Making a podcast helped one family talk about aging, dementia and death

Colby McCaskill (right) is the grand prize winner of the NPR College Podcast Challenge. His entry features his grandparents Kathy and Dick McCaskill (left) and discusses her dementia, something Colby had been scared to confront. Matthew Coughlin for NPR hide caption toggle caption Matthew Coughlin for NPR PENSACOLA, Fla. — At the kitchen table at their rental condo in Florida, Dick and Kathy McCaskill were working on coloring in an elaborate star, one of the few unfinished designs in the adult coloring book they've been working on. "We love to do this," said Kathy, 77, laughing as she picked up a dark blue colored pencil. "I married a blue girl," Dick, 76, said. Coloring helps Kathy with her dementia , calming her anxiety and helping stimulate cognition. Their grandson, Colby McCaskill, was visiting from New York, where he's finishing up his senior year at Fordham University. He grabbed a gold colored pencil and joined them. "How long have you been working on this coloring book?" he asked his grandmother. "A lot of time," she said, laughing. "I love doing it." This is not what past visits used to look like, when his grandparents would color with him . Now, his grandparents are aging and changing. Caregiving roles are shifting. When Colby was growing up, his Papa worked as a healthcare executive and his Grammy was a teacher. They were always adventuring and telling stories — about 100-mile bike rides and skiing double black diamonds. …