For many families, dementia isn’t defined by a single diagnosis, but by a thousand small changes. At first, it’s forgetting a word or repeating a story. Later, it’s struggling to brush hair, choose an outfit, or understand the steps of getting ready for bed. As dementia progresses, the most familiar routines — bathing, dressing, eating, brushing teeth — can become confusing or distressing. Tasks that once felt automatic may suddenly seem foreign, leading to frustration, resis

When John first began showing signs of dementia, his daughter, Julie, told herself it was typical aging. Everyone forgets things now and then, she reasoned. But when her father started insisting he could still drive safely despite getting lost twice in one week, she realized something deeper was happening. Still, whenever she gently brought it up, he laughed it off. “I’ve been driving longer than you’ve been alive,” he’d say. “I’m fine.” At first, Julie tried explaining the f