Our guest, Mary Lou Hernandez, a social worker for Banner Alzheimer’s institute, shares with us her practical strategies for helping care partners avoid arguments. She helps us untangle what instigates these interactions and how you can validate the emotions of your loved one with dementia in order to move forward. She reminds us of the obvious triggers that create uncomfortable situations and how to promote an environment that’s more conducive calm, instead of conflict. Understanding that caregiving is a learning process, she implores us to find the positivity in our efforts and be kind to ourselves as we navigate the dementia journey.