Hi! I'm Karly and I'm the author and creator of Personalizing Care for a Loved One with Dementia
This guidebook was created initially as a thesis project for a Masters of Design at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Art, Architecture, and Planning (DAAP). It came together through a lot of research, interviews, and testing with family and professional caregivers. If you’re interested in reading a 100+ page thesis paper and learning more about my process, click here to view the PDF.
After I graduated, one of the caregivers I tested the guidebook with asked me, “what do you plan to do with this now that it’s done?”. I told her that I wasn’t sure. I never pictured myself becoming an author or exploring the route of self-publishing. Thankfully, with her encouragement and guidance, I created this LLC and I’ve decided to dedicate part of my life to helping all caregivers.
Why I created the guidebook...
The inspiration for this guidebook and the passion for helping family caregivers came from being a caregiver myself. Both of my grandfathers had been diagnosed with dementia. I witnessed firsthand how hard the disease was on not only them but my family too. We lived 8 minutes away from both sets of grandparents, and they all played a massive role in my upbringing; and I can’t express how thankful I am to have had them in my life.
My grandfather Bob Walz passed away almost five years ago now. He was the heartbreaking introduction into this world of caregiving. Helping him decline with dignity and purpose became incredibly important to me. Even though he was losing his memory, he was still a man with interests, passions, and values. He is the reason I firmly believe that if you can reflect on someone’s interests and life history, you can use that knowledge to personalize activities and care. You can still give a person with memory loss a sense of meaning and purpose no matter what stage they are in.
My other grandfather, Bob Hasselfeld II, passed away towards the end of 2020 while I was in the middle of creating the guidebook. Due to COVID-19, I was taking all of my classes remotely and spent most of my days working from my grandparent’s house. I feel so fortunate to have been there for the final stages of his diagnosis. I am thankful to have been constantly reminded why I was back in school and how important helping this population is. Helping my grandmother take care of him, coming up with activities, and being surrounded by a house full of memories and love. This experience with my grandparents is why I believe that if I can reduce the stress of one caregiver with this guidebook, I will have fulfilled my goal in life.
