Who Cares for the Carer?

Who Cares for the Carer?

Caring for someone with dementia is often described through the practical tasks it involves, but far less attention is given to the invisible mental load that carers carry every single day. In this episode, Anna and Jo explore the emotional reality of dementia caregiving: the constant background worry, the feeling that a loved one is living "rent-free" in your mind, and the challenge of balancing caring responsibilities alongside work, parenting, relationships and everyday life. Through their own personal experiences, they discuss guilt, overwhelm, exhaustion, anger and the often-unspoken impact dementia can have on the entire family. They also unpack some fascinating research on the toll caregiving takes on mental health. Studies show that dementia carers experience significantly higher rates of depression, anxiety and emotional burden compared to non-carers, while "sandwich carers" - those caring for both children and ageing parents - report even greater levels of stress and overload. Anna and Jo also discuss research linking dementia caregiving to poorer sleep quality and chronic exhaustion, while sharing practical reflections on support, respite, carers' groups and why looking after yourself isn't selfish - it's essential.  Research and support discussed in this episode: * The hidden mental health impact of caregiving: An umbrella review of caregiver research found significantly higher rates of depression, anxiety and caregiver burden among informal carers. https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5491&context=soss_research [https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5491&context=soss_research&utm_source=chatgpt.com] * The reality of being a sandwich caregiver: Research exploring those caring for both ageing parents and dependent children found higher levels of emotional strain, financial difficulty and feelings of overload. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10023280/ [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10023280/] * The impact of caregiving on sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis found that dementia caregivers experience significantly poorer sleep quality and lose up to 3.5 hours of sleep per week compared to non-caregivers. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2748661 [https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2748661] * Support for dementia carers: Information, resources and support groups for people caring for someone with dementia. https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/get-support/help-dementia-care [https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/get-support/help-dementia-care] * Dementia UK – Support for family carers: Practical advice and specialist support from Admiral Nurses. https://www.dementiauk.org/for-family-and-friends/ Please subscribe and follow us on Instagram: @doiknowyoupod

What Nobody Tells You About Caring For A Parent With Dementia with Professor June Andrews

When a parent or loved one is diagnosed with dementia, most families are left asking the same questions: What happens now? How do we cope? And why does nobody talk about how emotionally difficult caring can be? In this episode, Anna and Jo are joined by dementia specialist Professor June Andrews for an honest and practical conversation about diagnosis, care planning, family dynamics and the realities of becoming a carer. Together they explore the hidden grief that often comes with dementia, the guilt and isolation many carers experience, and why looking after yourself is just as important as looking after the person you love. Full of warmth, wisdom and reassurance, this is an episode for anyone navigating dementia, caring responsibilities, or supporting a loved one through later life. Find Professor June Andrews: https://juneandrews.net/ [https://juneandrews.net/] Please subscribe and follow us on Instagram: @doiknowyoupod

The Grief of Losing Someone Who Is Still Alive

In this episode, Anna and Jo have an honest conversation about anticipatory grief, ambiguous loss, and the emotional reality of loving someone with dementia. Together, they explore the experience of grieving someone who is still alive — the heartbreak of watching a parent slowly change, the loss of reciprocity in relationships, and the confusing emotional tension of feeling both connection and distance at the same time. From navigating care homes and family dynamics to moments of lucidity, guilt, exhaustion, and unexpected humour, this episode sheds light on a form of grief that so many people experience but rarely talk about openly.  They also discuss the psychology behind ambiguous loss, drawing on the work of Pauline Boss, and reflect on how dementia impacts identity, attachment, caregiving, and emotional resilience. Whether you are supporting a loved one with Dementia or another progressive illness, caring for ageing parents, or struggling with anticipatory grief yourself, this conversation offers comfort, validation, practical insight, and a reminder that you are not alone in what can often feel like an isolating experience. Please subscribe and follow us on Instagram: @doiknowyoupod

Why Dementia Is So Much More Than Memory Loss with Professor James Rowe

Dementia is so often spoken about as though it is simply memory loss, but in this compassionate and eye opening conversation, Professor James Rowe explains what is actually happening inside the brain during diseases like Alzheimer’s and Lewy body dementia, why behaviour and personality can change so dramatically, and how families can better understand the people they love through these frightening and confusing experiences.  Together we explore diagnosis, anticipatory grief, paranoia, hallucinations, the loneliness of caring for someone with dementia and the urgent need for more humane, proactive support. Most importantly, this episode offers something many families are rarely given when it comes to dementia: hope. From groundbreaking blood tests to emerging treatments and practical ways to improve quality of life, Professor Rowe explains why dementia is not hopeless and why people living with it deserve far more care, dignity and support than they currently receive. Please subscribe and follow us on Instagram: @doiknowyoupod

The Dementia Connection

In this first episode of Do I Know You? Understanding Dementia, Dr Joanna King and Dr Anna Colton introduce the podcast and the personal stories behind it. As clinical psychologists who have both experienced dementia in their own families, they reflect on the emotional reality of caring for a parent with dementia, the shock of diagnosis, anticipatory grief, young onset Alzheimer’s, Lewy body dementia, family roles, lack of support, and the moments of humour and connection that can sit alongside the heartbreak. This episode sets out the heart of the series: bringing together lived experience, psychological insight, evidence-based information and honest conversation to help people affected by dementia feel more informed, more understood and less alone. Follow Do I Know You? on Instagram: @doiknowyoupodcast Follow Anna: @drannacolton Follow Jo: @theemdrpsychologist