We talked with:

• Amy Bloom is the author of four novels: "White Houses," "Lucky Us," "Away," and "Love Invents Us"; and three collections of short stories: "Where the God Of Love Hangs Out," "Come to Me" (a finalist for the National Book Award), and "A Blind Man Can See How Much I Love You" (a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award). She is the director of the Shapiro Center at Wesleyan University. Her most recent book is the widely acclaimed New York Times bestselling memoir, "In Love: A Memoir of Love and Loss."
• Joan McGregor, Ph.D., is a professor of philosophy at Arizona State University where she researches questions in moral and legal philosophy. She researches bioethics and sustainability — and has published more than 50 academic articles and book chapters, several of which focused on end-of-life care.

We talked about:

In this episode, Dr. Millstine and her guests discuss:

• The trickiness of dementia diagnosis. Dementia is often realized in retrospect. At first, it's easy to excuse symptomatic behavior as a personality quirk or fatigue. And the person themselves may not fully recognize that their abilities and capabilities are changing. Dementia also looks different person-to-person — affecting executive function, memory and personality to various degrees.
• The fight for medical autonomy. The rights for medical autonomy have increased. You can refuse care and you can create directions for medical professionals to follow if you become unable to make those decisions for yourself. But those advanced directives aren't always taken seriously, and even states that allow physician-assisted death come with many conditions.
• Facing the end. Our guests emphasize how important it is to have discussions with your loved ones about what you and they want for end-of-life care — regardless of your age or health status.

Can't get enough?

• Purchase "In Love: A Memoir of Love and Loss."
  • From Bookshop.org
  • From Amazon
  • From Barnes & Noble
• Purchase the Mayo Clinic Press book "Mayo Clinic on Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias."
• Purchase the Mayo Clinic Press book "Day to Day: Living with Dementia."
• Want to read more on the topic? Check out our blog:
  • Memory lapses: Normal aging or something more?
  • Conversations with the experts: When is forgetfulness a problem? Explaining early-onset dementia
  • Mayo Clinic Q&A: Book focuses on well-being and hope for dementia patients, care partners
  • Cultural shift underway in addressing Alzheimer's disease

Got feedback?

• If you've got ideas or book suggestions, email us at [email protected]. 
• We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.

The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.