The history of television or movies depicting any form of dementia hasn’t always been great. The “crazy old person” or the feeble older adult who is seen only as a burden are harmful tropes that we’ve, thankfully, started to push back on. A New Addition: The Great Lillian Hall A recent addition to the list [...]

When I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), back in 1996, it was a shock. It was an unknown. I remember when I told my supervisor at the time, I later overheard him saying something to the effect of “she’s going to die.” No kidding. We all are. A few weeks later, my neurologist referred [...]

Alzheimer’s disease devastated our family when my mom, at just 67, was diagnosed in 2010 and passed away two years later. Living through her journey opened my eyes in ways I could never have anticipated. Through this post, I hope to share those insights, supported by the innovative Alzheimer’s Module from Embodied Labs, which [...]

When my mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2010 at the age of 69, it was my first up-close experience with Alzheimer’s. My mom’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis impacted every part of our family life. She passed away in 2012, and as I reflect on her journey, I’m grateful for resources like Caregiver Action Network (CAN) that [...]

Mi nombre es Paulina Polanco, soy hermana de dos Syngapians. Ellas tienen 20 años, son gemelas y se llaman Esperanza y Libertad, o Espy y Libby para abreviar. Les diagnosticaron Syngap1 en el 2020, pero no nos dimos cuenta de la importancia de ese diagnóstico hasta que Espy sufrió una convulsion tonicoclónica generalizada por primera [...]

Understanding Syngap1: A Sibling's Perspective My name is Paulina Polanco, and I am a Syngap1 caregiver to my two extraordinary 20-year-old twin sisters, Esperanza and Libertad—Espy and Libby. Their journey with this neurodevelopmental disease has transformed our family's understanding of love, resilience, and unconditional support. The Turning Point: When Syngap1 Became Real In 2020, our [...]

FX/Hulu's "Feud: Capote vs. the Swans" offers more than just a glimpse into high society drama and literary feuds. Beyond its captivating portrayal of 1960s-1980s fashion and sharp-tongued exchanges, this Ryan Murphy series masterfully weaves profound themes of family caregiving that deeply resonate with today's caregiving challenges. The Paley Story: When Illness Transforms Family [...]

The Unexpected Journey of Alzheimer's No matter how much research you conduct about Alzheimer's disease, understanding its true impact remains impossible until it directly affects your family. My personal journey began in early 2017 when I first noticed unusual changes in my husband's behavior. By 2018, we received a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment [...]

Over the past few weeks, the Caregiver Action Network team has been meeting with staff of the California Delegation to discuss new and groundbreaking empathy-based virtual reality (VR) training for Alzheimer's and dementia. Our partners at Embodied Labs provided this technology. Embodied Labs is a California-based immersive VR training platform. Their VR experiences help caregivers [...]

I’ve watched the Chevy holiday commercial numerous times over the past few weeks.  From the first moment I saw the opening interaction between the grandmother and granddaughter, I’ve been enamored with the thoughtfulness put into creating this commercial.  So much so that we shared and discussed the video with employed caregivers as a [...]