Episode 53

Caregiving, Mindset & Alzheimer’s: A Husband’s Honest Journey

Published on: 25th June, 2025

In this heartfelt episode, Laura speaks with Rick Henkin, a spouse-turned-caregiver whose wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at age 65. Rick shares his powerful story of navigating the emotional toll of caregiving, learning acceptance, and discovering how to care for himself so he could better care for his wife. From humor and heartbreak to practical wisdom, Rick offers a moving look at what it truly means to show up with love, even in the face of dementia.

👤 Meet Rick Henkin

Rick Henkin is a family caregiver and advocate who began his caregiving journey when his wife, Sonya, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2020. In response to the emotional challenges of caregiving, he launched the Facebook group For Family Caregivers: Eliminate Stress, Anger, and Guilt and developed the Caregiver Mastery course to help others find peace, presence, and emotional resilience. Rick brings humor, insight, and hope to a journey many walk alone.

📌 Topics Discussed

  • Recognizing the early signs of dementia and navigating diagnosis
  • The emotional impact of Capgras Syndrome and memory care transitions
  • How Rick reframed caregiving through mindset and self-care
  • The importance of acceptance, humor, and being present
  • Male caregivers and the unique challenges they face
  • How Rick supports other caregivers through community and education

⏱️ Timestamps (Approximate)

00:00 – Introduction and Rick’s story

05:40 – Receiving the Alzheimer’s diagnosis

11:15 – Capgras Syndrome and emotional toll

17:00 – Realizations about the burden of caregiving

22:30 – Launching his Facebook group and course

29:45 – Choosing memory care and building relationships with staff

40:00 – What it’s like now having Sonya back at home

49:20 – Humor as a survival tool

56:00 – Male caregivers, mindset, and emotional regulation

1:04:30 – Rick’s advice for caregivers and the importance of community

💡 Key Takeaways

  • Caregiver stress is often more about your reaction than your loved one’s behavior
  • Acceptance of the disease is key to finding peace
  • Humor can be a powerful tool in difficult moments
  • Taking care of yourself is essential to being a good caregiver
  • Male caregivers need community and emotional support too
  • You don’t have to believe every thought—mindset can be changed

📚 Resources Mentioned

  • Rick’s Facebook group: For Family Caregivers: Eliminate Stress, Anger, and Guilt
  • Rick’s course: caregivermasterycourse.com
  • Journal of the American Medical Association caregiver risk study
  • Quote by Maya Angelou: “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.”
  • Quote by Wayne Dyer: “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”

🤝 Connect with Rick Henkin

🌿 Connect with Laura Vaillancourt & the Life on Repeat Podcast

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About the Podcast

Life on Repeat: A Dementia Caregiver Podcast
A Podcast for Dementia Caregivers
Life on Repeat is the podcast for dementia caregivers who need a breath, a laugh, and a lifeline.

Hosted by eldercare consultant and dementia coach Laura Vaillancourt, each episode offers practical tools, expert insights, and honest conversations to help you navigate the caregiving journey with more clarity and less overwhelm.

Whether you're a spouse, adult child, or long-distance caregiver, this show is your companion through the complex world of dementia care—offering wisdom, validation, and encouragement every step of the way.

You’re not alone. You’re doing better than you think. And this podcast is here to walk beside you.

About your host

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Laura Vaillancourt

Laura has a unique perspective of dementia. She grew up spending time in the nursing home wing of the hospital her mother worked at in a rural community in the Pacific Northwest. She learned from a young age the importance and impact that connecting with those that have memory impairment can have. This early exposure shaped her perspective and fostered her passion and love of working with those who experience and live with dementia.

Laura is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Geriatric Mental Health Specialist and Eldercare Coach. She owns a group practice that specializes in serving the aging population and she has extensive experience as a consultant providing counseling, coaching and care management to families that are in the midst of making difficult decisions related to their loved one’s care and health transitions.

Laura's passion and professional experience has been working with individuals and family members that have been affected by Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. She is a passionate speaker and educator on topics related to dementia and caregiving. She is the host of Life on Repeat: a Dementia Caregiver Podcast.