Welcome to 2026, and welcome back to Gut Punched: Alzheimer’s and Caregivers. Host Jeff Edwards opens the year by tackling one word that caregivers often feel has disappeared after a devastating diagnosis: HOPE.

When Alzheimer’s or dementia enters your life, the first feeling is often no hope — medically, emotionally, spiritually. In this episode, Jeff unpacks what hope really means, why losing it impacts both health and well-being, and why reclaiming it matters now more than ever. From psychology and medical science to faith-based reflection, this conversation explores how hope isn’t denial, it’s survival.

Jeff also breaks down current dementia therapies (as of December 2025), highlighting where real progress is being made and what caregivers should know going forward.

In the second half of the episode, Jeff reconnects with an old friend: BJ Odom, a man who jokingly describes himself as having “More Parts Than a Chicken Nugget,” the title of his newly released book. Through hardship, humor, and relentless perseverance, this guest embodies what living with hope truly looks like. His story is honest, emotional, hilarious, and deeply human, filled with laughter, tears, and optimism from start to finish.

As always, Jeff revisits the GutPunched Caregiver Tenets, essential reminders that caregiving is not a solo mission, self-care is non-negotiable, and asking for help is not a weakness.

This episode is a reminder to every caregiver who feels exhausted, isolated, or overwhelmed:
You are not alone. There is help. And yes, there is hope.

#AlzheimersCaregiver #DementiaCaregiving #CaregiverSupport #HopeForCaregivers #GutPunchedPodcast #DementiaAwareness #CaregiverLife #AlzheimersPodcast #NotSoSexyCaregiving #CaregiverHope

The holidays are rolling in, caregivers… and we’re serving up hot cocoa, honest conversations, and a cozy episode packed with Holiday Tips for Caregivers navigating Alzheimer's or dementia. 🎅💙✨

With Hanukkah beginning December 15th and Christmas jingling in on the 25th, emotions run high, and schedules get wild. This episode is your comforting guide, your reminder that yes, you CAN make it through the season with a little more peace, support, and joy.

We revisit the five guiding GutPunched Tenets (your caregiver survival rules), talk boundaries, ask for help (for real this time), and soothe some of that seasonal stress.

We also celebrate YOU—our growing GutPunched community—and share exciting news:
🎉 We thank our sponsor: Heart, Body & Mind Home Care; AND We're welcoming our NEW Miracle Sponsor, the Neuropsychiatric Research Center!
They’ll be answering YOUR questions about caregiving, Alzheimer’s, brain health, research, and more.

🎁 Send your questions to: GUTPUNCHEDAC@OUTLOOK.COM
Know a caregiver who needs support? Share this episode or send them to GUTPUNCHED.COM. No one walks this journey alone. 💛

Grab your cocoa, check on the reindeer, warm up your Ho-Ho-Ho’s, and let’s make the holidays a little lighter together.

👇 LIKE • SUBSCRIBE • SHARE
Help another caregiver today.

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#GutPunchedPodcast #AlzheimersCaregiver #DementiaSupport #CaregiverLife #HolidayCaregiving #CaregiverTips #AlzheimersAwareness #CaregiverCommunity #SeniorCare #FamilyCaregiver #CaregivingJourney #DementiaCaregiving #PodcastForCaregivers #HolidayStressRelief #SelfCareForCaregivers #Hanukkah2025 #Christmas2025 #CaregiverMentalHealth #HopeForCaregivers

In Episode 83 of GutPunched: Alzheimer’s and Caregivers, host Jeff Edwards welcomes listeners into another candid, compassionate, and unfiltered conversation about the realities of caregiving. As the holiday hustle sets in, Jeff explores why caregivers often feel like their memory is slipping. Spoiler alert: Alzheimer’s isn’t contagious, but stress absolutely is.

This episode breaks down:

• Jay Leno + Howie Mandel in the news and how their stories connect to caregiving.

• Brain supplements that actually work—and those that don’t, based on current research.

• How regular music listening can lower the risk of dementia and why caregivers should use it as a tool for themselves and their loved ones.

Jeff also revisits the show’s core Five Tenets of Caregiving, empowering listeners to care for themselves, ask for help, create support systems, and embrace caregiving with resilience. Sponsored by Heart, Body, & Mind Home Care, this episode is a reminder that caregivers are never alone.

Listeners are encouraged to subscribe, share with families affected by dementia, and send questions to GUTPUNCHEDAC@OUTLOOK.COM to be answered by real experts—neurologists, researchers, and professional caregivers.

This episode is packed with insight, validation, and practical tools to help caregivers breathe, reset, and continue their journey with confidence.

Available on GUTPUNCHED.COM

Also on : Podcast Playground, Pandora, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, PodBean, iHeart, X, Y, YouTube, and many more.

#AlzheimersPodcast #CaregiverTips #DementiaCare #MusicTherapy #CaregiverBurnout #BrainHealth #GutPunchedPodcast

In this episode, host Jeff Edwards explores alternative Alzheimer’s treatments, lifestyle-based approaches, and supportive care options that may improve the quality of life for individuals living with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Guest Paul Wayne Bowman, author of You Can Reverse Dementia, joins the conversation to discuss brain health, cognitive support strategies, and emerging ideas in dementia care. Listeners will also revisit the essential GutPunched Caregiver Tenets, which focus on caregiver self-care, building a support network, managing overwhelming tasks, and creating communication signals for outside caregivers.

The GutPunched community continues to grow, and we invite caregivers to submit questions for future expert interviews — including neurologists, researchers, and medical professionals. Learn more or listen now at GUTPUNCHED.COM.

Hashtags: #Alzheimers #DementiaCare #CaregiverSupport #AlzheimersPodcast #BrainHealth #DementiaAwareness #CaregivingJourney #GutPunchedPodcast #FamilyCaregivers #SeniorCare #CognitiveHealth #CaregiverLife #DementiaHelp #AgingParents #AlzheimersAwareness

In Episode 81, Jeff welcomes you to the unofficial kickoff of the holiday season—because if Thanksgiving 2025 is already here, that means the Big Guy in Red isn’t far behind… and thankfully, no, he’s not from the government. (We think.)

This episode blends humor, heart, and holiday reality checks as Jeff reflects on gratitude—from family and a sometimes-affectionate Chi-weenie, to the daily blessings found in a stranger's smile. Whether you’re feasting on turkey or grabbing cold convenience-store pizza, Jeff reminds listeners that if there’s breath in your lungs, there’s still something to be thankful for.

He also tackles a universal topic: holiday stress. This week’s conversation offers a general roadmap for surviving the season with sanity intact, with a more in-depth stress-management breakdown coming in a future episode.

Jeff also unveils a new 2026 initiative: listener Q&A. Caregivers can send in their burning questions—big, small, baffling, or heartbreaking—and Jeff will bring in pros (doctors, neurologists, researchers, caregivers) to deliver real answers next year. Questions can already be sent to GUTPUNCHEDAC@outlook.com.

All this, plus a shout-out to the show’s sponsor, Heart Body & Mind Home Care, in an episode that reminds caregivers everywhere that gratitude, humor, and community matter—especially when life hits hardest.

Navigating the insidious illness of Alzheimer’s is something nobody asks for. The disease sneaks up on you and your loved one, and it feels like you’ve been sucker-punched in the gut when you get the diagnosis from a doctor. So many things race through your mind: why us? What do we do? We worked so hard to get to this point in life. We just moved here after we both worked for 30 years, sold our house up North, and retired to Florida to enjoy our “golden years”. It’s not fair! Who’s going to take care of her/him? I don’t know a thing about this illness. She’s always done the cooking; I don’t even know how to boil water. He's always taken care of me and everything else like Finances. I don’t even drive! And it goes on and on. Facing this disease will bring you to your knees. Once you get over the initial shock (GUT PUNCHED), the questions and fears take hold. Where do we turn for help? Who do I call? What do I do? How do you take care of someone with Alzheimer's? Are there support groups? And questions like these just keep coming.

Welcome (and brace yourself), host Jeff Edwards is back with another dose of truth, humor, and heart for those in the trenches of caregiving.

This week, we’re tackling the latest buzz around GLP-1s and Alzheimer’s. Are these new drugs the next big thing in brain health, or just another fad with a fancy acronym? Plus, we’ll lace up and count our steps, literally, as Jeff breaks down how many daily steps it actually takes to slow Alzheimer’s decline.

Of course, it wouldn’t be GutPunched without revisiting the sacred caregiver commandments, those five brutally honest tenets that keep you (and your sanity) intact when life gets messy. From self-care as survival to creating a “help signal” your loved one actually remembers, Jeff reminds us that caregiving isn’t just hard, it’s heroic, hilarious, and heartbreakingly human.

We’ll also shout out the amazing folks at Heart, Body, & Mind Home Care, and celebrate the community wins from the Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Lee County, with Collier County’s walk just around the corner.

So hit that Subscribe button, share the show with someone who needs a laugh and a lifeline, and remember: You can’t pour from an empty cup, but you can refill it right here, one episode at a time.

🔗 Listen now at GutPunched.com

In this heartfelt episode of GutPunched: Alzheimer’s & Caregivers — The Not So Sexy Podcast, host Jeff Edwards sits down with returning guest Molly Phillips to explore the impact of Lewy Body Disease (LBD)—a complex and emotional form of dementia. Molly shares her deeply personal story and how her experience has inspired an upcoming fundraising concert to raise awareness and hope for those affected.

Jeff also reminds caregivers of the GutPunched tenets: take care of yourself, ask for help, use your support network, and create a “help signal” to make your loved one’s care experience easier.

The episode closes with information on local Alzheimer’s walks in Fort Myers and Naples, and a call for listeners everywhere to visit Alz.org to find support and community events near them.

A touching, educational conversation that reminds every caregiver they’re not alone.