This episode launches Season 10 of Love Conquers Alz 🎙️! And fittingly, we’re celebrating the 10th anniversary of Alz Authors, the global community changing the dementia narrative one book at a time. My co-host, Don Priess and I sit down with Marianne Sciucco and Christy Byrne Yates to reflect on a decade of impact — from books to podcasts to their brand-new film festival.

What began as a one-month blog has grown into a worldwide network of 400+ storytellers sharing authentic experiences of Alzheimer’s and dementia. Together we explore:

• How one story can change a life, and how hundreds can change a culture.
• Why storytelling across genres — memoir, fiction, children’s books, podcasts, and film — matters.
• The importance of curating authentic voices and supporting new authors.
• Practical encouragement for anyone ready to share their journey.

This milestone episode is a joyful reminder that storytelling is activism — and that love, creativity, and community truly Conquer Alz!

Marianne Sciucco (RN, author of Blue Hydrangeas) and Christy Byrne Yates (MS, psychologist and author of Building a Legacy of Love) co-host the AlzAuthors Podcast and bring lived caregiving wisdom to a global community of 400+ storytellers. AlzAuthors curates books, podcasts, and now films that transform the way we understand Alzheimer’s and dementia.

🎙️ Guest & Organization Contacts

Marianne Sciucco — Co-founder, AlzAuthors; author of Blue Hydrangeas
🌐 mariannesciucco.com
📱 Instagram: @mariannesciucco

📘 Facebook: Marianne Sciucco

Christy Byrne Yates, MS — Licensed Educational Psychologist; author of Building a Legacy of Love
🌐 christyyates.com

📱 Instagram: @christybyates

📘 Facebook: Christy Byrne Yates

AlzAuthors — Global community of Alzheimer’s & dementia storytellers
🌐 alzauthors.com

✉️ alzauthors@gmail.com

🎧 AlzAuthors Podcast

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No Country For Old People; a Nursing Home Exposé is STREAMING NOW on Amazon Prime (https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0F7D1RR5X/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r)

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Be a ROAR-ior!! JOIN THE R.O.A.R. MOVEMENT for quality long term care! Visit the No Country For Old People Website for more information.

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Every caregiver knows the feeling—overwhelmed by endless to-do lists, struggling to coordinate help from well-meaning family members, and searching desperately for reliable information at 3 AM. Nicole àBeckett lived this reality when she lost both parents in her thirties, emerging from what she calls "the washing machine" of caregiving determined to create a solution.

As co-founder of Hero Generation, Nicole has built what many caregivers only dream of: a comprehensive platform that organizes the chaos. In this candid conversation, she reveals how the platform's three pillars—organization, resources, and community—transform the caregiving experience. The system allows users to store vital information, delegate tasks to helpers, access expert guidance, and connect with others on similar journeys.

What makes this episode particularly powerful is the shared understanding Don and I with Nicole about caregiving's hidden challenges. We discuss the moment you realize you're a caregiver (often long after you've taken on the role), the difficulty of navigating healthcare systems not designed to support family care providers, and the profound isolation that comes with the territory.

Beyond practical solutions, the conversation explores how caregiving, despite its heartbreak, offers precious moments of connection. As Nicole reflects, "Having cared for my mom, I wouldn't change that for anything." Hero Generation aims to minimize stress so caregivers can be fully present during these meaningful interactions.

The discussion also touches on broader themes of civic engagement and advocacy, emphasizing how collective action drives systemic change. Whether caring for aging parents, managing children's needs, or even coordinating pet care (a surprising use case for the platform), Hero Generation demonstrates how technology can strengthen rather than replace human connection.

Ready to transform your caregiving journey? Listen now, and discover resources that might just make tomorrow a little easier. And don't forget to watch "No Country for Old People" on Amazon starting August 1st to join the movement for better long-term care systems.

Connect with Nicole on Social Media:

LINKEDIN

INSTAGRAM

FACEBOOK

Support the show

No Country For Old People; a Nursing Home Exposé is STREAMING NOW on Amazon Prime (https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0F7D1RR5X/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r)

Please watch. Review. Share.

Be a ROAR-ior!! JOIN THE R.O.A.R. MOVEMENT for quality long term care! Visit the No Country For Old People Website for more information.

YOU CAN ALSO SUPPORT THE ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL PROMOTION OF OUR DOCUMENTARY "NO COUNTRY FOR OLD PEOPLE" BY MAKING A TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATION THROUGH THE NATIONAL CONSUMER VOICE HERE

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Alzheimer's and elder care demand our attention not just because millions endure them, but because the systems that are supposed to protect our most vulnerable are fundamentally broken. In light of the upcoming release of our documentary, No Country For Old People; a Nursing Home Exposé, August 1st on Amazon, my producing partner and today's guest host, Rick Mountcastle (whose work prosecuting Purdue Pharma was dramatized in Hulu's "Dopesick") and I are turning our focus on elder abuse.

In this powerful episode, we're joined by Richard Routman, whose 14-year career at the Department of Health and Human Services gave him a front-row seat to nursing home neglect cases, pulls back the curtain on why elder abuse persists despite seemingly robust regulations. The reality is sobering: residents fear retaliation if they report mistreatment, staff worry about losing jobs if they speak up, and facility administrators actively obstruct investigations by altering records or instructing employees to "forget" incidents when questioned by surveyors. Meanwhile, the regulatory landscape remains fragmented between federal agencies, state surveyors, Adult Protective Services, and law enforcement—creating dangerous gaps where abuse reports disappear.

Most troubling is how money influences the entire system. The nursing home industry spends hundreds of millions annually on political contributions and lobbying, effectively buying themselves protection from meaningful reform. As Richard notes, ordinary citizens advocating for better care are "fighting with sticks" while the industry fights "with guns."

Yet this conversation offers hope through specific action steps. Every county has a Commission on Aging that citizens can join to question officials and advocate for improved oversight. Families should learn their rights regarding documenting care—in many cases, they can legally record conditions despite what staff might claim. Most importantly, Richard reminds us that cultural change starts with rejecting the ageism that treats elder abuse as somehow less urgent than child abuse.

Don't miss our documentary "No Country for Old People" launching on Amazon August 1st. Until then, remember that knowledge, community action, and love remain our most powerful tools against a system that too often fails those who built our world.

Support the show

No Country For Old People; a Nursing Home Exposé is STREAMING NOW on Amazon Prime (https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0F7D1RR5X/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r)

Please watch. Review. Share.

Be a ROAR-ior!! JOIN THE R.O.A.R. MOVEMENT for quality long term care! Visit the No Country For Old People Website for more information.

YOU CAN ALSO SUPPORT THE ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL PROMOTION OF OUR DOCUMENTARY "NO COUNTRY FOR OLD PEOPLE" BY MAKING A TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATION THROUGH THE NATIONAL CONSUMER VOICE HERE

Follow us on Twitter, FB, IG, & TiK Tok 💜
Listen on your favorite platform 💜
If you like what you hear leave us some love. 💜