole...

When Suzy Rosenberg’s husband, Paul, was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia at 86, Suzy didn’t know of anyone else with dementia. She joins Barbara to discuss her caregiving journey; how she felt so alone at first, and how she was able to find resources and support. They talk about Suzy’s life now -- two years later -- and the ups and downs of having Paul around all the time. They also discuss Suzy...

Today Barbara talks to Adam, whose 82-year-old father was recently diagnosed with Lewy body dementia. Adam describes his father’s actions leading up to the diagnosis, such as forgetting where he was and not recognizing his wife. Adam talks about how swiftly his father’s mental state declined once he’d been diagnosed, and how quickly he needed to be hospitalized and then placed in assisted living....

Today Barbara talks to Anna Ivara, whose son George, age 61, suffers from Frontotemporal Degeneration (FTD). Anna explains how FTD hit the language centers in George’s brain, rendering him unable to speak or make any facial expressions. They discuss the differences between FTD and Alzheimer’s, and how Anna found resources and support.  To learn more about FTD, visit The Association for Frontotempo...

Today Barbara welcomes Dotti McLean. Dotti’s husband, Brian, was an international expert in environmental policy who loved to build furniture, paint, and play the boogie woogie on the piano. After retiring 10 years ago, Dotti says, “things started to change.” She tells Barbara about the early signs, when Brian was having trouble following conversations, losing his train of thought, and forgetting...

Today Barbara is joined by Bryan Wing whose wife, Patricia, was diagnosed with younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease at age 56. Bryan describes Patricia’s progression, from the early signs when she’d move things around in the kitchen (items that belonged in the refrigerator appeared in the cabinets, etc.) to when she had her first seizure in 2013. They discuss the challenges Bryan and his family exper...

Today Barbara welcomes Deb Kurtz, whose mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2018. They discuss how the disease gradually changed Deb’s relationship with her mother -- the “slow role reversal” as she realized her mother couldn’t take care of herself. Deb remembers how overwhelming it was at first, trying to care for her mother and stay on top of the disease. They talk about Deb’s approach, and...