Most people are surprised to learn that Alzheimer’s disease represents just one of more than 100 types of dementia. This staggering fact is often overlooked—and yet it has profound implications for diagnosis, treatment, and quality of life.

In the second episode of our Alzheimer’s Awareness Month series, Host Dawn Platt highlights why understanding the specific type of dementia is essential, not optional. Families often assume all dementia is Alzheimer’s, but each type presents differently and requires tailored approaches to care.

Discover why one woman's misdiagnosis changed everything about her care, learn the critical differences between vascular dementia's sudden drops and Lewy body's fluctuating clarity, and understand why getting the right diagnosis could transform your loved one's treatment plan.

Whether you are walking this journey with a parent, spouse, other family member or friend, this conversation will broaden your perspective and empower you to advocate more effectively. Join the 55 million families worldwide committed to facing dementia with knowledge, clarity, and support.

Join Dawn Platt as she kicks off a powerful series for National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month, exploring the truth behind a disease that affects nearly 7 million Americans—and counting. This isn't just about forgetting where you put your keys. Discover why a grandmother who can recall her wedding day can't remember how to make her morning tea, learn the critical difference between normal aging and Alzheimer's, and find out why early detection could change everything. Dawn shares real stories of families navigating this journey and reveals the surprising ways music, emotion, and connection can reach parts of the brain untouched by the disease. Whether you're caring for a loved one, noticing changes in yourself, or simply want to understand what millions face daily, this episode offers hope, clarity, and practical guidance. Because even as memories fade, the heart still remembers love.

With Veterans Day approaching, we're sharing information about a benefit that could change everything for families paying for dementia care. Millions of veterans and widows qualify for financial help with memory care costs—but most have no idea it exists. Host Dawn Platt sits down with Suzette Graham, CEO of Patriot Angels, to discuss a little-known VA benefit that could add thousands of dollars monthly to help cover care expenses. From a heartbreaking story about sacrifice to surprising eligibility requirements families often miss, this conversation reveals why so few are accessing the support they've earned. If you're caring for a veteran or military spouse with dementia and struggling with the cost of care, this episode is a must-listen.

If you're torn about whether to bring your loved one home from memory care this holiday season, feeling guilty about changing traditions, or wondering how to make the holidays special without overwhelming them—this episode is for you. Host Dawn Platt offers compassionate guidance on creating smaller, calmer gatherings that honor what matters most: connection over perfection. Learn practical modifications like timing visits when your loved one is most alert, simplifying menus, managing overstimulation, and preparing family members for realistic expectations. Dawn shares her own story of adapting her mom's cherished gift-giving tradition as dementia progressed, and reminds us that the smallest moments—a familiar song, a favorite dessert, holding hands by the tree—are often the most meaningful. This holiday season doesn't have to look like it used to for it to be filled with love.

Not all memory care programs are created equal—and if you're touring communities right now, you need to know what questions to ask. In this eye-opening episode, host Dawn Platt sits down with Maggie Mariello, a memory care director with over 25 years of experience to reveal why outdated programs fail those living with dementia today. From the shocking success story of a man who struggled at three communities before thriving with the right approach, to the critical difference between recreational activities and true science-based programming, this conversation arms you with the insider knowledge you need. Learn what neuroplasticity really means for your loved one, why behavioral management training matters more than the building's amenities, and the specific questions that separate communities truly equipped to handle modern dementia care from those stuck decades in the past.

What happens when the person you love most begins to disappear before they're truly gone? In this raw and powerful episode, host Dawn Platt sits down with Mary, whose mother's five-year journey with vascular dementia transformed their once-idyllic relationship into something unrecognizable. Mary opens up about the brutal reality of losing her best friend twice—first to the disease's cruel personality changes and accusations, then to death itself. From a Christmas miracle that brought glimpses of her "old mom" back, to the guilt that haunts caregivers even after doing everything right, Mary's story reveals the two chapters of grief that no one warns you about. If you've ever wondered whether you're alone in feeling relief mixed with devastating loss, or if those final moments together were somehow meant to be, this conversation will speak directly to your heart.

What happens when a sophisticated scammer targets someone living with dementia? In this eye-opening episode of The Disappearing Mind, host Dawn Platt sits down with Mary, whose mother fell victim to a romance scam that evolved over four years—morphing from a fake military general to an impersonated celebrity. Mary shares the heartbreaking reality of watching her mother get manipulated, buy gift cards, and plan a new life in Italy with someone who never existed. But this isn't just a story about financial loss—it's about the impossible balance between protecting someone you love and preserving their dignity, the warning signs families miss, and why traditional advice often fails when dementia is involved. If you think this could never happen to your family, this episode will change your mind.

When a dementia diagnosis arrives, does the person disappear behind the label? In this powerful episode of The Disappearing Mind, host Dawn Platt challenges us to see beyond the diagnosis and recognize the vibrant human being who remains. Drawing from years of walking alongside remarkable individuals and families on the dementia journey, Dawn reveals how intellect, identity, and essence endure—often in surprising ways. From the retired nurse who still comforts others to the artist who continues to create, discover why saying "I'm still me" isn't just hope—it's truth. This episode will forever change how you see and connect with someone living with dementia.

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.