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The Caregiver's Journey

Is It an Early Sign of Dementia? Three Essential Tips / Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias

The Caregiver's Journey

Sue Ryan and Nancy Treaster

Personal Journals, Self-improvement, Non-profit, Society & Culture, How To, Business, Health & Fitness, Mental Health, Education

5.0 • 3.7K Ratings

🗓️ 10 February 2026

⏱️ 27 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

“What really helps is grounding yourself in three things: what change you’re noticing, how different it is from who this person has always been, and whether it’s getting worse over time.” — Dr. Anna Chodos


Are you concerned that your loved one is showing early signs of dementia? Do you find yourself noticing changes but unsure whether they’re significant? You’re not alone in this uncertainty, and there are clear steps you can take to address your concerns.


We are Sue Ryan and Nancy Treaster. As caregivers for our loved ones with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia, we understand how challenging it can be to recognize early signs of dementia and know what to do next. We’re sharing insights about practical guidance for managing through those early signs of dementia from Dr. Anna Chodos, professor of medicine in geriatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, and executive director of Dementia Care Aware, and Dr. Barry Jacobs, clinical psychologist, family therapist, and co-author of the AARP Caregiver Answer Book.


Let’s explore three essential tips for recognizing early dementia signs — starting difficult conversations with your loved one and communicating effectively with healthcare providers.

Connect with us and share your tips:


Full Show Notes

https://thecaregiversjourney.org/55-is-it-an-early-sign-of-dementia-three-essential-tips-alzheimers-and-other-dementias/


Additional Resources Mentioned

Takeaways

Tip 1: Know What Signs to Look For — They’re More Than Just Memory

Tip 2: Start Early and Normalize Health Conversations

Tip 3: Plan Ahead for the Doctor’s Appointment


Read More in This Blog

https://sueryansolutions.medium.com/55-is-it-an-early-sign-of-dementia-three-essential-tips-alzheimers-and-other-dementias-5a1278aa1c2f


Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

This is the Whole Care Network, helping you tell your story one podcast at a time.

0:16.0

Content presented in the following podcast is for information purposes only.

0:22.7

Views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and guests

0:28.1

and may not represent the views and opinions of the Whole Care Network.

0:33.2

Always consult with your physician for any medical advice.

0:36.8

And always consult with your attorney for any legal advice and always consult with your attorney for any

0:39.2

legal advice. And thank you for listening to the whole care network.

0:52.6

Are you concerned that your loved one is showing early signs of dementia?

0:57.3

In this episode, Sue and are talking with Dr. Anna Chodos, Professor of Medicine at the University

1:03.2

of California, San Francisco in geriatrics, and executive director of dementia care aware.

1:10.1

And we're also talking to Dr. Barry Jacobs, who is a

1:13.4

clinical psychologist, family therapist, and the co-author of the AARP caregiver answer book,

1:21.2

which most of us have all read. We're talking about managing through those early signs of dementia with a loved one.

1:28.9

We're sharing three tips.

1:32.3

Welcome. We're Sue Ryan and Nancy Treister.

1:35.6

This podcast brings our years of experience in a variety of family caregiving roles to prepare you to navigate your caregiving journey.

1:43.6

We're sharing our personal experiences,

1:45.8

not medical advice, and because it's our passion to support you on your journey, we believe

1:51.5

no topic is off limits. Let's get started. Welcome, Anna and Barry. Nancy and I are asked frequently about what to do when we're kind of

2:05.3

maybe think we're seeing signs of dementia in our loved one. So let's go to tip one, which is,

2:11.6

what are some of the signs to look for? Thanks for asking that.

2:17.6

And I think the way you said it, something like maybe we're seeing something that

...

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