Accounting for up to 20 percent of all forms of dementia, Lewy Body Dementia affects approximately 1.4 million Americans.  Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) is the second most common cause of progressive dementia behind Alzheimer's disease.  LBD is also the most misdiagnosed form of dementia because symptoms are closely related to Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy Body (referred to as DLB).

I'm honored to be part of the exciting Dementia Friendly Fort Worth initiative.  Not only are we the first major city in Texas to undertake this effort, but one of the largest cities in the United States.  We are part of Dementia Friendly America (DFA), which is a multi-sector collaborative on a mission to foster "dementia friendly" communities across the nation.

I was privileged to speak yesterday to the Dallas Area Parkinson's Society (DAPS)  about how care partners can embrace wellness and joy.  For persons living with Parkinson's Disease and other neurological conditions, finding wellness and joy in everyday life can be challenging and elusive at best.  I know this first-hand, as my mother lived with Parkinson's Disease (PD).  Speaking from experience as her partner in this journey, my words of wisdom for embracing wellness and joy encompassed some simple steps.

Eldercare is becoming more about caring for those with dementia.  Because our fastest growing segment of the population are those 85 and older, it correlates with the rise in people living with dementia.  In fact, one in three people age 85 and older are living with some level of dementia.   There are over 1 million Americans living with Parkinson's Disease and over 10 million worldwide.  This number is also rising with the increase in longevity.

I had a few "Aha" moments this past weekend that made me realize just how prevalent the fear of dementia is in our society,  and how we must redirect our thinking in order to transform how we look at Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia.

Walking in the shoes of someone living with dementia is challenging at best, especially since every person, like shoes -  is different!  There is an urgent need to help professional and family caregivers communicate and respond to the needs of their care partners.  A walk in their shoes is a powerful and very needed training and education tool to help others develop understanding, empathy and improve care.

Studies affirm that almost 80 percent of people with dementia listed shopping as a favorite activity.  At the same time, 63 percent of people surveyed didn't think that shops were doing enough to help people with dementia.