Dementia Awareness: One Caregiver’s Powerful Journey

🎧 Listen now as dementia awareness through creativity is explored in this heartfelt audio interview on how caregiving journeys can inspire advocacy, storytelling, and global impact.  🎧  Listen Here

Betsy Wurzel welcomes returning guest Daisy Vest for a deeply emotional and inspiring conversation centered on dementia awareness through creativity. This marks Daisy’s third appearance on Chatting with Betsy, and her message continues to resonate with caregivers and advocates everywhere.

Daisy Vest’s journey began as a caregiver for her mother, who lived with Alzheimer’s disease. That experience transformed her life and led her to become a passionate advocate for dementia awareness. Today, Daisy uses her creativity to educate others through her initiative, Daisy V’s Books and Tees for Dementia Awareness, reaching people around the world.

If you are wondering how caregiving can evolve into advocacy or how creative expression can help others understand dementia, this conversation offers both inspiration and practical insight.

As Daisy shares, her caregiving experience changed her in profound ways. She felt a strong responsibility to bring awareness and education to others because she once knew very little about Alzheimer’s herself. That realization became the foundation of her mission.

Through her work, Daisy creates meaningful resources, including beautifully designed children’s books, storybooks, and custom t-shirts that help explain dementia in a compassionate and accessible way. She even places her books in physicians’ offices and community spaces to reach as many people as possible.

One of the most powerful aspects of this episode is Daisy’s collaboration with Julie Hayden, an advocate living in England with early onset Alzheimer’s disease. Together, they created the book Living With Young Onset Dementia, which shares Julie’s personal journey through poems, experiences, and reflections.

Julie Hayden, founder of the Facebook group Young Onset Dementia & Alzheimer’s / Halifax and an independent dementia activist, contributed deeply personal insights into the challenges of diagnosis, stigma, and living with the condition. With her permission, Daisy shared a heartfelt letter from Julie during the interview, offering listeners a rare and moving perspective.

This collaboration is especially meaningful, as it is Daisy’s first time working directly with someone living with dementia to tell their story. She also shared that more collaborations are on the horizon, continuing her mission to amplify voices within the dementia community.

Betsy and Daisy also explored an important truth: every person living with dementia—and every caregiver—has a different experience. That individuality makes awareness and education even more critical.

In a touching moment, Daisy recalled her mother saying, “I just do it my own way.” That sentiment became a theme throughout the conversation, as both Daisy and Betsy reflected on how they each approach advocacy in their own unique way.

Betsy also shared her appreciation for how far dementia awareness has come in recent years. Compared to just eight years ago, there are now more voices, more resources, and more people willing to share their journeys.

Daisy’s work also extends into deeply personal connections. She created a custom t-shirt for Betsy and included Betsy’s son Josh’s experiences in her book My Oma is Living with Dementia. These projects reflect not only creativity but also compassion and understanding.

What stands out most is Daisy’s encouragement to others: you can create something meaningful too. Whether it’s a book, artwork, or another form of expression, your story and your voice matter.

Why This Matters 💡

Dementia awareness through creativity opens doors to understanding, compassion, and connection. Stories, art, and shared experiences help break stigma and provide comfort to families navigating difficult journeys. Advocacy like Daisy’s ensures that no one feels alone.

What Do You Think? 💬

Have you found creative ways to cope with caregiving or share your story? Your voice may help someone else feel seen, understood, and supported.

This conversation is a reminder that dementia awareness is not just about understanding a condition—it is about understanding people, experiences, and the emotional journey that comes with caregiving.

Through voices like Daisy Vest and Julie Hayden, we see how sharing real stories can bring comfort, education, and connection to others who may feel alone.

About the Guest

Daisy Vest is a dementia advocate, author, and creative entrepreneur who transformed her caregiving experience into a mission to educate and inspire others. Through her books, artwork, and advocacy, she brings awareness to all forms of dementia and helps families better understand the journey.

🎧 Listen Here

We would love to hear your thoughts on this blog and what this topic means to you.

Resources and Connections

Daisy Vest
Email: pbdgallery@me.com
Facebook: Daisy V’s Books And Tees For Dementia Awareness

Julie Hayden (UK Orders & Contact)
Email: JulieHayden@rocketmail.com

Facebook:Young Onset Dementia & Alzheimer’s / Halifax Group

Individuals in the UK can order the book by contacting  Julie Hayden for payment  details  and to connect  with  Julie Hayden            Book Information Living With Young Onset Dementia

$14.99 + tax and $3.99 shipping (U.S.)
Payment options: PayPal, Cash App, Venmo