Dee Ransom joins Steve and Virginia to discuss some of the adjustments she has had to make being a caregiver for her husband, John, who lives with Alzheimer’s disease. Dee shares her experience learning to advocate for her husband, adapting to changes in their relationship and the difficulty and hidden blessings involved in placing him in a residential facility ..read more

Erin Light, MA, is a gerontologist and a senior administrator at Silverado Senior Living, a memory care company based in Southern California. She joins Steve and Virginia to discuss how to manage wandering in a loved one with dementia. Erin begins by giving an overview of what wandering is and provides some early signs to look out for. She also discusses what precautions caregivers should take to help keep their loved ones who wander, safe ..read more

Steve and Virginia are joined by Lindsay Hohsfield, PhD, a neuroscientist at UCI and co-founder of a non-profit organization called Youngtimers, to discuss the role that our genes play in Alzheimer’s disease. She helps the audience understand the difference between sporadic and familial Alzheimer’s, early- versus late-onset Alzheimer’s disease, and gives advice to those who are concerned about their genetic risk of developing the disease.  To learn more about Lindsays organization, Youngtimers, please visit https://www.youngtimers.org  ..read more

Steve and Virginia are joined by Heather Kruse, a licensed RN who specializes in dementia and hospice services. Heather was the hospice nurse for Steve’s wife, Patty at the time of her passing. She discusses the different services offered during hospice care and the things to keep in mind when deciding on hospice for a loved one ..read more

Our hosts are joined today by LA Times writer Jeanette Marantos and Virginia's brother, lawyer Bob Simpson, to tell us how they knew it was time to stop their loved one with Alzheimer's Disease from driving. They share stories on the challenges they faced and the clever ways they were able to get around them.  ..read more

Jeanette Marantos joins Virginia and Steve to discuss her experiences traveling with her husband, Steven, who had Alzheimer's disease, as well as sharing her tips on making travel manageable.  ..read more

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.  ..read more

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 ..read more

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 .   ..read more

Virginia and Steve speak with Dr. Galindo, who cared for her father with Alzheimer's disease and helps the listeners understand the importance of simplifying the holidays to maximize enjoyment for everyone.  She gives tips on focusing on one or two traditions and recruiting help  instead of trying to balance caregiving with all of the pressures of maintaining family traditions.  For more caregiver resources  at the holidays and throughout the year visit www.alzoc.org or call the helpline at 844-373-4400. Happy Holidays!  ..read more