Dementia is one of the most important, but often overlooked, health care issues related to older African Americans.

 In fact, research shows that African Americans are two to three times more likely to develop a dementia disorder (compared to European Americans) and at the same time are less likely to be diagnosed early in the disease process and provided with adequate treatment.

 The burning question is "WHY?!!"

 Luckily there are experts, like Dr. Vonetta Dotson, Neuropsychologist, who can help us understand why this is happening and what we can do about it.

 In this week's interview, Dr. Dotson shares biological, genetic, and social factors that increase the risk for dementia. She also shares what you can do to ensure that your loved ones are getting the best, most equitable and comprehensive health care. AND, she shares tips for keeping your own brain healthy!

Click here to visit the show notes page for all the resources mentioned in today's episode:

Older Adult / Family? Download the Memory Loss & Mental Health Guide

Professional? Grab the Mental Health Professional’s Guide to Working with Older Adults

Help others find this show by subscribing and leaving a review wherever you listen to the podcast, or here on i-tunes.

Have a topic idea? Send us a text.

👉 Want to Become an Aging Informed Therapist? Join us for our live CE course on 8/21/25 from 12-1:30pm EST. Click here to learn more.

PROFESSIONALS: Grab your free guide to working with older adults here


Attention Social Workers, Therapists, Counselors, Psychologists, Aging Life Care Experts... Click here to get Continuing Education Credits

There’s a common misconception that when somebody is diagnosed with dementia, they lose their independence and can no longer live alone. While down the road in the illness course of dementia, this may be true, there is A LOT that a person with dementia CAN DO to remain living independently and safely in their home.

This episode is a must listen if you or someone you know is newly diagnosed with dementia and looking for what to do next.

In today’s episode, I share 5 key strategies for helping adults living with dementia age in place for as long as possible

Click here to visit the show notes page for all the resources mentioned in today's episode:

Older Adult / Family? Download the Memory Loss & Mental Health Guide

Professional? Grab the Mental Health Professional’s Guide to Working with Older Adults

Help others find this show by subscribing and leaving a review wherever you listen to the podcast, or here on i-tunes.

Have a topic idea? Send us a text.

👉 Want to Become an Aging Informed Therapist? Join us for our live CE course on 8/21/25 from 12-1:30pm EST. Click here to learn more.

PROFESSIONALS: Grab your free guide to working with older adults here


Attention Social Workers, Therapists, Counselors, Psychologists, Aging Life Care Experts... Click here to get Continuing Education Credits

Early diagnosis of Alzheimer's or dementia can pave the road to better care. In this episode, you'll learn why early diagnosis of dementia is important and how early diagnosis of dementia helps older adults and their families.


Click here to visit the show notes page for all the resources mentioned in today's episode:

Older Adult / Family? Download the Memory Loss & Mental Health Guide

Professional? Grab the Mental Health Professional’s Guide to Working with Older Adults

Help others find this show by subscribing and leaving a review wherever you listen to the podcast, or here on i-tunes.

Have a topic idea? Send us a text.

👉 Want to Become an Aging Informed Therapist? Join us for our live CE course on 8/21/25 from 12-1:30pm EST. Click here to learn more.

PROFESSIONALS: Grab your free guide to working with older adults here


Attention Social Workers, Therapists, Counselors, Psychologists, Aging Life Care Experts... Click here to get Continuing Education Credits

Do you know the 10 dementia warning signs? Getting clear about these 10 Must Know Dementia and Memory Loss Warning Signs will help you get needed care for seniors. In this episode, you'll learn the difference between what is typical with aging and what symptoms may require further evaluation. 

Click here to visit the show notes page for all the resources mentioned in today's episode:

Older Adult / Family? Download the Memory Loss & Mental Health Guide

Professional? Grab the Mental Health Professional’s Guide to Working with Older Adults

Help others find this show by subscribing and leaving a review wherever you listen to the podcast, or here on i-tunes.

Have a topic idea? Send us a text.

👉 Want to Become an Aging Informed Therapist? Join us for our live CE course on 8/21/25 from 12-1:30pm EST. Click here to learn more.

PROFESSIONALS: Grab your free guide to working with older adults here


Attention Social Workers, Therapists, Counselors, Psychologists, Aging Life Care Experts... Click here to get Continuing Education Credits

Our attitudes about sexuality & aging may influence an older adults' sexual health.

In an effort to help mental health, senior care, and health care providers reflect on our own values and attitudes, I interview sexual health and aging expert, Dr. Maggie Syme.

In this interview Dr. Maggie Syme and I discuss:

• What it means to be a sexual citizen
• Attitudes about sexuality and aging
• Current research on intimacy and aging
• Benefits of sexuality and intimacy in older adulthood
• Dementia and sexual expression
• What sexual liberation looks like for older adults

Maggie L. Syme, PhD, MPH is currently a Project Director at Hebrew SeniorLife Marcus Institute for Aging. Her research has focused on sexual health and wellness in later life, specifically on issues related to sexual consent and ageism. Prior to her current Project Director role, Dr. Syme was an Associate Professor and Associate Director of Research at Kansas State University Center on Aging.


Click here to visit the show notes page for all the resources mentioned in today's episode:

Older Adult / Family? Download the Memory Loss & Mental Health Guide

Professional? Grab the Mental Health Professional’s Guide to Working with Older Adults

Help others find this show by subscribing and leaving a review wherever you listen to the podcast, or here on i-tunes.

Have a topic idea? Send us a text.

👉 Want to Become an Aging Informed Therapist? Join us for our live CE course on 8/21/25 from 12-1:30pm EST. Click here to learn more.

PROFESSIONALS: Grab your free guide to working with older adults here


Attention Social Workers, Therapists, Counselors, Psychologists, Aging Life Care Experts... Click here to get Continuing Education Credits

The field of peer support has grown in many mental health and substance abuse treatment systems. Peer Support Specialists draw upon their own life experiences, like mental health and substance use concerns, distress, poverty, and oppression, on the one hand, and experiences of recovery and resilience, on the other.¹ 

They use their lived experience to help build connections to others with similar shared experiences and treatment.

The fact that peer specialists share many similar experiences with the clients they serve means that they are able to understand clients in a way that is real and empathetic enabling meaningful connections.¹

Today, I interview Jim Klasen, Certified Older Adult Certified Peer Specialist, who shares his personal experiences with mental health and substance use recovery and ways in which he is using his lived experience to help others:

Here's a peek into the episode with Jim Klasen:

• Jim shares about his own history of mental health and substance use concerns
• What recovery means to Jim
• Jim defines the Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP)
• Jim's process of becoming a Certified Older Adult Peer Specialist
• How Jim worked to repair relationships with his (adult) children
• Recommendations for older adults struggling with their own mental health concerns
• The role of music in Jim's healing process.

Click here to visit the show notes page for all the resources mentioned in today's episode:

Older Adult / Family? Download the Memory Loss & Mental Health Guide

Professional? Grab the Mental Health Professional’s Guide to Working with Older Adults

Help others find this show by subscribing and leaving a review wherever you listen to the podcast, or here on i-tunes.

Have a topic idea? Send us a text.

👉 Want to Become an Aging Informed Therapist? Join us for our live CE course on 8/21/25 from 12-1:30pm EST. Click here to learn more.

PROFESSIONALS: Grab your free guide to working with older adults here


Attention Social Workers, Therapists, Counselors, Psychologists, Aging Life Care Experts... Click here to get Continuing Education Credits

Aducanumab has been a hot topic in the field of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Aducanumab, also known as Aduhelm, is a new Alzheimer's drug for people with Alzheimer's disease in their early stages with mild cognitive impairment. With so many questions, it helps to have answers from experts like Dr. Jason Karlawish, Neurologist and Co-Director of the Penn Memory Center.

In this episode, Dr. Karlawish and I discucss:

• Reasons that Dr. Karlawish is a "reluctant prescriber" of Aducanumab
• The risks and benefits of Aducanumab for Alzheimer's Disease
• How the FDA made the decision to approve Aducanumab for use
• The answer to the question: "is some hope is better than no hope?" (related to the use of Aducanumab for Alzheimers.)
• The effects of the COVID-19 virus on brain health (i.e., risk for dementia)
• The difference between FDA approval for Aducanumab versus COVID-19 vaccine

Click here to visit the show notes page for all the resources mentioned in today's episode:

Older Adult / Family? Download the Memory Loss & Mental Health Guide

Professional? Grab the Mental Health Professional’s Guide to Working with Older Adults

Help others find this show by subscribing and leaving a review wherever you listen to the podcast, or here on i-tunes.

--
DISCLAIMER: The material on this site is for informational and educational purposes only. Any comments Dr. Koepp may make on the TV Show, blog, or in response to an individual’s story or comments should not be construed as establishing a psychologist-patient relationship between Dr. Koepp and the individual. None of Dr. Koepp's show, website, social media, comments, or group information should be considered a substitute for individualized medical or mental health assessment, diagnosis, or treatment. Dr. Koepp is only representing herself in her TV Show, blogs, and on her website.

Have a topic idea? Send us a text.

👉 Want to Become an Aging Informed Therapist? Join us for our live CE course on 8/21/25 from 12-1:30pm EST. Click here to learn more.

PROFESSIONALS: Grab your free guide to working with older adults here


Attention Social Workers, Therapists, Counselors, Psychologists, Aging Life Care Experts... Click here to get Continuing Education Credits

Angie Burke was a Registered Nurse and worked for 26 years at a hospital in her community, specializing in palliative care, until On September 23, 2013, she suffered a large stroke and was eventually diagnosed with epilepsy.

​Following an episode of depression, Angie became more determined than ever began exercising daily, and eventually became an amateur bodybuilder. In May of 2017 she competed in her first amateur bodybuilding show.

In today's episode, Angie shares her journey of stroke, depression, and going from "stroke victim" to "stroke survivor".

Depression after stroke affects approximately one third of stroke survivors at any one time after stroke. Thankfully, there is help for people living with depression following stroke.  

In this interview, stroke survivor, Angie Burke and I discuss:

• The unseen challenges that come with having a stroke- like grief related to loss of identity, ability, career, and the way things were.
• After stroke depression and psychiatric hospitalization and treatment
• Angie’s journey of going from “stroke victim” to “stroke survivor”
•  Recommendations to other stroke survivors
• Recommendations to friends and family of stroke survivors

Click here to visit the show notes page for all the resources mentioned in today's episode:

Older Adult / Family? Download the Memory Loss & Mental Health Guide

Professional? Grab the Mental Health Professional’s Guide to Working with Older Adults

Help others find this show by subscribing and leaving a review wherever you listen to the podcast, or here on i-tunes.

--
DISCLAIMER: The material on this site is for informational and educational purposes only. Any comments Dr. Koepp may make on the TV Show, blog, or in response to an individual’s story or comments should not be construed as establishing a psychologist-patient relationship between Dr. Koepp and the individual. None of Dr. Koepp's show, website, social media, comments, or group information should be considered a substitute for individualized medical or mental health assessment, diagnosis, or treatment. Dr. Koepp is only representing herself in her TV Show, blogs, and on her website.

Are you a licensed therapist, psychiatrist, or neuropsychologist who specializes with older adults?

Join me in building the ONLY geriatric mental health provider directory in the nation. For a limited time, you can

Have a topic idea? Send us a text.

👉 Want to Become an Aging Informed Therapist? Join us for our live CE course on 8/21/25 from 12-1:30pm EST. Click here to learn more.

PROFESSIONALS: Grab your free guide to working with older adults here


Attention Social Workers, Therapists, Counselors, Psychologists, Aging Life Care Experts... Click here to get Continuing Education Credits

If you're just starting out with helping care for aging parents, you might be feeling overwhelmed and unsure of how to help. Not only are you flooded with loads of new information about medical conditions, you’re also experiencing complex family dynamics and your own messy feelings to manage in the midst of it all.  Today's episode will help to guide you in the common yet difficult experience of becoming a family caregiver.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How to prepare for the caregiver's journey
• How to strengthen your relationship with your aging parent before you become a caregiver
• One of the most challenging role transitions older adults and new caregivers face
• What is (what I call) the Ambiguous Caregiver? 
• Tips for navigating binds and dilemmas with aging parents
• Where to look for answers about your aging parent's condition

Click here to visit the show notes page for all the resources mentioned in today's episode:


Professional? Grab the Mental Health Professional’s Guide to Working with Older Adults

Older Adult / Family? Download the Memory Loss & Mental Health Guide

Help others find this show by subscribing and leaving a review wherever you listen to the podcast, or here on i-tunes.

--
DISCLAIMER: The material on this site is for informational and educational purposes only. Any comments Dr. Koepp may make on the TV Show, blog, or in response to an individual’s story or comments should not be construed as establishing a psychologist-patient relationship between Dr. Koepp and the individual. None of Dr. Koepp's show, website, social media, comments, or group information should be considered a substitute for individualized medical or mental health assessment, diagnosis, or treatment. Dr. Koepp is only representing herself in her TV Show, blogs, and on her website.

Have a topic idea? Send us a text.

👉 Want to Become an Aging Informed Therapist? Join us for our live CE course on 8/21/25 from 12-1:30pm EST. Click here to learn more.

PROFESSIONALS: Grab your free guide to working with older adults here


Attention Social Workers, Therapists, Counselors, Psychologists, Aging Life Care Experts... Click here to get Continuing Education Credits

I have to admit, as a Geropsychologist who strives toward anti-ageism, when I set out to read Steven Petrow’s new book, STUPID THINGS I WON’T DO WHEN I GET OLD, I was skeptical. I judged the book by its title and doubted that it would match my mission of anti-ageism, but boy was I wrong. Steven Petrow’s new book is a warm and witty journey through aging and the valuable lessons learned along the way.

In this podcast episode, Steven and I dive deep into his book and explore:

• Steven’s journey with aging
• The important role of intergenerational relationships
• The courage to discuss mental health concerns like depression and suicide
• Finding balance and resilience
• End of life love letters
• How to respond when someone makes an ageist “gaffe”

At the end of this episode, you’ll have more tools for stopping age shaming so that you can enjoy the ride with balance and grace.

Click here to visit the show notes page to learn more.


Professional? Grab the Mental Health Professional’s Guide to Working with Older Adults

Older Adult / Family? Download the Memory Loss & Mental Health Guide

Help others find this show by subscribing and leaving a review wherever you listen to the podcast, or here on i-tunes.

--
DISCLAIMER: The material on this site is for informational and educational purposes only. Any comments Dr. Koepp may make on the TV Show, blog, or in response to an individual’s story or comments should not be construed as establishing a psychologist-patient relationship between Dr. Koepp and the individual. None of Dr. Koepp's show, website, social media, comments, or group information should be considered a substitute for individualized medical or mental health assessment, diagnosis, or treatment. Dr. Koepp is only representing herself in her TV Show, blogs, and on her website.

Have a topic idea? Send us a text.

👉 Want to Become an Aging Informed Therapist? Join us for our live CE course on 8/21/25 from 12-1:30pm EST. Click here to learn more.

PROFESSIONALS: Grab your free guide to working with older adults here


Attention Social Workers, Therapists, Counselors, Psychologists, Aging Life Care Experts... Click here to get Continuing Education Credits