Memory Care Learning Center at Heritage Community of Kalamazoo

And that's a wrap! The Memory Care Learning Center hosted it's first Conference! Fabulous speakers, engaged learners and generous people sharing ideas, stories, and HOPE! How are you reimaging dementia?!

On Friday, May 22, 2026, we invite you to join us in Kalamazoo for the 1st Annual Being With Dementia Conference—a welcoming, one-day gathering for caregivers, people living with dementia, professionals, and community members.
Our keynote speaker, Lynn Casteel Harper, author of On Vanishing, brings a gentle and powerful message about staying present, finding meaning, and remaining connected even as memory and identity change. Her work has touched countless caregivers with its wisdom, honesty, and hope.
The day includes thoughtful sessions with compassionate speakers offering practical tools, encouragement, and real-life insight—designed to support you wherever you are on the dementia journey.
👉 Register here:
https://www.heritagecommunity.com/event/staying-present-reclaiming-resilience-connection-and-confidence-in-the-dementia-care-journey/
Come as you are. Leave with connection, confidence, and the reminder that presence matters.

Caring for someone living with dementia can feel overwhelming—and no one should have to navigate it alone.

On Friday, May 22, 2026, caregivers, people living with dementia, professionals, and community partners will gather in Kalamazoo for the
Being With Dementia Conference—a powerful, one-day experience focused on resilience, connection, and confidence in the dementia care journey.

🗓 May 22, 2026
🕘 9:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
📍 People’s Church, Kalamazoo, MI

We are honored to welcome keynote speaker Lynn Casteel Harper, along with an exceptional lineup of speakers who bring wisdom, compassion, and real-world tools for dementia care.

💚 If you are supporting someone with dementia—or are walking this path yourself—this day is for you.
👥 Please save the date, share this post, and invite others who need hope, insight, and community.

Registration details coming soon

If you've recently attended one of our Dementia Friendly movie events, please consider sharing your expereince!

Save the date!! You are invited to join us for the first Memory Care Learning Center, Caregiver Conference: Staying Present - Reclaiming Resilience, Connection and Confidence in the Dementia Caregiver Journey.

Come join us today for our 2nd Dementia Friendly Movie @ M89 cinema!

We are so happy to have residents from near and far join us!

https://www.facebook.com/share/1DE47GWiaw/

Let's work together to help future generations live in a world without memory loss. Learn more about volunteering for a study: call 443-542-7489, or visit http://bit.ly/JHADRCresearch

Are you a caregiver or interested in learning more about Alzheimer's Disease? Here are some fiction and non-fiction books that you may want to check out this summer:

Before I Forget - B. Smith, Dan Gasby, Michael Shnayerson

Before I Forget is a heartfelt and courageous memoir in which B. Smith and her husband Dan share their journey with early-onset Alzheimer’s, offering both practical advice and emotional insight with honesty and grace. Through their story, they shine a light on the power of love, resilience, and hope, helping to bring Alzheimer’s out of the shadows and into compassionate conversation.

I Have to Leave You Now - Maria V. Ciletti

I Have to Leave You Now is a deeply personal and practical memoir by a registered nurse and experienced caregiver, offering guidance and heartfelt support to those caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s. Blending professional insight with emotional honesty, this book empowers caregivers to find strength, compassion, and resilience on one of life’s most challenging—and loving—journeys.

An Absent Mind - Eric Rill

An Absent Mind is a powerful and moving novel that follows Saul Reimer and his family as they navigate the emotional and psychological impact of Alzheimer’s, revealing both the heartbreak and unexpected moments of connection the disease brings. Through multiple perspectives—including Saul’s own voice—Eric Rill offers a deeply human story of love, loss, and the enduring strength of family in the face of an unrelenting illness.

Elizabeth Is Missing - Emma Healey

Elizabeth Is Missing is a haunting and beautifully crafted psychological mystery that follows Maud, an elderly woman with dementia, as she clings to the belief that her best friend has vanished—and becomes determined to uncover the truth. Blending memory, loss, and resilience, Emma Healey delivers a poignant exploration of aging and identity, where the past and present blur in one woman’s unforgettable search for answers.