Dementia Care Insights

Kim Warchol shares ten common phrases to avoid when communicating with someone living with dementia and offers person-centered alternatives that support more positive interactions.

Learn how investing in staff knowledge and skills can improve care quality, consistency, and outcomes for individuals living with dementia.

Discover the Dementia Care Specialists Can Do spirit and learn how focusing on remaining abilities, person-centered care, and meaningful engagement can help improve quality of life for individuals living with dementia.

When care partners recognize how cognitive changes impact communication, function, routines, and daily interactions, they are better equipped to provide support that is more compassionate, person-centered, and abilities-focused.

When we shift our focus from what’s being lost to what still remains, we create opportunities for connection, purpose, dignity, and trust.

In this video, we explore an important question: How does mentorship shape the way we deliver dementia care?

A personal message on transition, purpose, and what comes next. In this video, Kim shares an important milestone—her retirement, effective March 31.

Caring for someone with dementia, especially at the end of life, is one of the most emotional and complex journeys a family can face. In this video, we explore the profound impact dementia has on not only individuals but also their loved ones and caregivers. 

In this video, Lana Dorffer, Director of Dementia Care Specialists, shares an important reminder: our senses anchor us to memories, people, and moments that matter. From familiar aromas and favorite music to gentle touch and calming lighting, sensory engagement can help ease anxiety, encourage communication, and create meaningful connections through person-centered dementia care.

Stress affects everyone, but for someone living with dementia, it can be intensified by memory loss and changes in perception—making person-centered care essential. The American Heart Association highlights the power of connection, noting the benefits of reducing stress through its various forms.

In this video, Lana Dorffer, Director of Dementia Care Specialists, shares a powerful reminder about the importance of understanding a person’s life story. She recounts how a caregiver once hummed an old jazz tune that instantly calmed a gentleman in her care. Later, his family shared that he had played the saxophone in a small band in his twenties.

Supporting people living with dementia starts with environments designed to reduce stress, encourage independence, and promote meaningful engagement, every step of the way.

In this video, Sharon Jackson shares an important reminder: burnout is real, and resilient, supported teams are essential to strengthening retention, confidence, and compassionate dementia care. Through our work with consulting clients and care teams, we’ve seen how a culture of support, grace, and shared purpose makes a meaningful difference.

Learn how to respond when a stress reaction occurs in dementia care. Discover calming strategies to reduce anxiety and help individuals feel safe and supported.

Discover how dementia care training delivers real ROI. Learn how education improves staff confidence, reduces stress, and enhances quality of care outcomes.

We often default to asking simple "yes or no" questions in conversation: "Do you want to eat now?" "Are you ready to walk?" However, for someone living with dementia, these seemingly easy questions can be sources of immense stress and confusion, often leading to refusal or agitation.

How often do you hear "No," "I don't want to," or "Get away from me" when providing care? Resistance and refusal are very common - and frustrating -behaviors in dementia care, especially around tasks like bathing, dressing, or taking medication.

In dementia care, preventing a crisis is always easier than managing one. The key to prevention lies in spotting the subtle, often overlooked "quiet signs" of distress and anxiety before they escalate.

Wandering and searching behaviors are common in dementia, but when do they cross the line into becoming a serious safety concern? Understanding the difference and knowing how to respond is critical for every caregiver.

Resistance to care is one of the most stressful and physically challenging aspects of dementia caregiving. Whether it’s refusal during dressing, bathing, or medication time, these moments can leave both the individual and the caregiver feeling frustrated and upset.

Struggling with effective ways to address distress behaviors like anxiety in dementia care? You’re not alone. In this week’s Dementia Care Insight, Lana shares how using person-centered care can reduce anxiety and other distress behaviors for those living with dementia.

Dealing with repetitive questions in dementia care is one of the most common and challenging experiences for healthcare professionals. If you're struggling with individuals constantly asking the same question (like "Where is my car?"). This video offers a simple yet transformative strategy to reduce distress and anxiety.

Mealtimes are meant to be pleasant, but when distress behaviors or refusal occur, they can become a source of immense stress for both the individual and the caregiver. If you're frequently asking, "Are You Struggling with Individuals Who Have Distress Behaviors During Mealtime?", this video is for you.

Kim Warchol, President and Founder of Dementia Care Specialists (Crisis Prevention Institute), answers a popular question: Why did we create the Dementia Capable Care Learning Library?

When an individual living with dementia acts out, becomes agitated, or resists care, these actions are often labeled as "challenging behaviors." But at their core, these are distress behaviors—a way of communicating an unmet need, discomfort, or confusion.

For individuals living with dementia, a predictable and well-structured routine is not a luxury - it's a critical tool for reducing anxiety and promoting stability. But how can healthcare professionals consistently create and implement routines that truly work?

For healthcare organizations committed to providing the highest quality of care, continuous, in-house staff training is essential. But what is the most cost-effective and impactful way to achieve this?