Caregiving doesn’t end when placement happens, it simply changes shape.

In this episode of Mind What Matters, Elizabeth Humphreys sits down with registered dietitian and cognitive health advocate Barbie Boules for a open, wide-ranging conversation about what happens after a parent with Alzheimer’s transitions into memory care. Barbie shares her personal experience as a primary caregiver, the safety concerns that led to placement, and the unexpected emotional realities that followed, including the absence of the “relief” many assume will come.

From wandering and hospice conversations to family dynamics and lingering guilt, this discussion captures the layered complexity of long-term caregiving.

The conversation then pivots into Barbie’s professional expertise: cognitive fitness, midlife brain health, and the growing confusion around GLP-1 medications, compounded peptides, and influencer-driven wellness trends. Barbie offers grounded, evidence-based clarity on what these medications are designed to treat, where misuse is happening, and why women in midlife are especially vulnerable to quick-fix health promises.

Thoughtful, nuanced, and refreshingly honest, this episode bridges lived experience with science, and reminds us that informed decisions matter, especially when it comes to our brains.

To learn more about Mind What Matters or to support our mission head to our website.

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Mind What Matters is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

This week on Mind What Matters, Liz Humphreys reaches into the archives to revisit a conversation that still feels as relevant and raw as the day it was recorded.

Liz sits down with author and caregiver Lauren Dykovitrz to talk about early-onset Alzheimer’s, the shock of diagnosis in your 20s, and the complicated emotional terrain that follows. Lauren was just 25 when her mother was diagnosed, and she shares what it felt like to face a disease that offered no clear next steps. No surgery to schedule, no treatment to start, just the heavy realization that life would never look the same again.

Together, they talk about misdiagnosis, denial within families, embarrassment and isolation in the early years, and the immense guilt caregivers carry, even when they are doing everything they possibly can. Lauren opens up about becoming her mother’s caregiver, reaching burnout, hiring outside help, and the painful but necessary shift from trying to fix the disease to learning to meet her mom where she was.

They also explore the grief that exists long before a loved one passes away and the second wave of grief that comes after.

This conversation is honest, vulnerable, and deeply relatable for anyone navigating Alzheimer’s, dementia, or long-term caregiving. If you’ve ever felt lost, impatient, ashamed, or unsure whether you’re “doing enough,” this episode reminds you that you’re not alone.

Learn more about Lauren and her work here.

To learn more about Mind What Matters or to support our mission head to our website.

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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 gerontologist and licensed clinical social worker Ashley Stevens, founder of The Dementia Guru, for a grounded and empowering conversation about what families truly need after a dementia diagnosis.

Ashley shares how her own childhood experience with Alzheimer’s shaped her life’s work, and how she now supports caregivers navigating burnout, stigma, and complex family dynamics. Together, Liz, Nikki, and Ashley explore what happens in the early days after diagnosis, why caregiving cannot be done alone, and how to realistically divide responsibilities within families.

They also talk about therapy, respite care, advocacy, and the urgent need to reduce the stigma surrounding dementia and aging. This conversation is both deeply personal and deeply practical.

For anyone supporting a loved one with Alzheimer’s, dementia, or another neurodegenerative illness, this episode offers clarity, validation, and actionable insight.

To learn more about Mind What Matters or to support our mission head to our website.

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Mind What Matters is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

This week on Mind What Matters, Elizabeth Humphreys and Nikki DeLoach reflect on what happens when caregiving moves beyond the home and into memory care or assisted living, and how that transition can bring an entirely new layer of responsibility, grief, and vigilance.

They speak openly about the emotional complexity of placement, the mix of relief and guilt that can coexist, and the realities families may encounter inside systems that are often stretched thin. Together, Liz and Nikki explore advocacy, trust, and the courage it takes to stay engaged when exhaustion would be easier.

This conversation is not about fear, it’s about awareness. It’s about learning how to ask better questions, how to protect your loved one without losing yourself, and how caregiving continues to evolve even after the setting changes.

For anyone navigating Alzheimer’s, FTD, Lewy Body Dementia, or another form of cognitive decline, this episode offers hard-earned wisdom, clarity, and the reminder that your presence still matters.

To learn more about Mind What Matters or to support our mission head to our website.

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Mind What Matters is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

In this episode of Mind What Matters, Elizabeth Humphreys and Nikki DeLoach reflect on caregiving, advocacy, and the moments that force us to find our voice, even when it feels uncomfortable or risky.

Nikki shares her experience navigating simultaneous medical crises involving her father and her infant son, Bennett, and what it taught her about intuition, persistence, and advocating inside a complex healthcare system. Together, Liz and Nikki talk about the difference between being “nice” and being effective, why trusting your gut matters, and how trauma reshapes the way we show up for others.

They also explore the importance of community, personal responsibility, and learning how to stay grounded in moments of fear and uncertainty. This conversation is a reminder that speaking up isn’t about control, it’s about care, courage, and showing up when it matters most.

To learn more about Mind What Matters or to support our mission head to our website.

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Mind What Matters is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

In this episode of Mind What Matters, Elizabeth Humphreys and Nikki DeLoach continue their deeply personal conversation about caregiving, shifting from naming the pain to sharing the hard-earned tools that helped Elizabeth survive thirteen years of caring for her mother with Alzheimer’s.

Elizabeth opens up about burnout, family tension, and the emotional weight of being the one who carries the day-to-day reality of decline. Together, she and Nikki talk honestly about what actually helps caregivers, from learning when not to correct or argue, to understanding anxiety-driven behaviors, to setting boundaries without shame.

This conversation explores family dynamics, asking for help, recovery work, and the moment caregiving forces you to trust yourself even when others disagree. For anyone in the thick of caregiving, or still processing the aftermath, this episode offers clarity, compassion, and reassurance that you’re not failing...you’re learning.

To learn more about Mind What Matters or to support our mission head to our website.

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Mind What Matters is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

Welcome back to Mind What Matters! In this episode of Elizabeth Humphreys and Nikki DeLoach turn the microphones inward to explore the raw, unfiltered realities of caregiving, grief, and the long emotional arc of loving someone with Alzheimer’s. To kick off the new year, the two friends treat each other as guests asking the hard questions about what caregiving really costs, how grief evolves over time, and what healing looks like after years of living in survival mode.

Elizabeth shares her thirteen-year journey caring for her mother, from the earliest gut instincts that something was wrong to the exhaustion, burnout, guilt, and grace that marked every stage of the disease. Together, she and Nikki unpack the “death by a thousand paper cuts” that caregivers experience, the shame we place on ourselves for not doing it perfectly, and why allowing grief to do its work, rather than resisting it, can be profoundly transformative.

This episode is an honest reminder that caregiving changes you, grief is not linear, and healing happens in small, daily acts of self-forgiveness. For anyone walking alongside a loved who requires care, or carrying the aftermath of that journey, this conversation offers validation, wisdom, and the reassurance that whatever you’re feeling, it’s all okay.

To learn more about Mind What Matters or to support our mission, visit our website.

To learn more about Mind What Matters or to support our mission head to our website.

Connect with us on Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

To learn more about Mind What Matters or to support our mission head to our website.

Connect with us on Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

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Mind What Matters is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.

This week on Mind What Matters we are sharing a crossover episode from the Travis Macy Show.

Liz Humphreys and Travis Macy, host of The Travis Macy Show, talk with Dr. Dani Cabral, founder of BrainLove. They explore the science and stories of brain health, offering hope and practical wisdom for nurturing our minds at any life stage.

Dr. Cabral shares how her unique approach, blending functional medicine, neurology, and lifestyle design, has helped people facing Alzheimer’s, dementia, and cognitive decline regain clarity, energy, and a renewed sense of self. Together, they dive into the pillars of brain health, from nourishing our bodies and calming inflammation to the power of sleep, mindset, and living with purpose.

Through stories from her practice and practical steps anyone can take, Dr. Cabral reminds us that caring for our brains is about so much more than preventing decline. It’s about living fully, deepening our connections, and showing up for the people who matter most.

To learn more about Mind What Matters or to support our mission head to our website.

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Mind What Matters is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.