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Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care in Cheyenne, Wyoming | Expert Guidance for Families

  • Feb 3
  • 3 min read

Updated: 2 days ago

Adult child supporting a parent while reviewing important decisions at home
Amy Shaw, PA — Dementia clinician and architect of the original Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program in Cheyenne, Wyoming

Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care in Cheyenne, Wyoming


Families searching for Alzheimer’s and dementia care in Cheyenne, Wyoming are often looking for more than a diagnosis. They are looking for clarity, guidance, and structured support across a long and complex journey.


I am Amy Shaw, PA, and I founded and designed the original Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center. The program was built to provide structured cognitive evaluation, stage-based caregiver education, and longitudinal support for families navigating Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.


Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias are progressive neurodegenerative conditions that affect memory, judgment, communication, behavior, and physical function over time. High-quality dementia care must address not only the medical aspects of disease, but also the educational and practical needs of families.



What a High-Quality Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program Should Include


An effective Alzheimer’s and dementia care program should provide:


  • Comprehensive cognitive evaluation and differential diagnosis

  • Education about disease progression

  • Anticipatory guidance across stages

  • Structured caregiver support

  • Medication review and risk assessment

  • Advance care planning and goals-of-care conversations

  • Longitudinal follow-up, not just one-time consultation


Dementia is not a single appointment problem. It is a longitudinal condition that affects the entire family system.


The caregiver is often the true unit of care.



The Role of Caregiver Education


When the original program was developed in Cheyenne, its foundation was education. Families were taught not only what diagnosis their loved one had, but what to expect over time.


Understanding the what, when, and why of dementia allows caregivers to master the how of caregiving with greater confidence and fewer crises.


Education should include:


  • Why reasoning eventually stops working

  • Why behavioral symptoms emerge

  • When household tasks become unsafe

  • When personal care tasks require supervision

  • When hospice becomes appropriate


Without structured education, families often experience avoidable emergency visits, premature placement decisions, and unnecessary distress.




Designing a Dementia Care Program in Cheyenne


In Cheyenne, an Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program was originally structured to provide:


  • Stage-based education

  • Clear communication with families

  • Early goals-of-care discussions

  • Integration of palliative principles

  • Ongoing support across disease progression


The program was built on the belief that dementia care must be proactive rather than reactive, and that families deserve clarity rather than crisis management.



Choosing Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care in Cheyenne, Wyoming


If you are evaluating dementia care options in Cheyenne, consider asking:


  • Does this program provide structured caregiver education?

  • Is there longitudinal follow-up?

  • Are goals-of-care discussions initiated early?

  • Is hospice discussed proactively when appropriate?

  • Is the family supported as much as the patient?


The answers to these questions matter.



Independent Dementia Care Support


Today, Alzheimer’s and dementia care education, caregiver coaching, and structured guidance are available independently through Better Dementia™.


Services include:


  • One-on-one family dementia consulting

  • Stage-based caregiver education

  • Advance care planning support

  • Hospice timing guidance

  • National digital caregiver education


Families in Cheyenne, Wyoming — and across the country — can access expert dementia education designed to reduce crisis and increase clarity.



Dementia is a journey.


The right guidance changes how that journey unfolds.



Amy Shaw, PA-C is a nationally recognized dementia care clinician, educator, and author of The Arc of Conversation: A How-to Guide for Goals of Care Conversations. She is the founder of Better Dementia™, where she helps families understand the what, when, and why of dementia so they can master the how of caregiving with confidence and clarity.

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