Continuing our World Alzheimer's Month theme on stigma, what happens when well-meaning friends suddenly stop calling? When family members talk about you instead of with you? In this powerful episode, National Dementia Trainer Dawn Platt tackles the hidden crisis that strikes right after a dementia diagnosis—stigma. It's not born from cruelty, but from fear and misunderstanding that can make someone feel erased from their own story. Dawn reveals the devastating myths that fuel this stigma, shares heart-wrenching stories from families who've lived it, and offers a roadmap for pushing back. Because here's the truth: a diagnosis doesn't erase a person's worth—but stigma can make them feel like it does. If you've ever wondered how to support someone with dementia, or if you're carrying the weight of these labels yourself, this episode will change how you see everything.

When a family member questioned whether memory care activities could truly preserve cognition, calling it a "degenerative disease" that "rarely slows down," host Dawn Platt knew she had to set the record straight. In this eye-opening episode, Dawn teams up with Maggie Mariello, National Assistant Director of Memory Care Programs with over 20 years of experience, to reveal the shocking difference between communities that simply house residents and those that ignite their minds daily. From the veteran who tends gardens using his landscape architecture expertise to the Juilliard graduate who regains speech through piano, you'll discover how the right programming doesn't just fill time—it preserves the person inside the disease. If you're choosing between assisted living and memory care for your loved one, this episode could completely transform your decision and give you hope you didn't know was possible.

In honor of World Alzheimer's Month, host Dawn Platt launches a powerful new series on dementia stigma with a heartbreaking yet eye-opening conversation. Meet Mary, a devoted daughter who cared for her mother with vascular dementia, only to face accusations, judgment, and social rejection from the very people who should have offered support. When her mother's friends began questioning Mary's motives and even believing confabulations and false accusations of abuse, Mary found herself defending not just her caregiving choices, but her character and love for her mother. This raw, emotional episode reveals the hidden pain families endure when dementia's cruel effects turn loved ones against their caregivers—and exposes how misunderstanding and denial can devastate those who need compassion most. A must-listen for anyone touched by dementia or those who want to truly understand what families face behind closed doors.