🏅 2026 Readers’ Choice Book Award Winner – Silver medal in Adult Nonfiction

Looking Past Dementia offers a much-needed new vision of caring for people living with dementia. With its compelling stories and solid advice gleaned from Marysue Moses’s long career working in memory care settings, this book could take the place of hours of dull lectures about dementia. As I read it, I imagined sending a copy to every person working in memory care, including administrators and marketing people, activities directors, nurses, CNAs, cooks, housekeepers, maintenance people, etc. I also thought about the many family caregivers I know who could use a gentle reminder that people living with dementia don’t lose the ability to give and receive love. This beautiful work reverberates with messages of hope and offers multiple examples of how joy and meaning can be retained when we honor the humanity of people living with dementia by “looking past” their brain changes and acknowledging they have much to teach us.

—Susan H. McFadden, PhD, Professor Emerita of Psychology, cofounder of Fox Valley Memory Project, and coauthor of Dementia-Friendly Communities

Looking Past Dementia by Marysue Moses is a must-read for anyone working in dementia care. Marysue masterfully guides readers beyond the symptoms, losses and challenges associated with dementia to reveal the unique person who remains. Through her compassionate insights and real-world experience, she helps professionals and families understand not only how to provide better support, but also why so many of us are passionate about serving people living with dementia. This book reminds us that meaningful connections, genuine relationships, and opportunities for purpose continue long after a dementia diagnosis. Marysue beautifully captures what those of us in memory care know to be true: when we learn to look past dementia, we discover remarkable individuals whose lives still have tremendous value, wisdom and potential for connection. I highly recommend this book to healthcare professionals, caregivers and family members seeking a deeper understanding of person-centered dementia care.

—Amy House, host and owner of Think Dementia

As a geropsychologist working with dementia patients on a daily basis for forty-five years, I know firsthand that the quality of the relationships they have with caregivers and family members directly affected that their quality of life. Marysue Moses uses her years of experience working with these individuals to highlight the humanity, uniqueness and personality that remains in them despite their dementia diagnosis. She demonstrates how to touch people in an emotionally meaningful way. Looking Past Dementia should provide hope, encouragement and new ways of thinking for those who care for and love someone living with dementia.

—John E. Brose, PhD, CEO and clinical director of Associated Clinic of Psychology

Looking Past Dementia is a deeply moving book that reminds us that humor, love and humanity do not disappear with a dementia diagnosis. Marysue Moses offers hope, compassion and practical wisdom through personal stories and meaningful insights that caregivers, families and professionals can immediately connect with and apply. Her thoughtful guidance, including support for families navigating the transition into a memory care community, makes this book both an invaluable resource and an inspiring read. She has created a heartfelt reminder that dementia does not diminish the human spirit. My heart is happy reading this book! There’s so much gloom surrounding a dementia diagnosis… Looking Beyond Dementia is proof that it does not have to be that way. With the right support, all those living with brain changes can thrive!

—Melissa Elvrum, founder of Creative Lucidity

Although the title of this book is Looking Past Dementia, Marysue Moses provides an invaluable roadmap for embracing its daily realities head-on with open arms and practical wisdom. The book is full of heartwarming, relatable and engaging true stories that vividly illustrate a wide range of experiences individuals living with dementia and their care partners encounter. Moses seamlessly shares practical strategies and tips she has learned through her years of dedicated work in the field. An easy and lighthearted read, the focus on positivity and promoting quality of life feels like a breath of fresh air.

—Robyn Birkeland, PhD, dementia care research study interventionist

Whether you have family members with dementia or are starting to deal with it yourself, Looking Past Dementia will bring relief, insight and the ability to navigate the condition without panic. While experiencing her mother’s illness, author Marysue Moses used her theater background to create respectful, effective approaches to communication and engagement that build understanding and connection. Moses’s years of experience working in memory care serve her well here, and each chapter brings unexpected insights that make life easier for caregivers and loved ones. Ultimately, she teaches us not to be afraid of the losses we may endure, and that laughter, love and joy will remain part of our lives whether dementia happens or not. This book shares the journeys of many with this condition, while at the same time, offering ideas and support. You will be better prepared, happier and more informed for having read this wonderful book.

—Jenna Zark, author of Crooked Lines and the Beat Street Series, and family member of loved ones living with dementia

Looking Past Dementia is filled with wonderful insights from a professional with a true heart for those living with dementia and their caregivers. This book is a beautiful celebration of the unique talents of all those whose lives have been touched by dementia. It also teaches those involved in caregiving how to connect with and bring out these talents that are still inside—how to look past dementia—and enrich the lives of both the caregiver and the cared for. Kudos to Marysue Moses on Looking Past Dementia—a true gift to us all!

—Marsha Brintnall, daughter and sister of loved ones who lived with dementia

Marysue Moses is a wonderful dementia educator. Her book, Looking Past Dementia, provides insight into the experiences of those living with dementia. Her storytelling makes it easy to step into the lives of the people she writes about. As an executive director of a memory care community, I will be sharing this book with my team and the families we support.

—Melissa Zentz, executive director of memory care