Episodes

Today Barbara is joined by Gary Zembow and Marcy Lebovitz to discuss Gary’s mother, Esther. Now 94, Esther was born in Poland, and was the only member of her family to survive the Holocaust. Gary and Marcy describe Esther as bright, happy and cheerful, despite what she lived through as a child. They first remember noticing dementia symptoms after she had anesthesia for back surgery. It was never diagnosed, but they assume it was frontotemporal because she had trouble finding words. They talk ab...

Paul Spiegelman joins Barbara to talk about caregiving for his mother, Lila, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2015. At first, Paul’s father did all the caregiving while Paul, who lives in Dallas, did what he could to support his father (a “caregiver’s caregiver”). As Lila’s condition declined, Paul says he could see the strain on his father. That’s when he knew his parents needed more help. He and Barbara discuss the adjustment that comes when you bring in professional caregivers, and Paul ...

Steve Johnson joins Barbara to talk about caring for his wife of 22 years, Bonnie. In September of 2020, Bonnie was diagnosed with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s. He says the onset was radical – they’d taken a family trip in June but by August, Bonnie no longer recognized him. He tells Barbara about how much his life has changed in just two years, and his experience caregiving for someone who is too impaired to understand what’s happening to her. They discuss coping strategies and tactics for care...

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 difficult to get the right tests approved, and how often it’s misdiagnosed as anything from sleep apne...

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 facilities. Stacy also knows first-hand how much the right living situation can improve someone's life. An only c...

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 Brian is unable to understand basic directions or explanations and lives in his own imaginary life all...

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 into a new living situation. Her company can take over any and all of the logistics associated with the...

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, his all-time favorite singer, he’d light up and smile. “It was like a light bulb would go off,” she sa...

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 are virtual. Benjamin shares some of the items in his “Tech Toolbox”: tracking devices that look like w...

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 small “board and care” in March. When she fell and broke her hip in September, Ted and his family were...

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 for it,” he says.

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 received the official diagnosis from a medical doctor before taking her advice. Cheri tells Barbara she...

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 intellectual functions. She gets called in by neurologists, psychologists, and sometimes even lawyers to h...

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 of planning ahead and getting certain directives in place, and gives advice on how to initiate these...

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 her biggest challenges, such as learning not to take things personally -- even when her husband get...

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 handled taking his driving privilege and mobility away, and about the guilt and issues around orchest...

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 diagnosis of REM Sleep Behavior Disorder and Mild Cognitive Impairment are common early signs of LBD, and w...

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.

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 information -- yet how each case is unique, making it impossible for caregivers to know what to expe...

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 tells Barbara about the day she moved her mother into full-time care -- “it was one of the hardest d...

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’s concerns for the future; what she wishes she’d done differently, and what she worries about the m...

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. He and Barbara discuss the complexities of becoming a caretaker, and how helpful it is to have a pla...