In this episode of Talking Dementia, Dr. Emily Silverman speaks with Dr. Sandeep Jauhar, a cardiologist and acclaimed writer, about how his family’s experience with Alzheimer’s disease reshaped his understanding of the healthcare system, caregiving, and identity. Though trained in science and neuroscience, Dr. Jauhar shares how unprepared he was for the realities of dementia, a disease that affects not only memory, but emotion, self-awareness, and family dynamics.

Drawing from his novel, My Father’s Brain: Life in the Shadow of Alzheimer’s, Dr. Jauhar reflects on the ethical and emotional complexities of caregiving, including denial, guilt, therapeutic deception, and conflict among loved ones. A central focus of the conversation is end-of-life decision making, and how families grapple with advance directives, shifting autonomy, and ...