OVER DEZE AFLEVERING
This week Leon is joined by Marion, Tom's wife and the person who books every guest on this podcast. She talks about what's coming up on the show, including a guest who works on the assistive technology Liverpool City Council uses in care homes, and a GP joining a future episode who has young onset dementia herself.
Marion talks honestly about what it's like day to day, the good days and the bad ones, and how Tom's confidence and diet have changed since he started the podcast and began taking creatine, something new research out of America has been looking at for Alzheimer's patients. She's clear that this isn't medical advice, just what's worked for Tom, and that anyone considering it should speak to their GP first.
She also talks about the guilt she feels making time for herself, the burnout she's experienced in the past, and how the Sedgemoor support group changed things for both of them. If you're supporting someone living with dementia, there's a good chance some of this will sound familiar.
Resources & Further Reading:
CNN Creatine Clip: https://edition.cnn.com/2026/06/08/health/video/creatine-supplement-dr-sanjay-gupta-vrtc
Meditation & Dementia Research: https://news.med.miami.edu/worried-about-alzheimers-meditate-and-mingle-study-says/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/a-subtle-impact/202506/meditation-could-reverse-brain-aging
SURF (Service Users Reference Forum): https://surfdementia.org/
Alzheimer's Society: https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/
Carers UK: https://www.carersuk.org/
Reddit Dementia Communities: https://www.reddit.com/r/dementia/
Powers of Attorney Info (UK): https://www.gov.uk/power-of-attorney
Chapters:
0:00 Welcome back, joined by Marion
1:06 Who's coming up: dementia tech, Michelle King, Deb and Peter, and a GP living with young onset dementia
2:29 Catching up on the summer: Yorkshire and a round of golf
3:29 The change Marion has seen in Tom since starting the podcast
4:09 How the podcast changed Tom's attitude to his diet
7:00 Supporting Tom through good days and bad days
9:27 Fewer bad days since starting creatine
11:38 Living in the moment and hopes for next year
14:32 Why carers need their own routines too
15:35 Marion's own self care and the guilt of taking time for herself
20:25 The Sedgemoor support group and finding your people