65. Bill Cohen on the Truth about Dementia, Diagnosis, Prevention, and Caregiving

In Episode 65, Bill Cohen returns to the show to discuss current trends in the prevalence of dementia in our society and factors that contribute to developing dementia, including environmental conditions, lifestyle choices, and genetics. With the increase of dementia cases each year and the new national attention on dementia from celebrities who are now being diagnosed, it is time that we have more candid conversations about this disease, how to prevent it, and what to do if we or a loved one could potentially develop dementia. In this episode, we discuss preventative strategies as well as preparation strategies in case a loved one is eventually diagnosed with dementia. Our conversation then navigates through the challenges of caregiving, the need for caregiver support, and the use of elder mediation in complicated situations. After “retiring” from state employment and entering his “encore career” seven years ago, Bill is a caregiver support group and memory café leader, a podcast guest, a speaker, a Certified Senior Advisor (CSA)®, a trained elder mediator, and a caregiving support consultant. He has completed several caregiving courses through the Alzheimer's Association and the Society for Certified Senior Advisors (CSA)®, and earned business degrees from Boston and Portland State Universities. Bill Cohen’s loving and talented mother, Sheila, lost her home to Hurricane Katrina. Then, she lost her health, ability to create beautiful art, and, ultimately, her life due to Alzheimer's. For almost 10 years, Bill was her primary caregiver and advocate, not just her son. He turned his personal loss into his passion for supporting other caregivers. Bill is a native New Englander and has lived in the Portland, Oregon area for almost 40 years with his wife and supporter, Lori. Resources from This Interview: 1. Online Resources: https://linktr.ee/CohenSupport 2. LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/williamscohen @cohencaregivingsupport 3. Website: https://cohencaregivingsupport.com/