Let’s Talk: Navigating Family Conversations About Dementia Through Shared Decision-Making

Picture this: you are supporting someone experiencing memory changes as a clinician, support person or care partner while they go through the memory clinic process. How do you navigate the challenging conversations surrounding symptoms, diagnoses, care plans and more that come up? Dr. Toby Campbell joins the podcast to discuss the importance of shared decision-making and share strategies for clinicians, care partners and loved ones to help navigate these important conversations with respect and empathy.

Guest: Toby Campbell, MD, MS, thoracic medical oncologist, chief of palliative care, UW Health, professor of hematology, medical oncology and palliative care, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Show Notes

Are you a clinician interested in receiving continuing education (CE) credits for listening to this episode? Find credit designation information, disclosures and evaluation information on our website and on the UW–Madison Interprofessional Continuing Education Partnership (ICEP) website. The accreditation for this course expires 5/13/2025. After this date, you will no longer be able to access the course or claim credit.

Learn more about the SPIKES strategy, mentioned at 20:48, by reading “Breaking bad news: the S-P-I-K-E-S strategy” for free online.

Read Dr. Campbell’s article, “Discussing Prognosis and Shared Decision-Making,” mentioned at 27:55 on ScienceDirect’s website.

Read Dr. Campbell’s article, “Discussing prognosis: balancing hope and realism,” mentioned at 31:20 on The Cancer Journal’s website.

Learn more about PalliTALK and WeTALK on the University of Wisconsin Department of Medicine website.

Learn more about Dr. Campbell through his profile on the University of Wisconsin Department of Medicine website.

Find Wisconsin-based and online resources for people with dementia and care partners on our website.

Connect with us

Find transcripts and more at our website.

Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.

Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s. All donations go toward outreach and production.