All About Alzheimer's Newsletter- Monday 28th April 2025

Welcome to your weekly roundup of insights and stories from All About Alzheimer's.

We strive to bring you the most valuable and relevant information to assist you on your journey as a caregiver.

Table of Contents:

1. Quote of the Day

2. Interesting Stories This Week

3. Caregiver Support Program WAITLIST

4. Alzheimer’s Clinic Provides Time and Hope

5. Feedback & Engagement

6. The Alzheimer’s & Dementia Virtual Care Conference WAITLIST

Interesting Stories This Week:

In TEDx Talk, Neuroscientist Shares Her Father’s FTD Story and Her Hope for Dementia Research Breakthroughs

Memory loss isn’t always Alzheimer’s: Experts warn of common but little-known dementia

Grey Matter Neurosciences secures $14M for Alzheimer's Disease

New study finds people with this particular strength are more likely to get dementia

UCLH recruits first participant internationally for new trial in Frontotemporal dementia

Caregiver Training & Support Group

Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s can be isolating, exhausting, and emotionally heavy, but it doesn’t have to be faced alone.

We’re proud to be launching a Caregiver Training & Support Group, offering you ongoing, expert-led support built specifically for the challenges of dementia care.

What’s included:

• Expert-Led Training: Based on a programme used in 35 countries, designed to help carers improve communication, manage challenging behaviours, and build stronger emotional bonds.

• Supportive Community: Become part of a private group of caregivers who get it, a place for encouragement, sharing, and inspiration.

• Monthly Activities & Resources: New exercises and practical tools each month to help you stay motivated, connected, and resilient.

This programme will equip you with strategies not only to care better for your loved one, but also to take better care of yourself.

And if you’ve already signed up… thank you! You’re in.

9 Dementia Communication Strategies

Communicating with your loved one who has Alzheimer’s or other dementias is a complex, challenging and tricky process.

Your loved one’s ability to understand others and express themselves can vary day to day or even hour by hour. In addition, it can in part depend on what stage of the disease they are in.

If it’s early stage, that will be different to the late stages when they may not be communicating at all.

When communication between your loved one and you gets fraught, the consequences are felt on both sides.

Frustration happens as your loved one may be overwhelmed, and you can get upset. It requires massive patience.

However, try these 9 strategies:

1. Be an active listener: While speaking, look directly at your loved one, nod affirmatively and use other body language to let them know you’re tuning in. It may mean gently rephrasing the wording. Try to remain fully engaged even if it’s only for a few minutes.

2. Do not confront: Eg if you asked your loved one if they had taken their medication and they say yes [but you notice it’s still in their pillbox] avoid a standoff. Do not say ‘You forgot’. Instead wait a few minutes and say ‘It looks like the pills are still in your pillbox….why don’t we take them now’.

3. Agree with their reality: Trying to correct your loved one, whose perception has been altered by their dementia, never brings them back to your reality. It just makes them frustrated and annoyed. So go with the flow.

4. Remove distractions: Your loved one may struggle to listen and speak when the television or radio is on. These stimuli are harder to field with someone who has dementia. When talking to your loved one, pick a place where it’s quiet with no distractions.

5. Use shorter sentences and smaller words: Your loved one can’t absorb much information at any one time, so keep your language simple. Break all tasks into small steps with 1 or 2 sentences.

6. Ask yes or no questions: Avoid open-ended questions. E.g. ‘Would you like a cup of coffee? will work better than ‘would you like a drink’?

7. Don’t interrupt or assume: It may be tempting to try and finish their sentences, but fight the urge. Give them time to try and work it out.

8. Write it down: Verbal communication isn’t always the best choice. Use lists and schedules to help guide them towards tasks and activities.

9. Use touch: Dementia is a lonely experience, but loving attention and touch can help connection with your loved one. Holding their hands can be reassuring for them.

We Value Your Feedback

Did you find the insights in the ‘Alzheimer’s Lifeline’ report helpful?

We’re always looking to better support caregivers like you and could really use your help to understand how.

Would you mind taking a quick survey? It’ll just take a few minutes, and your answers will help us shape our support to better suit your needs.

Alzheimer’s & Dementia Virtual Care Conference

If you’re caring for someone with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, you don’t have to figure out the journey alone.

We’re excited to invite you to join the waitlist for our Alzheimer’s & Dementia Virtual Care Conference, a one-day online event created just for caregivers like you.

Here’s what you can expect:

• Inspiring Personal Stories: Hear from real caregivers who understand what you're going through and share their lessons and encouragement.

• Practical Tools & Strategies: Get useful techniques to help with everyday challenges like communication, routine, and self-care.

• Expert Guidance: Learn from leading dementia care specialists in a supportive, welcoming environment that understands your reality.

This conference is designed to help you feel more confident, more connected, and more supported.

And if you’ve already signed up… thank you! You’re in.