Navigate Dementia Care

07/28/2026

Nobody told our family about the legal documents we needed in the first 90 days after a dementia diagnosis. We quickly learned the window closes and it's often too late to get them.

The day my dad's diagnosis became official, the doctor essentially handed my mom some papers and scheduled a follow-up in six months. That was it.

No one mentioned that the moment cognitive decline progresses past a certain point, your loved one may no longer be legally able to sign a power of attorney or other documents outlining their wishes.

No one said: "There is a window, and it will close quickly."

Luckily, we had friends who pointed us in the right direction, but not everyone has that support.

Here's what I wish someone had told our family that afternoon:

Before anything else, before you reorganize the house, before you read a single book about dementia stages or before you research memory care facilities, you need three legal documents in place.

1. Durable Power of Attorney (financial)
2. Durable Power of Attorney (healthcare) or Healthcare Proxy
2. HIPAA Authorization

These are not optional. They are not something to get to eventually.

Without them, you may end up in a costly, painful guardianship court process just to make decisions for someone you love.

The window to get these signed is open right now. Specifically, if your loved one still has the legal capacity to sign contracts and assign a person or people to serve on their behalf.

You don't have to figure out every next step today. But this one? This week.

The Caregiver Guide walks you through exactly what to do first. The link is in bio.

Save this and share it with anyone who got a diagnosis recently; this is the one thing most families miss in the first month. Drop a 🔑 in the comments if you wish someone had told you this sooner.



The content in this post is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or financial advice.

03/05/2026

Don't forget that 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐭 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐒𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞. Be thoughtful that our Dementia loved ones may be impacted by the time change. Keep an eye out for behavior changes and, if you can, get ahead of the change by helping them adjust. ⁣
⁣
Things to consider:⁣
* 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐝𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 by 10–15 minutes each day to help ease the transition.⁣
* 𝐄𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐱𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 (TV). We do this by soaking my dad's feet in warm water and lavender bath salts. ⁣
* 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 in the morning; we open the blinds right as he gets up.⁣
* 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬. We keep a hydration and behavior tracker for family and our companions to us and monitor any major changes.

02/06/2026

I created the Navigate Dementia Care page because I'm a co-caregiver (with my mom), and man, do I recall those early days (actually months and years)! They weren't hard because of the care; our loved one was still pretty independent, but because we knew that he'd declined and we had no idea what mattered first as we began to prepare. Information was coming at us like a fire hose, and it was hard to know which decisions to prioritize. Every decision felt critical!

We kept asking ourselves:
* “What do we actually need to do immediately?”
* “What can wait?”
* “How do I know I’m not missing something important?”

Looking back on that time, and hearing from more and more people that they're in that very stage, I put together a simple “10 things every new dementia caregiver should know” list because I wish I’d had it earlier.

If you’re in that early, overwhelmed stage, it’s below. FYI, it's free.
https://www.navigatedementiacare.com/offer-ten-things

No pressure. Just sharing in case it helps someone breathe a little easier today.

09/12/2025

As Dad’s dementia progressed, our family thought we were ready. We had the meds sorted. We had the routines down. But what we weren’t prepared for was the paperwork.

What we've learned along our journey is that caregiving isn’t just about love and effort. It’s also about being legally prepared.

Without these documents, doctors may refuse to give updates because you don't have the right form signed. Or when you try to pay a bill on your loved one's behalf and the bank will likely say you're not authorized. The helplessness in those moments is crushing.

In this video, you'll see the 6 documents every caregiver needs immediately. These aren’t just pieces of paper. They are protection, peace of mind, and access when you need it most.

If you don’t have them yet, I can’t urge you enough: please start today. Your future self will be grateful.

Save this post, share with siblings, and watch the video carefully.

For practical tools to lighten your caregiving load and more details on these documents and other resources, check out The Caregiver Support Guide at www.navigatedementiacare.com.

09/05/2025

There's a version of caregiving we see in movies.
Graceful. Selfless. Always composed.

And then there's the real version.
The one where you don't want to go.
The one where you want to sleep in.
The one where you want someone else to eat with them.
The one where you sit in your car for an extra 10 minutes before walking in.
Where love and resentment wrestle it out in your mind and in your heart.

You feel horrible admitting to what you're feeling and thinking.
Then you berate yourself. Again.

It's not easy to admit any of this. But as any fellow caregiver will tell you, yes, it's okay and normal to feel and think these things.

You can be exhausted, frustrated, even resistant, and still be a deeply loving caregiver.
Having mixed feelings (or needs of your own) doesn't make you a bad person. It makes you an honest one.

Think the things.
Feel the feels.
Know that they are valid, normal, and okay to think.
Then know that you're not alone in these thoughts or your caregiving.

09/01/2025

𝗔 𝗰𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀? 🍪

Every day, families around the world lose pieces of the people they love. Not all at once, but slowly, painfully, and irreversibly.

𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗔𝗹𝘇𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗿'𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵, a time for the global community to come together, raise awareness, and have real conversations about Alzheimer's (and frankly other types of Dementia).

Here's a crazy stat that always stops me:
𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝟱𝟱 𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗹𝘇𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗿'𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱𝘄𝗶𝗱𝗲. That number doesn't even include the 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀, 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 that are also impacted.

As many of you know, my family is one of them. This good lookin' chap, who we appropriately call the "cookie monster," is my dad, who was formally diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2018 (although we saw signs as early as ~2013 or so). Yesterday, he was fiercely protecting his post-dinner cookie from my brother. 😂

As a result, I'm passionate about helping others understand not just the disease, but the emotional weight families and caregivers carry throughout the Alzheimer's journey.

I'll be talking throughout the month about:
• The realities of Alzheimer's and dementia
• How to show up for those living with Alzheimer's/Dementia, and their families
• Why we need more research, better and more supportive care, and equity in treatment

Let's not just remember those we've lost; let's also honor them. Let's fight fiercely for those we still have so that they can live full, dignified, and meaningful lives.

08/27/2025

There are more than 100 types of dementia, and one of the toughest to diagnose is frontotemporal dementia (FTD). What surprised me most is that it often shows up much earlier than other forms, on average, around age 56. Holy cow! Because its symptoms can resemble other conditions and imaging can be misleading, it’s frequently misdiagnosed.

Bruce Willis is probably the most widely recognized person living with FTD. His wife has been remarkably open and honest about their family’s journey, shedding light on what this disease looks like day to day.

Tonight, I’ll be watching a new mini-documentary about their story. From the clips I’ve seen so far, it’s already been incredibly eye-opening.

While Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, I always encourage people to learn about the different types. Awareness not only helps families recognize symptoms sooner but also opens the door to early diagnosis, which can mean access to clinical trials, better planning, and, just as importantly, time for caregivers to prepare for their own self-care.

If you’re interested, here’s the special:

"Emma and Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey – A Diane Sawyer Special" is now streaming on Hulu and Disney+.
Watch here:

Watch "Emma and Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey – A Diane Sawyer Special" Tuesday, Aug. 26 on ABC.

08/20/2025

“I think my loved one might have dementia…what do we do now?”

This is one of the most common and emotionally loaded questions I hear.

Whether you're just noticing signs of memory issues or your loved one has received an informal diagnosis, the uncertainty of what to do next can feel overwhelming.

Looking back, this video has the 5 things to consider doing right away if you suspect your loved one has dementia (or they've just been informally diagnosed).

These first steps can make a world of difference in how supported both you and your loved one feel as you move forward.

Have you been in this situation? What helped you most in the early days?

08/06/2025

What's the ONE thing I wish someone had told me when my dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer's? There's a clear roadmap for caregiving, but no one hands it to you.

This guide came from my own journey. 8+ years as a co-caregiver for my dad, full of trial, error, and sleepless nights.

So I made what I wish we had: The Caregiver's Support Guide: 21 Essential Steps to Navigate Dementia Care.

From a caregiver for caregivers, if you're caring for someone with dementia, I hope this book is helpful and finds its way to those who need it most.