Most days, Adrianne Lentine is a regular Arcadia mom happily married over 18 years trying to keep up with the beautiful chaos that comes with raising three kids.
Then her phone rings.
Sometimes it's her dad calling because he needs to run errands. Sometimes it's because her mom needs a change of scenery. Sometimes it's simply because caregiving is exhausting and another set of hands would help.
Whatever the reason, Adrianne adjusts her plans.
Because while she's raising three children, she's also helping care for the woman who taught her how to be a mother.
At 40, Adrianne finds herself in the heart of what experts call the sandwich generation; adults simultaneously caring for children and aging parents. For Adrianne, however, the experience carries an added layer of heartbreak. Her mother, affectionately known as G-Ma to her grandchildren, is living with Alzheimer's disease.
“Depending on the doctor, they either classify it through stages one through seven or they do beginning, middle and late,” Adrianne says. “My mom is entering the late stage. She's Stage 6 out of 7.”
However, she cautions against focusing too heavily on labels.
“If you've met one person with Alzheimer's, you've met one person with Alzheimer's. Everybody's journey is completely different.”
The diagnosis came six years ago, but the story really began long before that.
Growing up in Scottsdale, Adrianne never doubted how deeply she was loved.
“She never missed a thing. She was the ultimate mom.”
Years later, when Adrianne became a mother herself, that same devotion naturally extended to the next generation.
For years, her parents lived with her family, and G-Ma became an integral part of daily life. She wasn't simply Grandma.
“She was my kids' favorite person.”
In many ways, she helped raise them.
Then came the first sign that something wasn't right.
Every year, Adrianne and her husband host a large holiday gathering. The night before the party, her mother agreed to bring Rice Krispie treats. Adrianne remembers seeing all the ingredients sitting on the kitchen counter and thinking everything was ready.
The next day, her mother arrived without them.
“She said, ‘Was I supposed to bring something?’” Adrianne recalls.
When Adrianne reminded her about the treats, her mother looked confused.
“‘What Rice Krispie treats?’”
Adrianne immediately knew this wasn't ordinary forgetfulness.
“I knew in my heart of hearts that something wasn't right,” she says. “It didn't feel like normal aging.”
Doctors initially diagnosed mild cognitive impairment. Within a year came the official Alzheimer's diagnosis.
Like many families, they hoped it wouldn't progress.
“So many people told us there was a chance it could stay where it was. Of course, that's what you hope for.”
Her mother hoped for that, too.
“She would joke, ‘I just have a little bit of Alzheimer's. Never hurt anyone.' I think in her heart she believed she'd never forget us.”
From the beginning, Adrianne asked her mother what she wanted to do with the diagnosis.
Keep it private… or share it?
The answer came immediately.
“She said if it could help one person feel less alone, then we should share it.”
At the time, Adrianne had already spent years documenting family life online. Long before Instagram reels and viral videos, she was blogging about motherhood, family, and home projects.
“I always wanted to remember everything,” she says. “I wanted all the photos, all the videos, all the things.”
She laughs when she talks about it now because the irony isn't lost on her.
Before Alzheimer's ever entered their lives, she was already afraid of forgetting.
“I'd think, I'm never going to forget this thing my daughter says,” she explains. “And then two years later I'd realize I couldn't remember it. I always wanted to be able to look back.”
Today, that instinct has taken on a deeper meaning.
A woman who spent years preserving memories now finds herself documenting someone who is slowly losing access to her own.
Today, Adrianne shares glimpses of that journey online. Less than a year ago, she had roughly 13,000 followers. Today, that number is approaching 90,000.
The growth wasn't fueled by home projects, parenting tips, or viral trends. It came from sharing something deeply personal.
“If there's anything that could have made my social media grow, I would choose it to be this because this has purpose. People aren't coming for a lip gloss link. They're coming because they're walking through something similar.”
Followers tune in to watch the simple moments: singing in the car, dancing to old songs, holding hands, and sharing a laugh.
It was one video that changed everything.
As music played in the car, her mother suddenly stopped and asked a question.
“Am I okay?”
Adrianne reassured her.
Then came another question.
“It's not Alzheimer's or anything?”
The clip resonated with families everywhere because it wasn't dramatic. It was real.
The video was viewed millions of times and transformed Adrianne's platform almost overnight.
Every day, messages arrive from daughters, sons, spouses, and caregivers who see their own families reflected in hers.
“They're pouring their hearts out to me."
What surprised her most wasn't the growth, but the community that formed around it.
“I feel like my little corner of the internet is the happiest little place.”
Adult children saw their own parents. Spouses saw their partners. Families saw themselves.
Yet Adrienne insists the videos were never created for an audience.
“I film a lot of our interactions and most of it never sees the light of day. I do it for myself. I want the mundane moments. I want the little things. I want to remember.”
That desire has become even more important as Alzheimer's continues to progress.
Today, her mother's world is much smaller than it once was. Conversations can be difficult. Questions can create confusion. Some memories appear unexpectedly, while others disappear completely.
Recently, while painting her mother's toenails before the Fourth of July, Adrianne mentioned her birthday.
Her mother looked puzzled.
“Who's Adrianne?”
Twenty minutes later, while sitting on the couch, she casually looked over and said, “Oh, Adrianne Lentine.”
Moments like that have taught Adrianne that Alzheimer's rarely follows a predictable path.
“It's wild. You just don't know.”
What she does know is this:
“I know she feels safe with me. I know she feels safe with my kids.”
That feeling has become more important than memory itself.
When her mother arrives at Adrianne's home, she often seems anxious at first. Then something shifts.
“After about thirty minutes, I get a whole different version of her. She's calm. She's happy.”
Joy has become one of the guiding principles of Adrianne's caregiving.
“My goal every time I'm with my mom is to make her feel joyful, loved and safe.”
Those three words shape everything she does.
“She is a lover. She loves people more than anything else.”
Caregiving now looks different than it once did. Some days Adrianne styles her hair. Some days she helps her shower. Some days they simply sit outside together in the Arcadia sunshine.
“The beautiful thing is she's really in the moment because that's all she can be. She's toddler-esque,” Adrianne says.
It is one of the unexpected lessons Alzheimer's has taught her.
Her mother isn't thinking about tomorrow and isn't dwelling on yesterday. She's simply experiencing what's directly in front of her.
“At times, the role reversal feels heartbreaking. But because it was a gradual transition, it honestly feels natural now.”
But balancing motherhood and caregiving is a journey in its own.
“Some days it's easy. Some days it's compartmentalization. If I go from being with my mom for seven hours and then straight to my kids, it can be hard. I've learned I need a little buffer. Sometimes it's sitting in my car for twenty minutes. Sometimes it's music. Sometimes it's silence.”
What keeps her going is perspective.
“She was literally the best mom. If I give her anything less than that in return, it's not even comprehensible to me.”
While Alzheimer's has changed so much about their family dynamic, it has also revealed something extraordinary.
“My kids are phenomenal with her. I cry all the time. They open her car door. They help her get in. They buckle her seatbelt. They hold her hand when she walks. If nothing else, this has taught my kids a level of empathy and patience that you cannot learn otherwise.”
Watching that relationship unfold has become one of the gifts hidden inside an otherwise painful chapter.
Her children are learning something many adults spend a lifetime trying to understand: love doesn't disappear when circumstances change.
Watching her mother's decline has also transformed how Adrianne views her own health.
Today, brain health isn't a trend or a buzzword; it's personal.
“People ask if I'm driving myself crazy trying to prevent this. But honestly, it's not about chasing prevention. It's just healthy living.”
After years of research, conversations with specialists, and walking beside her mother through this disease, Adrianne has become passionate about the connection between lifestyle and brain health.
“Move your body. Lift weights. Prioritize your sleep. Manage your stress.”
She is quick to point out that she isn't a doctor. But she believes many people underestimate how closely overall health and brain health are connected.
“So much of what you can do for brain health is what you should already be doing for your health in general.”
The topic has become such a passion that Adrianne now offers a complimentary brain health guide through her social platforms. The resource shares many of the habits, research, and lifestyle practices she has explored throughout her mother's journey. While she is quick to remind people she isn't a medical professional, she hopes the guide encourages families to become proactive and start conversations earlier.
“If you notice something with a parent, have the conversation. Be gentle with it."
Looking back, she wishes her family had been able to make more lifestyle changes sooner.
“I firmly believe we could have gotten even more time with my mom. For years, I struggled with that. But at some point I realized I could either be frustrated and angry, or I could just enjoy her and love on her. So that's what I do. I choose to live in the moment.”
Because while Alzheimer's has changed so much, it hasn't changed everything.
Her mother still lights up when she sees familiar faces.
She still reaches for the people she trusts.
She still tells Adrianne she loves her.
Perhaps that's what makes this season of life complicated: it is heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time.
When asked what she would tell her mother before Alzheimer's, Adrianne doesn't hesitate.
“Thank you for being the best mom.”
As a mother, Adrianne is helping her children navigate the realities of loss. As a daughter, she is learning how to let go of the woman she once knew while still loving the woman sitting in front of her.
instagram.com/adriannelentine
Listen to the full interview on the Now With Nadine podcast, streaming everywhere.