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Gut Punched: Alzheimer’s & Caregivers

Gut Punched: Alzheimer’s & Caregivers

By: Podcast Playground
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Summary

Navigating the insidious illness of Alzheimer’s is something nobody asks for. The disease sneaks up on you and your loved one, and it feels like you’ve been sucker-punched in the gut when you get the diagnosis from a doctor. So many things race through your mind: why us? What do we do? We worked so hard to get to this point in life. We just moved here after we both worked for 30 years, sold our house up North, and retired to Florida to enjoy our “golden years”. It’s not fair! Who’s going to take care of her/him? I don’t know a thing about this illness. She’s always done the cooking; I don’t even know how to boil water. He's always taken care of me and everything else, like Finances. I don’t even drive! And it goes on and on. Facing this disease will bring you to your knees. Once you get over the initial shock (GUT PUNCHED), the questions and fears take hold. Where do we turn for help? Who do I call? What do I do? How do you take care of someone with Alzheimer's? Are there support groups? And questions like these keep coming. I am a caregiver. I wasn’t before. Well, not this kind of caregiver. My wife was officially diagnosed in January of 2018. I had a sneaking suspicion that she might have something like this about 2 years earlier. So, when I brought it to my Neurologist, he sent us to a very nice Psychologist who specializes in testing patients to determine more accurately what is going on. It was a question-and-answer session, followed by a very detailed testing procedure that usually takes three or more hours. The patient must complete the test, which comprises questions, simple actions, and memory tests.

Then give them a couple of numbers or words, and move on, returning to the numbers or words a short time later. So, moving forward, I asked the same questions mentioned earlier. What are my options? So I “sucked it up”-Manned up, so to speak. It's part of the deal for better or worse, right? So began my quest for information on support groups, doctors, and anything I could get my hands on. It's been 6 years, and I am still looking for anything that will help me crawl along this uncharted path to enlightenment. I was very fortunate to live in a city with numerous resources to draw on.

Most importantly, it's a place named after someone who suffered from Alzheimer’s. His wife provided the money to start the Alvin Dubin Center: The Dubin Center for short. Their mission is to achieve caregiver health, strength, and resilience by providing education, information, hope, and compassion. And boy do they. I leaned on them for everything I could find. Took all kinds of classes to learn what I needed to do to be the caregiver I have to be. Their caregiver class took about 6 weeks. The material we learned from and the instructors were top-notch. I still go back to the notes I took and the books we used, both as a refresher and for inspiration. Hopefully, wherever you are listening to this, there will be a place like the Dubin Center. If not, don’t despair. The info is out there. That’s what this podcast is about. We want to share our resources, our experiences, our heartbreak, and our little victories. From time to time, we’d like to bring in Physicians, Nurses, Experts, and people like you and me who are going through this disease with our loved ones, willing to share their journeys. The first thing that really stuck with me, and hopefully it will be with you. If you are a caregiver, you must first take care of yourself. Because this is not a sprint, but a marathon, and if you are run down, get sick, or worse.... Who’s going to take care of your spouse, mother, father, or child? Think about that for a few seconds. It’s you, the Caregiver. It’s me, the Caregiver. That’s why we’re here. Gut Punched: Alzheimer’s & Caregivers! Thanks for joining us...now let's get going.

 Hygiene & Healthy Living Psychology Psychology & Mental Health
Episodes
  • Gut Punched: Alzheimer’s and Caregivers EP 103 - Glenna Hecht "How Old Are You Today”

    Gut Punched: Alzheimer’s and Caregivers EP 103 - Glenna Hecht "How Old Are You Today”
    May 11 2026

    In this powerful and deeply personal episode of Gut Punched: Alzheimer’s and Caregivers, host Jeff Edwards sits down with author and caregiver advocate Glenna Hecht for one of the most engaging and practical conversations the podcast has featured to date.

    What happens when dementia begins changing memories, personalities, and relationships, but a mother and daughter refuse to let it destroy their connection? The answer became a simple yet transformative relationship game that inspired Glenna’s book,” How Old Are You Today”.

    Jeff admits this conversation broke one of the podcast’s usual rules: keeping episodes to around 15 minutes. Why? Because there was simply too much insight, encouragement, and usable information to leave on the cutting room floor.

    Together, Jeff and Glenna explore:

    • How caregivers can maintain emotional connection even as memory fades

    • Why meaningful engagement matters more than “perfect” communication

    • The real-life story behind the relationship game that changed everything

    • Practical tools families can begin using immediately

    • Encouragement for overwhelmed caregivers who feel isolated or exhausted

    • Why moments of joy, humor, and humanity still matter deeply in dementia care

    Listeners will also hear:

    • Additional insights from the latest Alzheimer's Association Facts & Figures Report, focusing on prevalence and caregiving

    • Another installment of “What’s New with Alzheimer’s,” featuring Dr. John Huffaker answering listener questions.

    This episode is informative, emotional, practical, and hopeful, a reminder that connection is still possible, even when memory changes everything.

    Hashtags

    #GutPunchedPodcast #Alzheimers #DementiaCare #CaregiverSupport #AlzheimersAwareness #DementiaAwareness #FamilyCaregiver #Caregiving #MemoryCare #Podcast #HealthPodcast #GlennaHecht #HowOldAreYouToday #CaregiverLife #AlzheimersPodcast #DementiaSupport #SeniorCare #CaregiverCommunity #MentalHealth #HopeForCaregivers

    Available on The Podcast Playground: Apple, Spotify, Pandora, PodBean, iHeart, YouTube, and GUTPUNCHED.COM
    Show More Show Less
    43 mins
  • Gut Punched: Alzheimer’s and Caregivers EP 102 - How to Protect Your Brain Health

    Gut Punched: Alzheimer’s and Caregivers EP 102 - How to Protect Your Brain Health
    May 4 2026

    In this episode, host Jeff Edwards begins with a powerful fact from information shared by the Alzheimer’s Association:

    99% of people say they value brain health as much as, or more than, physical health, but only 9% say they know a lot about ways to maintain brain health.

    That gap is the focus of this episode.

    We connect that fact to information from the article “Most Americans Don’t Know How to Protect Brain Health.” This episode also features Part 1 of Jeff’s interview with Dr. Lauren Brown, PhD, from The Alzheimer’s Experience. Dr. Brown teaches a clinically grounded model called ProMa, designed to help caregivers, families, and care teams understand what to expect and how to respond with dignity.

    Also in this episode:

    The 5 Tenets — the rules we follow
    What’s New With Alzheimer’s with Dr. John Huffaker
    Caregiver resources
    A special thank-you to listeners for the response to “GutPunched: I Still Choose You”
    The full song at the end of the program

    Alzheimer’s does not only affect memory. It affects families, relationships, routines, emotions, finances, and the heart of caregiving itself.

    This episode is about awareness, action, caregiver support, brain health, and remembering the person behind the diagnosis.

    Please like, comment, share, and subscribe to help us reach more caregivers and families walking this road.

    #GutPunchedPodcast #AlzheimersAwareness #DementiaCaregivers #AlzheimersCaregivers #BrainHealth #CaregiverSupport #DementiaAwareness #AlzheimersDisease #FamilyCaregivers #IStillChooseYou #TheAlzheimersExperience #CaregivingJourney

    Available on The Podcast Playground: Apple, Spotify, Pandora, PodBean, iHeart, YouTube, And GUTPUNCHED.COM
    Show More Show Less
    39 mins
  • Gut Punched: Alzheimer’s and Caregivers EP 101 - Alzheimer’s Drugs, Do They Work?

    Gut Punched: Alzheimer’s and Caregivers EP 101 - Alzheimer’s Drugs, Do They Work?
    Apr 27 2026

    In this episode of Gut Punched: Alzheimer’s and Caregivers, Host Jeff Edwards opens the episode by thanking listeners for the overwhelming response to the original song “GutPunched: I Still Choose You!” featured in Episode 100, a heartfelt tribute to caregivers and loved ones navigating this difficult journey.

    Then, the conversation takes a turn. Do you like controversy? What about conspiracy theories? This episode explores emerging claims and debates that could ignite a serious clash in the medical and caregiving communities over Alzheimer’s treatments.

    In the “What’s New With Alzheimer’s?” segment, Dr. John Huffaker returns to answer a common but often misunderstood caregiver question: Why do people with Alzheimer’s resist bathing or showering? His insights provide practical understanding and compassion for one of the many daily challenges caregivers face.

    Whether you’re a caregiver, family member, or simply seeking to better understand Alzheimer’s, this episode offers a powerful mix of education, empathy, and thought-provoking discussion.

    #Alzheimers #Caregiving #DementiaCare #CaregiverSupport #AlzheimersAwareness #MemoryLoss #Healthcare #PodcastLife #CaregiverLife #ElderCare #GutPunchedPodcast #AlzheimersResearch #DementiaSupport

    Available on The Podcast Playground: Apple, Spotify, Pandora, PodBean, iHeart, YouTube, and GUTPUNCHED.COM
    Show More Show Less
    32 mins
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