Joanna King on Caring for a Parent with Alzheimer’s

In this episode, I’m joined by psychologist Joanna King for a moving conversation about what it means to care for a parent with young onset Alzheimer’s while also raising young children of your own. Joanna speaks with extraordinary honesty about the death of her father, the slow and painful loss of the mother she knew, and the emotional complexity of being caught in that in-between space of loving, grieving, resenting, protecting and carrying on. We talk about anticipatory grief, sibling dynamics, guilt, anger, boundaries, and the particular loneliness of feeling that life has split into before and after.

What stayed with me most was Joanna’s openness about the reality of “sandwich caring” and how disorientating it can be when the person who once anchored you no longer knows who you are. This is a conversation about dementia, but it is also about love, identity, duty, and the cost of holding too much for too long. Joanna also shares the thinking behind her forthcoming podcast, Do I Know You?, which aims to help people feel less alone in the experience of dementia, and to offer more understanding, information and support.

Helpful UK resources:
If you are going through something similar, these may be useful places to start:
Dementia UK offers specialist dementia support through its Admiral Nurses, including a free helpline on 0800 888 6678 and young onset dementia information and support services.
Alzheimer’s Society has a Dementia Support Line on 0333 150 3456, information on young onset dementia, and a directory to find local support near you.
Alzheimer’s Research UK also has information and support for carers and a Dementia Research Infoline on 0300 111 5111.

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