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 m…
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 discu…
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 sh…
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 w…
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 …
Dotti tells Barbara about the early signs, when her husband Brian was having trouble following conversations, losing his train of thought, and forgetting basic things. They discuss the progression of his cognitive decline, a…
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 ki…
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…
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. T…
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...
Bonnie Waddles discusses 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 …
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 …
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. S…
It was Ramona Garza’s daughter who first noticed that George (Romana’s husband) seemed different. A fastidious engineer, he was ignoring bills and letting important things fall through the cracks. George was officially diagn…
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 fo…
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 r…
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 irration…
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…
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 he…
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 accomplis…
Today Barbara is joined by social worker and co-facilitator of her Alzheimer’s support group, Monica Moore. They talk about how isolating the world of dementia is for the caretaker, and how it’s helpful to know other people …
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…
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. Harve…
