Introduction: navigating the journey -- Peggy: the ultimate toll -- With Alicia Murray -- Frances: what is dementia? -- Jill: into the dementia wonderland -- Natalie: much more than words -- Vada: past, present, and future -- Joe: communicating the gift of value -- Lucy and Betty: thinking outside the box -- Edna: you're just imagining things -- Margie: if you keep doing what you are doing -- Harry: it's bath night! -- Susan: dealing with disruption -- With Alicia Murray -- Grace: moving beyond guilt -- With Alicia Murray -- Virginia: laughter is therapeutic -- With Alicia Murray -- Beatrice and Henry: the power of gratitude -- Sean: the puzzling pieces of grief -- With Denise Pedersen -- Lessons, perceptions, and approaches: a reader's guide