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In my work with people caring for loved ones with dementia, I often hear comments like: "they've become a stranger to me" or "I don't even recognize them anymore".

Dementia is a devastating illness that often robs families of the opportunity to connect and experience joy.  Because of this, it's essential that we find a way to share connecting moments, enjoy one another, and see a little piece of the person eclipsed by the shadow of this devastating illness.

And, I have just the person to help us with this!

In this week's episode, I interview Gary Glazner, the founder and Executive Director of the Alzheimer’s Poetry Project. In this interview, Gary generously shares with us strategies facilitating communication and connection with our loved ones with dementia and even shares about his own experience bringing poetry to his mom at the end of her life.

 Here’s a sneak peek at what...

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In 2006, Gina Martin's mother, Diane, was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's Disease and died 5 years later. In a tragic yet poetic twist of fate, her father died 3 months later on his birthday of a "broken heart".

To honor her parents and raise awareness about dementia, Gina created the Bob and Diane Fund, which grants a $5,000 award each November to an artist depicting the dementia journey through the lens of photography.

 Here’s a sneak peek at what you’ll learn from my interview with Gina Martin:

• [05:31] Gina Martin shares about the inspiration for creating the Bob and Diane Fund
  
• [11:11] Each November, the Bob and Diane Fund offers a $5,000 grant to a photographer telling a visual story of dementia. Gina describes the selection process and the esteemed group of judges.
  
• [18:28] Visual stories of dementia are touching and compelling. Gina shares a little background on each of the past grantees (see...

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A few weeks ago, I received an email from a listener:

"Hello, Dr. Regina,

"I work in an assisted living facility. As the election approaches, family members of residents on memory care units have asked to have residents vote. Residents on this unit are here because they're unable to make informed decisions and don't have a grasp on reality. Also, the particular resident shows no interest in wanting to vote. It's the family that essentially wants to cast a vote for the individual, which seems unethical to me. I've tried reaching out to professional groups for some guidance to no avail.

Do you have any thoughts regarding this topic?"

Older adults tend to vote more often and more consistently than other age groups. According to a US News Report, in 2018, 64% of adults age 65 and older voted in the November 2018 election, the best turnout of any age group. With this said, 10% of older adults, however, will experience a...

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Caregivers often approach me with the question: "my parent had dementia, does that mean I'll get it too?"

It's a scary thing to devote years of your life caring for a loved one with dementia and all the while wonder if you will end up developing dementia, too.

Today on the podcast, our favorite Neuropsychologist, Dr. Vonetta Dotson, is back to talk with us about genetic risk for dementia and reminds us that even if you have an increased risk for developing dementia, there's a lot that you can do to prevent it. Listen all the way through and you’ll learn several easy to use strategies you can start using today to reduce your risk of developing dementia.

To help you navigate the turbulent waters of memory loss and dementia, I created a memory loss guide for you to use. In this guide, you’ll get  a checklist of memory loss warning signs, learn more about the benefits of early diagnosis of dementia and...

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You’ve heard people say “she’s doing great! She’s old, but she’s all there!” or “he’s 90 and still so sharp!”

These statements about older adults make the assumption that with aging comes serious cognitive problems, like dementia! But, these ideas are actually not supported by science and in fact, are a myth.

In today’s episode, I answer the question...

Is Dementia a Normal Part of Aging?

Witnessing memory problems in your older loved one can be really scary. You might not know what's causing the memory loss and fear the worst case scenario. You may think, if it is dementia, there’s nothing I can do about it, right? WRONG!

On the other hand, you might notice signs of memory loss in your loved one and brush it off thinking “everyone experiences significant memory loss as they age, right?” WRONG!

I've seen many individuals and families put off getting an evaluation to identify what’s causing memory loss for the reasons above and so many other reasons as well. But putting off an evaluation to determine what is causing memory loss can be more harmful than helpful. 

In this article, I set the record straight about the benefits to early detection of dementia disorders. There's actually a lot that we can do to make your life and your loved one’s life with dementia easier- early detection is key. 

Here are 7 benefits of...

When I first started working with dementia more than a decade ago, I didn't know much about dementia.

Prior to this point, I had a lot of experience working with older adults and their families. I loved working with older adults, but I had very little experience working with older adults with dementia and their families.

My first thoughts were, "What can I do with folks with dementia? What can I do with families? I don't know." I was at a loss for how to help.

Watch this week's episode to discover the most valuable lesson I needed to learn to become a dementia care expert!

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And so, I got busy learning everything I could about dementia. I went to conferences, I signed up for webinars, I interviewed experts, I read text books and journal articles. You name it! I devoured it. 

And you know what happened? Over time, I actually developed an expertise in caring for families with dementia disorders and now I educate other...