Voices of Dementia Caregivers: Real Stories and Experiences
Being Patient VOICES is a platform written by caregivers about their own experiences.
Here, people who care for someone living with cognitive decline can share their wisdom, guidance, humor, insight, and fellowship with others on a similar journey.
Featured Caregiver Essays
Linda Pruden reflects on the moments of presence, love, and personal transformation she found while caregiving.
Rebecca Friedman Lockhart writes about adjusting to a new normal as a caregiver.
Kira Wang writes about the early changes she saw in grandmother who lives with dementia, and the pieces of her grandmother she’s holding on to.
Cheri Davies reflects on how her son opened her eyes to what younger-onset Alzheimer’s is.
Recent Caregiver Essays
Share Your Story: Your Voice Matters
Share Your Story: Your Voice Matters
We welcome contributions from dementia and Alzheimer’s caregivers and from people who have or had a loved one with dementia. Think you might have a story to share? Please email lauren@beingpatient.com we will get in touch.
Explore dementia caregiving learning guides
Explore dementia caregiving learning guides
Click on a topic below to view the guide.
FAQs about VOICES and caregiving
If you are interested in sharing your own caregiving story with Being Patient, please email lauren@beingpatient.com for information on how to contribute.
We cover a wide range of specific caregiving challenges in depth, drawing on expert guidance and real caregiver experiences. You can explore all caregiving topics at beingpatient.com/tag/caregiving and https://beingpatient.com/for-caregivers/. For sundowning, dementia care consultant Christy Turner recommends keeping as much daylight as possible in the home, sticking to a consistent schedule, especially later in the day, and keeping the person active, such as taking long walks, so energy is expended before bedtime. If you are navigating refusal of care, such as resistance to bathing, experts emphasize that success lies in the approach: being sensitive to the person’s needs, respecting their dignity, explaining each step gently, and adapting routines to their comfort.
These stories are written by fellow caregivers from a variety of backgrounds. Some of the caregivers are also medical professionals, but the majority are not.
