What if Dementia isn't the end of Connection, but an Invitation to a Different Kind of Presence?
What if dementia isn’t the end of connection, but an invitation to a different kind of presence? We sit down with author and advocate Marilyn Raichle, whose book Don’t Walk Away, A Care Partner’s Journey chronicles how her mother’s unexpected paintings—and later, simple rituals of song and touch—reframed Alzheimer’s from pure loss to a space where joy can still flicker. Tina opens up about caring for her mom with early onset Alzheimer’s, the heartbreak of losing language and mobil...
What if dementia isn’t the end of connection, but an invitation to a different kind of presence? We sit down with author and advocate Marilyn Raichle, whose book Don’t Walk Away, A Care Partner’s Journey chronicles how her mother’s unexpected paintings—and later, simple rituals of song and touch—reframed Alzheimer’s from pure loss to a space where joy can still flicker. Tina opens up about caring for her mom with early onset Alzheimer’s, the heartbreak of losing language and mobility too soon, and the harsh reality of fighting insurers for basics like a wheelchair and a shower chair. Together we face the unglamorous math of care, the loneliness when friends don’t know how to help, and the tiny moments that make it all bearable.
Marilyn shares practical, dignifying ways to connect when memory shifts: lead with something your loved one enjoys, lower the pressure, and aim for five minutes of shared joy. We explore emotional memory versus cognitive memory, how music can bridge silence, and why a gentle introduction—Hi, it’s your daughter—can ease anxiety. Tina brings vivid, grounded strategies for caregiver survival: building a circle of support, moving your body to metabolize anger, using counseling or even short AI check-ins for relief, and letting kids help in small, safe ways that teach empathy.
We also look forward. As executive director of Maude’s Awards, Marilyn highlights innovations in Alzheimer’s care that center creativity, purpose, and care partner well-being. If you’re searching for Alzheimer’s caregiver tips, dementia communication tools, or resources that go beyond platitudes, you’ll find real-world steps and a renewed lens: people living with dementia remain fully human—worthy of patience, presence, and joy. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs solidarity today, and leave a review with the moment in your own journey that helped you feel connection again. Your story might be the spark another caregiver needs to hear.
Marilyn's website is – Maude's Awards
To get her book go to Don't Walk Away: A Care Partner's Journey: Raichle, Marilyn, Raichle, Jean: 9781969682407: Amazon.com: Books
Visit Real Talk with Tina and Ann to get all of their episodes.
@Real Talk with Tina and Ann
00:08 - Welcome & Marilyn’s Introduction
01:20 - Tina Reads A Moving Passage
03:09 - Caregiving Realities & Early Onset
05:03 - “Walk Away” To Care Partner
08:20 - Grief, Memory, And Art As Bridge
12:05 - System Failures And Cost Of Care
16:20 - Finding Hope Without Easy Joy
20:28 - Small Moments, Songs, And Touch
24:10 - Caregiver Self Care And Support
28:08 - Presence When Words Are Gone
31:45 - Role Reversal And Personal Change
35:20 - Emotional Connection Over Cognition
38:00 - Maud’s Awards: Invitation To Apply
40:20 - Closing Reflections & Hope
