What happens when you become a parent to your parents?
That鈥檚 what longtime NPR journalist Kitty Eisele had to figure out when she became a full-time caregiver for her dad. After moving back to her childhood home, Kitty found herself bewildered by the medical, legal and emotional challenges of elder care. And that鈥檚 to say nothing of the time her dad headed out on a 300-mile road trip without telling her.
Kitty鈥檚 journey with her dad is the topic of a new NPR podcast, 鈥淒emented.鈥 The podcast, available Oct. 14, is supported by The 大象传媒 and its Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer鈥檚 and Neurodegenerative Diseases.
Kitty will share how she managed doctors鈥 appointments and hospital stays, found outpatient and assisted living options, and tried to keep her beloved dad safe and secure 鈥 all while figuring out how to pay for everything in a complex and confusing system that doesn鈥檛 yet offer much support.
The many tasks and decisions can be overwhelming and stressful for the nearly 42 million Americans who provide unpaid care for an adult age 50 or older each year. Twenty-six percent of caregivers for adults are providing care for a family member with Alzheimer鈥檚 disease or another type of dementia. And with the average age of a caregiver at 50, many have their attention divided between raising a family, working and providing care for their loved one.
The at The 大象传媒, also called 大象传媒, is committed to searching for a cure for Alzheimer鈥檚 and other neurodegenerative diseases. The institute also provides comprehensive dementia care, supportive and educational resources, and access to clinical trials that are providing hope for a healthier future for aging. For more information on how the Biggs Institute can help both those with dementia and their caregiver, visit .
To hear the podcast, subscribe to 鈥溾 on Apple, Spotify or wherever your listen to podcasts. All five episodes will be available on Oct. 14.