You can begin to feel a bit alone after receiving your dementia diagnosis. You may feel a loss of purpose and your ability to stay connected to others around you becomes more challenging as the disease progresses. Our guest this week is a social worker with Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center (RADC) who talks to us about the realities of feeling loneliness. Expert Susan Frick helps untangle not only the feelings as a person living with the disease, but also the caregiver who is supporting their love...
Jan 18, 2023•31 min•Season 6Ep. 51
Every season of “Dementia Untangled” often reveals and underlying theme and this one was no different. This time, we revisit some of our favorite moments from Season 5 with our editor/producer Amber Ayers and discuss our theme of hope. It’s been said “hope is a survivor trait” and the stories we heard have reassured us that there IS hope for the future, ways to live well with dementia, and the approaching day when we have our first survivor of Alzheimer’s disease.
Nov 09, 2022•27 min•Season 5Ep. 50
Traveling can provide many benefits to our well-being, but also may create anxiety and stress, even without cognitive changes happening. Jan Dougherty joins us this week to share practical strategies to help alleviate some of the stressors that can be created by traveling with dementia and reinforces the benefits of travel for one’s mental health. She untangles how, even though symptoms may be managed well at home, that a change in location or routine may be upsetting - even with short trips to ...
Nov 02, 2022•38 min•Season 5Ep. 49
As memory and cognitive changes progress in people with dementia, some can experience a delusional belief that a person or object has been replaced by an imposter – a syndrome known as Capgras. Our guest Dr. Ganesh Gopalakrishna , a Banner Alzheimer’s Institute dementia specialist, helps us identify this behavior and offer helpful suggestions on how to re-establish trust and comfort your loved one. He shares with us how auditory connections can help avoid the anxiety that accompanies the confusi...
Oct 26, 2022•32 min•Season 5Ep. 48
As a loved one’s dementia diagnosis progresses, caregivers will face a change in behaviors that can sometimes be hard to manage and even overwhelming at times. In this episode, our guest Kathleen Buckwalter, a geriatric mental health nurse, teaches us about the Progressively Lowered Stress Threshold (PLST) model and how to use it to minimize some of those challenging behaviors. She untangles the effect that stress has on us all, and how she worked to identify opportunities as a caregiver to mini...
Oct 19, 2022•38 min•Season 5Ep. 47
The Asian American and Pacific Islander population is the fastest growing ethnic group in America, highlighting the need for health education and dementia support. Our guest this week is Edie Yau , the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Engagement at the Alzheimer’s Association, helps us understand the cultural beliefs and ideas around dementia that affect the perspective, care process, and barriers to getting a diagnosis for members of the AAPI community. She speaks to the importance ...
Oct 12, 2022•31 min•Season 5Ep. 46
Recognizing signs of dementia isn’t always easy and complications like delirium can make it even more difficult. In this episode our guest, Helle Brand, a physician assistant and dementia expert, dives into the complexities of each, helping us untangle the differences and what questions to ask. We discover why delirium happens, if it can turn into dementia, and how to help our loved one experiencing symptoms.
Oct 05, 2022•30 min•Season 5Ep. 45
Driving means so many things to us: freedom, independence, responsibility – but is it safe to drive with dementia? Jenny Nordine , an expert with Driving to Independence, helps us untangle the complicated feelings and decisions that must be made when it’s no longer a good idea to get behind the wheel. She speaks to evaluating one’s cognition and defensive driving techniques to determine one’s ability to continue driving after a diagnosis, as well as what steps to take when it’s time to give up t...
Sep 28, 2022•33 min•Season 5Ep. 44
The dementia journey is incredibly unique for each individual, including the more than 11 million caregivers in the United States. This week, Katharine Halpin joins the conversation to share her experience as a caregiver for her wife living with Alzheimer’s disease. She untangles the early signs of the disease that she later connected to the beginning of her wife’s cognitive decline and how they now share in enrichment programs designed to benefit not only the person with the disease, but also t...
Sep 21, 2022•36 min•Season 5Ep. 43
There is always an opportunity to find new ways to live well with dementia. This week our guest, Eyleen Braaten from Giving Voice Initiative gives us insight on the benefits of using our voices to sing and sing together for a myriad of enrichment opportunities. She untangles the cognitive benefits of participating in a choir for both participants and their families, creating a deep sense of value and contribution to the community. Her own experience as a member of the “Sandwich Generation,” a ph...
Sep 14, 2022•33 min•Season 5Ep. 42
Is there a way to prevent Alzheimer’s disease? We asked our guest, Dr. Mike Malek-Ahmadi, a Bioinformatics Scientist at Banner Alzheimer’s Institute , this exact question. He carefully untangles the biology behind the disease, what scientists have identified as the cause of cognitive problems that occur, and how they hope to identify people before they show symptoms and intervene earlier to delay or prevent Alzheimer’s. He shares his goals of changing from a clinical to a biological diagnosis fo...
Sep 07, 2022•28 min•Season 5Ep. 41
We look back and revisit some of our favorite moments from Season 4, as well as dive a little deeper and untangle the podcast experience of our hosts and editor/producer Amber Ayers. Learn more about how our experiences help shape the conversations we have with our guests and how each episode offers new knowledge and perspectives on the disease, the community, and the resources available. Is there a topic you're interested in learning more about? Email us at DementiaUntangled@bannerhealth.com...
Jun 29, 2022•35 min•Season 4Ep. 40
There’s no denying the ability music has to meet us where we are, brighten our mood, or even comfort us in our sadness, so it’s no surprise that it can have a dynamic effect on people with dementia. We get to chat with Grace Meadows , the campaign director for Music for Dementia and a music therapist, about how music can connect people at all stages of the disease and create a sense of community and comfort. She explains how even if a person is non-verbal, they can participate and often show sig...
Jun 22, 2022•35 min•Season 4Ep. 39
Early delivery of palliative care for our person with dementia can reduce the number of unnecessary hospital admissions and the use of health services, delivering a comfort approach to care. We talk with Dr. Matt Malone, a geriatric psychiatrist at Banner Alzheimer’s Institute to learn more about this approach and why it’s so important to consider goals of care for our person. We learn that palliative care isn’t just for life-limiting illness, but something that can be a part of a disease proces...
Jun 15, 2022•29 min•Season 4Ep. 38
Individuals within the black community are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease as their white counterparts, but it is less commonly acknowledged and diagnosed, creating large disparities in education, support, and care. We chat with Dr. Fayron Epps , an Assistant Professor at Emory University and founder of Alter, about her inspiration to research the impact of dementia on the black community, and how she took on the responsibility of educating and supporting those people in it. She a...
Jun 08, 2022•32 min•Season 4Ep. 37
While we hope to avoid emergency situations with our loved ones, it’s a reality that is best to be prepared for – not only as a caregiver, but also as a person working as a first responder. We talk with Tracey Wilkinson, a Crisis Intervention Specialist with Scottsdale Police Department , about the special training program she has helped develop for public safety officers and first responders to be more prepared in situations that require a different approach for someone with cognitive impairmen...
Jun 01, 2022•30 min•Season 4Ep. 36
Older adults often have multiple medical conditions, requiring more than one medication – add dementia to the list and all of those interactions can get confusing and complicated. We talk with Dr. Jaclyn Robinson, a geriatrician at Banner Alzheimer’s Institute, about how to have conversations with our doctor about our medications, both prescribed and over the counter, to ensure we are utilizing them properly and safely. She has a special interest in medication management and deprescribing medica...
May 25, 2022•35 min•Season 4Ep. 35
About 83% of caregivers are family members, friends, or neighbors taking care of someone, with about half of those caring for someone with dementia. Our guest Lori Nisson , Banner Health’s Family & Community Services Director, helps us untangle the difficult topic of managing conflicts that inevitably arise throughout the dementia journey. She gives us tangible actions to take and feel supported through the emotional, physical, and financial strain caregiving may create. If left unaddressed,...
May 18, 2022•32 min•Season 4Ep. 34
Lewy body dementia (LBD) is a leading type of progressive dementia behind Alzheimer’s disease. But this condition still isn’t well understood and can be difficult to diagnose. We chat with Dr. Gary Schmidt, a retired primary care physician who is living with LBD, and he shares his unique perspective and insight on thriving with this disease. He provides strategies that have helped him face the changes that come with the disease, as well as his passion for continued education and sharing his expe...
May 11, 2022•34 min•Season 4Ep. 33
Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most critical public health issues in America. This week Dana Marie Kennedy , the Arizona State Director of AARP , joins the conversation to share her perspective and how we can be encouraged to speak up, share our story, and advocate for our loved ones and ourselves. She talks about efforts she’s seen come to fruition at the local, state, and federal levels, as well as ongoing efforts. Dana reminds us that advocacy is non-partisan - elected officials are here t...
May 04, 2022•31 min•Season 4Ep. 32
More than 11 million Americans are caring for an aging parent while raising their own children at home. This is what experts* call “Sandwich Caregiving” where the adults are providing for both their parents and own young families. Our guest, Deanne Poulos with Duet: Partners in Health and Aging , shares what you should think about as you develop a plan for becoming a caregiver to someone with dementia while also caring for children. She offers practical advice to caregivers about managing expect...
Apr 27, 2022•30 min•Season 4Ep. 31
We look back and revisit some of our favorite moments from Season 3, as well as dive a little deeper and untangle the podcast experience of our hosts and editor/producer, Amber Ayers. We discuss the overlying themes of our episodes and our intentionality as we invite guests to share with us, and you, how they came to be a part of the dementia community and what advice, strategies, and overall support they can offer to caregivers.
Feb 09, 2022•19 min•Season 3Ep. 30
As we notice changes in our loved one, how can we identify normal progression of the disease apart from warning signs for something more serious? We asked Dr. Jeremy Pruzin , a neurologist from Banner Alzheimer’s Institute to help us untangle depression and apathy and identify behavioral strategies to help our person if they’re dealing with either one. We learn the difference between the two, some common signs of depression in an elderly person, and how to encourage less apathy without causing m...
Feb 02, 2022•35 min•Season 3Ep. 29
Experiences of dementia and aging are grounded in Indigenous knowledge and culture, often resulting in memory loss being considered part of the natural lifecycle. That, and other barriers have made the work of Dr. Blythe Winchester , the Director for Geriatrics Services at Cherokee Indian Hospital & Chief Clinical Consultant in Geriatrics & Palliative Care with Indian Health Services, that much more important and impactful. She helps us untangle the alarming rate at which Indigenous peop...
Jan 26, 2022•37 min•Season 3Ep. 28
Reduce stigma and encourage acceptance – it’s become the mission for Barbara Mason , the Vice President of Home and Community-Based Services with Sun Health, and she’s found a way to do it through the Dementia Friendly America initiative. Our conversation with Barbara untangled just how detrimental it is to give into stigma surrounding dementia and how it can keep people from seeking treatment, deny them much needed socialization, and delay an overall feeling of acceptance. Her passion to educat...
Jan 19, 2022•29 min•Season 3Ep. 27
It’s the question we’re all asking – is there a way to avoid developing cognitive impairment? We turn to Dr. Pierre N. Tariot for answers, Banner Alzheimer’s Institute director and a renowned researcher and clinician. No topic is off-limits as we untangle recent scientific findings on the benefits of diet, exercise, sleep, and other lifestyle actions that can help us get healthy, stay healthy, and possibly avoid diseases of the brain, like dementia. He also implores us to try a 6-week challenge ...
Jan 12, 2022•33 min•Season 3Ep. 26
Don’t wait. Make a plan now for your end-of-life care needs while you’re able to express your wishes. We chat with Barbara Klauser , a licensed clinical social worker with Banner Alzheimer’s Institute, to better understand why it’s so important to have a conversation with our family and make choices about what we want for our health care in the future. Barb helps us untangle exactly what advance directives are, which forms we need to complete, and how to have these sometimes-uncomfortable talks ...
Jan 05, 2022•31 min•Season 3Ep. 25
If you’ve ever searched the web for “diet and dementia”, you were probably overwhelmed by the amount of conflicting information in the results. You’re not alone. We asked Dr. Pallavi Joshi from Banner Alzheimer’s Institute to help us untangle it all. She breaks down the difference between eating to help prevent cognitive impairment and eating to slow cognitive decline, and shares with us the single most important dietary factor for both. She also explains the popular diets you have likely heard ...
Dec 29, 2021•32 min•Season 3Ep. 24
Have you ever thought about donating your body to science? It may seem like a futuristic thought, but not for Dr. Tom Beach , Director of the Banner Sun Health Research Institute Brain and Body Donation Program, and his team. This unique program allows researchers to study the brain and other body tissues after death, looking for the cause of disease, starting with alterations in chemical reactions. Listen in to hear more about the research behind scientific discoveries that propel the search fo...
Dec 22, 2021•40 min•Season 3Ep. 23
It’s not always easy to talk to children about health concerns or topics we may consider to be “grown-up”, so we asked Geriatrician Dr. Corinne Self & Nurse Practitioner Melissa Koon from ElderHealth to help. We discuss the most common concerns like, the best way to explain dementia to children, when you should talk about it, and what types of emotions and feelings you can expect from your child. Learn how to create a safe space for conversation and how to encourage more meaningful interacti...
Dec 15, 2021•35 min•Season 3Ep. 22
