Caring for a parent with dementia is hard. Finding the right caregiver shouldn't be.
Match with caregivers in your area who actually have dementia and Alzheimer's training — not just a CNA on a roster. Free 5-minute consultation.
- Caregivers trained in dementia-specific techniques (Teepa Snow's PAC, CPI, Validation Therapy)
- Locally vetted agencies — we screen for dementia experience before we ever refer
- We do the comparison calls. You pick the fit. No directory dump.
Or call +1 (480) 680-7092
Free · No obligation · We're paid by the agencies, not by you
Three steps, one phone call.
A 10-minute call.
We ask about the diagnosis, the stage, what's hardest at home right now. Sundowning? Wandering? Refusing showers? We listen.
We match agencies that have actually trained their staff.
Most home care agencies advertise "dementia care" but have given their caregivers a four-hour online module. We work with agencies whose caregivers have completed at least 24 hours of dementia-specific training. We ask. We verify. We say no a lot.
Two or three agencies call you back within the day.
You pick. If the first caregiver isn't a good fit (it happens), we re-match. Caregiver-family fit is the single biggest predictor of how well this goes.
What "dementia-trained" usually means is "nothing." Here's what to ask for.
You'll hear "dementia trained" a lot. It usually means a four-hour online video. The credentials and training programs that actually matter:
Teepa Snow's Positive Approach to Care (PAC)
The gold standard for hands-on dementia care. Caregivers trained in PAC understand how to approach without escalating, how to redirect without arguing, how to enter the world your parent is in.
CPI (Crisis Prevention Institute)
De-escalation training, particularly important if your parent has had aggressive episodes.
Validation Therapy
The practice of agreeing with the emotional truth of what the person is saying, rather than correcting facts. ("You can't visit Daddy, Daddy died" → "Tell me about your Daddy.")
CARES Dementia Care training
A less expensive certification but reasonably substantive.
Agencies we work with have at least one of these credentials documented for the caregivers they send to dementia clients. We ask before recommending.
When in-home care is the right call.
In-home care works when: your parent is still recognizing family most of the time, sleeping through most of the night, not wandering, not at risk of leaving the stove on. Day-shift caregivers (4-12 hours/day) are usually enough.
Live-in or 24-hour care works when: nighttime confusion is the main problem, falls are starting to happen, your parent is up multiple times a night.
Memory care (assisted living facility) is usually the right move when: wandering is constant, your parent has tried to leave the home alone, sundowning is severe and 24-hour home care isn't financially sustainable, or the person living with them is burning out.
Most families try in-home first, layer in more hours, then move to memory care 12-18 months later. That's normal. We can help you figure out where on that arc you are.
Dementia care costs more. Here's why.
Dementia-trained home care runs higher than general home care because the training is more substantive. In 2026:
Long-term care insurance often covers dementia care if your policy includes a "cognitive impairment" benefit. We'll help you figure out what your policy actually covers — and what it doesn't.
What people ask before they call.
My parent doesn't have a formal diagnosis but I'm pretty sure it's dementia. Should I still use this?
Yes. Many of our clients start before there's a formal diagnosis. We can also recommend neurologists who do home or telehealth visits if getting your parent to a clinic is part of the problem.
My parent is still functioning well most of the time. Is it too early for home care?
Probably not. The families who get the best outcomes start with 4-8 hours a week of "companion care" early in the diagnosis — building the relationship before the parent's behavior becomes harder. By the time you "need" 40 hours/week, the caregiver is already part of the family.
What if my parent refuses to let a caregiver in the house?
Common. We have a playbook for this — usually involves introducing the caregiver as a "friend" or "helper" rather than a caregiver, doing short visits before long ones, and matching personalities deliberately. The first three weeks are the hardest.
Can the same caregiver come every day, or will it be different people?
Continuity matters enormously for dementia care — different caregivers re-traumatize the patient. We prioritize agencies that can offer consistent staffing. Expect 1-2 primary caregivers, not a rotating cast.
What's the difference between "dementia" and "Alzheimer's"?
Alzheimer's is a type of dementia (about 70% of cases). The care is similar; the progression varies. Other major types: vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal. The agencies we recommend can handle all of them.
A 10-minute call won't fix everything. But it's where it starts.
An advisor who knows dementia care will call you back today. Free. No obligation.
Find a dementia-trained caregiver →Or call +1 (480) 680-7092