Free resources

Printable dementia care guides

28 plain-English PDF guides for families caring for someone with dementia or an ageing parent. Free to download, print, email and hand out — no sign-up needed. Charities, care homes, GP surgeries and support groups are welcome to share them.

Download the full set

One zip with all 28 guides (UK and US editions) — handy for newsletters, staff inductions and carer packs.

Download all guides (.zip · 4.0 MB)

Individual guides

Caring for elderly parents: a US starter guide
Just become a caregiver for your mom or dad? A practical US guide to the first conversations, benefits, legal steps, and looking after yourself.
Download PDF· 294 KB · US edition
Caring for elderly parents: a UK starter guide
Just become a carer for your mum or dad? A practical UK guide to the first conversations, benefits, legal steps, and looking after yourself.
Download PDF· 283 KB · UK edition
How to choose assisted living in the US
A calm, practical US guide to choosing the right senior living — independent vs assisted living vs memory care vs nursing home, what Medicare Care Compare really tells you, costs, and the visit checklist.
Download PDF· 302 KB · US edition
The new Alzheimer's blood tests, explained
p-tau217 blood tests can now help confirm Alzheimer's without a scan or lumbar puncture. What they do, what they don't, and how to ask about one — UK and US.
Download PDF· 269 KB · UK edition
A dementia diagnosis: what to do in the first 30 days
A calm 30-day plan after a dementia diagnosis — medical, legal (Durable POA, Healthcare Proxy, HIPAA), financial (Medicare, Medicaid, VA Aid & Attendance) and emotional.
Download PDF· 233 KB · US edition
A dementia diagnosis: what to do in the first 30 days
A calm, practical 30-day plan for families after a dementia diagnosis — medical, legal, financial and emotional, in the order that matters.
Download PDF· 234 KB · UK edition
When a loved one with dementia refuses their medication
Why people with dementia refuse medication — and the calm, dignity-first ways to get them taking it again. Practical US guide for family caregivers.
Download PDF· 217 KB · US edition
When a loved one with dementia refuses their medication
Why people with dementia refuse medication — and the calm, dignity-first ways to get them taking it again. Practical UK guide for family carers.
Download PDF· 218 KB · UK edition
When washing, bathing or personal care becomes a battle
Why people with dementia refuse to wash or be bathed — and the dignity-first changes that turn the daily fight into a calm routine. For UK and US family carers.
Download PDF· 220 KB · UK edition
When someone with dementia stops eating
Why people with dementia stop eating — and the practical, dignity-first changes that get them eating again. For US family caregivers.
Download PDF· 220 KB · US edition
When someone with dementia stops eating
Why people with dementia stop eating — and the practical, dignity-first changes that get them eating again.
Download PDF· 220 KB · UK edition
Dementia and wandering: prevention, tech, and what to do in the first 15 minutes
Why people with dementia wander, how to prevent it, what to do in the first 15 minutes if they go missing, and the tech that genuinely helps. For UK and US families.
Download PDF· 356 KB · UK edition
What to ask the doctor about dementia
A practical checklist of questions to ask your parent's primary care doctor if you're worried about dementia — diagnosis, medication, support, and what happens next.
Download PDF· 250 KB · US edition
Driving and dementia: when to stop, and how to have the conversation
When dementia means it's time to stop driving, how to have the conversation, and what the law requires in the UK and US. A calm guide for families.
Download PDF· 262 KB · UK edition
Early signs of dementia in an aging parent
The quiet early signs of dementia in an aging parent — what's normal forgetting, what isn't, and what to do this week, for US families.
Download PDF· 264 KB · US edition
Early signs of dementia in an elderly parent
The quiet early signs of dementia in an ageing parent — what's normal forgetting, what isn't, and what to do this week.
Download PDF· 243 KB · UK edition
What to ask the GP about dementia
A practical checklist of questions to ask your GP if you're worried a loved one has dementia — diagnosis, medication, support, and what happens next.
Download PDF· 229 KB · UK edition
How to choose a care home in the UK
A calm, practical UK guide to choosing the right care home — residential vs nursing, what inspection ratings really mean, fees, and the visit checklist.
Download PDF· 343 KB · UK edition
How to talk to someone with dementia
Twelve small changes to how you speak that make every conversation with a person with dementia kinder, calmer and easier. For US family caregivers.
Download PDF· 247 KB · US edition
How to talk to someone with dementia
Twelve small changes to how you speak that make every conversation with a person with dementia kinder, calmer and easier.
Download PDF· 241 KB · UK edition
Medicare and Medicaid for dementia care: what's covered, what isn't
What Medicare pays for, what it doesn't, and how Medicaid covers long-term dementia care in the US. Plain-English guide for family caregivers.
Download PDF· 274 KB · US edition
The new Alzheimer's drugs: what families need to know
The new anti-amyloid Alzheimer's drugs — who they're for, how much they actually slow decline, the risks, and availability in the UK and US.
Download PDF· 268 KB · UK edition
Power of Attorney and Healthcare Proxy: the four documents every US dementia family needs
Durable Power of Attorney, healthcare proxy, living will, HIPAA release: what each document does, why every dementia family needs them, and how to set them up — by state.
Download PDF· 309 KB · US edition
Reducing dementia risk: the 14 factors that matter
The Lancet Commission found up to 45% of dementia cases are linked to 14 modifiable risk factors. What they are, what to do about each, and what it means if a parent already has dementia.
Download PDF· 319 KB · UK edition
12 signs an elderly parent can't live alone safely
The practical warning signs that an aging parent isn't safe at home anymore — and what to do next, from a US family caregiver's perspective.
Download PDF· 276 KB · US edition
12 signs an elderly parent can't live alone safely
The practical warning signs that an ageing parent isn't safe at home anymore — and what to do next, from a UK family carer's perspective.
Download PDF· 272 KB · UK edition
Sundowning: what helps when dementia gets harder in the evening
Why dementia gets harder in the late afternoon and evening — and the small, practical changes that calm it down. For US families and caregivers.
Download PDF· 216 KB · US edition
Sundowning: what helps when dementia gets harder in the evening
Why dementia gets harder in the late afternoon and evening — and the small, practical changes that calm it down.
Download PDF· 216 KB · UK edition

Sharing these with your community

Attach a PDF to an outreach or newsletter email, or link to this page: thecarecompanion.com/downloads
Print and leave copies in waiting rooms, day centres, memory clinics and carer groups.
Please share them unchanged, with the credit line intact. They're free — we don't charge for the guides.

Download the full set

Individual guides

Caring for elderly parents: a US starter guide

Caring for elderly parents: a UK starter guide

How to choose assisted living in the US

The new Alzheimer's blood tests, explained

A dementia diagnosis: what to do in the first 30 days

A dementia diagnosis: what to do in the first 30 days

When a loved one with dementia refuses their medication

When a loved one with dementia refuses their medication

When washing, bathing or personal care becomes a battle

When someone with dementia stops eating

When someone with dementia stops eating

Dementia and wandering: prevention, tech, and what to do in the first 15 minutes

What to ask the doctor about dementia

Driving and dementia: when to stop, and how to have the conversation

Early signs of dementia in an aging parent

Early signs of dementia in an elderly parent

What to ask the GP about dementia

How to choose a care home in the UK

How to talk to someone with dementia

How to talk to someone with dementia

Medicare and Medicaid for dementia care: what's covered, what isn't

The new Alzheimer's drugs: what families need to know

Power of Attorney and Healthcare Proxy: the four documents every US dementia family needs

Reducing dementia risk: the 14 factors that matter

12 signs an elderly parent can't live alone safely

12 signs an elderly parent can't live alone safely

Sundowning: what helps when dementia gets harder in the evening

Sundowning: what helps when dementia gets harder in the evening

Sharing these with your community