In this episode of Dementia Lifeboat: Port of Call, dementia educator Laura Wayman and certified life coach Jocelyn Ives walk through what happens after the words “dementia” or “Alzheimer’s” are spoken in a doctor’s office.

A diagnosis often brings fear, overwhelm, denial, and a flood of “what if” questions about the future. In this conversation, Laura explains what is actually happening in the brain. Dementia is not just memory loss; it is why emotions remain even when reasoning fades, and why behaviors like wandering or wanting to “go home” are rooted in feelings, not logic.

Jocelyn then turns the lens toward the caregiver. What happens in your brain when you hear the diagnosis? Why does panic take over? How do you stop spinning into worst-case scenarios? And how can you shorten your lens length to focus on what needs to be done today, not five years from now?

Through real-life stories, including exit-seeking behaviors, repeated questions, and early-onset Alzheimer’s, this episode offers practical tools for:

• Responding to feelings instead of arguing with facts
• Managing your own frustration, fear, and denial
• Letting go of the need for validation from someone who can no longer give it
• Giving yourself permission to feel without judging yourself for it

You cannot stop it.
You cannot fix it.
You cannot change it.
But you can learn to manage it, with purpose, resilience, and compassion.

This episode is a reminder that while dementia changes the brain, it does not erase the heart — and caregivers still have the power to create meaningful moments, one day at a time.

Learn more: laurawayman.com/podcast

In this opening episode of Dementia Lifeboat: Port of Call, dementia educator Laura Wayman and certified life coach Jocelyn Ives introduce a different way of understanding dementia, one rooted in real-life experiences. Not just clinical definitions.

This conversation focuses on what often shows up first: the quiet loss of learned executive function. Tasks that once happened on autopilot, such as balancing a checkbook, driving confidently, planning, organizing, or coordinating movement, begin to take more effort. Memory may still be intact, which is why dementia is so often missed, misunderstood, or dismissed early on.

We talk about what that feels like for caregivers watching someone they love struggle, and for individuals who sense something is changing but can’t quite explain it. We also explore common questions families ask in this stage:

• How do I know if I have dementia, or if someone I love does?
• What doctor should I go to for dementia, and why can answers be hard to get?
• Can dementia be fixed? (The short answer: No. But it can be managed with the right understanding and support.)

This episode introduces the foundation of dementia awareness: learning what’s happening neurologically, letting go of what can’t be stopped or fixed, and discovering how caregivers can use their healthy brain to support someone with a “broken thinker.”

If you want more support while caregiving with those with dementia symptoms, or think you may be experiencing symptoms yourself, we invite you to join our monthly Dementia Lifeboat: Poolside Chat, where caregivers come together to offer support and understanding.

You can join us for FREE by registering here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/PRzPtXKIRf-NNdHzhSToUg

Or become a paid member of our Lifeboat Skool community for exclusive trainings, be the first to know when the podcast is live, and a lively community chat where you can find support 24/7: https://www.skool.com/dementia-lifeboat/about

You’re not expected to have all the answers. You’re invited to learn, manage what’s in front of you, and feel less alone as you do.