Guest Author: Christine O’Connor As an only child tasked with caring for my mother with Alzheimer’s while working full-time in a demanding public relations job, I often felt like I was living two lives. Even with a daytime caregiver, language barriers and lack of transportation meant that every appointment, every call, every crisis fell to me. I learned the hard way how much planning and support matter. This guide shares techniques I adopted, along with those recommended by o

The first signs seemed so small that they were easy to dismiss. A forgotten word here, a misplaced item there. My mom, a sharp and meticulous woman who spent decades as a medical malpractice attorney, started stumbling over details she used to command effortlessly. I remember referencing an internet checklist with my siblings, the kind that compares “normal aging” to “possible Alzheimer’s”. We went through every line and decided it was all just age-related. How could it be an

A trip to the Emergency Department is sometimes necessary, but for people living with dementia, it’s not something to take lightly. As an ER nurse, I know hospitalizations can be life-changing events. They disrupt routines, expose patients to unfamiliar environments, and can accelerate confusion or functional decline. Research supports what caregivers and clinicians already know: people living with dementia are far more likely to end up in the ER than their peers. A 2023 stud

The foundation of our mission at Simon has always been straightforward, however difficult it may be to achieve: to promote and protect independence outside of the home for people living with dementia.  The reasons for this are many, each with significant cascading value. More and more research supports our mission as being key to health and longevity not just for people living with dementia, but their family members and carers as well.  But before we get into the research, it