The MemoryCaregivers Collection
An Anthology for Dementia Caregivers
Caring for someone with dementia is hard, even when you love them deeply. The MemoryCaregivers' Collection is a book I wrote to help make that journey a little easier.
These pages share what I learned firsthand caring for my mother, and what I've discovered over years of supporting families, facilitating support groups, consulting, and speaking. It's practical guidance, real stories, and a few lightbulb moments sprinkled in.
Inside, you'll find tips on what to do after a diagnosis, how to communicate, manage safety, navigate holidays and birthdays, handle grief, and celebrate the moments of joy that still exist. The Collection doesn't shy away from the hard topics, but it also reminds you that even in dementia care, understanding changes everything.
Edited by dementia specialists Margaret Noel, MD, and Virginia Templeton, MD, the book combines my real-world experience with expert insights and the voices of people living with dementia and other caregivers.
Whether you're a family caregiver, a professional, or just want to understand this journey better, this book offers guidance, support, and hope.
Proceeds support MemoryCare, a nationally-recognized nonprofit clinic in Asheville, NC.
What's Inside
Communication Strategies
Practical techniques for meaningful connection
Understanding Behaviors
Insights into why behaviors happen and how to respond
Caregiver Self-Care
Sustainable practices for your own wellbeing
Care Planning
Navigating transitions and future decisions
Family Dynamics
Managing relationships and shared responsibilities
Real Stories
Experiences from the dementia care journey
Reader Reviews
"This is a terrific book! It is packed with really valuable insights and information to lighten the caregiving load, and it was offered in practical and actionable ways. Reading it feels like turning to a trusted friend for advice, a friend that can be relied upon to have answers, be honest with me, provide clear guidance with empathy, and would not steer me wrong."
Kathleen A. Welsh-Bohmer, PhD ABPP
Professor, Dept of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience
Duke University School of Medicine
"I've now bought 6 copies of this remarkable book. I give them to people who are caring for a loved one who has developed dementia. This is throwing a life preserver to a person in deep water. Mary Donnelly's practical, compassionate, and even - at times - humorous collection of essays is quite simply indispensable for caregivers."
"For some time now, I have been searching for material concerning dementia. I must say that most of what I found was confusing, as is dementia. None of the material contained help for the caregiver. Imagine my surprise when reading Mary Donnelly's book, The Memory Caregivers' Collection, there was useful and practical information for caregivers. It is literally a handbook for all of those who want what we do and say to be for the good of our loved ones. Her stories are poignant, real, and yes, not without humor. I recommend this book wholly and unequivocally. It is a treasure."
Teepa Snow's Review