When you care for a loved one with dementia, chances are you have years of experience with this person and are used to communicating with them in a particular way. Dementia changes the way a person thinks, processes information, and understands the information you’re sharing,…

Dear Dr. Koepp, My 85 year old dad is calling me multiple times a day. It’s interrupting my time at work. Sometimes he needs something. Sometimes, he just wants to check in. He has someone assisting him, but he’s always calling me. Can you address…

Dementia is one of the most important, but often overlooked, health care issues related to older African Americans. Research shows that African Americans are two to three times more likely to develop a dementia disorder (compared to European Americans) and at the same time are…

We have a narrative in society that says that caregivers have more depression and stress, spend their caregiving years suffering, only to lead to premature death. Our guest today shares a more balanced and factual narrative about caregivers. Yes, many caregivers do indeed have increased…

Have you helped your loved one move to a senior living or assisted living community only to find that in the midst of experiencing relief that your loved one is being cared for and is safe, you also have intense feelings of guilt and shame?…

There may come a time when you’re faced with the conversation of talking with your aging parents about moving into a senior living or assisted living community. Many people dread this conversation. Even simply starting the conversation can bring up all sorts of worry and…

When he was in his late 80s, Candy Cohn’s father unintentionally stopped taking medication for a long-standing bipolar disorder and experienced a significant mental health crisis requiring hospitalization and intensive treatment. It was following this episode that Candy knew that she needed to help her…

When we think of older adults during COVID, images of older adults living in long-term care communities sheltering in place with hands pressed against windows trying to connect with loved ones circle in our heads. 2020 was a year of incredible hardship and pain for…

In my work with people caring for loved ones with dementia, I often hear comments like: “they’ve become a stranger to me” or “I don’t even recognize them anymore”. Dementia is a devastating illness that often robs families of the opportunity to connect and experience joy.  Because…

Have you ever had the experience of meeting up with a dear friend for coffee or talking with your trusted therapist, and all of a sudden, you stumble into a conversation that’s a little scary and emotional? Maybe you hesitate for a minute and ask…

Have you had an end of life conversation with a loved one? What feelings came up for when you read this? Fear? Sadness? Longing? Remorse? Naturally, when we experience these feelings, we often want to run from them, rather than toward them. But, did you…

In honor of world AIDS day on 12/1, I am devoting today’s episode to HIV and Aging. And, yes. HIV is an important topic when it comes to aging. An estimated 1.2 million people in the United States had HIV at the end of 2018.…