A Haven Academy course

The Connected Caregiver: Dementia & Alzheimer's Care at Home

Real help for the days that feel impossible.

A grounded, science-informed course for the people doing dementia and Alzheimer's care at home.

6 modules. 18 lessons. Move at your own pace, with an in-course AI coach for the in-between moments. Virtual personalized coaching available. · Taught by Jennifer Phelps, MS, BCBA

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If you're struggling, it isn't because you love your person any less or because you don't have enough patience. It's because nobody handed you a manual for this. So I wrote one. I'd like to walk through it with you.

What you'll learn

Small, specific skills for real moments at home.

The curriculum

Six modules, eighteen short lessons, one steady through-line.

Module 1

The Dementia Brain: What's Actually Happening Inside

When you understand what dementia is doing to the brain, a lot of confusing behavior starts to make sense. This module walks through the science in plain language so the next hard moment lands a little differently.

  • 1.1How Dementia and Alzheimer's Physically Change the BrainFree
  • 1.2Neuroscience Essentials for Dementia CaregivingFree
  • 1.3Memory, Emotion, and What Stays Intact
  • 1.4Stages of Decline: Calibrating Your Expectations Over Time

Module 2

ABA Essentials for Dementia Caregiving

Applied Behavior Analysis gives you a structured way to understand and respond to hard behavior. No clinical background needed. You'll learn to read what the behavior is telling you, and to shift the situation rather than try to change the person.

  • 2.1The ABC Framework: Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence
  • 2.2Identifying Triggers and Preventing Escalation
  • 2.3Redirection, Reinforcement, and Dignified De-escalation

Module 3

Designing a Dementia-Friendly Home Environment

The room around your person is doing more of the work than people realize. This module walks through small, doable changes to the spaces you already live in so the environment is quietly making care easier instead of harder.

  • 3.1How the Dementia Brain Processes Sensory Input
  • 3.2Room-by-Room Environmental Modifications
  • 3.3Safety Without Sterility: Preserving Autonomy and Dignity

Module 4

Building Routines That Create Calm

A predictable daily rhythm isn't a luxury in dementia care, it's one of the most powerful tools you have. This module helps you build a routine that fits your real life and gives a fragile brain something steady to lean on.

  • 4.1Why Predictability Is a Neurological Need, Not a Preference
  • 4.2Designing a Daily Routine That Works for Both of You
  • 4.3Meaningful Activity: Engagement That Matches the Brain

Module 5

Communication That Actually Reaches Your Loved One

Words and logic fade in dementia. Emotion and connection don't. This module gives you a real communication toolkit that meets the dementia brain where it actually is, so daily exchanges feel less like a tug-of-war and more like contact.

  • 5.1How Dementia Changes Communication, and What That Means for You
  • 5.2Validation and Emotion-First Communication
  • 5.3Handling Repetition, Resistance, and Difficult Conversations

Module 6

Sustaining Yourself: Preventing Burnout for the Long Haul

Caregiving is a marathon, not a sprint, and your wellbeing isn't separate from the quality of care you give. This final module helps you check in honestly with yourself, spot burnout before crisis, and build a self-care practice that's actually doable.

  • 6.1Understanding Caregiver Burnout: Signs, Science, and Stigma
  • 6.2Building a Realistic, Guilt-Free Self-Care Practice
  • 6.3Building Your Support Network and Knowing When to Ask for Help

Who this is for

Written for the people who need it most.

A note from your teacher

"Every lesson gives you one thing you can actually use today, a feeling of being seen by someone who gets it, and a little more steadiness to carry into tomorrow."

Jennifer Phelps, MS, BCBA

Questions

Honest answers.

Is this a replacement for talking to my doctor?+

No, and please don't treat it like one. This is education and support. It sits alongside your loved one's doctors and the other professionals on your team. It doesn't replace any of them.

How much time will it take?+

Each lesson is short, around 10 to 15 minutes of reading, plus one small thing you can try the same day. Go at whatever pace your life allows.

What if my person has a type of dementia other than Alzheimer's?+

You're still in the right place. The heart of this course (neuroscience, ABA, communication, environment, routine, and self-care) applies across all the common forms of dementia.

How does the AI coach work?+

On every lesson there's a private chat where you can describe your specific person and your specific hard moment. The coach is grounded in that lesson and in the principles of the course, so the help you get is the help that fits.

Can I share this with another family member?+

Please do. Caregiving is almost never one person's job, and a shared language makes the whole team stronger.

You can do this. We'll walk through it with you.

Start with Lessons 1.1 and 1.2, free. When you're ready, unlock the rest of the course for one payment.

One-time payment · lifetime access · no subscription