Betsy Groves: This Former Social Worker is “Not Shy” About Sharing Her Alzheimer’s Diagnosis

Alzheimer’s advocate Betsy Groves joined Being Patient Live Talks to discuss her long and rocky journey to an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, her experience living with Alzheimer’s, and her work advocating for other patients on this journey Groves had a career as a clinical social worker in the Boston Medical Center in the Department of Pediatrics where she founded a counseling program for young children affected by trauma. Then, she taught courses in early childhood mental health and development at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. In her early 60s, Groves first started noticing cognitive changes. Her doctor reassured her that there was nothing to worry about, and she was experiencing normal aging. But her concerns grew. A friend in the medical field arranged for a neuropsychological evaluation. The results indicated a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, but the search for a neurologist to confirm the diagnosis took eight months. It wasn’t until 2021, at the age of 72, that Groves was able to get a lumbar puncture that showed amyloid in her cerebrospinal fluid and get an official diagnosis. Groves reached out to the Alzheimer’s Association, where she was able to get guidance on the journey. Later, she served on the 2022-2023 National Early-Stage Advisory Group and continues to do advocacy work for the organization. She lives with her husband Tim in Cambridge, Massachusetts. They have two adult daughters and three grandchildren.

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