If we don’t understand what is happening in the brain with dementia, it may be difficult to know what we can and cannot expect from your loved one. This module helps us better understand what dementia does to the personhood, personality, and experiences of a person so we can interact with true dignity, kindness, and understanding rather than unrealistic expectations. This is the bedrock of functioning in dementia care, the nuts and bolts of what is happening in the brain, and how it works itself out in the day to day.

It all starts with a sneaking suspicion of something different or something changed in a loved one. From there, the questions and curiosities don’t stop. This module focuses on where to start if you suspect memory impairment in a loved one and continues on through the three stages of dementia. This helps us understand where we are at and where we might be going. Clarity is kindness, and honesty about dementia’s realities, while difficult, are important for our advocacy, coping, grief, and planning.

Of all the modules, this may be the most controversial and may push the most buttons. But if you are like me, you will appreciate a bit of honest admonishment at times because it helps us become better people. It’s important to remember that there are two sides to every story, and this presentation might reveal the other side to some situations you are navigating. The inspiration to this module is conversation had with families over the years in dementia care. Dementia care is not commonsense, and while we so easily fall into what is familiar to us, that may not be the best form of dementia care. It takes a bit of humility and curiosity to hear other angles on a few hot takes.

I hear you! “I wish people would stop asking me how I am doing and what I am doing to take care of myself! I don’t have time to take care of myself!” I promise I won’t ask those questions or boss you around. This module takes some time to stand in your shoes and invites you to stop for a moment, look up, and not only look for something beautiful (like a dragonfly or some wildflowers), but also think of a few things you might not have considered. It is my hope that you not feel bogged down by this hour, but that you feel seen, heard, stood by, recharged, encouraged, and motivated to step back into your sacred role just a little bit lighter.

Contrary to popular belief, knowing about dementia is not the end-all to quality dementia care. Knowing the person is actually paramount to knowing the nuts and bolts of the disease. In this module, we deep dive into the beauty, value, and even sacredness of knowing and seeing people with a dementia diagnosis as individuals with stories, histories, preferences, habits, nuance, and comforts, just like us! Knowing these things makes dementia care so much more enjoyable and colorful! This module teaches us what it might feel like if we start to lose parts of who we are so we can better empathize with our loved one. The more we know and understand, the more profound each day in caregiving feels.

Modules One and Five fit hand in hand with Module Six. If you understand dementia and the individual, navigating tricky or challenging behaviors becomes a different kind of experience. It’s as if you have a new lens through which to see the same behavior. This module goes through some specific behaviors and discusses potential creative responses to achieve more harmonious outcomes. This module also leans heavily on treating residents as adults and interacting with dignity and respect, despite a disease and despite their behaviors. With a high professional and ethical standard, our response to tricky behaviors should be nothing less than honorable and full of integrity.

I’m not sure if I have ever been in any dementia training where at least one person does not ask the obvious question, “How can I make sure I don’t get dementia?” While we still have a lot to learn, science can tell us so much already, there are things we can do to decrease our likelihood of getting dementia. This module walks us through some basic daily choices and behaviors that will reduce the risk, based on what we know so far.

Originally I considered focusing this module on home safety, but I suspect there is enough training on that out in the world. What I am hearing from home-based caregivers is a curiosity about when or how to take the next step of caregiving beyond the home. This module will address the value of early intervention in the dementia process, where to look, where and when to start, “how will I know?”, how to function in a crisis situation, and how to not lose your sanity while preserving the sanity of your loved one with the diagnosis. These are the things that make us lose sleep, and if you love your sleep like I do, we need to preserve it by planning a framework for the future!