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.

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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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After their mother’s diagnosis shifted from Alzheimer’s disease to mixed dementia — including Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) and vascular dementia — they began facing personality changes, emotional outbursts, constant yelling, and the painful reality that dementia affects far more than memory.

The siblings open up about caregiver guilt, hospital life, behavioral changes, and the complicated emotions that come with trying to stay connected to someone who feels different every day.

Raw, funny, heartbreaking, and painfully honest, this episode captures the reality of living with dementia as a family — beyond the movie version people expect.

This Is Your Brain on Mom is a podcast about dementia caregiving, family dynamics, advocacy, humor, and surviving the chaos of caring for a parent with cognitive decline.

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In this episode of This Is Your Brain on Mom, Wendy and Barry unpack a major shift in their mom’s diagnosis—from Alzheimer’s to mixed dementia, including frontal temporal dementia (FTD) and vascular dementia.

And honestly? It explains a lot.

From extreme personality changes to aggression, language issues, and unpredictable behavior, this episode dives into what FTD actually looks like in real life—not just what Google tells you.

Because dementia isn’t one-size-fits-all.

There’s humor (because there has to be), but also the raw truth of what it’s like to watch your parent change in ways no one prepares you for.

If you’ve ever felt like the diagnosis doesn’t quite fit… or like you’re learning as you go in real time—this episode is for you.

🎧 Tune in and learn what mixed dementia really means—and why getting the right diagnosis matters.

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Inspired by a powerful post from Dr. Kalisha Bonds Johnson, we unpack the reality so many caregivers face: surviving day by day with no roadmap, no guidance, and no real-time help.

From their mom’s rapid decline following her Alzheimer’s diagnosis to navigating hospital discharges, psychosis, medications, and impossible decisions—this episode dives into the chaos of becoming a caregiver overnight.

This episode is for anyone who has ever thought: “What the hell do I do now?”

🎧 If you’re a caregiver—or love someone who is—you are not alone in this.

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What began as a plan to bring our mom home has turned into an ongoing cycle of hospital visits, medication changes, and uncertainty. In this episode, we share the reality of what happens when dementia care becomes unstable — and the system meant to support you starts to feel like it’s working against you.

After a chaotic holiday in the emergency room, we’re left asking impossible questions:

Where does she go if her care facility doesn’t want her back?
Why are medications constantly being changed when stability is the goal?
And how are caregivers supposed to navigate this with no guidance?

This episode also touches on something not talked about enough:
The lack of direction and support immediately after a dementia diagnosis — and how caregivers are often left to figure everything out alone.

Through humor, honesty, and unfiltered storytelling, we share what it really looks like behind the scenes of caregiving — the frustration, the heartbreak, and the moments that somehow still make you laugh.

If you’re navigating dementia, Alzheimer’s, or complex elder care, this episode will hit home.

You’re not alone in this.

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In this episode, we’re joined by Beth, host of FTD Navigating the Crap, who shares what it really looked like before her mom’s diagnosis. Not memory loss—but subtle, shocking shifts in behavior. Comments that felt out of character. A tone that didn’t match the woman she had always known.

Beth opens up about those early red flags, the confusion of a possible Alzheimer’s misdiagnosis, and the emotional reality of learning it was actually FTD—a completely different form of dementia.

We also talk about how quickly things progressed—from personality changes to becoming non-verbal and fully dependent—and what it means to navigate that as an only child.

And then there’s the part no one prepares you for:
being diagnosed… and then sent home with no support.

We talk about:

• Early FTD symptoms (personality + behavioral changes, not memory)
• Real examples of out-of-character remarks and why they matter
• Alzheimer’s vs FTD misdiagnosis
• Rapid progression and late-stage care realities
• The loneliness of caregiving—especially during the pandemic
• The global gap in post-diagnosis support for families

If you’ve ever thought, “this isn’t my mom”—but couldn’t explain why—this episode will hit home.

🎧 Raw, honest, and deeply validating for anyone navigating dementia.

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In this episode of This Is Your Brain on Mom, Wendy and Barry share a raw update on their mom’s condition as her behavior—not her memory—continues to spiral. From yelling and disrobing to falls and confusion, the symptoms are escalating, unpredictable, and impossible to fully explain. With no clear answers, the proposed solution is a transfer to a facility specializing in psychogeriatrics.

As they navigate disorganized care meetings, medication concerns—including the use of Haldol—and rapid physical decline, Wendy and Barry confront the reality of caregiving burnout and a system that often manages behaviors without understanding them.

Honest, chaotic, and unexpectedly funny, this episode captures the tension of recognizing your loved one is still there—even as everything else changes.

🎧 If you’re a caregiver, family member, or healthcare professional, this episode offers an unfiltered look at the complexities of dementia care—especially when the system struggles to keep up.

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In this powerful and deeply relatable conversation, we sit down with Alma Valencia — sandwich generation caregiver, advocate, and full-time daughter caring for her mother living with Frontal Temporal Dementia (FTD) — to unpack what happens when dementia doesn’t fit the mold.

Before receiving an FTD diagnosis, Alma’s mother was misdiagnosed with depression and alcoholism. The family questioned everything: Was it bipolar disorder? A personality disorder? A midlife crisis? Until the behavioral changes, financial chaos, language shifts, and loss of executive function could no longer be explained away.

Alma shares raw and sometimes shocking examples of how FTD showed up in her mother’s life — from unpaid rent and parking tickets to elaborate stories, impulsive decisions, and the gradual shrinking of vocabulary. 

We also discuss something many families experience but don’t talk about enough: personality shifts. The sweet church-going mother who never cursed begins using profanity. The filter disappears. Social boundaries fade. Humor becomes a coping mechanism.

If you are:

• Caring for a parent with FTD or atypical dementia

• Questioning a diagnosis that doesn’t fully make sense

• Seeing behavioral symptoms that feel “beyond normal aging”

• Navigating language loss or personality changes

• Feeling isolated after a dementia diagnosis

This episode is for you.

Because dementia is not one-size-fits-all. And sometimes the hardest part isn’t the memory loss — it’s losing the version of the person you thought you knew.

🎧 Listen now and join the conversation.

Alma shares how caregiving transformed her life — from a fast-paced 20-year career in fashion to embracing caregiving as a vocation. She speaks candidly about building community, creating resources, and ensuring other families don’t feel as alone as she once did.

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In this powerful and deeply honest conversation, we sit down with Ethan, founder of the Memory Miles Project, to talk about caregiving, men’s mental health, anticipatory grief, and why “just stay strong” might be the most unhelpful advice caregivers receive.

After his grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, Ethan knew he wanted to raise awareness — but not in a way that felt performative or numbers-driven. Instead of running a marathon, he created something deeply personal: outdoor adventure challenges designed to spark real conversations about dementia, grief, and struggling out loud.

Through nighttime hikes in the fog, freezing winter challenges, and open conversations in nature, the Memory Miles Project connects Alzheimer’s awareness with mental health advocacy — creating space for caregivers and families to speak honestly about what this disease really does to the people around the diagnosis.

Ethan shares a moving story about regret, masculinity, and not always saying “I love you” — and the healing that came from realizing it was understood anyway.

If you are caring for a parent, grandparent, spouse, or loved one living with Alzheimer’s or dementia… if you are navigating anticipatory grief… if you’ve ever felt like you don’t have time to take care of your own mental health… this conversation will resonate deeply.

This episode is for caregivers, adult children, spouses, and anyone living in the long goodbye of dementia.

🎧 Listen now and join the conversation.

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Madeline shares how her father—once the life of the party in Puerto Rico—began isolating, experiencing depression, hallucinations, repetitive shopping behaviors, and personality changes long before an official diagnosis. From navigating long-distance caregiving between Puerto Rico and Seattle, to fighting for earlier neurology appointments, to advocating for proper medication management, this conversation highlights what it really means to become your parent’s caregiver overnight.

Together, we discuss:

• Early warning signs of Alzheimer’s that are often dismissed as depression or aging

• Long-distance caregiving challenges

• Sundowning and behavioral changes

• Hallucinations and dementia-related paranoia

• How to advocate for faster specialist appointments

• The emotional whiplash of an Alzheimer’s diagnosis

• Why dignity and purpose matter in memory care

• Creative, purpose-driven activities for mid-stage dementia

Madeline’s caregiving approach is both practical and beautiful. By giving her father small handyman tasks, music, dancing, and meaningful daily routines, she preserves his dignity and sense of purpose. Her joyful, viral videos show that connection is still possible—even in memory care.

Follow Madeline’s journey on Instagram: @andy.maddy.alz
Her videos are a powerful reminder that Alzheimer’s is not just loss—it’s also love, adaptation, and advocacy.

This episode is for anyone navigating Alzheimer’s, dementia caregiving, memory care placement, caregiver burnout, or the complicated grief of watching a parent change in real time.

If you’ve ever wondered, “Was that an early sign?” — this conversation will resonate deeply.

🎧 Subscribe, follow, and leave a review to help more caregivers feel less alone.

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In this powerful episode of This Is Your Brain on Mom, we sit down with Teun Toebes, a Dutch activist and global advocate who made an extraordinary decision at just 21 years old: he moved into a closed dementia ward.

Not as a researcher. Not as a staff member. But as a neighbor.

Born in the south of the Netherlands, Teun first visited a nursing home at 17 and was struck by what he describes as a “surreal nobody’s land” — beautiful people living inside a system that sorted them by their diagnosis. What followed was not a project, but a way of life. He chose to live alongside people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia to understand what life inside long-term care truly feels like.

In this deeply emotional and thought-provoking conversation, we explore:

• What it’s really like inside a closed dementia ward

• How nursing homes prioritize safety and control over individuality

• The stigma surrounding Alzheimer’s and dementia

• Why dementia is often framed as a “terminal disease” — and how that language strips humanity

• The isolation so many residents face

• The impact of intergenerational connection

• Why Teun believes dementia is not a healthcare problem — but a societal issue

We also discuss Human Forever, the internationally acclaimed documentary Teun co-created with filmmaker Jonathan de Jong. After traveling to 11 countries, they uncovered a powerful truth: the greatest suffering experienced by people living with dementia often comes not from the diagnosis itself, but from how society treats them.

If you are caring for a parent with Alzheimer’s, supporting someone with early-onset dementia, or questioning how long-term care is structured, this episode will challenge and inspire you.

Dementia does not erase humanity.
Systems can.
But systems can also change.

🎧 Listen now to hear why Teun Toebes believes a better future for people living with dementia starts with all of us.

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We sit down with David Uhlfelder, an advocate & podcast host living with dementia. David was diagnosed with early Alzheimer’s disease in April 2025, and from the moment of diagnosis, he made a conscious decision: this would be part of his story, but it would not be the part that silences him.

David is the host of David’s Alzheimer’s Fight, a podcast he co-hosts with dementia care specialist Dr. Karen Gilbert, where they explore what it actually looks like to live with clarity, purpose, and connection after a diagnosis. Together, they share practical guidance on brain health, caregiving strategies, community resources, and navigating life with Alzheimer’s — whether you’re living with it yourself or caring for someone who is.

In this conversation, David takes us back to the moment he received his diagnosis and walks us through the early signs that led him to seek medical answers — from forgetting long-standing routines and passwords to the fear of making critical mistakes at work. He speaks candidly about the emotional impact, the relief of finally knowing, and the mindset shift that allowed him to move forward with intention rather than fear.

We also talk about:

• The early warning signs of Alzheimer’s and when to trust your gut

• Why early diagnosis matters more than most people realize

• Living an active, purpose-driven life after a dementia diagnosis

• Anger, agitation, and emotional changes — and how awareness can help

• Advocacy, research, and the hope behind early detection and trials

This episode is honest, empowering, and surprisingly hopeful — a reminder that a dementia diagnosis does not erase identity, agency, or the ability to help others.

Learn more about David’s work:
🌐 https://davidsalzheimersfight.org/
🎙️ Podcast: David’s Alzheimer’s Fight
📱 Instagram: @davidsalzheimersfight

Whether you’re living with Alzheimer’s, supporting a loved one, or simply want to better understand what early dementia can look like, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

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Kelly’s work is deeply personal. Her journey began as a family caregiver to grandparents living with Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s, and that experience shaped her belief that there is no one-size-fits-all roadmap for aging. Today, Kelly helps families create their own roadmap—offering clarity, education, and guidance during some of the most overwhelming moments of caregiving.

We break down what a Certified Senior Advisor actually does (in plain English), including the licensing process, ethical standards, and the core areas of aging and senior care expertise—ranging from health and dementia care to financial planning and probate.

This conversation also tackles the real-life issues caregivers face every day:

• When and how to talk to a loved one about stopping driving

• Navigating family dynamics without blowing things up

• Understanding the differences between assisted living, skilled nursing, hospice, and rehab

• Why so many caregivers feel lost—and why that’s not a personal failure

Kelly explains how she works with families across the U.S. and internationally, offering virtual support that removes geographic barriers and provides non-biased, compassionate advocacy when families need it most.

If you’re caring for a loved one with dementia or Alzheimer’s, feeling overwhelmed by senior care options, or wishing someone could just explain things clearly—this episode is for you.

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In this episode of This Is Your Brain on Mom, we explore the power of music as a caregiving tool for people living with dementia and Alzheimer’s. From singing in the car to hallway concerts in care facilities, we reflect on how familiar songs can spark joy, unlock memories, and create moments of connection even during the hardest seasons of caregiving.

After an emotionally exhausting year — and an especially difficult month — we talk honestly about what it feels like to give everything and still wonder if it’s enough. Inspired by family experience and research, we share how music isn’t a cure or a miracle, but something deeply human, accessible, and real that can make caregiving days gentler, calmer, and more connected.

We also discuss:

• Why music often reaches people with dementia when other communication can’t

• How familiar songs can trigger nostalgia, emotion, and joy

• The role of music in nursing homes and assisted living settings

• Simple ways caregivers can use music to connect with loved ones

• Singing, memory, and the moments that still feel like them

If you’re caring for a loved one with dementia or Alzheimer’s — especially during times when the days feel heavy — this episode is a reminder that connection doesn’t always come from answers. Sometimes it comes from a song.

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Adina found herself caring for aging parents while raising children of her own—living squarely in the reality of the sandwich generation. From supporting a mother with chronic mental health challenges, to caring for a fiercely independent father who later developed dementia, Adina’s caregiving journey began long before most people even recognize the role.

She shares what it was like growing up as an only child, becoming a caregiver early, and navigating dementia alongside family history, trauma, and love. We talk about the moment she first noticed something was wrong with her father, the subtle signs of cognitive decline, and how dementia reshapes independence, identity, and family dynamics over time.

This conversation also touches on:

• Caring for a parent with dementia later in life

• The emotional weight of caregiving without siblings

• Guilt, responsibility, and resilience in the sandwich generation

• Dementia behaviors, safety concerns, and early warning signs

• How humor shows up—even in the hardest moments

Most importantly, this episode offers a grounded, honest look at what long-term caregiving really feels like—before labels, before systems step in, and long after childhood ends.

Whether you’re caring for a parent with Alzheimer’s or dementia, supporting a loved one with mental illness, or balancing caregiving alongside parenting and work, this episode will resonate deeply.

🎧 Listen now for a candid, funny, and deeply human conversation about caregiving across a lifetime.

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In this episode, Barry introduces the improv principle “Yes, And” and explains how the skills he learned in improv have become powerful tools for caregiving. While improv is often mistaken for being funny or quick, Barry and Wendy break down what it actually teaches: presence, flexibility, emotional listening, and acceptance — all essential when supporting someone living with dementia.

Through real, unfiltered caregiver moments — frantic phone calls, imagined locations, repeated questions, and emotional distress — this episode explores why correcting facts often escalates agitation, and how meeting your loved one in theirreality can preserve dignity, reduce stress, and strengthen connection.

The conversation also touches on the emotional toll caregiving takes, sibling dynamics, and the ongoing challenge of choosing emotional truth over factual accuracy — especially when fear, confusion, or panic take over.

This episode is for caregivers who feel overwhelmed, unsure of what to say, or exhausted from trying to “fix” situations that can’t be fixed. It offers practical mindset shifts and real-life examples that show how caregiving is improvisation, whether we realize it or not.

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In this episode, Wendy & Barry pull back the curtain on their complicated (and often hilarious) sibling dynamic, shaped by age gaps, birth order, resentment, love, and decades of unspoken roles. From being mistaken for a couple in public (gross 😬), to joking about “giving orders since 1980,” they unpack what it really means to grow up in the same family—but in completely different realities.

They explore:

• How being raised by different versions of the same mother shaped them

• The impact of becoming a “third parent” before adulthood

• Why sibling relationships take effort, grace, and brutal honesty

• And how humor became their survival language

This episode is part family history, part therapy session, and part comedy routine—revealing how years of growing pains ultimately laid the groundwork for how they now show up together while caregiving for their mom.

If you’re navigating sibling dynamics while caring for a parent, feeling the weight of old roles resurfacing, or wondering why caregiving brings everything to the surface—this conversation will feel painfully familiar, validating, and unexpectedly funny.

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As the jokes land, the heaviness follows. Wendy breaks down a recent interdisciplinary team meeting (ITM) that felt less like collaboration and more like a trial — where Mom’s “behaviors” were listed, her comfort items questioned, and her rapid cognitive decline following a UTI was minimized. We talk about medication cocktails, overstimulation in care facilities, fall risks, and what it feels like to be blamed for a system stretched beyond its limits.

We also get honest about burnout — anxiety, exhaustion, and what happens when you’re showing up every day but still feel unheard. This episode isn’t polished or perfectly structured. It’s raw, messy, and real — because that’s what caregiving actually looks like.

If you’re listening while caring for someone with dementia, navigating confusing care meetings, or just trying to survive the holidays — please know you’re not alone.

Topics include:
• Dementia & Alzheimer’s caregiving
• Interdisciplinary team meetings (ITMs)
• Caregiver burnout & anxiety
• UTIs, medications & sudden cognitive decline
• Sensory overload in care facilities
• Sibling dynamics & family caregiving
• Laughing through dysfunction

From our dysfunctional family to yours —
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, and Happy New Year.
Subscribe, follow, leave a review, and tell a friend who needs to hear this.

🎧 This Is Your Brain on Mom — where caregiving is messy, emotional, sometimes funny, and never done alone.

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What begins with a long-planned trip to New York quickly turns into another caregiving crisis when a bed suddenly opens at their first-choice memory care facility — and their mom must move immediately. It’s the second time a major transition happens while Wendy is out of town, because caregiving never checks the calendar.

From there, the conversation deepens into the reality of caregiver burnout and the toll of relentless change. Over the past year, their mom has lived in multiple hospitals, rehab centers, and care facilities — each move a shock to her system and another layer of emotional trauma for everyone involved. Even when she’s “stable,” nothing feels settled. And stability, when it comes, feels fragile.

They reflect on a recent family milestone — joyful, meaningful, and heartbreaking all at once — marking the end of an era and highlighting how dementia reshapes even the most beautiful moments. There is gratitude for what remains: humor, recognition, presence, and flashes of light in a very dark place. But there is also an honest reckoning with fear about what lies ahead.

In one of the episode’s most grounding moments, they talk about permission — permission to be exhausted without judgment, to lower your shoulders, to admit this is hard, to stop pretending resilience means never cracking. And yes, permission to laugh — even when the humor is dark — because sometimes laughter is the only relief valve left.

If you’re caring for a parent with Alzheimer’s or dementia, living in a constant state of alertness, questioning yourself, and wondering why you’re so tired all the time — this episode will feel painfully familiar.

No answers.

No pretending it’s okay.

Just truth, humor, fear, love — and the reminder that you’re not weak for being worn down. You’re human.

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We walk through practical, comforting, and dignity-giving gifts that truly make daily life easier. Starting with the dementia-friendly reminder clock — which Barry thought was just a “really nice clock,” but no, it’s literally designed for dementia care. With 20 customizable reminders and an anti-glare screen, it helps with medications, meals, appointments, orientation, and reducing confusion.

Next up: digital photo frames. We highlight the Aura frame, a caregiver favorite that allows unlimited photo uploads and can be managed remotely. These frames support memory connection, reduce anxiety, spark conversation, and keep loved ones surrounded by familiar faces and moments.

We also share one of our favorite discoveries: Socky Talkies from Beetlebug — adapted socks with easy-pull loops for people with limited dexterity. Independence, dignity, and a bit of hope printed right on the toes. Perfect stocking stuffer territory.

Then we get into the Senior Joy Box, a subscription box created specifically for seniors. Cozy items, puzzles, sensory-friendly goodies — each box is meant to send love, connection, and comfort, especially when distance or life gets in the way. They currently only ship in the U.S., but for our American listeners: this one’s gold.

And finally: weighted blankets. The caregiver community swears by them for reducing anxiety, calming restlessness, improving sleep, and offering comfort during transitions like hospital visits or moving into long-term care. Many describe it as the feeling of a hug — something every caregiver and every loved one deserves.

In this episode we cover:

• Best dementia-friendly gifts backed by real caregiver experience

• Why reminder clocks can be life-changing

• How digital frames support memory and emotional connection

• Adapted socks that build dignity and independence

• The Senior Joy Box subscription

• Why weighted blankets are a top comfort item

• Caregiver humor, chaos, and our unfiltered sibling commentary

If you're shopping for a loved one with dementia — or looking for caregiver-approved tools that truly help — this episode is your go-to guide.

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We talk about the realities of caregiving burnout, anxiety, and the constant battle between wanting quiet alone time and not actually liking being alone with our thoughts. Mikayla shares how her own emotional regulation journey has shifted—going from avoiding silence to finally finding peace in it. Meanwhile, Barry and Wendy unpack the mental load of being “always on call,” the guilt of saying no, and how hard it is to set boundaries when your loved one insists you’re the only person who can help.

We dive into:

✨ The emotional whiplash of caring for someone whose needs and moods change daily
✨ The impossibility of balance — and why “spinning plates” is a better metaphor
✨ The grief and identity loss tied to no longer driving or being independent
✨ Why caregivers need Do Not Do lists just as much as to-do lists
✨ Learning how to say no (or at least not right now) without drowning in guilt

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, overstimulated, overcommitted — and still somehow convinced that you should be doing more — this episode is your permission slip to breathe, set boundaries, and choose what you have capacity for today.

🎧 Listen now for real talk, humour, and the reminder that you are not alone.

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In this episode, we catch up on mom’s surprisingly busy social life in memory care, upcoming travel plans, and Barry’s big family milestone. But beneath the laughter, we go somewhere real: the complicated emotional side of caregiving.

We talk about:

• The isolation many caregivers feel

• The frustration behind comments like “at least she still remembers you”

• Unsolicited advice (especially from people who have never cared for someone living with dementia)

• Toxic positivity, grief, resentment — and why humor sometimes saves us

• The struggle with role reversal and language, including words like “diaper”

• How routines shift when caregiving becomes part of everyday life

If you’re a caregiver for a parent with Alzheimer’s or dementia — or love someone who is — you’ll feel seen in this conversation. And you’ll probably laugh, because sometimes the only options are laughter… or chaos.

🎧 Listen now for honesty, humor, and the reminder that caregivers deserve compassion too.

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In this episode of This Is Your Brain on Mom, we’re pulling back the curtain on what caregiving really looks like behind the scenes… including the emotional overflow, the exhaustion, the unexpected laughter, and yes—those moments where avoiding the phone feels like self-preservation.

Today, we’re joined by a very special guest: Marc (aka The Husband), who has quietly played the role of tech lead, emotional support person, and unofficial Mom Whisperer. Together, we talk about:

✨ How Alzheimer’s impacts spouses, kids, and extended family—not just primary caregivers
✨ The emotional whiplash of caregiving (from crying to laughing to swearing in under 30 seconds)
✨ The role humor plays when things get heavy
✨ Why sometimes the kindest thing you can do for yourself is not answer the phone
✨ How this diagnosis has changed our relationships—with each other and with our kids

Whether you’re navigating dementia with a parent, supporting a partner who’s caregiving, or simply trying to understand the ripple effect this disease creates—this episode is for you.

You’re not alone.
And if you’ve ever hung up the phone and immediately needed a snack, a nap, or a new therapist… yeah, same.

🎧 Press play and come sit with us in the chaos.

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In her first-ever podcast appearance, Mom shares stories from her childhood in Montreal, the ups and downs of raising kids through the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, and how she’s seen the world change — from typewriters to FaceTime, and from “boys meet girls” to “love is love.”

It’s funny, tender, and a little bit nostalgic — a rare chance to hear Mom’s voice and remember who she was before Alzheimer’s began to reshape her world.

🎧 Tune in for:

• Her dream of becoming a nurse

• What parenting was really like “back then”

• The lessons she hopes her grandkids will carry forward

• Laughter, surprises, and a few classic “Mom-isms”

Because before we can understand memory loss, we have to remember the person behind the memories.

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They celebrate reaching ten episodes (and surviving it together!) while reflecting on the powerful community that’s grown around their story — from old friends reconnecting to strangers who deeply understand what it’s like to love someone through dementia.

This heartfelt conversation dives into what it means to grieve the small losses while still finding gratitude for what remains. Wendy shares how her mom’s recent medication change brought back glimpses of her “old self,” and the siblings unpack the emotional rollercoaster that comes with that — hope, guilt, fear, laughter, and everything in between.

With their trademark humor and honesty, Wendy and Barry explore how each of them copes — from late-night worry to true-crime podcasts, over-scheduling, and using laughter as a lifeline. They remind listeners that grief in caregiving doesn’t wait for the end — it arrives quietly, again and again.

🎧 Tune in to hear:

• What “pre-grief” really feels like for dementia caregivers
• How humor becomes survival when love and loss coexist
• The small miracles that happen when the “old” mom shines through
• Why community matters more than ever

If you’ve ever felt the heartbreak of losing pieces of someone you love — while they’re still right in front of you — this episode is for you.

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Their mom, Marion, has always been expressive, but lately, her emotions swing from loving to furious in a matter of minutes. Is it the disease? The medication? Or just Mom being… Mom? Barry and Wendy unpack the emotional rollercoaster that comes with Alzheimer’s-related personality changes, including anger, frustration, and confusion.

Between bursts of laughter (and sibling teasing), they explore:

• Why Alzheimer’s can cause anger and aggression — even in someone who’s never been that way before.
• The emotional toll of being the “go-to” child who gets yelled at (and how to stay compassionate through it).
• How siblings handle caregiving differently — from blocking calls to trying to “fix” everything.
• The importance of routines, emotional check-ins, and visiting loved ones consistently.
• Why healthcare staff often struggle to manage dementia-related anger — and what families wish they knew.

Along the way, listeners get glimpses of Marion’s humor, stubbornness, and heart — from feeding wandering patients in the hospital to believing she’s 91 one day and 16 the next.

If you’ve ever wondered why your loved one with dementia seems so angry, this episode is for you. It’s raw, real, and full of the mix of humor, heartbreak, and honesty that defines This Is Your Brain on Mom.

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Welcome to Episode 8 of This Is Your Brain on Mom — the podcast where two adult siblings try to make sense of life, love, and memory loss… with humor, heart, and a lot of chaos.

This week, it’s Barry’s turn to interview Wendy. What starts as a lighthearted sibling roast quickly turns into a real conversation about identity, humor, and what it means to be a caregiver long before you ever realize that’s what you’ve become.

We talk about:
🎙️ Who Wendy is besides being a caregiver
🎙️ Growing up as the youngest — and the “only child of the divorce era”
🎙️ Why grocery shopping with Mom was basically a love language
🎙️ Finding humor in frustration (and why Mom might be our favorite stand-up comic)
🎙️ How caregiving evolves, from teenage support to full-time manager
🎙️ And the one thing we’d want to tell Mom if she were fully herself again

Whether you’re caring for a parent with Alzheimer’s, navigating sibling dynamics, or just trying to laugh through the hard stuff — this episode reminds you that you’re not alone in this messy, beautiful, heartbreaking, hilarious journey.

💬 Share your stories with us on Instagram or Facebook @yourbrainonmom
🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts

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Together, they dive into the humor and heartbreak of caregiving for a mom living with Alzheimer’s — from getting lost in hospitals and arguing over snack choices to the guilt, exhaustion, and love that come with watching a parent change before your eyes.

💬 In this episode:

• Barry’s unfiltered take on what it really means to be a caregiver
• The funniest (and weirdest) moments of their dementia journey
• How caregiving has changed their family, their patience, and their bond
• Why humor might just be the best survival skill of all

Whether you’re a fellow caregiver, a sibling navigating aging parents, or just someone who needs a good laugh about life’s hardest moments — this one’s for you.

🧠 About the show:
This Is Your Brain on Mom is a sibling-hosted podcast about caring for a parent with dementia — mixing advocacy, humor, and honest storytelling about love, memory loss, and everything in between.

👉 Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
📱 Follow us on Instagram @yourbrainonmom for more stories, behind-the-scenes moments, and caregiver laughs.

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From sudden changes in behavior, sundowning, and confusion to navigating Montreal’s healthcare system, we give listeners an unfiltered, behind-the-scenes look at what life is like as a family caregiver supporting a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease. We explore the highs, the lows, and the moments of unexpected humor that surface in the midst of caregiving crises.

This episode offers practical insight, relatable stories, and emotional honesty for sibling caregivers, family members, and anyone supporting someone living with dementia. Whether you’re managing hospital visits, advocating for a loved one, or simply trying to understand the challenges of Alzheimer’s care, you’ll hear what it truly means to balance love, responsibility, and resilience in real-time caregiving moments.

Tune in for a raw, heartfelt, and sometimes funny exploration of the reality of Alzheimer’s caregiving — from the chaos of hospital emergencies to the tender, small victories that keep families moving forward.

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In this episode of This Is Your Brain on Mom, we take you inside the rollercoaster of Google diagnoses, geriatric assessments, and the moment a doctor finally said the word “Alzheimer’s.” From confusing frontotemporal dementia vs. Alzheimer’s searches to navigating the Quebec healthcare system for elder care, we share the raw, funny, and heartbreaking truth of being adult children caring for a parent with dementia.

You’ll hear how we balanced sibling caregiving, private healthcare appointments, and long waits at geriatric clinics, all while coping with the emotional impact of an Alzheimer’s diagnosis. And just when we thought we had our answer, Mom threw us a curveball that changed everything.

🎧 Listen now for a candid look at the highs, lows, and even bizarre moments (like unexpected dementia behaviors) that come with caring for a parent with Alzheimer’s disease.

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We share our firsthand experiences navigating the Quebec healthcare system for elder care, the long wait for a geriatric assessment, and the moment when a doctor finally cut through the confusion with a CT scan referral. Along the way, we discuss the struggles of managing dementia at home, the realities of senior care facilities, and the humor and chaos that come with being adult children caregivers.

If you’re juggling caregiving for a parent or loved one with dementia, exploring semi-assisted living, or just trying to survive the rollercoaster of elder care, this episode is packed with insights, stories, and real-life lessons you won’t want to miss.

🎧 Listen now and join us for a candid look at the highs, lows, and funny moments of caring for a parent with Alzheimer’s.

About This is Your Brain on Mom:

This Is Your Brain on Mom is a podcast where sibling co-hosts share the unexpected beginning of their mom’s dementia journey — a story that started with a broken ankle, not memory loss. Candid, emotional, and often funny, it’s a real-life look at caregiving, dementia vs. Alzheimer’s, and the bond that forms when siblings team up to care for a parent.

Follow us on social media: ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠

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From early signs of dementia and behavioral changes in Alzheimer’s to navigating the healthcare systemand questioning whether it was a UTI, delirium, or cognitive decline, this episode dives into the uncertainty caregivers face when a loved one begins to change. With a mix of honesty, humor, and sibling banter, we talk about how it feels to care for a parent while holding on to hope — and how grief begins long before a diagnosis.

If you’re supporting a parent  or loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia, wondering about early warning signs, or looking for real talk about family caregiving, this episode is for you.

🎧 Listen to Episode 3 now and join the conversation.

About This is Your Brain on Mom:

This Is Your Brain on Mom is a podcast where sibling co-hosts share the unexpected beginning of their mom’s dementia journey — a story that started with a broken ankle, not memory loss. Candid, emotional, and often funny, it’s a real-life look at caregiving, dementia vs. Alzheimer’s, and the bond that forms when siblings team up to care for a parent.

Follow us on social media: ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠

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In this episode of This Is Your Brain on Mom, we — a brother and sister duo — open up about the moment a doctor’s phone call planted a seed of worry we couldn’t shake. We share how we began piecing together that this was more than just a fall, and how we stepped into our roles as sibling caregivers, navigating the confusion, frustration, and humor that come with caregiving for a parent in cognitive decline.

If you’ve ever wondered about the difference between a simple recovery setback and the early stages of something bigger, or if you’re trying to recognize the first signs of Alzheimer’s disease, this episode will feel both familiar and validating.

About This is Your Brain on Mom:

This Is Your Brain on Mom is a podcast where sibling co-hosts share the unexpected beginning of their mom’s dementia journey — a story that started with a broken ankle, not memory loss. Candid, emotional, and often funny, it’s a real-life look at caregiving, dementia vs. Alzheimer’s, and the bond that forms when siblings team up to care for a parent.

Follow us on social media: Instagram | TikTok

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As a brother-and-sister caregiver team, we share the real-life dementia story of how we first encountered our mom’s cognitive decline. From unusual reactions in the hospital to confusing days at home, we walk through the early signs of Alzheimer’s disease and how they can appear differently than you might expect. We also discuss the differences between dementia vs. Alzheimer’s and how confusing it is to understand the distinction. 

This podcast highlights the emotional side of becoming sibling caregivers — the frustration, the gut instinct, and the bond that forms when adult children team up to care for a parent. We also share how we use humor as a survival tool, because sometimes the only way through the fear and confusion of the progression of Alzheimer’s disease is to laugh together.

By telling our caregiving story, we hope to normalize the chaos, confusion, and unexpected moments that caregivers face, and to create a space where others feel seen. We explain why we decided to start this podcast — to document the earliest moments of our journey and to give a voice to other sibling caregivers navigating similar paths.

Whether you’re researching dementia vs. Alzheimer’s, searching for early signs of Alzheimer’s disease, curious about sibling caregivers, or looking for real-life dementia stories to relate to, this podcast offers a candid, relatable, and hopeful look at the very beginning of the caregiving journey.

About This is Your Brain on Mom:

This Is Your Brain on Mom is a podcast where sibling co-hosts share the unexpected beginning of their mom’s dementia journey — a story that started with a broken ankle, not memory loss. Candid, emotional, and often funny, it’s a real-life look at caregiving, dementia vs. Alzheimer’s, and the bond that forms when siblings team up to care for a parent.

Follow us on social media: ⁠Instagram⁠ | ⁠TikTok⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a brother and sister caregiver duo, we take listeners behind the scenes of the first moments we began noticing our mom’s cognitive decline. From unusual reactions in the hospital to confusing days at home, we walk through the early signs of Alzheimer’s disease and how they can look different than you might expect. We also touch on the important differences between dementia vs. Alzheimer’s, and how understanding those distinctions can help families navigate care sooner.

This podcast also explores the emotional side of caregiving — the frustration, the dark humor, the “gut feeling” that something is wrong, and the bond that forms when siblings team up to care for a parent. We talk openly about the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, what it looked like in its earliest stage for our family, and why we decided to create this podcast to document the journey.

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