162: The 'D' Word with Pete Hill - Episode 162162: The 'D' Word with Pete Hill - Episode 162
UK Health Radio Podcast
Dementia advocate and researcher Andy Woodhead shares his experience of vascular dementia, lifestyle changes and ongoing work in palliative care and policy. The conversation with host Pete Hill highlights the realities for carers, common misconceptions and practical ways professionals and families can offer better support.
34:32•3 Apr 2026
Living With Dementia: Andy Woodhead on Diagnosis, Research and Real-Life Care
Episode Overview
- Lifestyle choices such as exercise, healthy diet, social contact and giving up alcohol can support health alongside dementia medication.
- Unpaid family carers provide the vast majority of dementia care and need as much attention and support as the person with the diagnosis.
- Palliative care for dementia should include quicker, more direct access to medical advice and better emotional and spiritual support to reduce loneliness.
- Healthcare professionals can ease distress by using simple communication habits: smile, give your name, avoid approaching from behind and connect over one personal detail.
- Alzheimer’s is just one of more than 100 types of dementia, and dementia affects far more than memory alone, including balance, planning and everyday tasks.
“If someone in your family is living with dementia, you're all living with dementia.”
What can we learn from those who have battled dementia head-on? This UK Health Radio episode of The 'D' Word zooms in on Andy Woodhead, diagnosed with vascular dementia at 55, who has turned his own diagnosis into fuel for global research and advocacy. Hosted by Pete Hill, the chat has an easy, conversational feel, even while it tackles big issues like terminal illness, end-of-life care and the emotional weight on families and carers.
Andy talks candidly about being investigated for Parkinson’s, then being told, “good news, bad news” – no Parkinson’s, but signs of vascular dementia and a history of TIAs and stroke. From there, he explains how lifestyle became a key part of his self-care: exercise, a healthy diet, staying social and giving up alcohol, alongside the medical basics like blood pressure and diabetes medication.
Andy’s academic background shines through as he talks about his palliative care research, including studies on care at home, loneliness at the end of life and simple but powerful ideas such as dedicated phone lines for people receiving palliative care.
He repeatedly stresses that unpaid carers provide most of the support and argues they “need as much attention as the person with dementia.” You’ll also hear him unpack common myths – like dementia being only about memory, or Alzheimer’s being the same as dementia – and share practical tips he teaches medical students: always smile, say your name, avoid approaching from behind and find one personal detail to build trust.
This one is ideal for anyone affected by dementia, health professionals, carers and anyone curious about how lived experience can shape better care. It’s serious, yes, but there are warm moments, a bit of humour and a strong sense that life, purpose and contribution don’t stop with diagnosis. If dementia has touched your life, what small change from Andy’s story could you bring into your own routine or support for someone you love?
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