I’m Sue Dyson, a former nurse with over a decade of experience in dementia care, turned writer and solopreneur.

I am really delighted to have you here in my home on the internet: Speaking With Care. Thanks to my subscribers, we are building a community of support for caregivers of persons with dementia, which can mean you are providing direct, day-to-day care, professional care, or supporting someone who does either.

I want to share everything I’ve learned about communicating with care with persons with dementia, regardless of what stage they are at, or what diagnosis they have been given.

What matters is that we learn to keep our connection when logic fails.

In this newsletter and in the digital products I create, I share ways you can learn to respond compassionately to repetitive questions, or their request to leave where they are, or when they no longer recognize you.

Have a look around

All my past Substack posts are here for you to browse through and catch up on. Scroll through the home page to find something that interests you.

In addition, please check out the tabs at the top of the website. There is a free download, a CustomGPT with guides for $10, and a more extensive support guide for $25.

Importantly, it’s a community for everyone

Whether your person has just been diagnosed with dementia, or is well into it, you’ll find ways to communicate that will help. Caregiver burnout is real, and it is important that you take care of yourself. Lowering the frustration level will help.

If you’re a professional caregiver, seasoned or brand-new, I think you’ll find support here as well.

And if you’re ‘just’ a family member or a neighbour, not involved in the day-to-day, this is still for you. You are an important person in the direct caregiver’s life. It will certainly help them knowing you understand what they are experiencing.

How does it work?

You can sign up for free or, if you are email overloaded like many of us these days, just follow my profile. I often post articles that I send to subscribers (but not always). Articles are always on my home page.

While I am attempting to say I will email you once a week as a subscriber, I’ll be honest with you - I have ADHD and consistency is a challenge. Some days I have a lot to share and I do. I am passionate about sharing my nursing wisdom to help people stay connected, and if you subscribe, and I hope you do, you’ll hear from me at least once a week.

Working with persons with dementia was a joy of my life, cut short by - you may have guessed - caregiver burnout. I don’t want that to happen to you. Your person wouldn’t want that for you, I am sure.

I’ve just started this community, but I have big plans. I am very excited to share how I learned to be with persons with dementia. I hope you’ll join us.