Caregivers of loved ones with dementia can access a no-cost guide launched Monday by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) and the Connecticut Department of Aging and Disability Services (ADS).
“Alzheimer’s is a disease that affects about 90,000 Connecticut residents, and for every person living with the disease, there are countless family members, friends, and care partners who are providing ongoing support,” said Gov. Ned Lamont, in a statement proclaiming November 2025 Alzheimer’s Awareness Month in Connecticut.
Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia, according to the Alzheimer's Association.
Connecticut’s Guide for Navigating Dementia Care contains warning signs of dementia, a caregiver checklist and advice about what to expect at every stage of the disease.
The guide also has additional tips for creating a safe home, making a family plan and utilizing state resources for respite care and insurance guidance.
While the guide focuses primarily on caregiving, it also devotes some attention to dementia prevention, including research on the benefits of exercise and diet, social connections and intellectual activity. The guide also mentions the importance of avoiding serious head trauma by de-cluttering one’s space to minimize the risk of falls.
Access barriers persist
Despite efforts to connect caregivers with resources, getting those services can be difficult for some Connecticut families.
Cindy Eastman is author of "True Confessions of an Ambivalent Caregiver," a memoir about caring for her father with dementia. She said her family had very few resources available to them.
"We either made too much money as a family to get assistance from some places or didn't have enough to access respite care or direct care services," she said in an email. "We often felt like we fell through the cracks. We looked into the CTFMLA [Connecticut Family and Medical Leave], but I believe we didn't qualify because at the time both my husband and I were self-employed."
Navigating insurance coverage was an added layer of complexity, she said. When her dad had a fall that resulted in a broken ankle, he was admitted to a rehab facility, but had to be discharged after "Medicare deemed him cured," Eastman said.
"The coverage for his stay ended," she said. "We had to find an assisted living facility to accommodate him as he was still in a wheelchair and we couldn't make that work if we brought him back home."
After that proved to be to be too expensive, Eastman brought him home and the family took turns caregiving until his death.
Racial barriers also persist. Older Black Americans are twice as likely as older white Americans to have dementia. But only 20% of Black Americans said they had no barriers to quality health care and support, according to the Alzheimer's Association.
Learn more
Connecticut’s Guide for Navigating Dementia Care is available in English and Spanish.
A wallet card and flier are available for download.
