Why the Right Dementia Diagnosis Matters: Five Essential Tips / Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias

The Caregiver's Journey

Sue Ryan and Nancy Treaster

Personal Journals, Self-improvement, Non-profit, Society & Culture, How To, Business, Health & Fitness, Mental Health, Education

5.0 • 3.7K Ratings

🗓️ 27 January 2026

⏱️ 21 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

“An accurate early dementia diagnosis is essential. It can make a significant difference in how families navigate the diagnosis.” Esther Kane, MSN, RN

Your loved one has been diagnosed with dementia… but do you ever wonder if they’ve been diagnosed with the correct type? Do you find yourself thinking: “This diagnosis doesn’t quite fit what I’m seeing.” You’re not alone. Getting the correct diagnosis opens the right doors to support, care, and community that you might not have known existed.

We are Sue Ryan and Nancy Treaster. As caregivers for our loved ones with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia, we’ve learned firsthand that not all dementias are the same. Understanding the specific type of dementia your loved one has ensures they’re receiving the correct medical care and helps you connect with the education, targeted support groups, and research opportunities tailored to your loved one’s specific needs.

In this post, we’re sharing insights from Esther Kane, a registered nurse and the Director of Support and Education for the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD). As a director of nursing in multiple memory care facilities, Esther’s entire career has been supporting and caring for individuals living with all types of dementia. In her role at AFTD, Esther works to advance early, accurate FTD diagnoses in order to improve the quality of life for those impacted by the disease.

We’re exploring five essential tips for ensuring your loved one receives the correct dementia diagnosis and how to leverage this knowledge for better care.

Full Show Notes

https://thecaregiversjourney.org/54-why-the-right-dementia-diagnosis-matters-five-essential-tips-alzheimers-and-other-dementias/

Additional Resources Mentioned

Alzheimer’s Association 10 signs of dementia: https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/10_signs
Navigating Dementia Caregiving Roadmap guide: https://thecaregiversjourney.org/guides/
Association for Frontotemporal Dementia (AFTD): https://www.theaftd.org/
Support the nonprofit The Caregiver's Journey: https://give.cornerstone.cc/thecaregiversjourney

Takeaways

Tip 1: Learn More About Dementia and Push to Dig Deeper

Tip 2: Find Your Specific Diagnosis Community, Resources, and Support

Tip 3: Monitor Disease Progression and Prepare

Tip 4: Investigate Clinical Trials

Tip 5: Understand the Genetic Risk Associated with This Diagnosis

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is the Whole Care Network, helping you tell your story one podcast at a time.
0:16.0	Content presented in the following podcast is for information purposes only.
0:22.7	Views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and guests
0:28.1	and may not represent the views and opinions of the Whole Care Network.
0:33.2	Always consult with your physician for any medical advice.
0:36.8	And always consult with your attorney for any legal advice. And always consult with your attorney for any legal advice.
0:40.5	And thank you for listening to the Whole Care Network.
0:52.6	You're confident that your loved one has dementia. But do you ever wonder if they've been diagnosed with the right type of dementia or if it even matters?
1:02.9	In this episode, Sue and I are talking with Esther Kane, a registered nurse, and the Director of Support and education for the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration,
1:16.7	more commonly known as the AFTD.
1:20.8	And we're talking about why understanding the type of dementia your loved one has opens windows to support, care, and really community.
1:31.6	We're sharing five tips.
1:34.6	Welcome. We're Sue Ryan and Nancy Treister.
1:38.2	This podcast brings our years of experience in a variety of family caregiving roles to prepare you to navigate your caregiving journey.
1:45.0	We're sharing our personal experiences, not medical advice, and because it's our passion to support you on your journey,
1:53.0	we believe no topic is off limits. Let's get started.
2:06.6	As a director of nursing in multiple memory care facilities, Esther has spent her entire career supporting and caring for individuals living with all forms of dementia. In Esther's role
2:12.9	at AFTD, she works to advance early, accurate FTD diagnoses and improve the quality of life for those
2:21.8	impacted by the disease. Esther, welcome to our podcast. Thank you Sue and Nancy for having me
2:29.6	today. You know, accurate early dementia diagnosis is so essential and it matters to so many families.
2:37.3	It can make such a difference in how families navigate a diagnosis.
2:42.0	And it's really important to understand that not all dementias are the same.
	...

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