Written for the adult child or partner noticing changes in someone they love — the midnight Google search, not the medical textbook. Start with what’s happening for you right now.
Looking for a specific symptom? See our dementia symptoms reference.
If you're noticing changes and aren't sure whether to act, start here.
Concrete signs to watch for, questions to ask yourself, and how to start the conversation with a parent you're worried about — from a physician whose grandmothers are approaching 100.
How to tell the difference between normal memory changes and possible early dementia — a plain-English guide for adult children, spouses, and caregivers.
The ten early warning signs of Alzheimer's disease, in plain English — what each looks like in daily life, and how to tell it apart from normal aging.
Practical guidance for the daily reality of caregiving at home.
What to do in the weeks and months after a dementia diagnosis — legal, financial, medical, and care planning priorities that compound when started early.
The everyday reality of home care for a parent or spouse with dementia — safety, routines, hard moments, and taking care of the caregiver. A physician-written guide.
Caregiver burnout is a real clinical entity with real health consequences — and the most common factor behind nursing home placement. How to recognize it and what actually helps.
Meaningful activities for people with dementia at every stage — what engages, what calms, and what to avoid. Practical ideas from clinicians and caregivers.
What each type of care actually provides, when each is appropriate, what they cost, and how families can decide — a physician-written guide to one of the hardest decisions in dementia caregiving.
Step-by-step instructions for administering a clock drawing test at home, written for family members and non-clinical caregivers — what to say, what to watch for, and when to escalate.
How long does someone with dementia live? The real range, what factors matter most, and what these numbers can and cannot tell a family trying to plan.
The signs of late-stage dementia, what the final months and weeks typically look like, and how families can make the care focused and the time meaningful.
When hospice is appropriate for dementia, what it actually provides, how eligibility works, and why most families wish they had enrolled earlier.
Plain-English explanations of the distinctions that matter for treatment and planning.
A physician's comprehensive guide to Alzheimer's disease — what it is biologically, how it progresses, how it's diagnosed, current and emerging treatments, and what families need to know.
Dementia is an umbrella term; Alzheimer's is one specific disease under it. A plain-English guide to the distinction that confuses most families.
Lewy body dementia is the third most common dementia — and one of the most frequently missed. A plain-English guide to recognition, diagnosis, the antipsychotic warning, and what families need to know.
Frontotemporal dementia often presents as a personality change rather than memory loss — and is frequently misdiagnosed as a psychiatric condition for years. A physician's guide for families.
Vascular dementia is caused by reduced blood flow to the brain — often from small strokes or cumulative vascular damage. A physician's guide to its distinctive pattern, diagnosis, and what families can do.
Mild cognitive impairment sits between normal aging and dementia. What it is, who gets it, what the progression risk looks like, and how it's managed.
Dementia in people under 65 — also called early-onset or younger-onset dementia — has a different presentation, different causes, and requires a different evaluation. A physician's guide for families.
Depression in older adults can look strikingly like early dementia — a pattern sometimes called pseudodementia. A clinician's guide to the differences, and why it matters.
Dementia progresses in recognizable stages — early, middle, late. What to expect at each stage, how long they last, and what families need to know.
Sundowning — the late-day confusion and agitation common in dementia — has specific triggers and practical management strategies. A clinician-written guide for families.
Donepezil, rivastigmine, memantine, lecanemab — what each dementia medication does, what it doesn't, and what families should ask when one is prescribed.
How to give the clock drawing test to a parent or partner, and how it compares to other screens.
Step-by-step instructions for administering a clock drawing test at home, written for family members and non-clinical caregivers — what to say, what to watch for, and when to escalate.
A plain-English guide to what the clock drawing test measures, how doctors score it (Shulman, Mendez, Rouleau, Royall CLOX), and what the results mean.
A side-by-side comparison of the three most common cognitive screening tests — MMSE, Clock Drawing Test, and MoCA — including when each is used and what the scores mean.
The clock drawing test looks simple, but each part of the drawing maps to a distinct cognitive domain. A guide to what the face, the numbers, and the hands each tell a clinician.
The three-word recall in the Mini-Cog isn't arbitrary. Three words, combined with a clock drawing as distractor, tests delayed verbal memory in a way 5 or 10 words wouldn't.
Honest guidance on each score range and what to do next.
A Mini-Cog score of 2 or lower is a positive screen — it's a reason to see a doctor, not a diagnosis. What a positive screen actually means, and what to do next.
A Mini-Cog score of 3 or 4 is a negative screen — within the normal range. Here's why you lost a point, what it means (and doesn't), and when to follow up.
A perfect Mini-Cog score is a reassuring baseline, not a clean bill of cognitive health. What a top score actually tells you, and what it doesn't.
A calm, practical guide to what comes next if you or a loved one scored low on a clock drawing test — and why a low score is a screening result, not a diagnosis.
The questions that come up once a diagnosis — or a worry — is on the table.
How to tell when a parent or spouse with cognitive changes shouldn't drive anymore, how to assess driving safety, and how to have the hardest conversation in dementia caregiving.
How long does someone with dementia live? The real range, what factors matter most, and what these numbers can and cannot tell a family trying to plan.
Medicare, Medicaid, long-term care insurance, VA benefits, private pay — what actually covers what in dementia care, and how families can plan financially.
Poor sleep is one of the modifiable risk factors for dementia — and sleep apnea is one of the most important. A clinician's guide to what the evidence supports and what it doesn't.
If a parent has dementia, what is your actual risk? A physician's guide to the difference between familial and sporadic dementia, the APOE gene, and when genetic testing makes sense.
An estimated 40 percent of dementia cases may be preventable. A physician's guide to the twelve modifiable risk factors identified by the Lancet Commission, ranked by evidence strength.
Not all online dementia tests are based on validated clinical tools. A physician's guide to which free online screenings are real, which to avoid, and what to look for.
The clock drawing test is not a diagnosis. It is a short, honest screen that tells you whether a closer look is worth doing.