Hello Alzheimer’s

Happy 4th of July: Holiday Reminders and Sharing (again) a Mother and Daughter's Love and Laughter

Happy 4th of July, friends! A humble reminder this holiday -- like others -- can pose a unique challenge for those living with dementia. Consider a smaller, quieter and calmer celebration that may involve only "muted" fireworks. You can find more 4th of July suggestions here.
Meantime, we're bringing back one of our favorite conversations featuring a courageous mother and daughter. Please enjoy the love and laughter of Shirley and Jennifer.
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Hello Alzheimer's host Karla Hult shares the beautiful bond between a mother and daughter, Shirley Heine Rowe Freckmann and Jenn Rowe Glass. And these two women are quite the dynamic duo: After graduating from Valparaiso University with a Bachelor's Degree in Theology, Shirley began a "life of service to others." She advocated for and taught others, while also managing to raise three children. For her part, Jenn has had a successful career in corporate communications, while raising a family of her own.
But despite their academic, professional and personal accomplishments, both Shirley and Jenn may be facing their greatest challenge yet: Shirley was diagnosed with Lewy body and Vascular dementia in 2021. 
In a touching conversation, mom and daughter discuss Shirley's current reality and devotion to each other. And Jenn delivers her own insights and gratitude for her village, including a brother and sister who continue to champion for their mother's care.
This is the second conversation in an occasional series, Voices of Dementia. As the title suggests, we'll be highlighting the courageous voices of people touched by Alzheimer's or other dementia, so that we can all listen to and learn from each other. With each conversation, please remember... You are not alone. 

June: Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness AND Pride Month

As we near the end of June - which is both Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month AND Pride Month - Hello Alzheimer's host Karla Hult talks with Lance Kocherhans. Lance offers a raw and real perspective based on his multiple connections to dementia: As a son, nephew and son-in-law, he's walked alongside his loved ones during their dementia journeys; as a husband of Clint, father of four and grandfather of 11, he's also started his own Alzheimer's marathon.
In a conversation that moves from laughter to tears -- and back again -- Lance and Karla cover the topics related to Lance's life, positive attitude, current treatment and hopes, while also addressing the big picture for everyone in the LGBTQ+ community living with Alzheimer's or other dementia.
For more LGBTQ+ community resources for dementia, just click here or here.
And as promised, a simple breathing exercise. Please enjoy.
As always… If you’re enjoying these conversations, please subscribe, review and share “Hello Alzheimer’s” with everyone you think would benefit from listening to them. We are so grateful for your support. And please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions or topics for us to consider: Karla@SoManyGoodbyes.com. And above all, please remember… You are not alone.
And finally, this conversation continues a loving and organic partnership with 7 Vines Vineyard. This family-owned vineyard and winery is not only dedicated to creating exceptional wines and experiences, they also support Alzheimer's advocacy and research. Their June wine of the month is Reminisce, a red blend that gives back to the Mayo Clinic's Alzheimer's Research Center. You can purchase a bottle of Reminisce this month in their wine bar and receive chocolate truffles to pair with it as their gift to you! The 7 Vines commitment is truly inspiring, as this family fights Alzheimer's on behalf of all of us AND their beautiful wife, mother and grandmother, Arlie Peltier. So please raise a toast to 7 Vines and our shared mission to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease. 

Robbin Frazier: Tackling the Dementia Disparity, One Church (Mosque, Synagogue or Temple) At A Time

Hello Alzheimer’s host Karla Hult talks with Robbin Frazier, a committed community leader and dedicated daughter. Robbin serves as the Associate Director of Equity and Community Engagement at the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health, Center for Healthy Aging & Innovation. Translation: Robbin’s a changemaker through her work in addressing our persistent societal inequities, especially those related to Alzheimer’s and other dementia.
We discuss some hard truths related to those inequities, Robbin’s own antiracism work (please learn more about her perspective here) and her role in bringing a powerful potential solution – the national Alter program – to Minnesota churches and other faith communities.
Note: This conversation also references a previous “Hello Alzheimer’s” episode featuring Dr. Shekinah Fashaw-Walters now with the University of Pennsylvania. You can find that conversation here.
As always… If you’re enjoying these conversations, please subscribe, review and share “Hello Alzheimer’s” with everyone you think would benefit from listening to them. We are so grateful for your support. And please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions or topics for us to consider: Karla@SoManyGoodbyes.com. And above all, please remember… You are not alone.
And finally, this conversation continues a loving and organic partnership with 7 Vines Vineyard. This family-owned vineyard and winery is not only dedicated to creating exceptional wines and experiences, they also support Alzheimer's advocacy and research. Their June wine of the month is Reminisce, a red blend that gives back to the Mayo Clinic's Alzheimer's Research Center. You can purchase a bottle of Reminisce this month in their wine bar and receive chocolate truffles to pair with it as their gift to you! The 7 Vines commitment is truly inspiring, as this family fights Alzheimer's on behalf of all of us AND their beautiful wife, mother and grandmother, Arlie Peltier. So please raise a toast to 7 Vines and our shared mission to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease. 

Voices of Dementia: Rick Henkin

Hello Alzheimer's host Karla Hult talks with Rick Henkin, the committed care partner of his wife, Sonia, and founder of the Caregiver Mastery Course and a related Facebook group for family caregivers.
Rick's perspective on his Alzheimer's journey alongside Sonia is a beautifully raw, pragmatic and hopeful one: As a husband, he struggled with all the natural emotional setbacks that come with a dementia diagnosis; but as a care partner, he was determined to do more to support Sonia, along with his own mental and physical health AND that of other care partners. The result? His online outreach and desire to uplift others also on the dementia journey.
This is the fourth -- albeit unique -- conversation in our occasional series, "Voices of Dementia." The conversations highlight the courageous voices of people touched by Alzheimer's and other dementia. And yes, this was an unusual "Voices of Dementia" episode in that it also delves into all the advice Rick bestows on others through his outreach. 
NOTE: This conversation continues a loving and organic partnership with 7 Vines Vineyard. This family-owned vineyard and winery is not only dedicated to creating exceptional wines and experiences, they also support Alzheimer's advocacy and research. Their June wine of the month is Reminisce, a red blend that gives back to the Mayo Clinic's Alzheimer's Research Center. You can purchase a bottle of Reminisce this month in their wine bar and receive chocolate truffles to pair with it as their gift to you! The 7 Vines commitment is truly inspiring, as this family fights Alzheimer's on behalf of all of us AND their beautiful wife, mother and grandmother, Arlie Peltier. So please raise a toast to 7 Vines and our shared mission to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease. 

Another Amazing 'Conversation with Kelly' Grosklags About Grief and Dementia

Hello Alzheimer's host Karla Hult talks again with Kelly Grosklags, international speaker, therapist and author. This time, Kelly answers YOUR grief-related questions related to the Alzheimer's and other dementia journey.
As a reminder: Kelly brings compassion, empathy and education to every conversation about grief, by drawing upon her own profound loss as a child and decades of walking alongside families and individuals experiencing their own grief. She's a Board-Certified Diplomat in Clinical Social Work, holds fellowships and has published podcasts, blogs and books. Kelly has also created the public healing forum, "Conversations with Kelly."
In this conversation with Kelly, Kelly answers your questions about the unique grief that accompanies everyone on the Alzheimer's or other dementia journey as we say So Many Goodbyes. You can also listen to our first conversation with Kelly here. 
As mentioned, there are a lot of wonderful articles and studies regarding brain health, including this short article from the Mayo Clinic, this one from the Alzheimer's Association and another from Harvard University.
As always, if you are enjoying Hello Alzheimer's, please provide a review and subscribe. We SO appreciate your support.
 

Rosie Gaston: Finding 'A Better Ending'

Hello Alzheimer's host Karla Hult talks with Rosie Gaston, an end-of-life social worker, researcher, educator and founder of "A Better Ending." The two delicately discuss a topic we all seem to avoid, even as it applies to absolutely all of us: how we and our loved ones want to die.
You're still reading? That's fabulous... because this conversation will benefit every single one of us who want to help guide our loved ones on our final wishes in our final chapter. The conversation also delves into how care partners and those loving someone living with dementia can honor their loved one's wishes and ensure "A Better Ending." 
We promise this conversation will both enlighten and lighten the burden of thinking of this topic. Because while challenging, death can also honor a beautiful life.
By the way, among Rosie's impressive credentials: she has a Masters of Social Work; is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker; and holds an Advanced Palliative & Hospice Social Worker Certificate.
And Rosie is sincere in her offer to connect with her. You can do so through her website. 
As always, please also reach out with questions, comments or topics you'd like us to cover, at: Karla@SoManyGoodbyes.com. And please also like, share, review and subscribe to "Hello Alzheimer's" if you're enjoying these conversations. We are so grateful for your support. 

Dr. Annabelle Singer: A Neuroscientist's Reasons for Hope

Hello Alzheimer's host Karla Hult talks with Dr. Annabelle Singer, a neuroscientist at Georgia Institute of Technology or Georgia Tech. The conversation covers the science, mechanics and hope of Singer's latest goal: "To understand how neural activity produces memories and spurs the brain’s immune system."
Dr. Singer shares more about how she has: "Established and continues to develop a new therapeutic approach to Alzheimer’s disease, novel forms of non-invasive stimulation, and new ways to manipulate the brain’s immune system."
And while that discussion is clearly detailed -- and a bit daunting -- listeners will find new reasons to hope.
Karla mentions the information for those interested in clinical trials. The National Institute on Aging offers this resource. You can also learn more at the Alzheimer's Association TrialMatch.
As always, please share, like, review, subscribe -- all of those podcast requests -- if you're enjoying Hello Alzheimer's. We're so grateful for your support.

Gov. Martin Schreiber: 'Learning, Coping, and Surviving as an Alzheimer's Caregiver'

Hello Alzheimer's host Karla Hult talks with Gov. Martin Schreiber, the 39th governor of Wisconsin, husband of Elaine, father, grandfather and great-grandfather.
In a conversation that covers both policy success and personal heartbreak - along with inspiring lessons for all of us - Gov. Marty shares about his career, his advocacy and his life. As a public servant, Gov. Marty advocated for older adults by pushing for improved long-term care and in-home community care programs. As a husband, Gov. Marty walked alongside his beloved Elaine until she finished her Alzheimer's journey in 2022. As a changemaker who continues to honor his wife and uplift others, Gov. Marty shares his wisdom and lessons learned in his book, My Two Elaines: Learning, Coping, and Surviving as an Alzheimer's Caregiver.
Part love story, part workshop, part policy review, part "Voices of Dementia," this conversation will truly inform, inspire and affirm ALL of us, we're not alone.
As mentioned during this conversation, Gov. Marty Schreiber will be speaking at the University of Minnesota's Caring for People with Memory Loss Conference on June 14. You can learn more here. 
As always, if you're enjoying these conversations, please like, review and subscribe to "Hello Alzheimer's." We are so grateful for your support.

Our Own 'Conversation with Kelly' Grosklags About Grief and Dementia

Hello Alzheimer's host Karla Hult talks with Kelly Grosklags, international speaker, therapist and author.
Kelly brings compassion, empathy and education to every conversation about grief, by drawing upon her own profound loss as a child and decades of walking alongside families and individuals experiencing their own grief. She's a Board-Certified Diplomat in Clinical Social Work, holds fellowships and has published podcasts, blogs and books. Kelly has also created the public healing forum, "Conversations with Kelly."
In THIS conversation with Kelly, Kelly and Karla talk about the unique grief that accompanies everyone on the Alzheimer's or other dementia journey as we say So Many Goodbyes. 
Please enjoy this first conversation with Kelly. And yes, we invite you to send us your grief-related questions for Kelly for our next conversation. You can simply email Karla, at: Karla@SoManyGoodbyes.com.
Also, you can catch your own, in-person "Conversation with Kelly" on May 15. Learn more here.
As always, if you are enjoying Hello Alzheimer's, please provide a review and subscribe. We SO appreciate your support.
 

The 2025 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures Report (and why it matters)

Hello Alzheimer's host Karla Hult talks with Susan Parriott, Chief Executive Office and Regional Vice President of the Alzheimer's Association, Minnesota-North Dakota Chapter. Sue addresses the key facts featured in the annual report from the Alzheimer's Association, from the number of Americans now living with Alzheimer's disease (7.2 million), to the overwhelming majority of people (9 in 10) who would both want a simple diagnostic test (a "blood test") AND would welcome taking a medication to slow the progression of Alzheimer's.
But beyond those facts and figures, Sue and Karla talk about why it's important to understand the current context of this crisis; in part, to understand the resources available and research happening right now. But also in part -- as Karla herself feels, as a daughter -- to remind each of us, "you're not alone," and we are definitely in this fight together.
NOTE: Karla refers to an earlier episode featuring Dr. Alicia Algeciras-Schimnich. You can find that conversation here.
Karla also mentions her recent story on the Minneapolis NBC affiliate, KARE 11. You can find that story here. 
As always, you can reach out with questions or topics you'd like us to consider. Please also like, share and subscribe to "Hello Alzheimer's," if you enjoy this content. We are so grateful for your support.