What to Remember When You’re Forgetting: Living Well with Memory Loss | Dr. Zaldy TanWhat to Remember When You’re Forgetting: Living Well with Memory Loss | Dr. Zaldy Tan
The One You Feed
Eric Zimmer talks with Dr Zaldy Tan about living well with memory loss, from early diagnosis and prevention to the emotional realities of caregiving. They discuss practical choices, routines, and supports that may help individuals and families facing dementia.
1:05:26•20 Oct 2026
Living Well with Memory Loss: Dr Zaldy Tan on Choice, Care, and Change
Episode Overview
- There is a crucial early window after diagnosis where people can make choices, plan ahead, and still enjoy meaningful activities and relationships.
- Biomarker and genetic tests can be useful, but are most appropriate for people with symptoms rather than for general screening.
- Lifestyle factors in midlife—such as blood pressure, diet, sleep, and exercise—are key targets for reducing dementia risk over time.
- Caregivers need structure, scaffolding, and community resources rather than relying on a single person to carry the entire burden.
- Managing mood, depression, delusions, and delirium often requires both environmental changes and, when needed, appropriate medication and professional support.
“You do have that window of time where life is still vibrant and you still enjoy your friends and you can still travel... Those are things that you shouldn't squander by denial.”
What can we learn from those who have battled addiction, illness, and loss, yet still choose to "feed the good wolf" every day? This conversation between Eric Zimmer and memory specialist Dr Zaldy Tan looks straight at one of the biggest fears of ageing: losing our memory, and with it, our independence.
Drawing on decades of clinical work and family experience, Dr Tan explains the major types of dementia using down-to-earth analogies, like comparing the brain to an orchestra where different sections can fall out of tune. He breaks down what biomarkers, amyloid, and tau actually mean, why blood tests and scans are now used more often, and why these tests are best for people already showing symptoms instead of anyone who’s just anxious.
A big part of the chat centres on how to live well after a diagnosis. Dr Tan contrasts two people with the same Alzheimer’s stage: one who keeps travelling and seeing friends, and one who more or less gives up. For him, early on "it is best to address these challenges head on" because, as he puts it, "you do have that window of time where life is still vibrant...
Those are things that you shouldn't squander by denial." The episode also spends time with caregivers—those quietly holding everything together. Dr Tan talks about depression, delusions, and delirium, and why structure, routine, and mood matter as much as medication. He stresses planning ahead, building a support "scaffold" rather than relying on one exhausted person, and taking caregiver wellbeing seriously: once the caregiver burns out, "game over" for everyone.
If memory loss, family history, or caring for someone with dementia is on your mind, this conversation offers clear explanations and gentle realism. What small choice could you make today to support the future you—and the people who might one day be caring for you?
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