Minding Dementia Training Program
A Practical Guide for Family Members and Caregivers to Maintaining Their Sanity
Throughout the Alzheimer's Journey
In this comprehensive..
self-guided, 6-part course, written by Lisa Skinner, CPD, CDT, she uncovers the tremendous challenges that family members, caregivers, and people living with Alzheimer's disease face living through the stages of its progression, and offers you step-by-step guidance on how to work through what inevitably may arise on a daily basis. Nobody expects to hear those dreaded words from a doctor, "I'm afraid we're looking at Alzheimer's disease'.
It might happen in someone else's family or to the neighbor, but not to ours. Right? Unfortunately, it can happen in anyone's family, at any time, and, according to The World Health Organization and The Alzheimer's Association, the number of people projected to develop it worldwide is expected to triple by the year 2050 if a treatment or a cure is not found. That means the risk of it reaching more families over the next 25 years is alarming.
If it already has or will eventually touch your family, do you know how you prepare for that long journey ahead? Not too many people really give it much thought until it strikes, then the panic sets in.
Here are some of the most realistic fears, frustrations, dreams, and desires that we experience when it does...
Fears
Frustrations
Dreams
Desires
Losing their loved one
emotionally before physically
emotionally before physically
Repeating themselves constantly
Emotionally reconnecting with their loved one
Mastering communication that actually works
Burnout — emotionally or physically
Loved one insists on a different reality
Finding moments of peace amidst the chaos
Stopping fights and tension to find harmony
Making things worse by accident
Unhelpful or critical family members
Keeping their loved one at home longer
Learning how to "enter their loved one's reality"
Being forgotten or unrecognized
Mood swings, paranoia, resistance
Creating new, positive memories
A trusted, step-by-step caregiving framework
Watching their loved one suffer
Traditional advice that doesn't help
Feeling empowered as a caregiver
Feeling less alone and more supported
Not doing enough / doing it wrong
Not understanding what their loved one wants
Strengthening family bonds
Becoming calm in chaos, not reactive
Becoming a stranger to their loved one
Constant exhaustion and no breaks
Being a source of calm and strength
Protecting loved one's dignity with boundaries
Losing patience and snapping
Not calming delusions/hallucinations
Ensuring their loved one feels safe and loved
Making the most of the time left
Wandering or getting hurt
Feeling isolated and misunderstood
Feeling understood and validated
Feeling confident they're "doing it right"
Being unprepared for what's next
Guilt for needing personal time
Gaining real caregiving tools that work
Transforming from overwhelmed to empowered
IS THIS FOR ME?
The Minding Dementia Training Program addresses all these challenges, plus many, many more...
- "Want your loved one to stop fighting you? Learn how to step into their reality, not pull them into yours."
- "You can't logic with a brain that's losing logic. But you can connect with love here's how."
- "The biggest mistake families make with dementia and why it creates more anger, not less."
- "If your loved one is living in 1952, don't drag them back. Here's what to do instead."
- "Hallucinations. Delusions. Paranoia. You don't have to 'fix' them... you need to do this."
- "Caregivers: Are you accidentally making dementia worse by doing what feels 'right'?"
- "I've spent 30 years helping families connect through the fog of dementia. This is what actually works."
- "When your dad says 'strangers are in the house'... this is what to say and what NOT to say."
- "They're not angry at you. They're scared of a world they no longer recognize."
- "Want your loved one to stop fighting you? Learn how to step into their reality, not pull them into yours."
- "Most people argue with dementia. I'll show you how to build trust instead."
- "Don't correct them. Don't remind them. Don't argue. Do this one thing instead..."
- "Your calmness becomes their safety. Here's how to stay grounded when dementia spirals."
- "The heartbreaking truth: Dementia steals the person, but not their need to feel loved."
- "You don't need to be perfect. You need to be present, and trained to respond, not react."
- "When your loved one sees you as a stranger... what you say next can change everything."
- "Here's what 99% of dementia advice gets wrong and what Lisa's clients do instead."
And I will show you how...
We will examine throughout the course:
- Memory Loss: Difficulty remembering recent events, conversations, and names is often the first sign of Alzheimer's.
- Difficulty with Familiar Tasks: Struggling to complete routine tasks that were once familiar, like using a phone or operating home appliances.
- Language Problems: Trouble finding the right words, understanding conversations, or following along in discussions.
- Disorientation: Losing track of dates, seasons, and the passage of time. Individuals may also become lost in familiar places
- Impaired Judgment: Decreased ability to make decisions, judge distance, or recognize safety hazards.
- Misplacing Things: Frequently losing items and being unable to retrace steps to find them.
- Changes in Mood and Behavior: Experiencing mood swings, depression, social withdrawal, distrust in others, irritability, and aggression.
- Difficulty with Complex Tasks: Challenges in planning, organizing, following instructions, and dealing with numbers.
- Visual and Spatial Abilities Impairment: Difficulty reading, judging distance, determining color or contrast, which can lead to problems with driving.
- Withdrawal from Social Activities: Losing interest in hobbies, social activities, and other engagements.
This course will teach and prepare you for what you need to know to live a harmonious life with your loved ones...
These are some of the central foundations Lisa would like you to know...
These are some of the central foundations Lisa would like you to know...
- "They're not trying to frustrate you. Their compass, the part of their brain that tells them where they are and who they're with is broken. What they need is someone who will walk beside them, not point out they're lost."
- "Dementia is like a 1,000-piece puzzle where the image keeps changing and some pieces are missing. Your job isn't to finish it — just to help them feel less alone while they try."
- "Imagine living inside a dream, confusing, vivid, emotional. Now imagine everyone keeps telling you it's not real. That's how they feel."
- "They're still in there behind a locked door. Every moment of empathy is like a key that might open it for a few precious seconds."
- "You're on FM. They're broadcasting on AM. You won't hear them unless you adjust your dial and listen differently."
These challenges can vary greatly from person to person and may change as the disease progresses. It's important for caregivers and family members to be aware of these challenges to provide the appropriate support and care.
Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of Alzheimer's challenges and acquire practical tools and approaches to better support individuals with Alzheimer's while prioritizing their own well-being as caregivers or family members.
Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of Alzheimer's challenges and acquire practical tools and approaches to better support individuals with Alzheimer's while prioritizing their own well-being as caregivers or family members.