Aaron Blight, Author, International Speaker and Consultant talks with Caregiver SOS on Air host, veteran broadcaster and attorney, Ron Aaron, about what everyone should know about caring for a parent, spouse, or aging relative. Cohost Carol Zernial was on special assignment.

Aaron Blight, Author, International Speaker and Consultant talks with Caregiver SOS on Air host, veteran broadcaster and attorney, Ron Aaron, about what everyone should know about caring for a parent, spouse, or aging relative. Cohost Carol Zernial was on special assignment.

Hear Caregiver SOS every Sunday at 6pm on News Ta…

Caregiver SOS

Hosts: Ron Aaron and Carol Zernial, and their guests talk about Caregiving and how to best cope with the stresses associated with it. Learn about "Caregiver SOS" and the "Teleconnection Hotline" programs.

Hosts: Ron Aaron and Carol Zernial, and their guests talk about Caregiving and how to best cope with the stresses associated with it. Learn about "Caregiver SOS" and the "Teleconnection Hotline" programs.

What everyone should know about caring for a parent, spouse, or aging relative w/ Aaron Blight

When a family member chooses to live an isolated life, it can be incredibly difficult to know when—and how—to step in. It becomes even more challenging when that loved one flatly refuses medical help, hides their symptoms, or is dealing with cognitive decline.

In this episode of Caregiver SOS On Air, hosts Ron Aaron and Carol Zernial sit down with Alzheimer’s advocate, researcher, and clinical trial participant Nancy Meserve. Nancy shares a deeply personal and eye-opening account of intervening in the life of her 77-year-old sister, Marie, who had spent years living isolated as a functional hoarder and avoiding medical professionals since 2018.

Through Nancy’s journey—navigating a surprise heart failure diagnosis, massive caffeine misuse, and early-stage dementia—listeners will learn actionable strategies for breaking through a loved one's denial, handling long specialist wait times, and managing the emotional toll of caregiving.

About Nancy

Nancy Meserve is an Alzheimer's disease advocate, researcher, clinical trial participant, and author of The Lived Experience of Participants in Preclinical Alzheimer's Intervention Research, published in the Alzheimer's Association journal, Alzheimer's & Dementia. She is widely recognized for her dedicated focus on documenting and improving the day-to-day lived experiences of those participating in early Alzheimer's research.

Key Topics Covered in This Episode:


Trusting Your Instincts: Why noticing that "something is off" is your most powerful tool, even when experts or the individual tell you otherwise.


The Stealth of Isolation: How older adults living alone successfully mask severe physical and cognitive changes, from shuffling gaits to extreme word-finding difficulties.


Using Urgent Care as a Gateway: How a single trip to an urgent care clinic can bypass years of medical avoidance and unlock critical hospital and specialist referrals.


Navigating the Neurology Bottleneck: Reality-tested advice on managing long wait times for cognitive care (including 9-month or year-long delays for neurologist appointments).


Creative Memory Scaffolding: Nancy's brilliant "Staples folder" method using provider photos and bios to build trust and comfort for a loved one who resists strangers or forgets appointments.

Key Caregiver Takeaways:

📌 Scale Back What's "Ideal" — Don't force a radical lifestyle change. Instead, figure out what a healthy, safe "new normal" looks like while still respecting their chosen way of life.

📌 Meet Them Where They Are — Build rapport through things that bring them joy first. Taking a moment to visit a favorite building or park can completely shift a resistant loved one into an agreeable mood for a doctor's visit.

📌 Investigate the Basket & Routine — Take your loved one to the grocery or supplement store. Watching what they buy can reveal hidden issues, such as dangerous amounts of hidden caffeine or unmanaged physical fatigue.

📌 Give Yourself Grace — Intervening with a resistant family member is emotionally exhausting. It is okay to step away, cry, and practice self-care.

Hosts Ron Aaron and Carol Zernial, and their guests talk about Caregiving and how to best cope with the stresses associated with it. Learn about "Caregiver SOS" and the "Teleconnection Hotline" programs.

Caregiver SOS On Air is a presentation of the WellMed Charitable Foundation. For more resources, tips, and past episodes, visit caregiversos.org or email your questions to radio@wellmed.net.

When a family member chooses to live an isolated life, it can be incredibly difficult to know when&mdash;and how&mdash;to step in. It becomes even more challenging when that loved one flatly refuses medical help, hides their symptoms, or is dealing with cognitive decline.
In this episode of Caregiver SOS On Air, hosts Ron Aaron and Carol Zernial sit down with Alzheimer&rsquo;s advocate, researcher, and clinical trial participant Nancy Meserve. Nancy shares a deeply personal and eye-opening account of intervening in the life of her 77-year-old sister, Marie, who had spent years living isolated as a functional hoarder and avoiding medical professionals since 2018.
Through Nancy&rsquo;s journey&mdash;navigating a surprise heart failure diagnosis, massive caffeine misuse, and early-stage dementia&mdash;listeners will learn actionable strategies for breaking through a loved one's denial, handling long specialist wait times, and managing the emotional toll of caregiving.
About Nancy
Nancy Meserve is an Alzheimer's disease advocate, researcher, clinical trial participant, and author of The Lived Experience of Participants in Preclinical Alzheimer's Intervention Research, published in the Alzheimer's Association journal, Alzheimer's &amp; Dementia. She is widely recognized for her dedicated focus on documenting and improving the day-to-day lived experiences of those participating in early Alzheimer's research.
Key Topics Covered in This Episode:
<ul data-path-to-node="9">
<li>
Trusting Your Instincts: Why noticing that "something is off" is your most powerful tool, even when experts or the individual tell you otherwise.
</li>
<li>
The Stealth of Isolation: How older adults living alone successfully mask severe physical and cognitive changes, from shuffling gaits to extreme word-finding difficulties.
</li>
<li>
Using Urgent Care as a Gateway: How a single trip to an urgent care clinic can bypass years of medical avoidance and unlock critical hospital and specialist referrals.
</li>
<li>
Navigating the Neurology Bottleneck: Reality-tested advice on managing long wait times for cognitive care (including 9-month or year-long delays for neurologist appointments).
</li>
<li>
Creative Memory Scaffolding: Nancy's brilliant "Staples folder" method using provider photos and bios to build trust and comfort for a loved one who resists strangers or forgets appointments.
</li>
</ul>
Key Caregiver Takeaways:
📌 Scale Back What's "Ideal" &mdash; Don't force a radical lifestyle change. Instead, figure out what a healthy, safe "new normal" looks like while still respecting their chosen way of life.
📌 Meet Them Where They Are &mdash; Build rapport through things that bring them joy first. Taking a moment to visit a favorite building or park can completely shift a resistant loved one into an agreeable mood for a doctor's visit.
📌 Investigate the Basket &amp; Routine &mdash; Take your loved one to the grocery or supplement store. Watching what they buy can reveal hidden issues, such as dangerous amounts of hidden caffeine or unmanaged physical fatigue.
📌 Give Yourself Grace &mdash; Intervening with a resistant family member is emotionally exhausting. It is okay to step away, cry, and practice self-care.
Hosts Ron Aaron and Carol Zernial, and their guests talk about Caregiving and how to best cope with the stresses associated with it. Learn about "Caregiver SOS" and the "Teleconnection Hotline" programs.
Caregiver SOS On Air is a presentation of the WellMed Charitable Foundation. For more resources, tips, and past episodes, visit caregiversos.org or email your questions to radio@wellmed.net.

How to Help an Isolated Loved One Who Is Resistant to Medical Care | Nancy Meserve

Amy Fuchs joins host Ron Aaron and co-host Carol Zernial to talk about boundaries in caregiving on this edition of Caregiver SOS.

About Amy

Amy Fuchs, is a licensed clinical social worker and certified aging life care manager. She has decades of clinical experience helping older adults and their families navigate the highs and lows of the aging process. In 2008 she created The Elder Expert, a consulting firm which provides education, care management and coaching services. Amy is an alumni of the University of Michigan, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and then went on to obtain her Master of Social Work from the Wurzweiler School of Social Work in New York City. Amy is an active member of the National Association of Social Workers as well as the Aging Life Care Association. 

Hosts Ron Aaron and Carol Zernial, and their guests talk about Caregiving and how to best cope with the stresses associated with it. Learn about "Caregiver SOS" and the "Teleconnection Hotline" programs.

Amy Fuchs joins host Ron Aaron and co-host Carol Zernial to talk about boundaries in caregiving on this edition of Caregiver SOS.
About Amy
Amy Fuchs, is a licensed clinical social worker and certified aging life care manager. She has decades of clinical experience helping older adults and their families navigate the highs and lows of the aging process. In 2008 she created The Elder Expert, a consulting firm which provides education, care management and coaching services. Amy is an alumni of the University of Michigan, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and then went on to obtain her Master of Social Work from the Wurzweiler School of Social Work in New York City. Amy is an active member of the National Association of Social Workers as well as the Aging Life Care Association.&nbsp;
Hosts Ron Aaron and Carol Zernial, and their guests talk about Caregiving and how to best cope with the stresses associated with it. Learn about "Caregiver SOS" and the "Teleconnection Hotline" programs.

Boundaries in Caregiving | Amy Fuchs

Donna Butts joins host Ron Aaron and co-host Carol Zernial to talk about grandfamilies and kinship caregivers on this edition of Caregiver SOS.

About Donna

 Donna Butts is an award-winning nonprofit executive, author, and trusted voice frequently quoted in the national media. As executive director of Generations United, a role she served in for more than twenty-seven years, she was invited to testify before Congress, address the United Nations, speak before the Federal Reserve Board, and present in more than a dozen countries, including at the World Human Rights Cities Forum in South Korea. She blogged for the Huffington Post for four years, covering intergenerational relations, grandfamilies, and health. Her writing also has appeared in several books and more than a dozen publications. Appointed in 1998 to the first Kinship Care Advisory Panel by then–Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala, Donna has helped pave the way for crucial legislation and support for grandfamilies. She has been a part of eight United Nations expert group meetings on intergenerational solidarity and dialogue, focusing on the changing demographics and the value of older adults. For more information about Donna and Grandfamilies, please visit www.donnambutts.com.

Hosts Ron Aaron and Carol Zernial, and their guests talk about Caregiving and how to best cope with the stresses associated with it. Learn about "Caregiver SOS" and the "Teleconnection Hotline" programs.

Donna Butts joins host Ron Aaron and co-host Carol Zernial to talk about grandfamilies and kinship caregivers on this edition of Caregiver SOS.
About Donna
&nbsp;Donna Butts is an award-winning nonprofit executive, author, and trusted voice frequently quoted in the national media. As executive director of Generations United, a role she served in for more than twenty-seven years, she was invited to testify before Congress, address the United Nations, speak before the Federal Reserve Board, and present in more than a dozen countries, including at the World Human Rights Cities Forum in South Korea. She blogged for the Huffington Post for four years, covering intergenerational relations, grandfamilies, and health. Her writing also has appeared in several books and more than a dozen publications. Appointed in 1998 to the first Kinship Care Advisory Panel by then&ndash;Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala, Donna has helped pave the way for crucial legislation and support for grandfamilies. She has been a part of eight United Nations expert group meetings on intergenerational solidarity and dialogue, focusing on the changing demographics and the value of older adults. For more information about Donna and Grandfamilies, please visit www.donnambutts.com.
Hosts Ron Aaron and Carol Zernial, and their guests talk about Caregiving and how to best cope with the stresses associated with it. Learn about "Caregiver SOS" and the "Teleconnection Hotline" programs.

What everyone should know about caring for a parent, spouse, or aging relative w/ Aaron Blight

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