Unbreakable Bonds: Jennifer Sullivan on Healing, Hope, and Hard Choices Through Dementia Care
- S2025E149
- 1:01:09
- August 5th 2025
Caregiving isn’t always a storybook journey, especially when family ties are already frayed. In this candid, emotionally charged episode, Jennifer Sullivan joins Christy Byrne Yates and Jean Lee, an acquisitions editor at AlzAuthors, to share her raw and inspiring account of caring for her mother with Alzheimer’s—through complicated family dynamics, financial crises, and the unique heartbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Discover how Jennifer turned deep childhood wounds and a rocky mother-daughter relationship into unexpected healing and clarity. Hear about her struggles with sibling responsibility, navigating Medicaid and memory care, and finally, the bittersweet reconnection with her mom just as the world—and their contact—shut down. Jennifer and the hosts dive deep into how dementia can shift family roles and reveal unspoken truths, the unexpected gifts that can emerge from even the most difficult relationships, and the importance of self-compassion on the caregiving journey.
Top Takeaways:
- Navigating Dementia With a Difficult Parent
- Jennifer’s memoir explores caring for a parent when love is complicated by past betrayals and painful memories.
- Unfiltered Look at Sibling Dynamics
- Learn how sibling estrangement and differing responsibilities can complicate caregiving, and how to cope when support isn't reciprocal
- COVID’s Impact on Alzheimer’s Families
- A gripping account of forced separation, window visits, and the heartache—and hope—of loving at a distance.
- Finding Redemption and Healing Through Care
- Jennifer’s story proves that deep wounds can sometimes make way for unexpected healing, hope, and even joy.
- Actionable Advice for Caregivers
- Insights on navigating social services, setting boundaries, and the importance of storytelling and journaling for resilience.
Memorable Quotes:
“All the pressure I put on myself was taken away...not being afraid to just love has been one of the biggest gifts.”
Where to Find Jennifer:
- Website: JENNSULL.com
- Book: When the Window Closes
Connect with AlzAuthors:
Learn about the Moderators
About the Podcast
AlzAuthors is the global community of authors writing about Alzheimer’s and dementia from personal experience to light the way for others. Our podcast introduces you to our authors who share their stories and insights to provide knowledge, comfort, and support. 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 on their own dementia journeys.
We are 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, and marketing expenses to promote our authors, expand our content, improve our reach, 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 donate here: https://alzauthors.com/donate
Ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast belong to the speakers and not AlzAuthors. Always consult your healthcare provider and legal and financial consultants for advice on any of the topics covered here.
Thanks for listening.
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AlzAuthors: Untangling Alzheimer's & Dementia
Welcome to the AlzAuthors podcast! We’re so glad you found us. We are the global community of authors writing about Alzheimer's and dementia from personal experience to light the way for others. Join us each week as one of our authors shares their dementia journey, revealing intimate details and painfully obtained knowledge to help others currently on this path. We hope our stories offer comfort and support as we strive to break the silence and stigma surrounding a dementia diagnosis. May one of our authors speak to your experience. For more info please visit https://alzauthors.com.
Ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast belong to the speakers and not AlzAuthors. Always consult your healthcare provider and legal and financial consultants for advice on any of the topics covered here.
Meet Our Hosts
Marianne Sciucco is a registered nurse, dementia daughter, and author of the novel Blue Hydrangeas, an Alzheimer’s love story, based on a couple she met through her work. It is a testament to the power of love in the face of this heart-wrenching disease. Marianne cared for hundreds of dementia patients over a 20+-year nursing career. She provided care to her stepfather during his dementia journey, and witnessed the painful decline of four beloved aunts to the disease. She's a founding member of AlzAuthors, sits on the Board, and is a director and manager. She can talk about AlzAuthors all day.
Christy Byrne Yates is a Licensed Educational Psychologist (LEP), retired school psychologist, author, speaker and coach/consultant. Her book, Building a Legacy of Love: Thriving in the Sandwich Generation recounts her journey as a working mother of two who also managed the care of her parents, both of whom had some form of dementia. Combining her lived experience with her professional expertise in human development, wellness and a strengths based approach to finding solutions, Christy develops content, workshops and coaching to support Sandwiched families. She incorporates meditation, mindfulness and other evidence based mind/body practices into her work. She’s worked with care communities, financial professionals, estate planners and employers. Christy has a master’s degree in counseling psychology, and graduate credentials in both education and school psychology.
Support Us
AlzAuthors is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization totally reliant on donations to do what we do. The podcast is one way we provide knowledge, comfort, and support to busy caregivers desperate for information. Your generosity will help us to continue our mission to lift the silence and stigma that often accompanies a dementia diagnosis. Please consider making a donation. Thank you.