Living with Alzheimer’s: A Caregiver's Journey with Carlen Maddux

We’ve all gone through trials and tribulations in life, some worse than others. Strife can present in all shapes and forms and sometimes it can be difficult to cope with. So what can we do in these situations? How can we make the best of what we have and find ways to carry on during traumatic events?

This episode’s guest, Carlen Maddux, is a journalist, author, and blogger. His wife, Martha, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease when she was just 50 years old. At the time, less than one percent of individuals diagnosed with the disease were under the age of sixty-five. Carlen was left wondering – why Martha?

In this episode, Carlen speaks about Martha’s journey with Alzheimer’s, from the time of her initial diagnosis, and how they made the best of living with it on a day-to-day basis. 

Tune in to Episode 161 of REJUVENAGING® and learn how to find hope with Carlen Maddux.

Some Questions I Ask:

• In the early stages of Martha’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis, how did you deal with it? (11:01)
• How important do you think that, at least in your case, spirituality was as a factor in being able to cope with the disorder? (20:49)
• How did your kids and friends cope with the diagnosis? (24:40)
• Are there any other things that you can advise people who are dealing with this in terms of managing their own Self-Care and/or being the most effective, supportive spouse? (36:38)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• About Carlen’s background and history (3:18)
• About Martha’s journey with Alzheimer’s disease (7:01)
• How Carlen started to view his role as a Caregiver over time (22:44)
• What Carlen began to do after Martha’s diagnosis (27:31)
• The greatest gift Carlen received in the 17 years of Martha living with Alzheimer’s disease. (28:31)
• What one of Martha’s friends introduced her to after her diagnosis that ended up greatly boosting her confidence (32:09)

Resources

Carlen Maddux’ book: A Path Revealed: How Hope, Love and Joy Found Us Deep in a Maze Called Alzheimer’s

Connect with Carlen Maddux

• Website
• Facebook

Useful REJUVENAGING® Resources

• Website: https://www.thementalhealthgym.com/
• Book: Dr. Ron Kaiser –Rejuvenaging: The Art and Science of Growing Older with Enthusiasm
• Email: ron.kaiser@thementalhealthgym.com 
• TEDx Talk: Aging Enthusiastically to Make the World a Better Place

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Ron Kaiser, Ph.D. Psychologist, Educator, Author, Podcaster

Ron Kaiser, Ph.D., is a positive health psychologist, coach, author, podcaster, educator, consultant, and speaker. He has been in practice for more than five decades, including 25 years as Director of Psychology at the world-famous Jefferson Headache Center at Thomas Jefferson University. As an innovative thought leader in the field, he has developed the concepts of THE MENTAL HEALTH GYM, GOAL-ACHIEVING PSYCHOTHERAPY (GAP), THE TYPE P PERSONALITY, and REJUVENAGING®.