Love and qualifications are not always the same thing. And that's a lesson I wish more dementia caregivers could hear without guilt. According to the Alzheimer's Association, nearly 13 million Americans provide unpaid dementia care, contributing almost 20 billion hours each year—care valued at more than $446 billion. Yet AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving report that only about 22 percent of family caregivers receive any formal training.

Leadership isn't always about having the right answer. Sometimes it's about asking the right question and listening long enough to understand what someone truly needs. In Part 1 of Leadership Lessons Hidden in Caregiving, we explore why the same listening skills that help executives lead teams can help caregivers preserve connection with a loved one living with dementia.

This will ruffle feathers, but the sooner we stop waiting for our loved one to admit something's wrong, the sooner we can actually help them. Many people with dementia experience something called Anosognosia. That's not stubborn denial or ego—it's a neurological inability to recognize one's own impairment. According to national data, approximately 40-80% of dementia patients lack awareness of their condition, with rates varying by dementia type and severity. It's tied to chan

You’re not looking for the perfect activity. You’re just trying to get through the next hour. You try a puzzle—too complicated. You turn on the TV—too passive. You hand them your phone—and immediately regret it. Ads. Pop-ups. Confusion. I put together a list of simple apps that actually work for dementia patients—plus how to set them up so they don’t cause more stress. If you’ve ever thought, “I just need something that works,” this is for you.

Treatment Options for Dementia: A Complete Guide for Caregivers Understanding both pharmaceutical and holistic treatment options can help you have informed conversations with your loved one's healthcare team. Below are current and emerging approaches, simplified and organized for clarity. PHARMACEUTICAL TREATMENTS Cholinesterase Inhibitors Treatment Names: Donepezil (Aricept), Rivastigmine (Exelon), Galantamine (Razadyne) How it is believed to work (layman's terms):These medi

Keeping a loved one with dementia active at home can brighten their mood, support memory, and maintain motor skills. Simple, everyday items can create meaningful enrichment activities tailored to different stages of dementia.

Receiving a diagnosis of dementia or Alzheimer's can feel like the ground has shifted beneath your feet. The news often comes with a flood of emotions—fear, confusion, sadness—and a pressing question: what do you do next?