Happy & Healthy with Amy

Alzheimer’s Diagnosis: The Conversation to Start Early with Sandra Newsome

• Amy Lang • Season 2 • Episode 46

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0:00 | 24:41

When a parent receives an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, it can feel like everything becomes urgent overnight.

What do we do first?
What conversations need to happen now?
And how do we talk about end-of-life wishes without making it feel like we’re rushing things?

In Part 1 of this three-part series, Amy talks with Sandra Newsome, an end-of-life doula, about why timing matters, why families avoid talking about death, and how getting more comfortable with these conversations can reduce fear, guilt, and overwhelm later.

WHAT TO LISTEN FOR:

  • [0:00] The Alzheimer’s conversation most families avoid and need to normalize
  •  [00:42] What is a death cafe?
  •  [01:40] Why talking about death feels harder after diagnosis
  •  [03:38] What actually happens at a death cafe
  •  [05:30] How to make hard conversations easier
  •  [06:15] The document mistake families don’t realize they’re making
  •  [06:56] Swedish death cleaning and “the stuff” we leave behind
  •  [09:23] What an End-of-Life Doula actually does
  •  [11:02] Why crisis is the worst time to plan
  •  [12:43] Why Alzheimer’s changes the timeline
  •  [14:40] How to find a death cafe near you
  •  [15:42] The book that helped Amy think differently about end of life
  •  [17:26] What happens when families never talk about wishes
  •  [20:41] The hospital scenario that can derail decisions
  •  [21:10] The power of knowing “this is what Mom wanted”
  •  [21:41] Coming next: how to start the conversation

Early conversations are about thoughtful planning, honoring your loved one’s wishes, and giving your family the gift of clarity and peace.

Listen to this episode to understand why these conversations matter. 

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