
Sign up to save your podcasts
Or


BrainStorm wants to hear from you! Send us a text.
Diane Rehm, the legendary 89-year-old NPR talk show host, discusses her passionate advocacy for medical aid in dying with BrainStorm host, Meryl Comer. Rehm’s view was shaped by her husband John's difficult death from Parkinson's disease and the experience transformed her into a fierce advocate for end-of-life autonomy. She's adamant that if diagnosed with serious illness or early signs of Alzheimer's, she would travel to Switzerland rather than undergo treatment or lose her cognitive capacity, declaring that legislators have "no right to control my decision as to when I die."
Despite confronting these weighty topics, Diane exemplifies what researchers call a "superager"—maintaining remarkable physical and cognitive health through decades of Pilates, a disciplined diet, active social engagement, and continued work. She also reflects on her storied broadcasting career, lamenting how modern media has become siloed and less committed to presenting multiple perspectives, while emphasizing her core philosophy that "a talk show should really be called a listening show"—valuing ordinary people's voices as much as those of distinguished leaders.
Support the show
By Meryl Comer, UsAgainstAlzheimer's4.7
1414 ratings
BrainStorm wants to hear from you! Send us a text.
Diane Rehm, the legendary 89-year-old NPR talk show host, discusses her passionate advocacy for medical aid in dying with BrainStorm host, Meryl Comer. Rehm’s view was shaped by her husband John's difficult death from Parkinson's disease and the experience transformed her into a fierce advocate for end-of-life autonomy. She's adamant that if diagnosed with serious illness or early signs of Alzheimer's, she would travel to Switzerland rather than undergo treatment or lose her cognitive capacity, declaring that legislators have "no right to control my decision as to when I die."
Despite confronting these weighty topics, Diane exemplifies what researchers call a "superager"—maintaining remarkable physical and cognitive health through decades of Pilates, a disciplined diet, active social engagement, and continued work. She also reflects on her storied broadcasting career, lamenting how modern media has become siloed and less committed to presenting multiple perspectives, while emphasizing her core philosophy that "a talk show should really be called a listening show"—valuing ordinary people's voices as much as those of distinguished leaders.
Support the show

43,686 Listeners

11,903 Listeners

112,584 Listeners

56,436 Listeners

3,387 Listeners

3,526 Listeners

9,248 Listeners

162 Listeners

8,947 Listeners

5,456 Listeners

8,178 Listeners

10,850 Listeners

2,143 Listeners

5,762 Listeners

606 Listeners