Welcome to the
Better Dementia Blog

Is Alzheimer’s the same as dementia? Learn the clear difference, why the terms are often confused, and what caregivers need to understand from the very beginning.

Families often notice changes long before dementia is formally recognized. This post explains why dementia is missed for years, how the medical system is structured to overlook it, and why caregiver education matters before diagnosis.

Dementia caregiving is not intuitive, yet families are expected to navigate it with little education or preparation. In this CareSmartz360 feature, I share why dementia caregiver education—understanding the what, when, and why of dementia—changes outcomes long before crisis hits.

One in five employees is caring for a loved one with dementia—often years before a formal diagnosis. These caregivers are quietly managing emotional, financial, and behavioral changes while trying to remain productive at work. Understanding this hidden reality is the first step toward supporting employees earlier and more effectively.

Dementia challenges the assumptions medicine is built on. When insight is lost, traditional diagnostic conversations stop working — and families are left navigating care without a framework. Understanding the what, when, and why of dementia changes everything about how care should be delivered.

A clinician-led, comprehensive online course designed to help dementia caregivers understand the what, when, and why of dementia—so they can care with confidence.

Join Amy Shaw, PA—Medical Director, Dementia Care Specialist, and author of The Arc of Conversation: A How-to Guide for Goals of Care Conversations—for a live AGE-U-Cate webinar on Wednesday, November 5, 2025. The event continues the national conversation sparked by the PBS documentary Aging in America: Survive or Thrive, exploring how we can move from awareness to lasting impact in aging and dementia care.

September is World Alzheimer’s Month—a time to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and remind families they are not alone. Learn how the Better Dementia Framework helps caregivers understand the what, when, and why of dementia to master the how of caregiving with confidence and compassion.