Daughter, Doctor, or Both?
Daughter, Doctor, or Both? On being both a dementia expert and a caregiver
At the Age of Aging, we often speak with researchers and clinicians who have devoted their careers to understanding dementia and caring for the people living with it. Less often, we hear what happens when dementia becomes personal for those same experts.
In this episode, neuropsychologist Dr. Emma Rhodes shares her experience caring for her father, Jack, following his diagnosis of dementia due to Alzheimer's disease. In conversation with Penn Memory Center Director of Social Work Allison Lynn, Emma reflects on grief, stigma, caregiving, and the challenges of navigating life as both a dementia expert and a daughter. Then, Executive Producer Dr. Jason Karlawish and Editorial Director Terrence Casey unpack some of the interview's most powerful moments, connecting Emma's experience to broader lessons about caregiving and dementia care.
Inside this episode
4:18 – Daughter First, Neuropsychologist Second: Emma Rhodes reflects on the challenge of balancing her professional knowledge with the emotional reality of caring for her father.
7:52 – The Uncanny and Ambiguous Loss: Jason Karlawish discusses the profound grief family caregivers experience when a loved one is simultaneously familiar and changed by dementia.
12:45 – When Professional Calm Breaks Down: Jason shares a candid story about losing his composure while trying to help his father manage his finances.
16:03 – Dementia Stigma Firsthand: Emma describes how caring for her father revealed just how difficult and often unwelcoming the world can be for people living with cognitive impairment.
19:48 – Clinicians as Caregivers: Jason and Terrence explore why more healthcare professionals are speaking openly about their personal experiences with dementia in their own families.
28:15 – The Hidden Work of Caregiving: Emma discusses the emotional, logistical, and physical effort required to attend clinic visits, participate in research, and manage day-to-day care.
32:48 – “How Are You Doing?” Jason explains why one of the most important questions a clinician can ask a caregiver is also one of the simplest.
39:26 – “Our Families Are Your Patients Too”: Jason reflects on why healthcare systems must better recognize and support family caregivers as essential partners in dementia care.
Resources available on the episode webpage linked below
Watch the full interview with Dr. Emma Rhodes and Allison Lynn on the Penn Memory Center YouTube channel
Explore Medicare's GUIDE program
Special thanks to Emma Rhodes, PhD, Allison Lynn, LCSW as well as today's co-hosts, Terrence Casey and Jason Karlawish, MD.
The Age of Aging is a Penn Memory Center production hosted by Producer Jake Johnson and Executive Producer Jason Karlawish. Contributors include Morgann Adams, Terrence Casey, Dalia Elsaid, Emily Largent, and Allison Lynn.
The Age of Aging is made possible by generous support from the Michael Naidoff Communications Hub Fund and Lena Chow.
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