Mind What Matters

A Caregiver’s Alzheimer’s Journey: Edward O’Day on Family Decisions, Grief, and Advocacy

This week on Mind What Matters, Elizabeth Humphreys revisits a powerful conversation from the archives with Edward O’Day, whose family faced the devastating impact of Alzheimer’s disease soon after losing his father to brain cancer. Edward shares the deeply personal story of navigating his mother’s early-onset Alzheimer’s diagnosis, the difficult safety decisions that followed, and the emotional weight of becoming the person responsible for protecting a parent’s dignity while watching the disease unfold. From recognizing the earliest warning signs to making the painful decision to move his mother into memory care, Edward reflects on the realities many families face but rarely talk about openly: isolation, guilt, family tension, and the constant second-guessing that comes with caregiving. Along the way, he also shares how his experience ultimately led him toward advocacy, determined to help improve care and support for families navigating dementia. This conversation is an honest look at what Alzheimer’s caregiving asks of families, the strength it demands, and the compassion that can grow from even the most difficult experiences. To learn more about Mind What Matters or to support our mission [https://www.wearemindwhatmatters.org/donate] head to our website [https://www.wearemindwhatmatters.org/]. Connect with us on Instagram [http://instagram.com/mindwhatmatterspodcast] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/mindwhatmattersnonprofit] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liWZrZj74lo&ab_channel=MindWhatMatters] ----------------- Mind What Matters is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co. [https://www.palmtreepodco.com/]

Barbie Boules: Memory Care Decisions, Cognitive Fitness, and Cutting Through Wellness Noise

Caregiving doesn’t end when placement happens, it simply changes shape. In this episode of Mind What Matters, Elizabeth Humphreys sits down with registered dietitian and cognitive health advocate Barbie Boules for a open, wide-ranging conversation about what happens after a parent with Alzheimer’s transitions into memory care. Barbie shares her personal experience as a primary caregiver, the safety concerns that led to placement, and the unexpected emotional realities that followed, including the absence of the “relief” many assume will come. From wandering and hospice conversations to family dynamics and lingering guilt, this discussion captures the layered complexity of long-term caregiving. The conversation then pivots into Barbie’s professional expertise: cognitive fitness, midlife brain health, and the growing confusion around GLP-1 medications, compounded peptides, and influencer-driven wellness trends. Barbie offers grounded, evidence-based clarity on what these medications are designed to treat, where misuse is happening, and why women in midlife are especially vulnerable to quick-fix health promises. Thoughtful, nuanced, and refreshingly honest, this episode bridges lived experience with science, and reminds us that informed decisions matter, especially when it comes to our brains. To learn more about Mind What Matters or to support our mission [https://www.wearemindwhatmatters.org/donate] head to our website [https://www.wearemindwhatmatters.org/]. Connect with us on Instagram [http://instagram.com/mindwhatmatterspodcast] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/mindwhatmattersnonprofit] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liWZrZj74lo&ab_channel=MindWhatMatters] ----------------- Mind What Matters is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co. [https://www.palmtreepodco.com/]

Lauren Dykovitrz on Early-Onset Alzheimer’s, Caregiver Guilt, and Learning to Accept the Journey

This week on Mind What Matters, Liz Humphreys reaches into the archives to revisit a conversation that still feels as relevant and raw as the day it was recorded. Liz sits down with author and caregiver Lauren Dykovitrz to talk about early-onset Alzheimer’s, the shock of diagnosis in your 20s, and the complicated emotional terrain that follows. Lauren was just 25 when her mother was diagnosed, and she shares what it felt like to face a disease that offered no clear next steps. No surgery to schedule, no treatment to start, just the heavy realization that life would never look the same again. Together, they talk about misdiagnosis, denial within families, embarrassment and isolation in the early years, and the immense guilt caregivers carry, even when they are doing everything they possibly can. Lauren opens up about becoming her mother’s caregiver, reaching burnout, hiring outside help, and the painful but necessary shift from trying to fix the disease to learning to meet her mom where she was. They also explore the grief that exists long before a loved one passes away and the second wave of grief that comes after. This conversation is honest, vulnerable, and deeply relatable for anyone navigating Alzheimer’s, dementia, or long-term caregiving. If you’ve ever felt lost, impatient, ashamed, or unsure whether you’re “doing enough,” this episode reminds you that you’re not alone. Learn more about Lauren and her work here [https://www.instagram.com/laurendykovitzauthor/].  To learn more about Mind What Matters or to support our mission [https://www.wearemindwhatmatters.org/donate] head to our website [https://www.wearemindwhatmatters.org/]. Connect with us on Instagram [http://instagram.com/mindwhatmatterspodcast] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/mindwhatmattersnonprofit] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liWZrZj74lo&ab_channel=MindWhatMatters] ----------------- Mind What Matters is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co. [https://www.palmtreepodco.com/]

Ashley Stevens on Dementia Caregiving, Breaking Stigma, and Building Real Support

This week on Mind What Matters, Elizabeth Humphreys and Nikki DeLoach sit down with gerontologist and licensed clinical social worker Ashley Stevens, founder of The Dementia Guru, for a grounded and empowering conversation about what families truly need after a dementia diagnosis. Ashley shares how her own childhood experience with Alzheimer’s shaped her life’s work, and how she now supports caregivers navigating burnout, stigma, and complex family dynamics. Together, Liz, Nikki, and Ashley explore what happens in the early days after diagnosis, why caregiving cannot be done alone, and how to realistically divide responsibilities within families. They also talk about therapy, respite care, advocacy, and the urgent need to reduce the stigma surrounding dementia and aging. This conversation is both deeply personal and deeply practical. For anyone supporting a loved one with Alzheimer’s, dementia, or another neurodegenerative illness, this episode offers clarity, validation, and actionable insight. To learn more about Mind What Matters or to support our mission [https://www.wearemindwhatmatters.org/donate] head to our website [https://www.wearemindwhatmatters.org/]. Connect with us on Instagram [http://instagram.com/mindwhatmatterspodcast] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/mindwhatmattersnonprofit] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liWZrZj74lo&ab_channel=MindWhatMatters] ----------------- Mind What Matters is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co. [https://www.palmtreepodco.com/]

When Care Changes: Memory Care, Advocacy, and Staying Present

This week on Mind What Matters, Elizabeth Humphreys and Nikki DeLoach reflect on what happens when caregiving moves beyond the home and into memory care or assisted living, and how that transition can bring an entirely new layer of responsibility, grief, and vigilance. They speak openly about the emotional complexity of placement, the mix of relief and guilt that can coexist, and the realities families may encounter inside systems that are often stretched thin. Together, Liz and Nikki explore advocacy, trust, and the courage it takes to stay engaged when exhaustion would be easier. This conversation is not about fear, it’s about awareness. It’s about learning how to ask better questions, how to protect your loved one without losing yourself, and how caregiving continues to evolve even after the setting changes. For anyone navigating Alzheimer’s, FTD, Lewy Body Dementia, or another form of cognitive decline, this episode offers hard-earned wisdom, clarity, and the reminder that your presence still matters. To learn more about Mind What Matters or to support our mission [https://www.wearemindwhatmatters.org/donate] head to our website [https://www.wearemindwhatmatters.org/]. Connect with us on Instagram [http://instagram.com/mindwhatmatterspodcast] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/mindwhatmattersnonprofit] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liWZrZj74lo&ab_channel=MindWhatMatters] ----------------- Mind What Matters is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co. [https://www.palmtreepodco.com/]