Brian Can’t Stop Fact-Checking His Mother-in-Law

About this episode

Brian struggles with his patience while caring for his mother-in-law with Alzheimer's, highlighting the challenges of caregiving and communication.

We’ve all been there. Feeling stuck with a problem because no one in our life can relate. Or because the one person we need to talk to … won’t. Or can’t. Enter Yowei Shaw and the show Proxy. Proxy is built on a simple idea: no one is ever as alone with their problem as they think. So Yowei brings in a proxy, a perfect stranger, to help her guests work through their dilemma. Today we’re sharing the case of Brian, a journalist whose mother-in-law has Alzheimer's. Even though Brian knows she can’t help misremembering things, he can’t stop losing his patience with her, and with himself. This episode was mixed for Science Vs by Bobby Lord. – Find Proxy here. Resources from Claudia on dementia caregiving, caregiving in general, and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT): On understanding dementia Dementia Reimagined: Building a life of joy and dignity from beginning to end by Tia Powell (and this accompanying Fresh Air episode) On preventing/addressing emotional or behavioral changes associated with dementia When a Family Member Has Dementia: Steps to Becoming a Resilient Caregiver by Susan M. McCurry On acceptance and commitment therapy (not specifically related to caregiving) Get…

People in this episode

Hosts: Yowei Shaw, Bobby Lord

Guest: Brian

Topics covered

• dementia
• caregiving
• patience
• mental health
• communication
• acceptance and commitment therapy

Keywords

• Alzheimer's
• caregiving
• dementia
• patience
• mental health
• acceptance and commitment therapy
• communication
• Proxy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Science Vs, Proxy, Spotify Studios

More episodes of Science Vs

• The Woman Who Felt No Fear · June 11, 2026 · 43 min
• Peptides: The Ultimate Body Hack? · June 4, 2026 · 38 min
• How Toxic Is the Air You Breathe? · May 28, 2026 · 41 min
• Ibogaine: A Miracle Psychedelic? · May 21, 2026 · 49 min
• Hantavirus: How Scary Is It?? · May 13, 2026 · 32 min
• Tattoos: Are They Toxic? · May 7, 2026 · 30 min