When you understand the what, when, and why — you can master the how.
This course is for you if:
You are caring for someone with dementia and you are doing your best — but something still feels off.
You are not sure what stage you're in. You don't know what's coming. You're not sure if what you're experiencing is normal, or if you're missing something important.
You have googled your way through countless articles and still don't have a clear picture of the journey ahead.
What you need is not more tips.
You need a framework — a complete, clinical picture of what dementia is, how it progresses, and what that means for you as a caregiver at every stage.
That is exactly what this course gives you.
The Hardest Part Isn't the Caregiving. It's Doing It Without a Map.
Most caregivers reach a breaking point not because they stop caring — but because they run out of tools.
The approach that worked last month stops working. A new behavior appears and no one can explain it. A medical decision looms and there is no framework to make it from.
So you search. You ask. You try things.
And you still feel like you're behind.
That feeling has a name: it's what happens when you're navigating a neurological journey without understanding the neurology.
Dementia doesn't just affect memory. It dismantles the brain's entire navigation system — the system responsible for keeping your loved one oriented in their body, their environment, and their relationships.
And it does so in a predictable order.
Which means the chaos you're experiencing? It has a pattern.
And once you can see the pattern — everything changes.
You Are Not Behind. You Were Just Never Given the Map.
I have walked alongside more than 700 families on this journey. The caregivers who find steadiness are not the ones who love more or try harder.
They are the ones who finally understand what they are dealing with.
That understanding is learnable. And it changes everything — not just the caregiving, but the entire experience of the journey.
Introducing the Better Dementia™ Journey Framework
This course is organized around a clear, stage-based understanding of how dementia progresses — and how caregiving must evolve alongside it.
Its purpose is simple: to help you think like a confident dementia caregiver — anticipating change, making thoughtful decisions, and responding with clarity rather than fear.
You will learn:
What is happening in the brain — and why dementia produces the behaviors that confuse and exhaust caregivers most.
When to expect each change — so you can anticipate what's coming instead of reacting in crisis.
Why your loved one responds the way they do — including two things dementia almost never takes away, which change how you show up in every interaction.
How to communicate, adapt, and navigate every stage of the journey — with clarity, confidence, and compassion.
This is not a collection of tips.
It is a complete, clinically grounded framework for understanding and navigating the dementia journey from beginning to end.
What This Course Changes for You
This course is not about information for information's sake.
It is about changing the emotional experience of caregiving.
After completing this course, you will be able to:
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Anticipate change instead of reacting in crisis
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Stop correcting in ways that escalate conflict
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Recognize where you are in the journey — and what's coming next
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Make medical decisions with clarity instead of fear
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Preserve your loved one's dignity at every stage
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Reduce daily friction and conflict
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Feel more confident in your role
And perhaps most importantly —
You spend less time fighting dementia.
And more time connecting with the person you love.
Most caregivers find this course after years of struggling. They wish they had found it sooner — not because the journey gets easier, but because understanding it changes how you experience it. The earlier you have the framework, the more of the journey you navigate with confidence rather than crisis.
Why Caregivers Trust This Course
Amy Shaw, PA-C has spent her career at the intersection of dementia, geriatrics, palliative care, and hospice. She has guided more than 700 families through the dementia journey — from the earliest signs of cognitive change through end of life.
She is also a daughter. Her mother has Alzheimer's disease.
That combination — clinician and family caregiver — is what makes this course different from anything else available.
Every lesson is built from both the clinical evidence and the lived reality of what families actually face.
Author of The Arc of Conversation: A How-to Guide for Goals of Care Conversations (Springer, 2025)
Forthcoming: Better Dementia: From Overwhelmed to Empowered (2027)
Featured in MedPage Today, Wyoming PBS, and PBS's Aging in America: Survive or Thrive
What You Get When You Enroll
Most resources for dementia caregivers offer pieces of the picture.
Better Dementia™ gives you the whole map.
A complete, stage-based education program built around the Better Dementia™ Journey Framework — the only clinically grounded, caregiver-facing curriculum that walks you through the entire dementia journey from beginning to end.
Inside the course:
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12 focused, self-paced lessons organized around how dementia actually progresses — stage by stage, in the order it happens
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Approximately 7.5 hours of instruction — no lesson longer than 20 minutes — designed to fit into real caregiving life
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The clinical framework behind the behaviors that confuse and exhaust caregivers most — so you understand why, not just what to do
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A stage-by-stage picture of the journey ahead, including the two things dementia almost never takes away — and why understanding them changes every interaction
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Language and frameworks for the hard conversations: medical decisions, family dynamics, care transitions
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6 months of access — designed to be revisited as your loved one's needs evolve
This is not a course you take once and set aside.
It is a resource you return to — every time the journey changes.
Featured in:
Trusted by 700+ Families Nationwide
Enrollment & Access
Better Dementia™ Self-Study Course
6 months of access
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Full access to all 12 lessons.
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No subscriptions.
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No surprise charges.
Common Questions
Do I need a medical background?
No. The course is designed for family caregivers.
What if I cannot watch everything right away?
The course is self-paced. You have six months of access and can revisit lessons as needed.
Can I work with Amy one-on-one?
Yes. Personalized concierge consulting is available separately for families who want ongoing support throughout the journey.
Why I Built This — And Why It Matters That You Found It
My mother has Alzheimer's disease.
I have spent my career as a clinician helping families navigate this journey. I have sat across from hundreds of exhausted, frightened, deeply loving people who were doing their best with almost no real information.
And then it became my family.
What I know as a clinician did not make it easy. But it made it navigable. I knew what was happening. I knew what was coming. I knew why she was responding the way she was. I knew how to stay connected to her even as everything changed.
I built this course because I kept meeting caregivers who were years into the journey — burned out, grieving, running on empty — who all said the same thing:
"I wish someone had told me this sooner."
You found this page. That means you still have time to change how you experience this journey.
Not sure if this course is the right fit for your family right now? Let's talk. Schedule a free consultation and we'll figure out your best next step together.
Dementia may rob your loved one of their abilities, but it will never rob them of their humanity.
Better Dementia™ exists so that you can meet them there — with clarity, confidence, and love.
How This Course Comes Together
Taken together, this course teaches caregivers everything they need to understand and navigate the dementia journey from beginning to end.
It provides a clear, clinically grounded understanding of what is happening, why it is happening, when changes are likely to occur, and how to respond thoughtfully and effectively as the journey unfolds—so caregivers can move forward with greater clarity, confidence, and steadiness over time.
“Things unfolded exactly the way Amy said they would. Because we understood what was coming, we were prepared—and we trusted her completely with both our parents’ care.”
– Family Caregiver
What To Expect
Caregivers who work with Amy experience a profound shift:
From Overwhelmed → to Clear and Confident
From Confused → to Prepared for What’s Next
From Unprepared → to Equipped with Practical Strategies
From Exhausted and Burned Out → to Balanced and Resilient
From Being the ‘Bad Guy’ → to Being an Empowered Advocate
WHEN CAREGIVERS HAVE THE RIGHT KNOWLEDGE AND SUPPORT, THEY STOP FEELING LOST AND START FEELING EMPOWERED.
Instead of reacting to challenges with stress and frustration, they confidently guide their loved one through the dementia journey. They replace guilt with peace of mind, confusion with clarity, and exhaustion with balance—allowing them to create a caregiving experience that honors both their loved one’s dignity and their own well-being.
If you're ready for a dementia journey characterized by love and connection, then working privately with Amy might be exactly what you’ve been looking for.
Get the Support You Deserve
Caregiving doesn’t have to be a constant cycle of stress, guilt, and exhaustion. With the right knowledge and guidance, you can feel confident in your decisions and create a better dementia journey. Amy offers Family Dementia Consulting to help you get there:
Family Dementia Consulting (Available Nationwide, Online):
1) Personalized support for your loved one’s needs.
2) Practical strategies to manage behaviors and stress.
3) Expert guidance to help you feel confident.
4) Available online nationwide.
5) Private medical care for patients in Wyoming and Illinois.
"Amy has an amazing ability to educate and prepare you to make difficult decisions that seem impossible. Amy stood by us and helped guide us in a kind, factual, and comfortable way. She continues to be a rock for our family."
– Tina, Family Caregiver
★★★★★
WHAT AMY'S CLIENTS HAVE TO SAY:
"Amy quickly became a trusted ally when we found out my mom had dementia. She shared her knowledge in understandable terms and guided us through care conversations and end-of-life issues with compassion and insight."
– Jill, Family Caregiver
★★★★★
★★★★★
"Amy changed my mother’s quality of life and tremendously improved her happiness—and mine! Any family caregiver will benefit from Amy's expertise and professionalism."
– Jim, Family Caregiver
★★★★★
"Amy is always there, working as your biggest advocate. She is passionate about her calling, and anyone who crosses paths with her will benefit."
– Patricia, Family Caregiver
You Don't Have to Do This Alone
Dementia caregiving can feel like a never-ending storm—filled with confusion, exhaustion, and guilt. Amy has seen firsthand how the right guidance can completely transform a caregiver’s experience.
Just recently, Amy worked with a daughter caring for both of her aging parents, each with dementia. At the start of their conversation, she was in tears, overwhelmed by the weight of caregiving. By the end of their consultation, she was smiling, laughing, and imagining something she hadn’t thought possible—a day with nothing on the calendar.
This is why Amy does what she does. Her framework and teachings don’t just help the person with dementia; they change the experience for the entire family.
If caregiving feels overwhelming, there’s a better way. With the right support, caregivers can replace stress with clarity, exhaustion with confidence, and even find moments of peace and joy again.
Amy Shaw, PA-C:
Dementia Clinician. Author. Daughter. Founder of Better Dementia™.
Amy has spent her career at the intersection of dementia care, palliative medicine, and family education. She created Better Dementia™ because she believes every family navigating this journey deserves a real framework — not vague reassurance, not generic advice, but a clear and complete picture of what is happening and what comes next.
She lives this work from both sides of the table.
