[Updated: April 16, 2026 | Published: March 24, 2026]
A Free Three-Part Series from Friendship Village of Dublin and the Alzheimer’s Association of Central Ohio
Caring for someone living with dementia is among the most demanding things a family can face. It requires patience, knowledge, and love that stands fast even on the days when nothing goes right.
Friendship Village of Dublin and the Alzheimer’s Association Central Ohio Chapter are hosting a three-part series to give families, caregivers, and friends the knowledge and understanding they need at every stage of the journey.
The series kicked off in February 2026. Register now for the April 9th finale following the instructions below.
- Friendship Village of Dublin Residents: Please register through the Uniguest app. (Do not use the link below.)
- Family Members, Friends, and Community Guests: Please register by using the link provided below.
Keep reading to learn more about the series and watch videos of Sessions 1 and 2.
About the Dementia Education Series
Rose Bon, a clinical nurse practitioner and professor who has spent her career in geriatrics, presents all three sessions on behalf of the Alzheimer’s Association Central Ohio Chapter. Rose brings clinical depth and firsthand caregiving experience to the room. Attendees will leave feeling supported and informed.
Together, the three sessions cover the full arc of the dementia caregiving journey, from the first communication hurdles to end-of-life planning.
Session Three: Navigating the Late Stages of Dementia
Wednesday, April 9, 2026 | 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. | Free
Friendship Village of Dublin. 6000 Riverside Drive, Dublin, Ohio.
This final session addresses the questions families lie awake thinking about but rarely say out loud.
Rose will cover topics including:
How to stay connected once verbal communication fades- How to prepare for the end of life
- What anticipatory grief feels like
- The conversations families need to have with each other, and
- The practical matters that shouldn’t wait until they become a crisis
Whether you’re already carrying the weight of what you know lies ahead or simply want to feel more prepared, you’ll leave with clearer answers and something that feels like solid ground under your feet.
Can’t make it on April 9th? We plan to post the recording here just as we did for sessions one and two. Register anyway, and we’ll let you know when the recording has been uploaded.
How to Register
Registration for the April 9, 2026, event is free for everyone. Please follow the instructions that apply to you:
- Friendship Village of Dublin Residents: Please register through the Uniguest app. (Do not use the link below.)
- Family Members, Friends, and Community Guests: Please register by using the link provided below.
In Case You Missed Sessions One and Two…
The first two sessions are available now on YouTube. Watching them before April 9th will make the final session that much richer.
Session One: Communicating Effectively
Recorded February 5, 2026 — Watch Below on YouTube
Dementia changes how people communicate, and caregivers have to change with it.
Rose opened with a simple truth: communication is far more than words. Tone, facial expression, body language, and presence all carry meaning. As the disease progresses, people with dementia read nonverbal cues more closely than ever. The most important reframe: communication changes come from damaged neurons, not the person’s character. A hurtful comment isn’t a choice. It’s the disease.
Key takeaways:
Get “eyeball to eyeball” before speaking. Make sure you have their attention first.- Use few words. Speak slowly. If you repeat yourself, use the exact same phrasing.
- Offer two choices instead of open-ended questions. Too many options overwhelm.
- When words fail, hold a hand. Offer something familiar to smell or taste. Connection doesn’t need language.
- Validate, don’t correct. Agreeing with their reality is often kinder — and safer — than arguing.
Rose closed with a reminder caregivers often skip: self-care isn’t a luxury. Support groups and rest make sustained caregiving possible. Without them, it isn’t.
Watch Session 1 Below
Session Two: Responding to Dementia-Related Behaviors
Recorded March 6, 2026 — Watch Below on YouTube
Session two tackled the most emotionally exhausting part of dementia caregiving: the behaviors. Rose opened with a mantra worth keeping where you can see it: “It’s the disease, not me.”
Common symptoms such as memory loss, anxiety, agitation, hallucinations, and wandering occur involuntarily. Like communication changes, they trace back to damaged neurons rather than the person’s character. Once a person can no longer use words, behavior becomes their only language. Learning to read signals of hunger, pain, fear, and overstimulation is the caregiver’s most essential skill.
Rose’s four-step approach:
Detect and connect. Join their reality. Don’t correct it.- Check physical needs first. A sudden change in behavior often signals a urinary tract infection, not dementia progression.
- Handle emotional needs. “You are safe. You are loved.” Soothing repetition calms what logic can’t.
- Stay with the plan. A strategy that fails at 2 p.m. may work at 2:15.
She urged families to arrange powers of attorney for both health and finances, locate insurance policies, and compile a list of household passwords while their loved one can still sign.
Rose made one point every caregiver needs to hear: caregiving stress kills. Caregivers sometimes die before their loved ones. Respite time, she said, isn’t self-indulgent. It’s how you stay standing long enough to keep helping.
Watch Session 2 Below
About This Partnership for Dementia Education
Friendship Village of Dublin’s Home Care Services department hosts this series out of our commitment to the broader central Ohio community. The Alzheimer’s Association Central Ohio Chapter is among the most trusted dementia resources in the country, and this partnership puts that expertise directly in the hands of the families who need it most.
This is the first series of its kind at Friendship Village of Dublin. More will come in the fall.
Need support right now?
Call the Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 helpline at 800.272.3900, or visit their website for local resources, support groups, and programs.
Home Care Services at Friendship Village of Dublin also offers support for persons living with Alzheimer’s disease, other forms of dementia, their family members, and caregivers. Call 567-405-1011 to learn more.
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