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The Caregiver's JourneyFinally! Practical tips and candid conversations for Alzheimer's and other dementia caregivers Author: Sue Ryan and Nancy Treaster Language: en Genres: Education, Health & Fitness, How To, Mental Health Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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Why the Right Dementia Diagnosis Matters: Five Essential Tips / Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias
Episode 54
Tuesday, 27 January, 2026
“An accurate early dementia diagnosis is essential. It can make a significant difference in how families navigate the diagnosis.” Esther Kane, MSN, RN Your loved one has been diagnosed with dementia… but do you ever wonder if they’ve been diagnosed with the correct type? Do you find yourself thinking: “This diagnosis doesn’t quite fit what I’m seeing.” You’re not alone. Getting the correct diagnosis opens the right doors to support, care, and community that you might not have known existed. We are Sue Ryan and Nancy Treaster. As caregivers for our loved ones with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia, we’ve learned firsthand that not all dementias are the same. Understanding the specific type of dementia your loved one has ensures they’re receiving the correct medical care and helps you connect with the education, targeted support groups, and research opportunities tailored to your loved one’s specific needs. In this post, we’re sharing insights from Esther Kane, a registered nurse and the Director of Support and Education for the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD). As a director of nursing in multiple memory care facilities, Esther’s entire career has been supporting and caring for individuals living with all types of dementia. In her role at AFTD, Esther works to advance early, accurate FTD diagnoses in order to improve the quality of life for those impacted by the disease. We’re exploring five essential tips for ensuring your loved one receives the correct dementia diagnosis and how to leverage this knowledge for better care. Full Show Notes https://thecaregiversjourney.org/54-why-the-right-dementia-diagnosis-matters-five-essential-tips-alzheimers-and-other-dementias/ Additional Resources Mentioned Alzheimer’s Association 10 signs of dementia: https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/10_signsNavigating Dementia Caregiving Roadmap guide: https://thecaregiversjourney.org/guides/Association for Frontotemporal Dementia (AFTD): https://www.theaftd.org/Support the nonprofit The Caregiver's Journey: https://give.cornerstone.cc/thecaregiversjourney Takeaways Tip 1: Learn More About Dementia and Push to Dig Deeper Tip 2: Find Your Specific Diagnosis Community, Resources, and Support Tip 3: Monitor Disease Progression and Prepare Tip 4: Investigate Clinical Trials Tip 5: Understand the Genetic Risk Associated with This Diagnosis Read More in This Blog https://sueryansolutions.medium.com/53-why-the-right-dementia-diagnosis-matters-five-essential-tips-alzheimers-and-other-dementias-b6afe1179898?postPublishedType=repub













