Michael Booth on Living With Young Onset Dementia and Alzheimer’s

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What if the person you once cared for became the person you are?

In this episode of the Able to Care Podcast, Andy Baker sits down with Michael Booth – someone who’s lived dementia from both sides. Michael supported his mum, Christine, through young onset dementia. Then, in his mid-forties, he received his own diagnosis of Alzheimer’s.

This isn’t a purely clinical conversation. It’s real life: the emotional impact, the shifting identity, and the practical realities of navigating everyday moments when your brain doesn’t always cooperate – including the reality that some days are simply harder than others.

What It’s Really Like to Live With Dementia

One of the most searched questions online is: “What is it like to live with dementia?”
Michael answers that from the inside – describing how dementia can affect speech, movement, and day-to-day functioning, and why it’s not a single steady decline. There are good days, tough days, and everything in between.

• Why dementia isn’t always “memory” – and what people misunderstand about recognition and comprehension
• How communication changes (and what helps when words don’t come easily)
• What families mean when they say it feels like the person is “disappearing” – and what Michael wants them to understand instead

Identity, Stigma, and Being Treated Differently

Michael speaks openly about what changes once people know your diagnosis – how conversations shift, how assumptions creep in, and how easily someone can be talked around rather than talked with.

Andy explores the fear many carers and family members carry – “What if I say the wrong thing?” – and Michael shares what feels genuinely supportive, and what doesn’t.

Caregiving, Empathy, and the ‘Reverse Journey’

Because Michael cared for his mum before his own diagnosis, he brings a rare perspective: the lived experience of being the caregiver and the person living with dementia.

The conversation also touches on a crucial mindset shift carers often struggle with: letting go of who someone was and learning how to support who they are today – without lowering dignity or losing connection.

• How caregiving can affect the carer deeply – sometimes more than people realise
• Why “high expectations” need balancing with realistic, compassionate support
• What helps someone feel more settled, more themselves, and more connected on a good day

Hope After Diagnosis: “Dementia, You Are Not Alone”

Michael also shares what moved him to write his book, “Dementia, You Are Not Alone”, and why he chose to speak out rather than disappear. He talks about the feedback that stays with him, and what he wants newly diagnosed people – and their families – to know at the start of the journey.

Who This Episode Is For

• Family carers supporting someone with Alzheimer’s or young onset dementia
• Care staff who want more trauma-informed, person-centred dementia support approaches
• Educators and professionals supporting families navigating dementia and mental health challenges
• Anyone asking: “Can you still enjoy life after a dementia diagnosis?”

If you’re looking for a conversation that’s honest, human, and hope-filled – this one will stay with you.

Recommended Courses

• 
  The Adaptive Caregiver Model – supporting people living with dementia