The DEER Program

A day at the fair and a chance to connect with the community? That's a winning combination! 🎪

The DEER Program shared how to improve the lives of people living with dementia and their care partners through education, research and community engagement. We want to thank everyone who stopped by to visit Dr. Jennifer Carson and the The DEER Program while they were at the State Fair of Nevada.

Dementia Conversations creates space for honest, respectful dialogue about living with dementia.

These facilitated conversations bring together people living with dementia, care partners, and community members to share experiences, reflect together, and learn from one another in a supportive environment.

Rather than focusing on education about dementia, Dementia Conversations centers lived experience, listening, and connection. The goal is not to provide answers or advice, but to foster understanding, reduce isolation, and build empathy through shared conversation.

If you are looking for a space grounded in respect, curiosity, and community, Dementia Conversations offers an opportunity to listen deeply and engage meaningfully.

More information and registration at https://DEERprogram.org/Dementia-Conversations

It's Mythbusting Monday!

Dementia Myth: Dementia only affects memory.

Dementia Truth: While memory changes are common, dementia can affect many aspects of how a person experiences the world. Communication may become more difficult, sensory input may feel overwhelming, depth perception and spatial awareness can change, and emotional regulation may be impacted. A noisy environment can feel chaotic or unsafe. A familiar space may suddenly feel confusing. These changes are neurological and are not a reflection of effort, intelligence, or intent. Understanding dementia beyond memory loss allows families, professionals, and communities to adjust expectations, environments, and communication styles. When we do so, we can help reduce distress and support well-being and connection.

Our next free, online Dementia Friends Information Session is on Wednesday, June 17th!

Join to learn about dementia and discover simple, practical ways to support people living with dementia in your community.

More information at https://DEERprogram.org/Dementia-Friends

There's still time to register for this Distinguished Speaker Series session from Dementia Friendly Nevada!

Don't miss this month's DFNV Distinguished Speaker Series session!

Featuring a presentation on "Dignity, Dementia, and Changing the Story" by Jessica Luh Kim and Mary Beth Wighton of JLK Consulting and Coaching Services.

Monday, June 8
1:00 - 2:30 PM Pacific
Online, via Zoom

Free and open to all!

More information and registration at https://dfnv.org/distinguished-speakers

The June offering of Attuned Partnerships in Dementia Care is coming up!

Attuned Partnerships in Dementia Care is a free, online, four-part series developed collaboratively by the UNR DEER Program, Hilarity for Charity (HFC), and advisors living with dementia. This comprehensive care partner training is relationship-centered, grounded in cultural humility, and focuses on proactive care and support.

We hope you will join us online! Registration is free: https://wearehfc.org/professional-care-partners/

Some positive disruption is exactly what is needed! Join the Sanford Center for this fantastic and engaging educational opportunity.

GLS Registration: Disrupt Aging 2026 GLS Registration: Disrupt Aging 2026.

In a recent episode of Elevate Eldercare, DEER Program Director, Jennifer Carson, PhD, joins with Al Power, MD to examine some of the most entrenched and damaging practices in dementia care and what can be done to eliminate them.

Drawing from clinical experience, research, and personal care partnership journeys, they unpack how the overuse of antipsychotics often mask deeper systemic failures, from under-resourced environments to inadequate training. Dr. Carson highlights the serious risks, including increased mortality, while Dr. Power calls for a fundamental reframing of dementia away from "managing behaviors" and toward supporting well-being, inclusion, and human rights.

Together, they advocate for relationship-centered care, stronger enforcement of existing protections, and practical tools to help organizations assess and create conditions for optimal living.

Their conversation also previews their forthcoming book on dementia inclusion, aimed at offering actionable pathways for real system change, including a call for non-segregated and unlocked dementia care communities.

This episode is both a critique of the status quo and a hopeful call to redesign dementia care around dignity, equity, and true support.

Listen at https://open.spotify.com/episode/2Vtcbm2t2Dr63T6CZhgb1a

Another fantastic Dementia Friendly Nevada Distinguished Speaker Series session is happening next week! You won't want to miss it.

Don't miss this month's DFNV Distinguished Speaker Series session!

Featuring members of the Lorenzo's House team, presenting: "Lorenzo's House Brings Light to Younger-Onset Dementia." Join us to learn about all that Lorenzo's House has to offer, and the ways they are changing the conversation surrounding younger-onset dementia.

Monday, May 11
1:00 - 2:30 PM Pacific
Online, via Zoom

Free and open to all!

More information and registration at https://dfnv.org/distinguished-speakers

Something new is beginning! Attuned Partnerships in Dementia Care is a free, online, four-part series developed collaboratively by the UNR DEER Program, Hilarity for Charity (HFC), and advisors living with dementia. This comprehensive care partner training is relationship-centered, grounded in cultural humility, and focuses on proactive care and support.

We hope you will join us online for one of HFC's three upcoming offerings. Registration is free: https://wearehfc.org/professional-care-partners/