Bob's Last Marathon

Dr. Barry J. Jacobs, noted clinical psychologist, family therapist, and author, talks about the grief Alzheimer’s caregivers often feel for the loss of a person who is still physically present, but no longer the person they once knew. He explains the concept of ambiguous loss, as pioneered by Dr. Pauline Boss, when the person with dementia is ever present to us but also mostly absent, and how to handle this excruciating ambiguity.

Felicia Greenfield, Executive Director of the Penn Memory Center, talks about the many ways caregivers can get the support they need, with an emphasis on support groups. She explains how finding connection and support can make all the difference in the well-being of the person with dementia, and their caregiver.

Dr. Venus Wong, a psychologist and a consultant at the Clinical Excellence Research Center at Stanford University, brings us up to date on policies and programs that support family caregivers—and steps that lie ahead. She reviews organizational and policy improvements at national and local levels to better support caregivers.

Nancy Galgoci offers guidance on navigating the financial complexities of the Alzheimer’s journey, based on her professional and personal experience—as a CPA, an accounting professor, a volunteer, and as someone who has helped her family grapple with the challenges of Alzheimer’s disease. She shares insights about applying for the Medicaid waiver program to cover custodial home care services.

Natasha Goldstein-Levitas, a board-certified Dance/Movement Therapist, talks about how she uses dance/movement therapy to empower and encourage self-expression and ultimately to improve quality of life. She describes how the playful and shared experience of dance can improve mind-body connection, increase circulation, and sharpen focus.

Felicia Greenfield, Executive Director of the Penn Memory Center, describes the stages of the disease, and how families endure the long journey of dementia caregiving through resilience and newfound sources of purpose and meaning.

Dr. Barry J. Jacobs, noted clinical psychologist, family therapist, and author, tells us how the challenges of caring for parents with dementia affect sibling dynamics, and how to emerge as an effective team. He explains how caring for a parent can bring out the best—and worst—in adult siblings, and suggests a three-step process for sibling caregivers to work together as an effective support team.

Lena shares the importance of closely monitoring outside caregivers—because even the most trusted situation can suddenly change.

Stephne Lencioni, licensed Clinical Social Worker and Geriatric Care Manager with over thirty years of experience providing care planning and management to older adults and their families, discusses the why, when, and how of seeking help for family caregivers and explain that it is never too early to start gathering your team.

Katie Brandt, Director of Caregiver Support Services and Public Relations for the Massachusetts General Hospital Frontotemporal Disorders Unit, talks about the role of art in the caring of her husband, who was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia at a young age, and how their young son, Noah, connected with his father through a sculpture he created.