Understanding Dementia: Brain Science and Caregiving

Dementia is often misunderstood. It’s more than just memory loss, it’s really a brain-based condition that affects how someone thinks, how they feel, how they communicate, and how they live. For millions of families around the world, dementia changes everything.

So, whether you’re a caregiver, or a healthcare professional, a student, or simply just someone who wants to understand dementia better, this course is here to help. In this course, we will walk through what dementia actually is, how it affects the brain, and what you can do to support someone who’s living with it.

Inside this course you’ll learn:

• What dementia actually is—and what it isn’t. (It’s not just “getting older.”)
• The difference between Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia, Lewy Body dementia, and others.
• How the brain changes, and what parts are affected, and how that shows up in daily life.
• How doctors diagnose it using tests, scans, and even emerging blood-based biomarkers.
• What risk factors exist, from genetics to lifestyle factors—and what is in your control!
• How to communicate more clearly and compassionately with someone with dementia.
• What caregiving really looks like: the challenges, the skills, and the deep human moments.

In this course, we will use real-life examples, caregiver stories, and visual explanations to make it all easier to understand. This isn’t just a science-heavy course (though we’ll get into that too), it’s about seeing the whole person, not just the condition.

So if you’re supporting a loved one, working with patients, or preparing for a future in healthcare or studying biology or psychology, this course will give you the tools and insight to make a real difference. Because at the very heart of it, dementia care is about connection, dignity, and true support.