PODCAST · health
Bob's Last Marathon
by Bob's Last Marathon Foundation
Ten-minute podcasts to help families and friends navigate the unknown in caring for people with dementia. Each episode features firsthand stories from people with personal experience caring for their loved ones, and experts in specialized fields. Topics organized by four categories: planning, living well, community, and challenges. Transcripts and other resources on www.bobsmarathon.com.
Episodes
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My Journey
Lena shares her sense of optimism as she recounts how the response to Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias has evolved from little discussion, poor resources, and stigmatizing to general recognition—and dare we say acceptance—of their significance within our aging population. She announces…
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Life After Caregiving
What happens when we reach the end of our journey, when we are confronted with grief and loss, while the burden of caregiving is relieved? In this episode, two caregivers share their stories: Judith Johanson, in her multiple roles at the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and Gerontology…
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Blood-Based Biomarkers
With the availability of anti-amyloid therapies, accurate diagnosis and staging of Alzheimer’s disease becomes ever more important, as does the need to monitor response to treatment. Faster, less expensive, and more accessible blood-based biomarkers, a long-standing goal for the medical research...
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The Promise of Anti-Amyloid Therapies: Roundtable Excerpt 2
The somewhat complex logistics for both the clinic and the patient in administering Leqembi (lecanemab), the first fully FDA-approved drug for Alzheimer’s disease in over 20 years, are summarized in this second of two excerpts from a recent roundtable. Dr. Steven E. Arnold and Dr. David A. Wolk...
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Progress on Anti-Amyloid Therapies: Roundtable Excerpt 1
Decades of research have helped elucidate the roles of amyloid plaques and tau tangles in Alzheimer’s disease, identify biomarkers of underlying pathology, and guide the development of new therapies. In this first of two excerpts from a recent roundtable, Dr. Steven E. Arnold, Massachusetts…
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Caregiving and Mental Health
Caregiver stress and burnout are not uncommon, as caregiving for someone with dementia is a journey that demands resilience, compassion, and understanding. Felicia Greenfield, MSW, LCSW, describes a case study and urges our listeners to navigate caregiving while prioritizing mental health and...
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Communication—Meeting the Challenges
Dementia can pose challenges by changing the way a person communicates. Repetition, confusion, and inappropriate language are just a few examples of what caregivers may face. Today, we would like to share some curated content from past episodes that our audience has found to be the most useful—in...
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Planning Events
Alex Morris talks about the need to acknowledge changes within the person with dementia, and the modifications that can help loved ones remain comfortable and engaged. She also stresses the importance of reducing the burden on the caregiver by sharing some of the planning and hosting of events....
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Holidays
Holidays are meant to be a time of joy, celebration, and tradition, but they can also be stressful and hectic. Caring for a person living with dementia can bring additional holiday stress to a caregiver. How your loved one participates in your holiday rituals will need to be adjusted. Stefanie...
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Getting Started: Tips for the Newly Diagnosed
Hearing news about a diagnosis, can be a devastating, confusing, and difficult experience. To help our listeners find the way to helpful information, and look for guidance on getting started, we’ve curated content that our audience has found to be the most useful—in understanding the basics about...
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GUIDE: A Comprehensive Dementia Care Model
Felicia Greenfield, Penn Memory Center, presents an overview of the new nationwide model—Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (or GUIDE)—announced by CMS recently. The goals of GUIDE include: (a) improving quality of life for people living with dementia by addressing their behavioral health…
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Reflections: AAIC 2023
Felicia Greenfield, Penn Memory Center, shares her learnings from the 2023 annual Alzheimer’s Association International Conference. She presents findings from the Penn Memory Center’s Time Together program, designed to offer opportunities for older adults to interact with college students while...
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The Promise of Biomarkers
Dr. Steven Arnold offers a comprehensive overview of the expanding role of biomarkers in the diagnosis and monitoring of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Dr. Arnold notes that with new, highly sensitive and specific lab reagents and technologies, we can now detect the extremely low…
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Now What?
Felicia Greenfield, LCSW and Executive Director of Penn Memory Center, explains the importance of getting a diagnosis when cognitive impairment is suspected, the process of getting a diagnosis, and the steps that can be taken after diagnosis. She suggests that understanding what lies ahead,...
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The Road to Diagnosis
Lena tells the story of how a series of events, over the course of years, finally brought her and Bob to the doctor’s office for Bob to be tested. She recalls how the diagnosis, painful as it was, opened the door to getting support and receiving the care that Bob needed to live well despite the...
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A Person-Centered Approach to Caregiving
Noting that non-pharmacological approaches to care are considered the gold standard in caring for people living with dementia today, Felicia Greenfield explains the concept of person-centered care, what it is, and how to go about delivering it. Felicia cites the seminal work on dementia by…
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Update on Diagnosis and Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease
Dr. Steven Arnold explains the underlying causes of dementia, some of which are treatable, and outlines the process for arriving at a diagnosis. He offers an overview of recent developments in anti-amyloid immunotherapies. He puts amyloid and tau—and the presence of plaques and tangles—in...
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Public Policies to Help Us Live Well with Dementia
Dr. Jason Karlawish talks about living with dementia and disabling cognitive impairments in the context of today’s public policies that places the burden of care on the American family, and points out gaps in today’s public policies that must be remedied. He explains the concept of custodial…
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The Male Caregiver
The resolved male caregiver, who may sometimes be described as “rigid as a pillar,” is highlighted in this podcast by psychologist Dr. Barry J. Jacobs. Dr. Jacobs explains how male caregivers who keep their feelings buried inside tend to struggle more and eventually burn out, while others who…
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Lifestyle and Diet in Alzheimer’s Disease Prevention
Dr. Arnold offers an overview of current understanding of Alzheimer’s disease, and lifestyle changes that can lower risks of disease or slow progression. He suggests that risk factors such as hearing loss, head injuries, cardiovascular risk factors and tobacco use all increase our risk of...
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Making Time Together
Finding ways to stay socially connected can be challenging at any age—but it may be especially difficult for people living with dementia. Felicia Greenfield describes the Time Together program, pioneered at Penn Memory Center, which matches older adults living with dementia with college students,...
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Genetics and Alzheimer’s Disease
Dr. Sara Manning Peskin, author of A Molecule Away from Madness: Tales of the Hijacked Brain, reviews what we know about our familial risk of Alzheimer's disease. She points out that Alzheimer’s disease is usually the result of complex genetic and environmental factors, some of which we still…
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Young Caregiver
Katie Brandt narrates her personal journey as a young wife and mother navigating through early onset dementia of her husband Mike, who was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia at age 29. She shares practical tips on mitigating financial challenges using federal and local programs to create a...
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Lewy Body Dementias
Dr. Stephen Gomperts gives an overview of the Lewy body dementias, the second most common neurodegenerative dementia after Alzheimer’s, affecting some 1.4 million Americans. He explains that there are two clinically distinct but related diseases: dementia with Lewy bodies, also known as DLB, and...
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Reflections: AAIC 2022
Highlights from the 2022 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference offer insights into facets of dementia care and moves toward solutions for risk reduction, more accurate diagnosis and treatment. Katie Brandt describes an ongoing study at Mass General Hospital showing how education and...
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The Final Loss
Felicia Greenfield, Executive Director of Penn Memory Center, explains that grief is a normal, adaptive response to a loss, and describes frameworks for thinking about the intense physical and psychological responses as we create a path toward healing.
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Love, Living, and Alzheimer’s
Lena reflects on Amy Bloom's book, In Love, in which Bloom chronicles her husband's decision to end his life when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Lena recounts the steps that she and Bob took to live the Alzheimer's journey to the best of their ability, and the gratitude and joy they...
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Challenging Behaviors: Tools and Techniques
This second of two podcasts excerpted from the roundtable on tools and techniques of Alzheimer's caregiving uses a case study approach to show us how we can dig deeper to understand behavioral changes and identify ways to respond. Felicia Greenfield, Executive Director of the Penn Memory Center,...
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Communication and Activities: Tools and Techniques
Felicia Greenfield, Executive Director of Penn Memory Center, and Stefanie Bonigut, formerly Family Services Manager with the Alzheimer's Association, share real-life stories and tips on how to communicate effectively and compassionately with our loved ones as the disease progresses. They also...
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Beyond Plaques and Tangles 2
In this second of two excerpts from a recent Expert Roundtable on Alzheimer's Caregiving, Dr. Steven E. Arnold, Harvard Medical School, and Dr. Stephen M. Strittmatter, Yale School of Medicine, comment on current directions in drug development, notably drug repurposing as a way to accelerate the...
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Beyond Plaques and Tangles 1
In this first of two excerpts from a recent Expert Roundtable on Alzheimer’s Caregiving, Dr. Steven E. Arnold, Harvard Medical School, and Dr. Stephen M. Strittmatter, Yale School of Medicine, give us an overview of what we know about Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. They explain...
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Self-care—Overcoming Barriers
In an expert roundtable, Felicia Greenfield, Executive Director of the Penn Memory Center, and Dr. Barry J. Jacobs, a noted clinical psychologist, family therapist, and health care consultant, discussed self-care for the caregiver. Katie Brandt, Director of Caregiver Support Services and Public...
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Self-care—The Benefits
In an expert roundtable, Felicia Greenfield, Executive Director of the Penn Memory Center, and Dr. Barry J. Jacobs, a noted clinical psychologist, family therapist, and health care consultant, discussed self-care for the caregiver. Katie Brandt, Director of Caregiver Support Services and Public...
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Having Fun with Improv
Dr. Jean Haskell, actor, educator, and facilitator of the Cognitive Comedy program at the Penn Memory Center. In this episode, Dr. Haskell shares her experience and insights about how improv can help people with memory and cognitive impairment have a little fun, exercise their memory muscle, and...
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Technology Options for Caregivers
Stefanie Bonigut, LCSW, a care consultant and educator to family caregivers, offers an overview of technology available to caregivers and people living with dementia in many different ways--including communication and coordination across family, friends and professional help; improving safety...
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Caring for a Spouse with Dementia
Dr. Barry J. Jacobs, a noted clinical psychologist, family therapist, and health care consultant, reviews some of the essential elements of spousal dementia caregiving: sensitivity to the dignity of the person with dementia; the need for patience, flexibility, and creativity; and the occasional...
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Hospice—Our Personal Experience
In this joint podcast, Judith Johanson, a member of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, and Lena Chow Kuhar, founder of Bob's Last Marathon Foundation, describe their experience navigating the end stage of life for their husbands, Steve Johanson and Bob…
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Failure to Recognize
Alexandra Morris, gerontologist and Geriatric Care Manager, talks about the inability of people with dementia to recognize family and friends, their own home, or themselves. Alex explains that good dementia care requires adaptability. She reminds us that details and facts are far less important...
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Wandering
Alexandra Morris, gerontologist and Geriatric Care Manager, talks about wandering, a common symptom of Alzheimer’s and other related dementias. Alex highlights some common triggers, and strategies for mitigating risks of wandering and for coping with it.
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Looking Ahead
Lena reflects on how a health crisis prompted her and Bob to look ahead and make difficult but important decisions about their future medical care and financial plans. Planning helped Lena and Bob reflect on their priorities and gave them a sense of power to make key decisions, during a time when...
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The Ambiguous Loss of Dementia
Dr. Barry J. Jacobs, noted clinical psychologist, family therapist, and author, talks about the grief Alzheimer’s caregivers often feel for the loss of a person who is still physically present, but no longer the person they once knew. He explains the concept of ambiguous loss, as pioneered by Dr....
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Finding Support
Felicia Greenfield, Executive Director of the Penn Memory Center, talks about the many ways caregivers can get the support they need, with an emphasis on support groups. She explains how finding connection and support can make all the difference in the well-being of the person with dementia, and...
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Let’s Support Family Caregivers
Dr. Venus Wong, a psychologist and a consultant at the Clinical Excellence Research Center at Stanford University, brings us up to date on policies and programs that support family caregivers—and steps that lie ahead. She reviews organizational and policy improvements at national and local levels...
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Financial Concerns
Nancy Galgoci offers guidance on navigating the financial complexities of the Alzheimer’s journey, based on her professional and personal experience—as a CPA, an accounting professor, a volunteer, and as someone who has helped her family grapple with the challenges of Alzheimer’s disease. She...
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The Dance Connection
Natasha Goldstein-Levitas, a board-certified Dance/Movement Therapist, talks about how she uses dance/movement therapy to empower and encourage self-expression and ultimately to improve quality of life. She describes how the playful and shared experience of dance can improve mind-body connection,...
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The Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease
Felicia Greenfield, Executive Director of the Penn Memory Center, describes the stages of the disease, and how families endure the long journey of dementia caregiving through resilience and newfound sources of purpose and meaning.
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Sibling Dynamics
Dr. Barry J. Jacobs, noted clinical psychologist, family therapist, and author, tells us how the challenges of caring for parents with dementia affect sibling dynamics, and how to emerge as an effective team. He explains how caring for a parent can bring out the best—and worst—in adult siblings,...
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Complacency
Lena shares the importance of closely monitoring outside caregivers—because even the most trusted situation can suddenly change.
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Feeling at Home with Home Care
Stephne Lencioni, licensed Clinical Social Worker and Geriatric Care Manager with over thirty years of experience providing care planning and management to older adults and their families, discusses the why, when, and how of seeking help for family caregivers and explain that it is never too…
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Honoring Loved Ones Through Art
Katie Brandt, Director of Caregiver Support Services and Public Relations for the Massachusetts General Hospital Frontotemporal Disorders Unit, talks about the role of art in the caring of her husband, who was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia at a young age, and how their young son, Noah,...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Ten-minute podcasts to help families and friends navigate the unknown in caring for people with dementia. Each episode features firsthand stories from people with personal experience caring for their loved ones, and experts in specialized fields. Topics organized by four categories: planning, living well, community, and challenges. Transcripts and other resources on www.bobsmarathon.com.
HOSTED BY
Bob's Last Marathon Foundation
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Bob's Last Marathon have?
Bob's Last Marathon currently has 76 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Bob's Last Marathon about?
Ten-minute podcasts to help families and friends navigate the unknown in caring for people with dementia. Each episode features firsthand stories from people with personal experience caring for their loved ones, and experts in specialized fields. Topics organized by four categories: planning,...
How often does Bob's Last Marathon release new episodes?
Bob's Last Marathon has 76 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Bob's Last Marathon?
You can listen to Bob's Last Marathon on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Bob's Last Marathon?
Bob's Last Marathon is created and hosted by Bob's Last Marathon Foundation.
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