September is National Alzheimer’s Month, a time to recognize the millions of Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease and the loved ones who care for them. Understanding dementia can help caregivers communicate with more awareness and compassion, especially during difficult moments.
Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia changes as the disease progresses. Strategies that worked a year ago – or even a few months ago – may not work today. AgeWays offers resources, education, and practical communication tools to help caregivers understand these changes and feel more confident navigating them.
One of the hardest parts of caring for someone with Alzheimer’s is that the caregiver’s role continues to change. What a caregiver needs to know in the early stage can look very different from what they need in the middle or late stages. Understanding what may be ahead can help caregivers feel better prepared as those changes occur.
In the early stage, a person with dementia may still be largely independent. This can be an important time to have conversations about legal, financial, and care preferences while the person can participate in those decisions.
In the middle stage, caregivers often provide more hands-on support as confusion, repetition, and changes in behavior increase, and safety planning may become a bigger part of daily life.
In the late stage, care often shifts toward comfort, dignity, and connection through touch, familiar voices, and sensory experiences, even as verbal communication becomes more difficult.
For a more expansive breakdown of what to expect at each stage, along with practical tips for responding to the changes as they come, read our earlier post, What to Expect When Caring for Someone with Alzheimer’s.
Communication is one of the biggest challenges dementia caregivers face, and it’s rarely just about words. As dementia progresses, tone, facial expressions, and body language can become just as important as what’s being said.
Dementia communication strategies caregivers can lean on:
These communication strategies can also help caregivers respond to challenging situations, including agitation, wandering, or resistance to care. These behaviors may be connected to an unmet need, discomfort, or an overwhelming environment. For more stage-specific dementia communication strategies, watch our recorded webinar, Communicating with a Loved One with Alzheimer’s Disease.
Caring for someone with dementia can be emotionally difficult, too. Caregivers may also experience grief, isolation, and stress as their responsibilities – and their relationship with the person they care for- change over time. Education can’t make those challenges disappear, but practical tools and a better understanding of dementia can help caregivers feel more prepared and less alone.AgeWays offers two free dementia caregiver programs designed to provide that support.
Dementia Education Series: This series is open to family caregivers and covers understanding dementia and memory changes, communication strategies, responding to challenging behaviors, reducing caregiver stress and burnout, creating supportive care environments, and building confidence as a caregiver.
Dementia Live Simulation: This hands-on experience gives participants a glimpse into some of the sensory and cognitive challenges a person with dementia may experience. The simulation is designed to build greater understanding and offer practical insights caregivers can use in everyday situations.
Dementia caregiving can bring new questions and challenges at every stage. Whether you’re new to caregiving or have been supporting someone for years, AgeWays can help you better understand dementia, learn practical strategies, and feel more prepared for the challenges ahead.
Both caregiver programs are free, though donations are always welcome. Register for either class by phone at (833) 262-2200, by email at WellnessPrograms@AgeWays.org, or through the online registration form on each class page at AgeWays.org.
AgeWays’ local programs are one part of a caregiver’s support system, and it helps to know where else to turn between classes and appointments. The Alzheimer’s Association offers a free 24/7 helpline at (800) 272-3900 with confidential support, crisis assistance, and local resources in more than 200 languages, along with care consultations, support groups, and on-demand ALZ Talks webinars covering dementia and caregiving topics. Their site is also a reliable place to search for a local chapter and connect with other caregivers navigating the same road.
Observed every September in the U.S. (and recognized globally as World Alzheimer’s Month), National Alzheimer’s Month raises awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia and highlights resources available to the people living with it and the caregivers who support them.
Care needs change significantly across the early, middle, and late stages of the disease, from planning conversations early on, to hands-on daily support and safety planning in the middle stage, to comfort-focused care in the late stage. See our full guide, What to Expect When Caring for Someone with Alzheimer’s, for a stage-by-stage look.
Yes. Both the Dementia Education Series and the Dementia Live simulation are free to attend, though donations are always appreciated.
What is the AgeWays Dementia Education Series? It’s a free class series covering dementia and memory changes, communication strategies, managing challenging behaviors, reducing caregiver stress, and building a supportive care environment. It’s open to family caregivers, friends, and professional caregivers.
Call (833) 262-2200, email WellnessPrograms@AgeWays.org, or visit our Workshop page here to register for an upcoming class.
