Happy & Healthy with Amy

After an Alzheimer’s Diagnosis: A Family Checklist

• Amy Lang

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0:00 | 34:15

If your mom or dad was just diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, your brain may be trying to solve everything at once. What does this mean? How fast will it progress? Are they safe? What questions should you ask? And what are you supposed to do first?

In this episode of Happy & Healthy with Amy, Amy walks you through a a practical checklist to help you move from panic and overwhelm into clarity, grounded action, and better advocacy. Think of it like a pre-flight checklist for one of the hardest journeys your family may ever take. 

What to Listen For

  • [00:00] The 47-tabs-at-3-a.m. feeling after a parent’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis 
  • [01:35] Why you don't need to feel guilty for thinking about your brain health
  • [04:45] The three roles you may suddenly be carrying
  • [06:20] Two grounding questions to calm your nervous system
  • [08:30] How to make sense of the diagnosis 
  • [11:00]  The questions to bring to the next neurologist appointment
  • [14:00] Why the prescription is not the whole plan
  • [20:00] Why Alzheimer’s is not just memory loss
  • [24:30]  The grief underneath the diagnosis
  • [29:00] The hard conversations to start early

An Alzheimer’s diagnosis can feel overwhelming, but you do not have to figure everything out today. Start with what you know for sure, choose one next step, and use this episode as your checklist for asking better questions and supporting your parent with love in practical form. 

Listen now, subscribe to Happy & Healthy with Amy, and come back for the next episode on how to build a care team.

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