What does a person lose to dementia? Sometimes it’s memory, independence, or the ability to recognize familiar things. And sometimes… it’s a phone that may or may not have ended up in the morgue.

In this episode of This Is Your Brain on Mom, Wendy and Barry make a countdown of the things their mom has lost throughout her dementia journey—and some of them are definitely more unexpected than others.

From patience and tolerance to her desire to wear clothes, hearing aids, glasses, stuffed animals, clothes that somehow belong to someone else, and multiple cell phones, this list is a hilarious, honest look at the everyday chaos of dementia caregiving.

There are missing phones, stolen—or possibly borrowed—stuffed animals, a mysterious collection of clothing, Costco-sized quantities of junk food that somehow disappeared, and one very questionable phone-tracking adventure that led directly to a place Wendy absolutely refused to enter.

But beneath the laughter are some very real parts of dementia: changes in behavior, loss of inhibition, confusion, wandering, changes in personal care, and the gradual loss of independence.

Because sometimes caregiving means grieving the things a person has lost. And sometimes it means searching under a dresser for glasses while wondering how a pair of shoes got there in the first place.

This Is Your Brain on Mom is a caregiving podcast about dementia, family, advocacy, sibling dynamics, and finding humor in the moments that are anything but funny.

If you’re caring for a parent with dementia, navigating a nursing home or long-term care, or simply trying to find humor in the chaos of caregiving, this episode is for you.

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What happens when two siblings who love trivia decide to turn their podcast into a dementia trivia game? Chaos, questionable answers, family history, and a lot of laughing.

In this episode of This Is Your Brain on Mom, Wendy and Barry take a break from their usual caregiving conversations and test each other’s knowledge with a mix of dementia facts and questions about their mom.

They tackle questions about memory loss, dementia and aging, the senses that can be affected early in dementia, and the reality that people living with dementia can have good days and bad days. Then the trivia gets personal as Wendy quizzes Barry on their mother’s biggest pet peeves, her hatred of loud noises, her aversion to perfume, and the family memories that somehow become funnier with time.

Along the way, they talk about dark humor, childhood trauma, family dynamics, and why finding humor in caregiving doesn’t mean you love your person any less. Because sometimes, when you're caring for a parent with dementia, laughter is one of the ways you survive the hard parts.

If you’re a dementia caregiver, family caregiver, or simply someone who loves trivia and a good sibling rivalry, this episode is for you.

Listen, play along, and see how many questions you can answer correctly.

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When does caregiving stop being something you do... and become your entire lifestyle?

In this episode of Your Brain on Mom, Wendy and Barry explore the moment family caregiving quietly takes over your life.

What starts as driving your parent to appointments, making a few extra phone calls, or checking in more often can slowly become schedules, routines, advocacy, crisis management, and decisions that shape every day. For anyone caring for a parent with dementia or another progressive illness, that shift often happens before you even realize it.

The siblings share how caring for their mom transformed from "helping out" into a full-time way of life, why Wendy jokes she needs a sweatshirt that says "Advocate Like a Daughter", and whether caregiving is something we choose—or something that chooses us.

They also unpack one of the biggest misconceptions about caregiving: it doesn't replace your life—it joins it. Work deadlines, parenting, marriages, home repairs, sick pets, flooded basements, birthdays, vacations, and everyday responsibilities don't stop because you're caring for someone with dementia. Instead, caregiving becomes the thread running through all of it. That's what makes it a lifestyle.

Whether you're caring for a parent with dementia, supporting a loved one with Alzheimer's disease, navigating elder care, or simply wondering if your life has quietly become organized around someone else's needs, this episode will remind you that you're not alone.

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In this episode of Your Brain on Mom, Wendy and Barry explore the lesser-known symptoms of dementia that often catch families completely off guard. From sensory and visual changes to altered behavior, loss of social filters, and changes in spatial awareness, they discuss how neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia affect far more than memory.

Using their own experiences caring for their mom, they share why so many early warning signs are dismissed as "normal aging," how stress and brain function can sometimes mimic memory problems, and why understanding these symptoms can help caregivers respond with more compassion and less confusion.

You'll also hear the siblings do what they do best—mix meaningful education with humor, including a debate over how to pronounce "frontotemporal" and the usual off-topic family banter that reminds caregivers they're not alone.

Whether you're caring for a parent with dementia, supporting someone with Alzheimer's, or trying to recognize the early signs of cognitive decline, this episode offers practical insight, relatable stories, and reassurance that dementia is about much more than forgetting names.

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When someone is diagnosed with dementia, most people expect memory loss to be the hardest part. But what happens when the illness begins changing your entire family?

In this episode of This Is Your Brain on Mom, we pull back the curtain on one of the most difficult—and least talked about—aspects of caregiving: sibling dynamics.

We share how our mom's dementia slowly reshaped our family roles, why caregiving responsibilities often fall unevenly between siblings, and the emotional weight of becoming the primary caregiver. From navigating doctor's appointments and long-term care to the heartbreak of getting calls from a frightened parent who no longer knows where they are, this conversation explores the invisible work of dementia caregiving.

With honesty, humor, and plenty of sibling banter, we discuss resentment, guilt, communication, family conflict, and the reality that loving a parent doesn't always mean caring for them in the same way.

If you're caring for a parent with dementia, supporting a loved one with dementia, or struggling with family dynamics during caregiving, this episode will remind you that you're not alone.

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What makes a life meaningful when dementia changes everything?

In this episode of Your Brain on Mom, Wendy and Barry tackle one of the biggest questions caregivers face: how do we define quality of life for someone living with dementia?

Inspired by conversations with dementia experts and their own experiences caring for their Mom, they explore the tension between safety, independence, connection, and joy. Is a meaningful life measured by what someone can still do—or by how they feel in the moments they're living right now?

The conversation quickly turns into a classic sibling debate as Wendy and Barry wrestle with difficult questions about long-term care, social isolation, engagement, and what life looks like when dementia changes almost everything.

As always, there are laughs, disagreements, stories about Mom's latest adventures, and honest conversations about the realities of caring for a loved one with dementia.

If you're caring for a parent with dementia, supporting a loved one with dementia, or navigating the challenges of caregiving, this episode will leave you thinking about what truly makes life meaningful.

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Just days after sharing a positive update about our mom's dementia care, everything changed.

In this episode of Your Brain on Mom, we discuss a shocking conversation with a social worker who told us the nursing home was unhappy about our podcast and wanted us to stop talking about our experiences. The problem? The person making the accusations admitted they had never actually listened to the show.

We dive into the challenges families face when advocating for loved ones living with dementia, the fear of speaking out about long-term care, and why so many caregivers feel pressured to stay quiet. We also share a series of frustrating incidents involving a room camera, communication breakdowns, and ongoing concerns about accountability inside the nursing home system.

Along the way, we discuss our mom's pseudo-bulbar affect, the realities of comfort care versus behavioral care, and the emotional complexity of trying to ensure dignity, safety, and happiness for a parent living with dementia.

If you've ever felt dismissed, questioned, or labeled as "difficult" simply for advocating for someone you love, this conversation will feel very familiar.

About the Podcast

Your Brain on Mom is a podcast hosted by siblings Wendy and Barry as they navigate the challenges, heartbreak, humor, and unexpected moments of caring for their mother living with dementia. Through candid conversations and real-life stories, they explore caregiving, dementia advocacy, family dynamics, long-term care, and the realities of supporting an aging parent.

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Caregiving often feels like an endless series of meetings, phone calls, care plans, and crisis management. But occasionally, a meeting leaves you feeling hopeful.

In this episode of Your Brain on Mom, Wendy and Barry share a surprisingly positive experience after meeting with a new care team member at their mom's long-term care facility. For the first time in a long time, the conversation wasn't about managing complaints or defending their concerns—it was about improving their mom's quality of life.

They discuss the challenges of navigating dementia care, advocating for a loved one in a nursing home, and the importance of collaboration between families and healthcare professionals. Along the way, they share stories about their mom's latest adventures, Barry's upcoming career change, and the unexpected ways caregiving has strengthened their sibling relationship.

This episode explores the reality of dementia caregiving, family advocacy, long-term care, and finding moments of connection and hope during one of life's most difficult journeys.

If you're caring for a parent with dementia, supporting a loved one in long-term care, or navigating the complexities of the healthcare system, this episode will remind you that even in difficult circumstances, meaningful connections can still emerge.

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This Is Your Brain on Mom picks up right where the chaos left off: Mom is back at the nursing home after a month in the hospital — restrained, overmedicated, medically cleared, psychiatrically cleared… and somehow still stuck in the middle of a system that no one seems able to explain.

In this episode, Wendy and Barry unpack the exhausting reality of dementia care when doctors, hospitals, long-term care facilities, and families are all speaking different languages. From endless medication changes to unanswered questions, they share the frustration of trying to advocate for someone you love while navigating a healthcare system that often feels reactive instead of supportive.

Through stories about Mom yelling at Murder, She Wrote, arguing with The Price Is Right, and terrifying nurses with her volume level, this episode balances heartbreak, frustration, and humor in the way only real caregivers can.

If you’re supporting a parent with Alzheimer’s, dementia, or cognitive decline — or trying to navigate nursing homes, hospitals, and impossible decisions — this episode will remind you that you are not alone.

Produced by Aflalo Communications Inc. (www.aflalo.com)

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What happens when the person who helps families plan for death becomes a dementia caregiver herself?

In this episode of This Is Your Brain on Mom, Wendy and Barry speak with Canadian funeral director, educator, and author Minnelle Williams, founder of Ending Well with Minnelle Ending Well with Minnelle.

What starts as a conversation about funeral planning quickly becomes deeply personal when Minnelle’s father is diagnosed with dementia—shifting everything she thought she knew about being “prepared.”

Suddenly, estate planning isn’t theoretical. Advance directives aren’t paperwork. And end-of-life conversations aren’t optional—they’re urgent.

Minnelle shares how her lived experience reshaped her work, leading her to focus on helping families navigate end-of-life planning with more clarity, less fear, and earlier conversations. She also discusses her book Plan Well. Live Well, a practical guide to documenting wishes and reducing crisis-driven decision-making.

This is a conversation about what no one prepares you for—not just death, but the long emotional road leading up to it.

If you’re caring for a loved one with dementia or trying to make sense of caregiving decisions before crisis hits, this episode will change how you think about planning.

🎧 Listen now and subscribe to This Is Your Brain on Mom for honest conversations about dementia, caregiving, grief, and the reality families live every day.

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