Episodes

  • When Humor Is the Only Thing Holding Us Together

    When Humor Is the Only Thing Holding Us Together
    Dec 23 2025
    This episode opens with a family classic: Barry admits (for the second time) to leaving Mom at the airport — “like a matzo ball” — setting the tone for a conversation that swings between laugh-out-loud moments and the brutal reality of caregiving during the holidays. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    36 mins
  • Running on Empty

    Running on Empty
    Dec 16 2025
    In this episode, “Running on Empty,” Wendy and Barry check in from a place many dementia caregivers quietly live in: emotional depletion, constant vigilance, fear, guilt, and the crushing weight of never truly feeling “off duty.” 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr
  • Caregiver-Approved Gift Guide for Dementia

    Caregiver-Approved Gift Guide for Dementia
    Dec 10 2025
    In this episode of This Is Your Brain on Mom, we dive into the top gift ideas for people living with dementia — curated from real-life experience, caregiver recommendations, and the things we’ve actually bought for our mom. And listen… if anyone wants to send us a giant basket of these products, we will gratefully accept. Caregiving is expensive, okay? 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    24 mins
  • Finding Balance When Life Won’t Slow Down

    Finding Balance When Life Won’t Slow Down
    Dec 2 2025
    In this episode of This Is Your Brain on Mom, we sit down with caregiver advocate and podcast host Mikayla Cluxton for a funny, honest, and deeply relatable conversation about the emotional chaos of caregiving — and the strange little rituals that keep us going (yes… even shoe shopping). 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    47 mins
  • “You Should Visit More” and Other Things We Don’t Need to Hear

    “You Should Visit More” and Other Things We Don’t Need to Hear
    Nov 25 2025
    This week on This Is Your Brain On Mom, things take a hilarious turn — because apparently our mom has become… a joiner. Bingo champion. Artist. Bowling league member. Lead singer alongside a mysterious hallway guitarist. We don’t know who she is anymore — but honestly? We’re impressed. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    50 mins
  • The Ripple Effect

    The Ripple Effect
    Nov 18 2025
    What happens when Alzheimer’s doesn’t just affect the person living with it—but everyone connected to them? 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    43 mins
  • Meet Mom: An Interview Before Alzheimer’s Took the Stage

    Meet Mom: An Interview Before Alzheimer’s Took the Stage
    Nov 11 2025
    In this special episode of This Is Your Brain on Mom, Barry sits down with our mom — the woman who started it all. Before memory loss became part of her story, she was a devoted mother of three, a master of school field trips, and the queen of chopped liver Sundays. 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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    33 mins
  • Grieving Before Goodbye — Loving Through Alzheimer’s “Pre-Grief”

    Grieving Before Goodbye — Loving Through Alzheimer’s “Pre-Grief”
    Nov 4 2025
    In this milestone 10th episode of This Is Your Brain on Mom, siblings Wendy and Barry open up about one of the hardest and least-talked-about parts of Alzheimer’s caregiving — pre-grief. 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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    43 mins