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What does it mean to care for someone with dignity when the disease is slowly changing the person you love? For Mary Lou Falcone, that question became deeply personal when her husband, Nicky, was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia. But caregiving had been part of Mary Lou's life long before his diagnosis. At just ten years old, she stepped into the role of caregiver after her father suffered a devastating stroke, beginning a lifelong journey that would shape the way she understood love, responsibility, and resilience. This week on Mind What Matters, Elizabeth Humphreys and Nikki DeLoach sit down with Mary Lou, an accomplished publicist and author of I Didn't See It Coming: Scenes of Love, Loss, and Lewy Body Dementia, for a conversation about the life she built, the love she shared with Nicky, and the promise she made to protect his dignity as his disease progressed. Mary Lou shares the early signs that something was changing, the long road to a diagnosis, and the everyday decisions that helped Nicky maintain a sense of independence. From finding a gentle way to introduce a wheelchair to learning when being right matters far less than making someone feel safe, her experiences offer a different perspective on what compassionate caregiving can look like. Liz and Nikki bring their own caregiving experiences into the conversation, reflecting on the moments they wish they had handled differently, the fear that can drive our reactions, and the importance of forgiving ourselves as we learn. They also explore what makes Lewy body dementia different from Alzheimer's, why advocacy matters, and how Mary Lou turned her grief into a book intended to help other families feel more prepared and understood. Because caregiving isn't about getting every moment right. Sometimes it's about recognizing what matters most to the person in front of you and finding a way to honor that, even when everything else is changing. Mind What Matters is presented by CaringKind.  To learn more about Mind What Matters or to support our mission head to our website. Connect with us on Instagram | Facebook | YouTube ----------------- Mind What Matters is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

Some parts of caregiving are easy to talk about. Others are messy, lonely, heartbreaking, funny at completely inappropriate times, and much harder to admit. This week on Mind What Matters, Nikki DeLoach turns the questions toward Elizabeth Humphreys for a conversation about Liz's book, Too Bad About That, and the 13-year journey with her mother that inspired it. Liz shares where the book's title came from and why she wanted to tell a story about Alzheimer's that didn't leave out the darker parts: anticipatory grief, family fractures, resentment, guilt, loneliness, impossible decisions, and the moments of absurdity that somehow exist alongside all of it. But as Nikki reflects on Liz's story, another thread emerges. This is also a story about learning to let other people in. They talk about the communities of women who taught Liz what it meant to show up for someone, the years she spent believing she had to handle hard things on her own, and the people who eventually gave her a safe place to fall apart. They also revisit some of the most painful moments of caring for Liz's mom, including what happens when the people making decisions about someone you love don't see what you're seeing. For Liz, learning to trust her own knowledge of her mother became one of the most important lessons of the entire experience. Because caregiving doesn't come with a neat ending, and neither does grief. Sometimes surviving it means trusting what you know, finding people willing to sit beside you in the hardest moments, and allowing love to be a lot less polished than we imagine it should be. To learn more about Mind What Matters or to support our mission head to our website. Connect with us on Instagram | Facebook | YouTube ----------------- Mind What Matters is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

Why are you still tired after a full night's sleep? Can you really catch up on sleep over the weekend? And are melatonin and magnesium actually helping you sleep better? This week on Mind What Matters, Elizabeth Humphreys and Nikki DeLoach sit down with double board-certified sleep medicine physician and pediatric neurologist Dr. Christopher Allen, known as Sleep Dr. Chris, for a practical conversation about sleep, brain health, and what happens when getting the recommended seven to nine hours doesn't fit neatly into your life. Dr. Chris breaks down sleep debt, circadian rhythm, sleep apnea, melatonin, magnesium, restless legs, and the small changes that can make it easier for your brain and body to wind down. He also explains why consistently poor sleep may be telling you something beyond needing a better bedtime routine and when it may be time to see a sleep specialist. Nikki brings her own experience with ADHD and an unpredictable work schedule into the conversation, while Liz asks about everything from catching up on lost sleep to that sudden falling sensation that can happen just as you're drifting off. They also explore sleep during perimenopause and menopause, including why women experiencing middle-of-the-night wakeups shouldn't automatically have their concerns dismissed as stress or anxiety. And for caregivers, who often have little control over when or how long they can sleep, Dr. Chris offers a more realistic approach: protect the sleep you can get, understand what your body needs, and give yourself some grace when life gets in the way. Because better sleep isn't only about how you feel tomorrow morning. It's part of taking care of your brain, body, and long-term health. To learn more about Mind What Matters or to support our mission head to our website. Connect with us on Instagram | Facebook | YouTube ----------------- Mind What Matters is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

Caregiver burnout doesn't always look like complete exhaustion. Sometimes it looks like anger, resentment, fear, guilt, or even wanting to get as far away from the person you love as possible. This week on Mind What Matters, Elizabeth Humphreys and Nikki DeLoach have an honest conversation about caregiver mental health and the emotions that can be difficult to admit, especially when you've spent months or years in survival mode. Liz shares a deeply personal experience that helped her recognize disgust as part of her own response to caregiving trauma. Nikki opens up about learning to recognize her fight response and why she's had to practice pausing before reacting, fixing, or trying to change something outside of her control. Together, they explore caregiver burnout, trauma responses, emotional processing, boundaries, self-compassion, and the complicated transition that can happen when an intense caregiving season ends. They also talk about accepting people for who they are without abandoning yourself, finding small ways to care for your mental health when time and resources are limited, and why having even one person you can be completely honest with can matter. Because caregiving can bring out emotions we're not proud of. That doesn't mean we have to hide from them. Learning to understand what we're feeling may be part of finding our way through. To learn more about Mind What Matters or to support our mission head to our website. Connect with us on Instagram | Facebook | YouTube ----------------- Mind What Matters is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

Can a supplement really improve brain health? Do you need a full-body MRI? What actually helps reduce your risk of cognitive decline, and how can you tell when a viral health claim is actually backed by science? This week on Mind What Matters, Elizabeth Humphreys and Nikki DeLoach sit down with public health scientist and science communicator Dr. Jessica Steier, founder and CEO of Unbiased Science, to separate evidence-based health advice from the misinformation filling our social media feeds. When someone you love is living with Alzheimer's, dementia, ALS, Parkinson's, or another serious illness, it's understandable to search for anything that might help. Jessica explains why that desperation can also make families particularly vulnerable to expensive supplements, protocols, tests, and wellness claims that promise far more than the evidence supports. Liz, Nikki, and Jessica dig into dementia and cognitive health, supplements, nutrition, sleep, exercise, social connection, full-body scans, vaccines, inflammation, and the rise of biohacking and concierge wellness. They also discuss how to evaluate a health study before believing the headline and why fear, big promises, and someone trying to sell you a solution should make you stop and look closer. In this episode, we talk about: – How to spot health and wellness misinformation – What the science supports for dementia and cognitive health – Why caregivers can be vulnerable to miracle health claims – Supplements and when they may actually be necessary – The risks and limitations of full-body MRI scans – Why sleep, nutrition, exercise, and social connection still matter – How to evaluate health studies shared on social media – The difference between promising research and proven evidence – Why having a trusted doctor matters When health advice is everywhere, knowing how to ask better questions may be one of the most important tools we have. To learn more about Mind What Matters or to support our mission head to our website. Connect with us on Instagram | Facebook | YouTube ----------------- Mind What Matters is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

What does it actually mean to be mentally and emotionally healthy when your life is genuinely hard? This week on Mind What Matters, Elizabeth Humphreys and Nikki DeLoach sit down with psychotherapist, speaker, author, and host of The Work of Being Human, Vanessa Bentley to unpack the emotional realities of caregiving, grief, relationships, and being human. Vanessa explains why experiencing grief, sorrow, anger, loneliness, or overwhelm doesn't automatically mean you're mentally unwell. Instead of treating difficult emotions as something to eliminate, she encourages us to get curious about what they're communicating, including the unmet needs that may be underneath them. Liz and Nikki bring their own experiences with caregiving, grief, family, and therapy into a conversation about what happens when we believe we have to handle everything ourselves. Together, they explore why caregivers can become isolated, how resentment can build when support doesn't show up, why "feeling your feelings" is only the first step, and how learning to clearly communicate what you need can help build a stronger support system. This is a conversation about caregiver mental health, emotional needs, vulnerability, boundaries, loneliness, resilience, and the importance of staying connected to ourselves and others when life asks more of us than we think we can carry. #Caregiving #CaregiverMentalHealth #MentalHealth #EmotionalHealth #MindWhatMatters To learn more about Mind What Matters or to support our mission head to our website. Connect with us on Instagram | Facebook | YouTube ----------------- Mind What Matters is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

Last week, we explored what grief does to us. This week, we're talking about what comes next. In Part 2 of their conversation with grief therapist, trauma specialist, and author Meghan Jarvis, Elizabeth Humphreys and Nikki DeLoach move beyond the theory of grief into the everyday reality of living with it. Together, they unpack some of the questions so many grieving people quietly carry: What do you do when there was never a chance to say goodbye? How do you honor someone after they're gone? Is "closure" actually possible? And how do you know when grief has become something you shouldn't carry alone? Meghan shares practical wisdom for building a relationship with grief instead of fighting it, explains why our bodies often know what we need before our minds do, and offers a compassionate framework for navigating anniversaries, unresolved relationships, and the moments when loss feels overwhelming. This conversation reminds us that healing isn't about leaving grief behind. It's about learning how to carry it with honesty, support, and self-compassion. To learn more about Mind What Matters or to support our mission head to our website. Connect with us on Instagram | Facebook | YouTube ----------------- Mind What Matters is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

This week on Mind What Matters, Elizabeth Humphreys and Nikki DeLoach are joined by grief therapist, trauma specialist, and author Meghan Jarvis for the first of a two-part conversation about one of the few experiences every human being will face, yet almost no one is taught how to navigate. Drawing from both her professional work and her own profound losses, Meghan shares how grief reshapes our identity, why trauma and grief are often deeply connected, and what happens when we try to rush ourselves back to "normal." Together, Liz, Nikki, and Meghan explore the isolation so many caregivers and grieving families experience, the hidden impact of PTSD, and why our culture has left so many people feeling like they have to suffer in silence. This conversation is honest, emotional, and deeply validating for anyone carrying loss while trying to keep moving forward. Rather than asking how to "get over" grief, this episode asks a better question: What if grief is something we're meant to learn to live with instead? To learn more about Mind What Matters or to support our mission head to our website. Connect with us on Instagram | Facebook | YouTube ----------------- Mind What Matters is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

This week on Mind What Matters, Nikki DeLoach and Elizabeth Humphreys sit down with author, educator, and caregiver Sarah Maguire Marston to talk about one of the hardest conversations many families never expect to have: explaining dementia to children. After Sarah's mother was diagnosed with Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) and Primary Progressive Aphasia, she struggled to help her young children understand why their grandmother could no longer speak, play, or tell them she loved them. That experience inspired her to write When I Can't Say I Love You, a children's book created to help families navigate dementia with honesty, compassion, and hope. Together, Sarah, Nikki, and Liz share their own caregiving experiences, discuss the unique challenges of Frontotemporal Dementia, and explore why children often understand more than we realize. They also talk about anticipatory grief, family communication, memory care, and the lasting connection that remains even after words are gone. This episode is a reminder that while dementia changes how we communicate, it never changes the love that remains. To learn more about Mind What Matters or to support our mission head to our website. Connect with us on Instagram | Facebook | YouTube ----------------- Mind What Matters is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

This week on Mind What Matters, Nikki DeLoach sits down with nationally recognized gerontologist, social worker, and dementia care expert Dr. Macie Smith for one of the most practical conversations we've had about caregiving. With more than 25 years of experience supporting families living with dementia, Dr. Macie shares the advice she wishes every caregiver received long before a crisis begins. From healthcare power of attorney and family conflict to caregiver burnout, advocacy, and navigating a diagnosis, she offers clear, compassionate guidance rooted in both professional expertise and personal experience.  Nikki and Dr. Macie also explore why so many caregivers feel like they have to do everything alone, how to ask for help without guilt, and why authentic education, not fear, is one of the greatest tools families have. Whether you're caring for someone with dementia today or simply want to prepare for the future, this conversation is filled with practical wisdom that can help you navigate one of life's most challenging seasons with greater confidence and grace. Learn more about Dr. Macie Smith and her caregiving resources: https://drmaciesmith.com To learn more about Mind What Matters or to support our mission head to our website. Connect with us on Instagram | Facebook | YouTube ----------------- Mind What Matters is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

Walking in Her World: Ty Lewis on Faith, Dementia Care, and Sacred Advocacy week on Mind What Matters, Elizabeth Humphreys and Nikki DeLoach sit down with caregiver, educator, and certified dementia practitioner Ty Lewis, the voice behind I Am Gertrude Jordan. Ty has been sharing her mother’s late-stage dementia journey with honesty, tenderness, and deep wisdom, offering other caregivers a window into what it means to care with both fierce advocacy and extraordinary love. With a background in special education, Ty brings a uniquely research-informed approach to dementia care, using strategies rooted in patience, adaptation, assistive tools, and meeting her mother exactly where she is. Ty opens up about the emotional toll of caregiving, the role of faith in helping her stay present, and the sacred responsibility of walking with a loved one through the hardest parts of life. This episode is a powerful reminder that caregiving is not about getting back to who someone used to be. Sometimes, it is about learning how to enter their world with grace. To learn more about Mind What Matters or to support our mission head to our website. Connect with us on Instagram | Facebook | YouTube ----------------- Mind What Matters is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

What if the thing that's keeping you stuck is the very thing you've been taught to do your whole life: hold it together? In this deeply personal conversation, Liz Humphreys and Nikki DeLoach explore the emotional cost of caregiving, the dangers of numbness, and why so many caregivers feel like they have to suffer in silence. Through stories of Alzheimer's caregiving, childhood conditioning, burnout, grief, and resilience, they unpack the messages many of us received growing up, that emotions should be hidden, pain should be pushed through, and vulnerability is weakness. Liz reflects on moments from her caregiving journey that she now sees differently, including opportunities for healing that were missed because survival mode left no room to feel. Nikki shares why grief isn't something to "get over," but something that changes us and how allowing ourselves to experience difficult emotions may be the key to avoiding burnout and reclaiming our humanity. Together, they offer a powerful reminder that caregiving doesn't have to destroy you. You can care deeply for someone else while also caring for yourself. If you've ever felt exhausted, resentful, guilty, numb, or overwhelmed as a caregiver, this episode is for you. In this episode:  Why caregivers often isolate when they need support most  The hidden connection between emotional numbness and burnout  How grief can become a pathway to healing  The impact of childhood messages about emotions  Why "holding it together" isn't always healthy  Practical ways to process difficult feelings before they consume you To learn more about Mind What Matters or to support our mission head to our website. Connect with us on Instagram | Facebook | YouTube ----------------- Mind What Matters is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

This week on Mind What Matters, Elizabeth Humphreys and Nikki DeLoach sit down with mindfulness teacher, author, and host of the Listen to Sleep podcast, Erik Ireland, for a conversation about identity, suffering, purpose, and what it means to stay present when life doesn't unfold the way we expected. Drawing from his own experiences of reinvention, self-discovery, and personal growth, Erik shares how mindfulness helped him move beyond the identities he spent years trying to build and instead learn how to live with greater curiosity, compassion, and self-acceptance. Together, Liz, Nikki, and Erik explore why so many caregivers find themselves questioning who they are after years of caring for someone else, how grief and change can become part of our personal growth, and why peace is not something we achieve someday, but something we learn to recognize in the middle of life's hardest moments. This episode is a reminder that even when life feels uncertain, overwhelming, or completely different than what we imagined, there is still meaning to be found in the journey. To learn more about Mind What Matters or to support our mission head to our website. Connect with us on Instagram | Facebook | YouTube ----------------- Mind What Matters is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

This week on Mind What Matters, Elizabeth Humphreys sits down with Mariana, a 20-year-old nursing student and caregiver whose story is both heartbreaking and deeply inspiring. Mariana grew up watching her mother live with Huntington’s disease, a genetic neurological illness that can affect movement, mood, memory, and independence. At 18, Mariana made the decision to get tested herself and learned that she also carries the Huntington’s gene. In this raw and honest conversation, Mariana shares what it has meant to care for her mother through the progression of the disease, the emotional weight of hospice and end-of-life care, and the complicated reality of loving someone while also needing to protect yourself. She opens up about family, grief, advocacy, and the support systems that have helped her keep going. Together, Elizabeth and Mariana also talk about the hope surrounding Huntington’s research, including current clinical trials, and what it means to keep showing up with love, courage, and honesty when there are no easy answers. To learn more about Mind What Matters or to support our mission head to our website. Connect with us on Instagram | Facebook | YouTube ----------------- Mind What Matters is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

This week on Mind What Matters, Elizabeth Humphreys and Nikki DeLoach sit down with caregiver, advocate, and podcast host Beth Jones for an honest conversation about frontotemporal dementia, isolation, and what happens when your parent slowly becomes someone you no longer recognize.  Beth shares the story of her mom’s early-onset FTD diagnosis at just 65 years old, including the subtle personality changes that first raised concern, the years spent searching for answers, and the overwhelming loneliness that followed after diagnosis. Together, Liz, Nikki, and Beth talk about the reality many caregivers experience but rarely discuss openly: feeling dismissed before diagnosis, navigating a healthcare system that offers little guidance, and trying to hold onto yourself while watching someone you love slowly change. They also explore the importance of community, practical planning, caregiver mental health, and why finding people who truly understand your experience can change everything. This episode is deeply personal, validating, and full of the kind of honesty caregivers often need most. To learn more about Mind What Matters or to support our mission head to our website. Connect with us on Instagram | Facebook | YouTube ----------------- Mind What Matters is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.