Welcome to
St. John's Online Dementia Resource Center
If you are a caregiver for a loved one living with dementia, this website is for you. You will find information and resources on virtually every aspect of your world, whether you are just beginning to provide care at home or you are a more experienced caregiver. Explore the site and let us know what you think! Contact us at any time to let us know how we can help you along this challenging journey.
Caregivers: Download your Joy Plan.
St. John’s believes every person living with dementia deserves some joy every day. As an at home caregiver, you also need to plan moments of joy for yourself. St. John’s has developed planning tools for caregivers to use at home, so you can be sure to build in the joy every day. Read about our Joy Plan. Download your free copy of the St. John’s Joy Plan.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Definition of Dementia:
Dementia is a catch-all term for a number of abnormal brain disorders with symptoms that can interfere with daily life: memory loss, forgetting words, difficulty solving problems or making decisions, and attitude/behavior changes.
It can be challenging, because s/he may have trouble finding the right words, may lose the thread of the conversation, and may have emotions s/he is unable to tell you about.
Tips to make it easier: It helps to have a personal connection—at eye level, with eye contact. Speak slowly and calmly.
Take care of yourself, and we know you’ll take better care of your loved one. At St. John’s, we understand the joys and the stress of providing care for persons living with dementia. Some days are amazing, others are difficult. And for you, at home, it can be even more challenging without the resources we have at St. John’s—backup, experts to talk to, colleagues to cheer us on and cheer us up.
Marilyn & Lauren's Story
Even though people had told me what to expect, eventually it was still really difficult to accept the fact that my mother’s memory was slipping way.