Dementia is often referred to as a “family disease” because of the effect it has on not only the person living with it, but also the people who care for and about them. As the disease progresses, relationships and family dynamics can change. We connected with Dr. R. Amanda Cooper, a family communication researcher and an assistant professor at the University of Connecticut, to discuss this further. Through her research, she was able to identify four main stages of relational changes on the dementia journey and in turn, learn how to better manage them.