How Dementia Caregiving Affects the Spousal Caregiver

How Dementia Caregiving Affects the Spousal Caregiver

Caring for those with dementia represents a major public health challenge, with caregivers, especially spouses, providing long-term, largely unpaid care. With caregiving stress linked to a decline in mental and physical health, it is crucial to understand the complex burden these care partners face in order to  support them. Dr. Donna de Levante Raphael joins the podcast to shed light on the effects of caregiving on the spousal caregiver and share possible interventions and programs to support their needs.  Guest: Donna de Levante Raphael, PhD, gerontologist, director of research, Alzheimer's Foundation of America Show Notes Read Dr. Donna de Levante Raphael’s newly published review, “The Impact of Dementia Caregiving on the Health of the Spousal Caregiver [https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/62/4/796],” on the MDPI website.  Learn more about Dr. Donna de Levante Raphael at her profile on the Alzheimer's Foundation of America [https://alzfdn.org/team_member/donna-de-levante-raphael/] website. Learn more about ambiguous loss and anticipatory grief, mentioned by Dr. de Levante Raphael at 34:44, by listening to our past episode, “A Guide to Grief: Strategies for Navigating Loss and Dementia [https://dementiamatters.adrc.wisc.edu/2025/10/22/a-guide-to-grief-strategies-for-navigating-loss-and-dementia/].”  Connect with us Find transcripts and more at our website [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/dementia-matters]. Email Dementia Matters [dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu]: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu Follow us on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/wisconsinadrc] and Twitter [https://twitter.com/WisconsinADRC]. Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/newsletter]. Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s [https://supportuw.org/giveto/dementiamatters]. All donations go toward outreach and production. Learn about Dr. Chin’s book, When Memory Fades: What to Expect at Every Stage, from Early Signs to Full Support for Alzheimer's and Dementia [https://read.macmillan.com/lp/when-memory-fades-9781250400857/].

Managing the Medicine Cabinet: How Prescriptions Impact Cognition and Brain Health as We Age

Prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs and supplements are incredibly common among older adults, yet many of these routine treatments can unexpectedly impact cognitive function and brain health. To help us safely navigate medication management, Dr. Lauren Welch, a clinical geriatric pharmacy practitioner, joins the podcast to discuss how common drugs affect cognition, the risks of drug-drug interactions, and how families can effectively partner with their health care team to review and de-prescribe medications.  Guest: Lauren Welch, PharmD, BCGP, clinical geriatric pharmacy practitioner, Veterans Affair Geriatrics Research Education and Clinical Center   Show Notes Learn more about the Wisconsin Pharmacy Quality Collaborative (WPQC) and how to get a physician referral [https://www.pswi.org/Resources/Wisconsin-Pharmacy-Quality-Collaborative-WPQC/WPQC-Providers-Patients] at the Pharmacist Society of Wisconsin’s website [https://www.pswi.org/WPQC]. Learn more about the effect of blood pressure control on dementia risk, mentioned by Dr. Welch at 22:50, by listening to our past episode “SPRINT to a Healthy Mind: How Blood Pressure Control Affects Brain Health and Dementia Risk [https://dementiamatters.adrc.wisc.edu/2026/06/18/sprint-to-a-healthy-mind-how-blood-pressure-control-affects-brain-health-and-dementia-risk/]” on our website.   Connect with us Find transcripts and more at our website [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/dementia-matters]. Email Dementia Matters [dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu]: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu Follow us on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/wisconsinadrc] and Twitter [https://twitter.com/WisconsinADRC]. Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/newsletter]. Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s [https://supportuw.org/giveto/dementiamatters]. All donations go toward outreach and production. Learn about Dr. Chin’s book, When Memory Fades: What to Expect at Every Stage, from Early Signs to Full Support for Alzheimer's and Dementia [https://read.macmillan.com/lp/when-memory-fades-9781250400857/].

Taking a Deep Dive into Subjective Cognitive Decline

Dr. Jessen returns to the podcast to take a deeper dive into subjective cognitive decline (SCD). Aiming to cover everything relating to SCD, Dr. Jessen shares insights in prognosis, risk factors and how SCD should be addressed in research and clinical practice.  Guest: Frank Jessen, MD, professor of psychiatry and psychotherapy, director, department of psychiatry, University of Cologne, clinical board member, Clinical Alzheimer's Research, German Center of Neurodegenerative Disease (DZNE), chair, European Alzheimer’s Disease Consortium (EADC), founder and past chairman, ISTARRT Professional Interest Area on SCD,  SCD-initiative (SCD-I), founder, chair, German Memory Clinic Network (DNG), advisory board, German Alzheimer Association, Hirnliga Show Notes Read Dr. Jessen's study, “The characterisation of subjective cognitive decline [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7062546/],” on the National Library of Medicine website.  Listen to our previous episode with Dr. Jessen, “Defining Subjective Cognitive Decline [https://dementiamatters.adrc.wisc.edu/2026/06/30/defining-subjective-cognitive-decline/],” on the Dementia Matters website or wherever you get your podcasts. Read Dr. Jessen’s study, “Longitudinal Cognitive Impairment and Dementia Study (DELCODE [https://www.dzne.de/en/research/studies/clinical-studies/delcode/]),” on the DZNE website. Learn more about Dr. Jessen at his profile on the DZNE website [https://www.dzne.de/en/research/research-areas/clinical-research/research-groups/jessen/research-areasfocus/]. Connect with us Find transcripts and more at our website [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/dementia-matters]. Email Dementia Matters [dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu]: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu Follow us on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/wisconsinadrc] and Twitter [https://twitter.com/WisconsinADRC]. Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/newsletter]. Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s [https://supportuw.org/giveto/dementiamatters]. All donations go toward outreach and production. Learn about Dr. Chin’s book, When Memory Fades: What to Expect at Every Stage, from Early Signs to Full Support for Alzheimer's and Dementia [https://read.macmillan.com/lp/when-memory-fades-9781250400857/].

Defining Subjective Cognitive Decline

Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) can be one of the earliest noticeable signs of Alzheimer's disease, yet SCD is not yet fully understood. To help us understand more, Dr. Frank Jessen, an expert in the field, joins the podcast to discuss how SCD is defined, classified, and evaluated in both clinical and research settings. Guest: Frank Jessen, MD, professor of psychiatry and psychotherapy, director, department of psychiatry, University of Cologne, clinical board member, Clinical Alzheimer's Research, German Center of Neurodegenerative Disease (DZNE), chair, European Alzheimer’s Disease Consortium (EADC), founder and past chairman, ISTARRT Professional Interest Area on SCD, SCD-initiative (SCD-I), founder, chair, German Memory Clinic Network (DNG), advisory board, German Alzheimer Association, Hirnliga Show Notes Read Dr. Jessen's study, “The characterisation of subjective cognitive decline [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7062546/],” on the National Library of Medicine website.  Learn more about Dr. Jessen at his profile on the DZNE website [https://www.dzne.de/en/research/research-areas/clinical-research/research-groups/jessen/research-areasfocus/]. Connect with us Find transcripts and more at our website [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/dementia-matters]. Email Dementia Matters [dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu]: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu Follow us on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/wisconsinadrc] and Twitter [https://twitter.com/WisconsinADRC]. Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/newsletter]. Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s [https://supportuw.org/giveto/dementiamatters]. All donations go toward outreach and production. Learn about Dr. Chin’s book, When Memory Fades: What to Expect at Every Stage, from Early Signs to Full Support for Alzheimer's and Dementia [https://read.macmillan.com/lp/when-memory-fades-9781250400857/].

SPRINT to a Healthy Mind: How Blood Pressure Control Affects Brain Health and Dementia Risk

Geriatrician Dr. Mark Supiano joins the podcast to discuss the connection between heart and brain health. Citing multiple clinical trials, he breaks down what these studies and their findings mean for blood pressure management’s effect on cognitive decline and how they directly impact both patients and clinicians. Guest: Mark A. Supiano, MD, geriatrician, University Hospital Geriatrics Clinic, professor, Internal Medicine, Utah School of Medicine Show Notes Read about the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) Study [https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/science/systolic-blood-pressure-intervention-trial-sprint-study] on the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute website. Learn about the SPRINT MIND study [https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2723256] in the Journal of the American Medical Association.  Read Dr. Supiano’s study, “Hypertension in the Oldest Old, [https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacadv.2025.102306]” published by the Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Advances on their website. Learn about the HYVET [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11302283/], STEP [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16569567/], SPRINT-HEART [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8035296/] and China Rural Hypertension Control Project [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35500594/] studies through their articles on the National Library of Medicine website. Learn about an ancillary study to SPRINT, “Changes in arterial stiffness under blood pressure control are independently associated with cognitive impairment [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42151744/],” on the National Library of Medicine website. Learn about the Systolic Hypertension in the Elderly Program (SHEP) study [https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/10641968909035386], published by Clinical and Experimental Hypertension, on the Taylor and Francis Online website. Learn about the ESPRIT study [https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)01028-6/fulltext] on The Lancet website. Learn more about Dr. Supiano on the University of Utah Health website [https://healthcare.utah.edu/find-a-doctor/mark-supiano].   Connect with us Find transcripts and more at our website [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/dementia-matters]. Email Dementia Matters [dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu]: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu Follow us on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/wisconsinadrc] and Twitter [https://twitter.com/WisconsinADRC]. Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/newsletter]. Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s [https://supportuw.org/giveto/dementiamatters]. All donations go toward outreach and production. Learn about Dr. Chin’s book, When Memory Fades: What to Expect at Every Stage, from Early Signs to Full Support for Alzheimer's and Dementia [https://read.macmillan.com/lp/when-memory-fades-9781250400857/].