In this episode, Virginia and Steve are joined by Cindy Weinstein, Ph.D., who co-authored a book with neurologist, Dr. Bruce Miller titled, Finding the Right Words: A Story of Literature, Grief, and the Brain. Dr. Weinstein talks about the guilt and grief she dealt with after her father was diagnosed with Early-Onset Alzheimer's Disease. She describes the challenges of being away from him while in graduate school, and the different strategies she used to stay connected and to manage her sadness.

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Virginia and Steve are joined by Jim Russell, MBA, PhD, who shares his emotional story of being a caregiver to his mother with Alzheimers and then to his daughter, Lynne,  who was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease at 48 years old. He describes the challenges in managing his daughter's finances and her family as the disease has progressed.   

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Virginia and Steve are joined by UCI Senior Health Center physician and UCI MIND researcher, Steven Tam, M.D., who describes some of the early symptoms of cognitive impairment, and the general approach he takes when assessing a patient.   He answers questions about current treatments.  He emphasizes the importance of gathering a complete history of the patient prior to making a diagnosis. 

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In this episode, Steve and Virginia are joined again by friend and caregiver, Roger Lisabeth who describes his experience in end-of-life planning while his wife Lucy is still alive. Roger emphasizes the importance of being properly prepared when the day arrives and describes some important details many of us may overlook when planning a funeral.

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Mark Wilson is back with co-hosts, Virginia and Steve to share his tips on outfitting your loved one's home to be safe.  He reflects on his experience caring for his mom  who lived at home with him for the entirety of her Alzheimer's dementia journey.  Mark provides low cost solutions to many of the unique challenges that caregivers face in a home environment like protecting against hard slippery surfaces in the bathroom or curtailing wandering at night .  

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Virginia and Steve are joined by Linda Abbit, an eldercare professional and caregiver with over 25 years of experience in dementia caregiving. She has authored a book called, The Conscious Caregiver: A Mindful Approach to Caring For Your Loved One Without Losing Yourself (Simon and Schuster, 2017).

In this episode, the trio discuss the importance of prioritizing self-care for the caregiver, tapping in to mindfulness, how to identify burn-out, and utilizing respite care. To learn more about Linda's work visit her Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/TenderLovingEldercare/ 

If you like this episode, please rate, review, subscribe and share it with your friends. We're eager to hear topics you want us to discuss. Please email us at [email protected] and let us know your thoughts. 

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Virginia and Steve discuss the legal concerns that arise after a dementia diagnosis with Orange County probate attorney, Stephen Magro, JD, who has 30 years of experience in elder law.  Mr. Magro outlines the legal steps needed to help protect loved ones with dementia including setting up a will and trust and establishing an advanced health care directive.  For more information about Stephen Magro’s law firm, visit www.smagrolaw.com. What would like to hear about next? Email us at [email protected].

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In this episode, the co-hosts sit down with Cleo Dougherty to discuss the importance of finding the right support group for patients and their caregivers.  Cleo shares her story caring for her husband, Tom who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2006 and recalling her experience as both a member and a leader of a support group. For more information about support groups at the Alzheimer’s Association, visit: https://www.alz.org/ or the Savvy Caregiver Program through Alzheimer’s Orange County, visit: https://www.alzoc.org/events/savvy-caregiver/. What would like to hear about next? Email us at [email protected].

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In this episode, co-hosts Steve and Virginia have a conversation with Keith Swayne about the importance of communicating with family throughout the Alzheimer's journey.     Keith elaborates on his own process for sharing with his children and extended family about his wife, Judy's journey from diagnosis to her passing  in 2014.  What would like to hear about next? Email us at [email protected].

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