AlzAuthors: Untangling Alzheimer's & Dementia

Gincy Heins became caregiver to her husband at the age of 49 when he was diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment, also known as MCI, a neurological condition that causes a slight but noticeable and measurable decline in cognitive abilities. Memory and thinking skills are primarily affected, and there is a very real possibility of future Alzheimer’s or other dementia. At the time, he was just 55.

At first disbelieving that such a diagnosis could befall them so early in life, Gincy set out to learn all she could about the condition and sought support through her local Alzheimer’s Association. She soon became the expert on her husband’s diagnosis and began advocacy work to help others on the dementia journey. This included creating and publishing the book "Before the Diagnosis: Stories of Life and Love Before Dementia" and becoming one of the co-authors of the series "365 Caregiving Tips: Practical Tips from Everyday Caregivers." She is also an AlzAuthors Associate, volunteering her time and skills as an acquisitions editor and producer of helpful, hopeful videos for caregivers.

In addition, Gincy is an advocate for a full, enriched life and keeps busy with a variety of activities and interests. She teaches classes for older adults at a community college, is a Senior Commissioner for Cypress, CA, speaks at conferences and on panel discussions, and volunteers at her public library and with Alzheimer’s Orange County.

Gincy is a vibrant, uplifting speaker with a hopeful message and a smart approach to life with cognitive difficulties. In this episode we discuss how she and her husband grew to accept a diagnosis that typically affects older people, and the power of positivity and active engagement in the face of MCI.

Purchase "Before the Diagnosis: Stories of Life and Love Before Dementia" https://amzn.to/3oBAaTy

Purchase "365 Caregiving Tips: Practical Tips from Everyday Caregivers"

https://amzn.to/31Mt5FZ

Read Gincy's post on AlzAuthors: https://alzauthors.com/2019/01/23/meet-gincy-heins-editor-of-before-the-diagnosis/

Follow Gincy on social media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gincyheins/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GincyHeins

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gj.heins

Each season our podcast brings you six of our authors sharing their dementia journeys. Please subscribe so you don’t miss a word. If our authors’ stories move you please leave a review. And don’t forget to share our podcast with family and friends in need of knowledge, comfort and support on their own dementia journeys.

AlzAuthors is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization totally reliant on donations to do what we do. Your generosity will help cover our many operating costs, which include website hosting and maintenance fees, service charges to keep things running smoothly, marketing expenditures to improve our reach, expand our content, and promote our authors, and more. Our ongoing work supports our mission to lift the silence and stigma of Alzheimer’s and other dementias. To sustain our efforts please visit https://alzauthors.com/donate/ .

Thank you for listening.

Wendy Mitchell was diagnosed with young-onset Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia in 2014 at the age of 58. At the time she worked for Britain’s National Health Service as a non-clinical team leader. Her diagnosis led to an early retirement. Post diagnosis, she was shocked by the lack of awareness surrounding young-onset dementia in both the community and the clinical world, and started a blog, Which Me Am I Today? to document and share her dementia journey. This led to her travelling around the country as a respected speaker, raising awareness and encouraging others to embrace her passion for research. She eventually published a memoir, Somebody I Used to Know, with the help of author and journalist Anna Wharton, which became a national bestseller. Reviewers call it “Revelatory” (The Guardian), “A Miracle” (Telegraph), and “A Landmark Book” (Financial Times). She is the recipient of two honorary doctorates ( Hull University, “Doctor of the University” and Bradford University, “Honorary Degree of Doctor of Health”) and playfully refers to herself as “Doctor Doctor Wendy Mitchell.”

Purchase Somebody I Used to Know on Amazon https://amzn.to/3dmxTWh

Interview: How Do You Write a Memoir When You Can’t Remember? By Wendy Mitchell & Anne Wharton, published in Granta https://granta.com/how-do-you-write-a-memoir-when-you-cant-remember/

Wendy Mitchell on AlzAuthors.com:

Which Me Am I Today? https://alzauthors.com/2017/12/12/meet-author-wendy-mitchell/

Somebody I Used to Know https://alzauthors.com/2018/05/29/welcome-back-wendy-mitchell-author-of-somebody-i-used-to-know/

COVID-19 Video of Hope https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4azNld5CBI&feature=youtu.be

Follow Wendy on Twitter https://twitter.com/WendyPMitchell

Each season our podcast brings you six of our authors sharing their dementia journeys. Please subscribe so you don’t miss a word. If our authors’ stories move you please leave a review. And don’t forget to share our podcast with family and friends in need of knowledge, comfort and support on their own dementia journeys.

AlzAuthors is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization totally reliant on donations to do what we do. Your generosity will help cover our many operating costs, which include website hosting and maintenance fees, service charges to keep things running smoothly, marketing expenditures to improve our reach, expand our content, and promote our authors, and more. Our ongoing work supports our mission to lift the silence and stigma of Alzheimer’s and other dementias. To sustain our efforts please visit https://alzauthors.com/donate/ .

Thank you for listening.

Wendy Mitchell was diagnosed with young-onset Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia in 2014 at the age of 58. At the time she worked for Britain’s National Health Service as a non-clinical team leader. Her diagnosis led to an early retirement. Post diagnosis, she was shocked by the lack of awareness surrounding young-onset dementia in both the community and the clinical world, and started a blog, Which Me Am I Today? to document and share her dementia journey. This led to her travelling around the country as a respected speaker, raising awareness and encouraging others to embrace her passion for research. She eventually published a memoir, Somebody I Used to Know, with the help of author and journalist Anna Wharton, which became a national bestseller. Reviewers call it “Revelatory” (The Guardian), “A Miracle” (Telegraph), and “A Landmark Book” (Financial Times). She is the recipient of two honorary doctorates ( Hull University, “Doctor of the University” and Bradford University, “Honorary Degree of Doctor of Health”) and playfully refers to herself as “Doctor Doctor Wendy Mitchell.”

Purchase Somebody I Used to Know on Amazon https://amzn.to/3dmxTWh

Interview: How Do You Write a Memoir When You Can’t Remember? By Wendy Mitchell & Anne Wharton, published in Granta https://granta.com/how-do-you-write-a-memoir-when-you-cant-remember/

Wendy Mitchell on AlzAuthors.com:

Which Me Am I Today? https://alzauthors.com/2017/12/12/meet-author-wendy-mitchell/

Somebody I Used to Know https://alzauthors.com/2018/05/29/welcome-back-wendy-mitchell-author-of-somebody-i-used-to-know/

COVID-19 Video of Hope https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4azNld5CBI&feature=youtu.be

Follow Wendy on Twitter https://twitter.com/WendyPMitchell

Each season our podcast brings you six of our authors sharing their dementia journeys. Please subscribe so you don’t miss a word. If our authors’ stories move you please leave a review. And don’t forget to share our podcast with family and friends in need of knowledge, comfort and support on their own dementia journeys.

AlzAuthors is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization totally reliant on donations to do what we do. Your generosity will help cover our many operating costs, which include website hosting and maintenance fees, service charges to keep things running smoothly, marketing expenditures to improve our reach, expand our content, and promote our authors, and more. Our ongoing work supports our mission to lift the silence and stigma of Alzheimer’s and other dementias. To sustain our efforts please visit https://alzauthors.com/donate/ .

Thank you for listening.

In our inaugural episode of Untangling Alzheimer's & Dementia, an AlzAuthors Podcast, Christopher MacLellan welcomes podcast host Marianne Sciucco for a preview. The podcast is featured on the Whole Care Network and will showcase a new author each week who shares their personal story to help those living with the disease, or who are caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia.

In our inaugural episode of Untangling Alzheimer's & Dementia, an AlzAuthors Podcast, Christopher MacLellan welcomes podcast host Marianne Sciucco for a preview. The podcast is featured on the Whole Care Network and will showcase a new author each week who shares their personal story to help those living with the disease, or who are caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia.