63 Top Alzheimer’s & Dementia Quotes for Caregivers
Supporting a family member who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or any form of dementia can be emotionally challenging. The impact on dementia patients is profound, affecting behavior, personality, language, movement, memory, and more. Despite the lack of good news or a cure, providing much love and becoming an inspired caregiver is crucial.
As someone who’s cared for family members through the end stages of dementia, I’ve found solace in dementia quotes. In this article, I’ll share inspirational quotes and words of wisdom that have helped me navigate this difficult journey, hoping they offer you strength too.
Inspirational Alzheimer’s and Dementia Quotes
1. “To the world you may be just one person, but to one person you may be their world.” — Josephine Billings
2. “Caregiving often calls us to lean into love we didn’t know possible.” — Tia Walker
3. “It is not the load that breaks you down. It’s the way you carry it.” — Lena Horne
4. “It is not how much you do, but how much love you put in the doing.” — Mother Teresa
5. “Remember, the dementia patient is not giving you a hard time. The dementia patient is having a hard time.” –Kerry Kleinbergen
6. “You don’t just wake up one day with dementia or Alzheimer’s; these conditions are developmental. Even when a problem triggers the need to collect data, it’s reviewed by a specialist and filed away. There’s no central repository allowing information to be shared across a multitude of researchers worldwide.” — Tan Le
7. “Why feel ashamed of having a complex brain disease? People are afraid to talk about it.” — Wendy Mitchell
8. “The disease might hide the person underneath, but there’s still a person in there who needs your love and attention.” — Jamie Calandriello
9. “Dementia was like a truth serum.” — Amy Tan
10. “There are only four kinds of people in the world. Those who have been caregivers. Those who are currently caregivers. Those who will be caregivers, and those who will need a caregiver.” — Rosalyn Carter
11. “Some days there won’t be a song in your heart. Sing anyway.” — Emory Austin
12. “A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures for anything.” — Irish Proverb
13. “If you learn to listen for clues as to how I feel instead of what I say, you will be able to understand me much better.” — Mara Botonis
14. “My caregiver mantra is to remember: The only control you have is over the changes you choose to make.” –Nancy L. Kriseman
15. “Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” — Lao Tzu
16. “Alzheimer’s creates a kind of friction that the family needs to be strong for. You have to hold onto things and know what is true in life.” — Candy Crowley
17. “Although your loved one may not remember you or might do things that frustrate you, this is the time when he or she needs you the most.” — Angie Nunez Merryman
18. “No matter who you are, what you’ve accomplished, what your financial situation is—when you’re dealing with a parent with Alzheimer’s, you yourself feel helpless. The parent can’t work, can’t live alone, and is totally dependent, like a toddler. As the disease unfolds, you don’t know what to expect.” — Maria Shriver
19. “People do not realize that Alzheimer’s is not old age. It is a progressive and fatal disease and staggering amounts of people develop Alzheimer’s every day.” — Melina Kanakaredes
20. “Be kind for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” — Socrates
21. “I am seeking, I am not lost. I am forgetful, I am not gone.” — Koenig Coste
22. “You may share the same memories from your youth with us time and time again, but the sheer joy you show in telling those stories with such a big smile goes beyond making up the loss of new stories.” — Renee Fry
23. “Alzheimer’s caregivers are heroes.” — Leeza Gibbons
24. “People with Alzheimer’s deserve to be seen, so that we can find a cure.” — Julianne Moore
There’s no doubt that you have much love to offer the patient, but dementia care is difficult. Alzheimer’s Disease is just one kind of dementia, so you might be dealing with Lewy Body Dementia, Vascular Dementia, Frontal Lobe Dementia, or other forms of dementia.
Since dementia is a progressive brain disease, the end stages of dementia are always extremely difficult.
I have been the caregiver for several family members with dementia — and the only way you will survive is to become an informed and inspired caregiver. I hope these dementia quotes help you thrive and survive.
Quotes to Inspire Dementia Caregivers
25. “The capacity to care is the thing which gives life its deepest significance.” — Pablo Casals
26. “While the final chapter of my life with dementia may be trying, nothing has diminished my gratitude and deep appreciation for the countless blessings in my life.” — Sandra Day O’Connor
27. “I like it when people remember that I’m a person, not just a person with Alzheimer’s.” — Sally Hepworth
28. “Those with dementia are still people and they still have stories and they still have character and they’re all individuals and they’re all unique. And they just need to be interacted with on a human level.” — Carey Mulligan
29. “Dementia care—it’s not rocket science, it’s heart science.” — Gail Weatherill
30. “They may not be able to remember who we are, but they feel us just the same.” — Amanda Dillon
31. “Release in your mind who your loved one used to be and accept who they are today.” — J. Rusnak
32. “We believe communicating effectively with someone with Alzheimer’s is not just about using language, it is connecting through their senses such as touch, visual cues and sound” — Peter Ross
33. “Please remember the real me when I cannot remember you.” — Julie White
34. “There is no substitute for the love of an Alzheimer’s caregiver.” — Bob DeMarco
35. “To love a person is to learn the song in their heart and sing it to them when they have forgotten.” — Arne Garborg
36. “Even If I can’t cure, I can still care.” — Sally P. Karioth
37. “You can’t explain what it’s like to mourn someone who is still alive unless you’ve experienced it firsthand.” — Jessica Seay-Soto
38. “There will come a time when your loved one is gone, and you will find comfort in the fact that you were their caregiver.” — Karen Coetzer
39. “Dementia does not rob someone of their dignity. It’s our reaction to them that does.” — Teepa Snow
40. “To love a person is to learn the song in their heart, and sing it to them when they have forgotten.” — Arne Garborg
41. “Dementia is not exclusively a problem for the developed world.” — Julie Bishop
42. “None of us wants to be reminded that dementia is random, relentless, and frighteningly common.” — Laurie Graham
43. “Adrenaline is wonderful. It covers pain. It covers dementia. It covers everything.” — Jerry Lewis
44. “That’s the thing with dementia. If you’re with somebody who has a serious illness, you can usually talk to them, have a laugh every now and then – the person is still with you. With dementia, there’s no conversation; there’s no togetherness, no sharing.” — Judy Parfitt
45. “Remember, the dementia patient is not giving you a hard time. The dementia patient is having a hard time.” — Unknown
It’s important to note that many of the people who have quotable quotes in this collection have had family members with dementia. They know what a hard time looks like.
Dementia reaches all kinds of people — older adults, young adults, the wealthy and the poor. The only control you have is how you take care of yourself so you can better care for the patient.
Dementia is a brutal disease of the mind. While the disease usually leads to similar experiences, every single case is different. I know this to be a fact because of my personal experiences with caregiving. As the caregiver, you must develop habits that will preserve your emotional self care and wellness in all cases.
More Dementia Quotes to Help You Feel Less Alone
46. “One person caring about another represents life’s greatest value.” — Jim Rohn
47. “Sometimes it takes more courage to ask for help than to act alone.” — Ken Petti
48. “Sometimes asking for help is the most meaningful example of self-reliance.” — Cory Booker
49. “Alzheimer’s is literally killing us, and the only way to fight this ‘crime’ is through a groundswell of people who continue to raise their voices and funds to ensure it gets the attention it deserves.” — Tess Gerritsen
50. “They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” — Carl W. Buechner
51. “Alzheimer’s makes us realize that we are not alone – that kindness and compassion are everywhere and all around us.” — Rosalys Peel
52. “Even though helpful medication exists, there’s still no cure and we have to keep fighting to find one.” — Sally Noelle
53. “One person caring about another represents life’s greatest value.” — Jim Rohn
54. “If you find yourself caring for a relative with dementia, the chances are you’ll need help.” — Phyllis Logan
55. “Caregiving is a constant learning experience.” — Vivian Frazier
56. “The miracle is this: The more we share, the more we have.” — Leonard Nimoy
57. “As you grow older you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.” — Audrey Hepburn
58. “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” — Dalai Lama
59. “Compassion automatically invites you to relate with people because you no longer regard people as a drain on your energy.” — Chogyam Trungpa
60. “Be determined to handle any challenge in a way that will make you grow.” — Les Brown
61. “Kindness can transform someone’s dark moment with a blaze of light. You’ll never know how much your caring matters. Make a difference for another today.” — Amy Leigh Mercree
62. “No matter what you’ve done for yourself or for humanity, if you can’t look back on having given love and attention to your own family, what have you really accomplished?” — Lee Iacocca
63.“Caregivers attract caregivers and live in a community of love. They are energized by their caring, fulfilled, and they love life.” — Gary Zukav
You must ask for help and seek resources for caregiving. Don’t try to handle the caregiving responsibilities alone.
Ask an old friend for help, watch a comedy movie to get a good laugh, ask a family member for help so you can take a long nap, develop a caregiver mantra that helps you remember that this is only temporary, seek help from a community health nursing program or a mental health nurse.
Become a partner with the patient’s physician so you can learn how to best care for your patient. Various hospitals, mental health clinics, departments of aging, and community hospitals may have support programs that can provide resources.
Just remember, you are not alone!
Final Thoughts: Alzheimer’s and Dementia Quotes
Please use these inspirational quotes about dementia to help you maintain a positive mindset and remember to take care of yourself.
I started helping with my maternal grandmother when she was diagnosed with dementia when I was just 14-years old. She moved in with us and I moved into my younger sister’s bedroom so my grandmother could have mine.
Since then, I have provided caregiving services to other family members who have dementia, and every case has been different.
The common denominator for all dementia sufferers is short-term memory loss; for the caregiver it’s mental exhaustion. Please take care of yourself and don’t try to do it alone!
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- Feeling Trapped Caring for Elderly Parents? Here’s Help!
Love to ALL! ~ Susan
