Posts by:

Pam Brandon

Diverse group of adults participating in a community dementia education session focused on understanding and empathy.

Dementia Live® as a Community Catalyst: Accelerating Awareness, Empathy, and Dementia‑Friendly Action

Dementia is no longer a challenge limited to memory care neighborhoods or clinical settings. It is a community‑wide issue—one that touches families, workplaces, faith communities, first responders, transportation systems, and local businesses. With more than 55 million people worldwide living with dementia and millions more providing care, communities need tools that move people from awareness to meaningful action.

Dementia Live is emerging as one of the most powerful catalysts for that shift.

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Dementia Training: Essential for PACE Programs Facing 2026 Challenges

The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) was designed to serve individuals with complex medical, functional, and social needs. As dementia prevalence continues to rise, PACE programs are increasingly caring for participants whose cognitive impairment impacts nearly every aspect of care delivery. 
 
As we approach 2026, PACE organizations face a convergence of challenges: 

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Compassionate Touch® and the CMS HOPE Model: A Powerful, Research-Driven Approach to Pain, Symptoms, and Psychosocial Support in Hospice Care

As CMS prepares the field for the Hospice Outcomes & Patient Evaluation (HOPE) Model, hospice organizations nationwide are re-examining how they deliver, document, and demonstrate quality. The HOPE Model — a comprehensive assessment and quality framework designed to replace the Hospice Item Set (HIS) — elevates key domains of care that lie at the heart of hospice philosophy. These include pain management, symptom (and behavioral) management, and psychosocial and spiritual needs. 
 
Learn more from CMS here. 

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It’s Time to Lead: How Aging Service Providers and Health Plans Must Step Up to Support Family Caregivers

The newly released Caregiving in the U.S. 2025 report from AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving paints a clear and sobering picture: 63 million Americans—nearly 1 in 4 adults—are now providing care to someone with a serious health condition or disability. This represents a 45% increase since 2015 and reflects a caregiving landscape that is larger, more diverse, and more complex than at any time in our nation’s history. 

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From Classroom to Care Floor: Making Dementia Training Stick

From Classroom to Care Floor: Making Dementia Training Stick

In care communities across the country, a familiar story plays out every day. A staff member completes a training, nods along with the key points, and maybe even walks away inspired. But when the next shift begins, faced with a hallway full of needs, time constraints, and the unpredictable nature of dementia, much of that knowledge stays tucked away in a binder or learning portal.

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