Barbara Huelat

And Why They Give Me Hope After more than 40 years in healthcare design—and a deeply personal journey as a caregiver—I’ve seen dementia care from every angle. For too long, the system has focused on managing symptoms rather than supporting the human experience. But something is changing. Across the country—and the world—I am beginning to see a shift. New models, new tools, and new thinking are emerging that finally recognize what caregivers have always known: This is not just about disease....

And the Baby Boomers Are Not Going Quietly I have spent decades walking through senior living communities — designing them, studying them, lecturing about them. Many were built for our parents’ generation — the Silent Generation. They endured war, scarcity, institutional authority. They adapted. They complied. So we built environments around endurance. Long corridors.Centralized nurses’ stations.Locked units.Fixed schedules.Safety above all. We told ourselves it was care. Then my mother...

Every so often, a dream takes shape that feels bigger than you imagined.That’s how it has felt for both  Ruth Shea  and me as the  Taming the Chaos of Dementia Institute  has grown into a place where  all  caregivers — at home or in care facilities — can find the support, guidance, and tools they deserve. Today, I want to celebrate the Institute and the caregivers who inspire every part of this work. Why We Built This Institute Between Ruth and me, we have decades of experience spanning home...