Show Notes
What happens when someone whose life has been built around words is forced to watch the person they love slowly lose the ability to find them?
In this episode, Andrew Karesa sits down with Dr. Cindy Weinstein, the Eli and Edythe Broad Professor of English at Caltech, Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health, and co-author of Finding the Right Words. Together, they explore her father’s journey with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, the grief that followed, and how decades later she finally found the words to tell his story.
Cindy shares the early signs that something was changing, the heartbreak of watching her father struggle to retrieve everyday words, and why a simple grocery store trip searching for the word “croutons” became the story that inspired her memoir. She reflects on caring for her father from across the country, writing him letters she knew he could no longer read, and the guilt that often accompanies long-distance caregiving.
This is a conversation about Alzheimer’s disease, language, grief, caregiving, memory, family, and the extraordinary power of stories to preserve the people we love.
In this episode:
• The early signs of her father’s young-onset Alzheimer’s disease • How the logopenic variant of Alzheimer’s affects language and word finding • The unforgettable “crouton” story that inspired Finding the Right Words • The emotional reality of long-distance caregiving • What she wishes she had known about communicating beyond words • The power of music, touch, animals, and shared experiences in dementia care • The language of dementia and why words like “battle” and “agitation” deserve more careful thought • Why writing became an act of preservation and helped her recover memories of her father • What reaching the same age as her father’s diagnosis taught her about purpose, resilience, and hope
Whether you’re living with dementia, supporting someone you love, working in healthcare, or simply trying to understand the human experience behind Alzheimer’s disease, this conversation is a reminder that even when words become harder to find, love, dignity, and connection can endure.
Learn more at: https://www.bluebellvillage.ca https://www.professorcindy.com/ ———
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Disclaimer: The information shared in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any medical condition. Always consult your physician or another qualified healthcare provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or treatment. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Andrew Karesa, blueBell Village Ltd., or any of its employees, contractors, or team members.
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