Bob's Last Marathon

Finding ways to stay socially connected can be challenging at any age—but it may be especially difficult for people living with dementia. Felicia Greenfield describes the Time Together program, pioneered at Penn Memory Center, which matches older adults living with dementia with college students, with the goal of filling the gap when meaningful social engagement is hard to find, and offering respite for the family caregiver.

Dr. Sara Manning Peskin, author of A Molecule Away from Madness: Tales of the Hijacked Brain, reviews what we know about our familial risk of Alzheimer's disease. She points out that Alzheimer’s disease is usually the result of complex genetic and environmental factors, some of which we still don’t even understand. Environmental factors such as education, diet, and head trauma also contribute to the risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease, so genetics alone don’t account for everything by any means.

Katie Brandt narrates her personal journey as a young wife and mother navigating through early onset dementia of her husband Mike, who was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia at age 29. She shares practical tips on mitigating financial challenges using federal and local programs to create a financial safety net until she was ready to return to work. She spoke of the value of an elder care attorney as she went through the process of planning for the future, and emphasized the importance of joining a support group.

Dr. Stephen Gomperts gives an overview of the Lewy body dementias, the second most common neurodegenerative dementia after Alzheimer’s, affecting some 1.4 million Americans. He explains that there are two clinically distinct but related diseases: dementia with Lewy bodies, also known as DLB, and Parkinson’s dementia. He explains the clinical features, the diagnostic process, and treatment strategies. He advocates a team approach to caring for these complex diseases that affect cognitive, physical, and behavioral functions.

Highlights from the 2022 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference offer insights into facets of dementia care and moves toward solutions for risk reduction, more accurate diagnosis and treatment. Katie Brandt describes an ongoing study at Mass General Hospital showing how education and support can improve readiness for advance care planning. Also of interest are social determinants of health and their potential impact to increase or reduce the risk of dementia, pointing out loneliness as a public health issue.

Felicia Greenfield, Executive Director of Penn Memory Center, explains that grief is a normal, adaptive response to a loss, and describes frameworks for thinking about the intense physical and psychological responses as we create a path toward healing.

Lena reflects on Amy Bloom's book, In Love, in which Bloom chronicles her husband's decision to end his life when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Lena recounts the steps that she and Bob took to live the Alzheimer's journey to the best of their ability, and the gratitude and joy they shared with family and friends.

This second of two podcasts excerpted from the roundtable on tools and techniques of Alzheimer's caregiving uses a case study approach to show us how we can dig deeper to understand behavioral changes and identify ways to respond. Felicia Greenfield, Executive Director of the Penn Memory Center, and Stefanie Bonigut, formerly Family Services Manager with the Alzheimer's Association, are the speakers. Katie Brandt, Director of Caregiver Support Services and Public Relations for the Massachusetts General Hospital Frontotemporal Disorders Unit, is moderator.

Felicia Greenfield, Executive Director of Penn Memory Center, and Stefanie Bonigut, formerly Family Services Manager with the Alzheimer's Association, share real-life stories and tips on how to communicate effectively and compassionately with our loved ones as the disease progresses. They also offer ideas on activities that can enrich day-to-day living.

In this second of two excerpts from a recent Expert Roundtable on Alzheimer's Caregiving, Dr. Steven E. Arnold, Harvard Medical School, and Dr. Stephen M. Strittmatter, Yale School of Medicine, comment on current directions in drug development, notably drug repurposing as a way to accelerate the process, as well as the role of biomarkers in deepening our understanding of the disease, supporting diagnosis, and guiding clinical trials.