Dementia Discussions

Today Barbara welcomes Yael Wyte, program director at the Alzheimer’s Association (CA, Southland Chapter). They discuss the association’s mission, and the exciting brain studies and research happening all around the world. They also discuss the association’s deep resources -- and how “going virtual” actually inspired new opportunities for collaborations and programs. To learn more, please visit AL...

Today Barbara is joined by Roz Wolpert. Roz describes her husband Jay -- a talented and successful screenwriter and Hollywood producer -- as deeply feeling and exceptionally articulate; a “big man” both in stature and personality. They talk about the early years, before the official Alzheimer’s diagnosis, and how difficult it was for Jay to accept what was happening. They also discuss the stigma a...

Today Barbara is joined by Bonnie Waddles, the executive director of Hilarity for Charity (HFC), a non-profit that uses humor to raise awareness among young people about Alzheimer’s disease. They discuss the concept of brain health, and how one out of three Alzheimer’s cases can be prevented through life-style changes and interventions. 

Today Barbara is joined by Bruce Ettinger whose wife, Honey, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and then dementia. With the diagnosis, Bruce says that Honey sank into a deep depression that she’s never come out of. They discuss the unpredictability of her mood swings -- one day she’ll wake up happy and loving, then the next day in a panic attack. “Her struggles make me love her more,” he says.

Now 26, America Garza started noticing something was wrong with her 81-year-old father when she was still in high school. She joins Barbara to talk about the early signs of Alzheimer’s, and how, as a child, she struggled to interpret the symptoms. They discuss her journey, when she knew something was wrong but was too young to trust her own judgement or to have the vocabulary to define what she wa...

Today Barbara is joined by Jill Davis,* whose father is battling dementia on the east coast. Jill says at first, the symptoms seemed mild: he was mixing pronouns and forgetting words. But from there, it progressed quickly. She describes the shock and confusion she felt when she realized her dad had lost most of his memories, and how she struggles to understand their relationship now that he has no...

It was Ramona Garza’s daughter who first noticed that George (Ramona’s husband) seemed different. A fastidious engineer, he was ignoring bills and letting important things fall through the cracks. George was officially diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2016 but looking back, Ramona says the signs were there much earlier. Ramona joins Barbara to discuss the early signs of memory loss, and how sometimes...

By the time Chris Zenner’s mother was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia in 2020, she had lost her short-term memory, her concept of time, and her ability to rationalize and reason. Chris joins Barbara to talk about caring for his mother, who was a fiercely independent and strong-willed woman, as her personality radically changes and she can no longer take care of herself.  

Barbara is joined by Megan Dobkin on the day she learns her father is moving into the memory unit of an assisted living facility. Megan talks about how hard it was in the early days, when her father was cognizant enough to realize something was happening to his brain. She and Barbara discuss the limitations of testing for diseases like Alzheimer’s, particularly when doctors don’t have a baseline t...

Today Barbara is joined by Kenneth Mitchell, whose wife Mary Ann was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2013 and Lewi bodies dementia in 2016. Ken recounts how hard it was for him to accept the diagnosis, and the irrational lengths he went to in the beginning trying to help her. Looking back, he says that accepting that she won’t get better has been one of the hardest parts. As Mary Ann’s condi...

Marina Day joins Barbara to talk about her husband, Paul, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s 10 years ago. She describes how difficult it was in the beginning, when Paul realized he coudn’t drive anymore and had to shut down his law office. “The world opened up in a dark way for him,” she says, “he became really depressed.” Marina tells Barbara about hiring their first caregiver, and telling Paul...

Bill Coleman returns to talk to Barbara more about caring for his wife, Deborah, who was diagnosed with posterior cortical atrophy eight years ago. Deborah was a talented and beloved architect, but this condition affected her ability to draw, read plans, organize her thoughts, and process information. After decades of deciding things together, Bill talks about how hard it is to make all the decisi...

In her first episode with both spouses, today Barbara is joined by Bill and Deborah Coleman. Eight years ago, Deborah was diagnosed with a rare form of Alzheimer’s which affects visual and spatial relationships. An accomplished architect, Deborah had to stop working. “It feels like part of my brain is missing,” she says. They discuss the challenges of managing her disease, and the importance of ma...

Today Barbara is joined by social worker and co-facilitator of her Alzheimer’s support group, Monica Moore. Monica is the community health program manager for the Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer´s Disease Research at UCLA and co-director training and education activities at UCLA-CADC. They talk about how isolating the world of dementia is for the caretaker, and how it’s helpful to know other p...

When Linda’s mother Grace was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia (LBD) in 2019, Linda felt sadness and relief at the same time. (LBD is a degenerative condition with many similarities to Alzheimer's disease, but it takes hold much more quickly.) LBD is difficult to identify, and now they had an answer for why Grace seemed different -- why she was repeating stories and feeling depressed and bor...

UCLA science professor Harvey Hershman talks to Barbara about the biggest challenges he’s faced as a caretaker. It was in 2010 when Betty, his talented and creative wife of 50+ years, first showed signs of memory loss. Harvey says he was in denial for years -- it wasn’t until joining Barbara’s support group in 2016 that he came to terms with her illness. At first, Harvey was sceptical about the gr...

Bette Wilkes talks to Barbara about her late father-in-law, David Wilkes, who died in 2016. She describes how painful it was to watch a brilliant and proud man lose his mind to dementia. Toward the end, when he no longer cared about the things that had once mattered to him, Bette realized how much harder it is on the caregiver; he was able to just give up, but watching it happen is so hard. She an...

After years of healthy meals and daily exercise, it was a surprise when Rhonda was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Her adoring husband, Owen, tells the story of their life together, and his strengths and struggles as he navigates her dementia. He and Barbara discuss how caregivers need to educate themselves about the disease and get the help they need. 

This week Barbara talks to NYU professor and filmmaker Linda Mills, whose mother was diagnosed with early onset dementia in 2011. Linda describes her mother’s traumatic escape from Nazi Vienna as a small child in the 30s. She and Barbara discuss how hard it is for dementia sufferers to articulate their frustrations -- and how caretakers need to learn how to listen to their loved ones in a new way....

Winston Greene first noticed his wife Pansy was forgetting things and repeating herself in 2010. As the disease progressed, he progressed along with it, taking over more of the little things that Pansy could no longer do. Winston tells Barbara how joining an Alzheimer’s support group saved him by making him feel less alone. They also discuss the important advocacy work the couple does on behalf of...

This week, Barbara is joined by Sara Kaye, Director of Family Services at OPICA. The first Adult Day Program and Counseling Center in Los Angeles, OPICA supports caretakers and patients in every phase of memory loss. They talk about how difficult it is for dementia sufferers to advocate for themselves, and how the Center offers its members a much-needed sense of purpose, structure, and community....

It’s been a rough five years for Snuffy Walden, whose wife Debby was first diagnosed with cognitive problems in 2016. Snuffy says he’s not a natural caretaker. He talks to Barbara about how stressful it was in the beginning; taking over all the responsibilities of their home while trying to find the right caregivers for his angry and defiant wife. He shares his creative method for helping his wife...

Today Barbara is joined by Susan Howland, Program Director of the Alzheimer's Association, California Southland Chapter. Susan tells us about their mission, and the services they offer for people with dementia and their families. The Alzheimer’s Association is a national, nonprofit organization providing educational information, emotional support services and advocacy for those with memory lo...

Today, Barbara welcomes caregiver and loving husband of almost 58 years, Ted Snyder.  Ted talks about his wife Rena’s battle with Alzheimer’s. He shares some of the challenges they’ve faced and the different resources and strategies he’s learned as her caregiver.

Emma Travis has a bright future. Brought up by loving parents, she started a new, exciting job in 2019 and recently got engaged to the love of her life. Her role model has always been her dad, a successful retired executive who always demonstrated leadership, hard work, and a love for people. Everything changed four years ago, when her dad was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, Dementia, and Alzheimer’s...