Written to you, not about you.

If You're the One With the Diagnosis

Almost everything written about dementia is addressed to the person caring for you. This is written to you — what the first months are actually like, what is worth doing…

Will I Be Happier When I Forget?

People with dementia ask this and are usually reassured instead of answered. Awareness does often fade — but what tends to replace the distress is flatness, not happiness…

The Decisions That Are Still Yours

Am I still allowed to make my own decisions?

A dementia diagnosis is not a finding of incapacity. What you can still sign, refuse and decide — and the one form Social Security will not take a POA for.

They Will Have to Guess

Why would I write anything down?

Someday a decision gets made about you by someone who cannot ask you first. Writing it down now is how you answer them in advance. What to write, and how.

Is It the Dementia, or Is It Me?

Can depression look like dementia, and dementia look like depression?

Depression affects about 38% of people with mild dementia and apathy over half. How to tell them apart, and what trials show about sertraline and mirtazapine.

When the Fear Is the Loudest Thing

Is it normal to be this afraid?

Anxiety affects about 38% of people with mild dementia. What helps, what CBT evidence shows, why benzodiazepines are on the Beers list, and when to call 988.

The Results Came Before the Doctor Did

Why am I seeing my results before my doctor has talked to me?

Since 2021, results can reach your patient portal before your doctor calls. What MRI wording, amyloid tests and MoCA scores mean, and how to ask for a delay.

What Exercise Can Do Now, and What It Cannot

Will exercise slow my dementia down?

In the DAPA trial of 494 people with dementia, intense exercise did not slow decline. What exercise does do after diagnosis: fitness, balance, 23% fewer falls.

When the Diagnosis Does Not Feel Right

Is it OK to ask for a second opinion?

In autopsy-confirmed cases, about 17% of people diagnosed with probable Alzheimer's did not have it. When a second opinion makes sense, and what to bring.

Should I Join a Clinical Trial?

Why would someone with dementia join a clinical trial?

Lecanemab was proven in a trial of 1,795 people. What joining a dementia trial involves, placebo and safety rules, what Medicare covers, and how to find one.

Protecting Your Money While It Is Still Yours to Protect

Why is money one of the first things affected?

Missed bill payments rose up to six years before a dementia diagnosis in one study of 81,364 people. Trusted contacts, credit freezes and autopay to set up now.

Telling Work

Do I have to tell my employer?

The ADA covers employers with 15+ workers, FMLA gives 12 weeks of protected leave, and early-onset Alzheimer's is a Compassionate Allowance. What to know first.

You Do Not Have to Be Right About Tuesday

Why does being corrected feel so bad?

Being corrected all day wears you down. How to ask family to stop, which corrections to keep, and the words to use, written for the person with dementia.

Telling the People You Raised

Should I tell my children at all?

How to tell your children and grandchildren about your dementia diagnosis: what to say at each age, what kids worry about, and how to keep them close.

Your Walk, Kept Safe

Should I stop walking alone now that I have a diagnosis?

Many people with early dementia walk alone safely. Medical ID on your lock screen, location sharing, a charged phone, and exactly what to do if you get lost.

Talk to Me, Not About Me

Why does this happen?

In 25 recorded diagnosis visits, doctors shifted from talking with the patient to talking about them. How to stay part of your appointments and conversations.

After the Job Ends

Why does stopping work hit so hard?

Leaving work after a dementia diagnosis takes away structure and purpose. Volunteering, advocacy, research, memory cafés and teaching what you know best.

Still Married, Not Only Cared For

What changes when a partner becomes a caregiver?

When dementia turns a partner into a caregiver, both lose something. How couples keep the marriage, share decisions and protect the caregiver's health.

When You See Things That Are Not There

Why am I seeing things that are not there?

About 70% of people with Lewy body dementia have visual hallucinations. Why they happen, what helps, and the antipsychotic warning to give every doctor and ER.

When Sleep Goes Wrong

Why is my sleep so different since the diagnosis?

Sleep apnea showed up in 45% of people with Alzheimer's in small studies. What helps sleep, why Benadryl and Ambien are risky, and what melatonin does.

Grieving What Has Not Happened Yet

Why am I grieving something that has not happened?

Grieving in advance for the people, music and abilities you fear losing is common after a dementia diagnosis. Why it happens, what helps, when to get support.

On Your Own, Not Alone

Can I keep living on my own?

About 1 in 7 people with dementia lives alone, and up to half have no identifiable caregiver. How to stay on your own safely, and the support to set up now.

Go While You Want To

Can I still travel?

Many people travel after a dementia diagnosis. TSA Cares at 855-787-2227, travel insurance and pre-existing conditions, and how to plan a trip you enjoy.

The Music Stays Longer

Will I lose my music?

Musical memory often lasts longest in Alzheimer's, and a 2015 brain study helps explain why. What music can still do for you, and what the research shows.

Your Keys, Your Call, For Now

Do I have to stop driving now?

Up to 76% of people with dementia pass an on-road driving test, but self-rating is unreliable. How to get evaluated, plan ahead and stop on your own terms.

Let the Phone Remember

Why set this up now?

The phone settings, reminders, smart speaker routines and pill dispensers that help most with early dementia, and why to set them up while learning is easier.

When You Are Still the One Caring

Can I keep caring for someone after my own diagnosis?

Some people are diagnosed with dementia while caring for a parent or spouse. How to plan for both of you, line up backup, and avoid a crisis later on.

Still Their Parent

Am I alone in this?

About 200,000 Americans under 65 have dementia, many with children at home. Telling kids, keeping your role as a parent, money, and the genetics question.