Deck the Halls With Memories: How to Make Story Ornaments With Someone With Dementia

 November 19, 2025 by Dean Bellefeuille

A woman with dementia and her granddaughters work together on making story ornaments.

The holidays are full of sparkle, but let’s be honest: the ornaments with the biggest shine aren’t the glittery ones from the store. They’re the ones with a story. The macaroni star held together by too much glue. The Popsicle-stick snowflake that somehow survived three decades. The ornament that’s just a picture of Uncle Joe’s dog wearing a Santa beard (and still makes everyone laugh every year). (more…)


How Mental Singing Helps With Parkinson’s Walking Challenges

 November 12, 2025 by Dean Bellefeuille

A man listens to music and sings to himself to help with Parkinson’s walking challenges.

Dad shuffles a little when he walks, his steps uneven, his balance sometimes shaky. It’s all part and parcel of Parkinson’s disease. But research is revealing a surprising new tool that can help with Parkinson’s walking challenges. And it’s so simple, it can literally be used anywhere, any time. (more…)


A Breakthrough Brings New Hope in Alzheimer’s Care

 November 6, 2025 by Dean Bellefeuille

A woman smiles and shows off the bandage on her arm that’s related to a treatment option bringing new hope in Alzheimer’s care.

If you’ve ever tried getting someone with Alzheimer’s ready for a doctor’s appointment, you know it’s rarely as simple as “let’s go.” There are layers of stress: convincing them to put on a coat, handling confusion about why they’re leaving the house, navigating anxiety in the car, and then bracing for the unfamiliar chaos of waiting rooms and fluorescent lights. What should be a simple trip can feel like climbing a mountain. (more…)


Complications After Rehab—and the Solution You May Be Missing

 September 17, 2025 by Dean Bellefeuille

A woman experiencing complications after rehab lies in bed.

It started with a clear plan: Mom would go to rehab, get stronger, and come home. But then—progress slowed. The days blurred into weeks. A discharge date appeared, then disappeared. And suddenly, words like “long-term stay” or “nursing home” were on the table. Complications after rehab can turn a short recovery into an open-ended question. But here’s the part families often don’t hear: there’s still room to rewrite the ending. (more…)


Real-World Advice on Coping With Anger in Dementia Care

 September 3, 2025 by Dean Bellefeuille

A woman is effectively coping with anger in dementia care by pausing to look out the window.

You’re doing your best. You show up every day, you try to stay calm, you remind yourself that it’s the disease, not the person. But sometimes, when the same question is asked for the 12th time in an hour, when you’re met with resistance while trying to help, when you haven’t had a full night’s sleep in weeks, something inside you snaps. And then comes the guilt. (more…)


How to Work Through Caregiver Guilt After Loss

 August 19, 2025 by Dean Bellefeuille

The silhouette of a person watching the sunset represents feelings of caregiver guilt after loss.

You gave your time, your energy, and your heart. You rearranged your life to care for someone you love, and now that they’re gone, you expected to feel grief. What you probably didn’t expect was guilt. Guilt for the things you said. Or didn’t say. For not doing more. Or for feeling relieved that it’s over. Feelings of caregiver guilt after loss can come in waves. Knowing how to process and manage them in a healthy way is an important step toward healing. (more…)