In working with 1,100 people living with dementia, I’ve found working with them is the easy part! It’s their families who are much more challenging. Typically, the whole family is pulling together to figure out how to manage day-to-day life, the ins and outs of care, and trying to plan ahead. The whole family, except for that one family member…

Being the primary care partner for a person living with dementia is tough. Beyond the grief of watching a person you love go through an unforgiving disease process, you’ve got the practical matter of another grown person’s life…

I’m not sure which was more exciting for my grandpa: having trick-or-treaters come to the door, or calling my mom the next morning to report how many he’d had. Read More

Watching live news coverage of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria filled me with dread. My mind wandered back to Hurricane Katrina. Important changes in disaster preparedness were adopted across the United States for skilled nursing facilities in the aftermath of Katrina. Read More

At a certain point in the disease process, people living with dementia need to move into memory care. This common assumption just isn’t true – at least, not for everyone. As with most anything in life, financial resources create choices. The second, and perhaps most important, part to consider is willingness. Read More

No one chooses to make a move to memory care on a whim. It’s an emotionally bruising experience, often made when you’re most exhausted and vulnerable. Read More

One of the hardest decisions you’ll ever make as a dementia care partner is when to move your parent or partner into memory care. Once the move is done, you next need to know how to work effectively with care staff. The fantasy is that the move goes off without a hitch, and then life just magically gets easier. In my experience, though, that’s about as common as running across a unicorn in the wild…

I did my first “research” paper in 2nd grade. I chose Harriet Tubman. When I learned what one woman could accomplish against unbelievable odds, I was hooked. I devoured stories of female trailblazers, marvelling at Marie Curie, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Dr Elizabeth Blackwell. Rosa Parks, Amelia Earhart, and Malala Yousafzai have inspired me. Being a trailblazer is hard work. Read More