Can Dementia Be Delayed?

What does it actually mean when a doctor says 'Alzheimer's'? Lisa Skinner has spent 50 years answering that question — first as a teenage granddaughter watching her grandmother describe birds living in her mattress, and later as one of the world's leading dementia behavioral specialists. In this episode, she cuts through five decades of myth and fear with the clarity that only comes from having lived it.

Lisa unpacks the difference between normal aging forgetfulness and the early warning signs that actually warrant concern — and she names the medical conditions (including a UTI) that can look exactly like dementia but are completely treatable. She explains why 62% of primary care physicians are still behind the curve, and why that makes patient self-advocacy more critical than ever. The conversation goes deep on one of the most painful moments in the dementia journey: when a loved one no longer recognizes you — and Lisa's 'light switch' analogy may permanently change the way you understand it.

They also play Two Truths and a Lie — and it turns out Lisa's life has included a pet mountain lion, a near-miss with a rattlesnake, and a hike that may or may not have ended in a lake in Tahoe. Jeanne guesses right.