Uncovering Grief in Dementia Caregiving

Last week we focused on how being person-centered helps us understand behavior changes in people living with dementia. This week we keep a focus on the person and the emotions felt by family members and friends as they care for the person who is changing. We are also continuing a focus on older studies that still inform current practice. This week I want to focus on a paper that came out of a dissertation in my lab during my early days at the University of Louisville.

Click the link below to read more about grief in dementia caregiving:

https://benjaminmast1.substack.com/p/uncovering-grief-in-dementia-caregiving

Depression in Alzheimer's disease

Continuing the “Could it be Better?” series.

https://benjaminmast1.substack.com/p/depression-in-alzheimers-disease

Alzheimers Disease-Could it be Better?

There is also an important difference between preferring to avoid Alzheimer’s disease and living in daily dread…I think it’s worth asking, what about Alzheimer’s disease are people most afraid of? Join Dr. Mast in this series of writing about Alzheimer’s Disease-Could it be Better?

https://benjaminmast1.substack.com/p/alzheimers-disease-could-it-better

One Glorious Hour-A Story of Running Through Dementia

I first met Christine on a Zoom call. We were working together on a research paper exploring running, walking, and dementia. Christine shared a bit of her story during that first meeting and I was intrigued. I reached out later and asked for the longer version. She graciously agreed to tell it and gave me permission to share it through publication. Today I’m excited to share it with you.

This story was originally published in 2023 in Like The Wind, an independent running magazine (highly recommend). It is reprinted here as a two part series.

Part 1

https://substack.com/@benjaminmast1/p-193904585

Part 2

https://substack.com/@benjaminmast1/p-193905678

Alzheimers Disease and Endurance

I’ve been reading more about how therapists think about their work. I picked up Mary Pipher’s Letters to a Young Therapist from the library and found some useful nuggets. I’ve been reflecting on one in particular. Pipher writes that there are three types of problems people bring to psychotherapy: problems that can be addressed with good information, problems that require specialized treatments and techniques, and problems that require endurance.

Endurance.

That caught my attention.

https://substack.com/@benjaminmast1/p-192200826

Building Your Caregiving Team

A guide to the people that can help you endure.

https://substack.com/@benjaminmast1/p-206275104

New Guidelines on Dementia Prevention and Risk Reduction

This morning the World Health Organization released the second edition of its guidelines on Risk Reduction of Cognitive Decline and Dementia. As I wrote yesterday, this is an updated on the 2019 guidelines. You can read the full 2026 report here.

I haven’t read the full report (it just came out an hour ago), but here are a few highlights.

https://substack.com/@benjaminmast1/p-207292615