The Purple Sherpa

The Purple Sherpa The Purple Sherpa is a nonprofit organization that supports people caring for a loved one who has Alzheimer's Disease or another form of dementia.

Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia is a daunting task. There’s no way to prepare for it.
​​Julie Fleming knows. When Julie’s father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia, she became her father’s sole caregiver. With no preparation, guidance or respite, Julie learned by doing. And she figured it out. Julie is one of the lucky ones. Many caregivers don’

t figure it out—and don’t survive their loved one’s disease. It’s a grueling task. The toll is financial, physical and psychological. Julie compares this effort to being taken on an Everest expedition with no tools or preparation. While struggling with the reality of dementia care, the caregiver often hears: “You also need to take care of yourself.” Which is followed by no actual, practical advice, like how to get even 10 minutes to wash your hair, much less take a night off. That’s why Julie founded The Purple Sherpa. We are a non-profit, charitable organization. The Purple Sherpa is dedicated to supporting the caregiver of a loved one going through Alzheimer's or other illness with attendant symptoms of dementia. Sherpas climb as a team and share their knowledge. The Sherpas of Everest are legendary. They climb the mountain. They break a trail. They leave oxygen bottles for those who follow. And The Purple Sherpa is a community of veteran caregivers who have made the climb through dementia care. They’ve broken a trail. Now, they’re sharing their knowledge. And they’re leaving oxygen bottles in the form of useful tips and friendly advice. This is not another resource on how to care for the loved one with Alzheimer’s. There are already plenty of those, and they're important. But as a caregiver, you’ll find there is precious little information for how to care for yourself. While helping a loved one live well, how do you also live well? The Purple Sherpa is here to support you with real-world, been-there, done-that, one-step-at-a-time insight, advice and solace. While you’re on the care partner/caregiver journey, The Purple Sherpa wants to help you live--really live--right now.
​
​Welcome to the tribe.

There’s very little we can count on with dementia except that it’s tiring and ultimately a terminal condition. One of th...
06/03/2026

There’s very little we can count on with dementia except that it’s tiring and ultimately a terminal condition. One of the benefits of support groups is that we can share the things that happen and perhaps reduce the confusion. If you need additional support, please join The Purple Sherpa Basecamp here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/ThePurpleSherpaBasecamp/

06/02/2026

The Medicaid GUIDE (Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience) Model will run through 2032 and it could prove to be a game changer!

To see an infographic that maps out the process, please click here:
https://www.cms.gov/priorities/innovation/media/document/guide-dementia-care-journey

Please note there are eligibility requirements and procedures that interested people must read and follow carefully. To learn more about the program, click here:
https://www.cms.gov/priorities/innovation/innovation-models/guide

Interesting but probably not surprising: gardens and exposure to nature helps people living with dementia.
06/02/2026

Interesting but probably not surprising: gardens and exposure to nature helps people living with dementia.

"Sensory garden" in Radius rest home is already proving its worth.

In this short video, Teepa Snow models in her compassionate way, phrases that can go a long way to help build (and repai...
06/02/2026

In this short video, Teepa Snow models in her compassionate way, phrases that can go a long way to help build (and repair) the relationship between a care-partner and a loved one who is living with dementia.

Dementia Care and Training Specialist Teepa Snow joins Senior Helpe...

So many of the common ways of talking about dementia are painful, bordering on offensive, to me. Someone once said my da...
06/02/2026

So many of the common ways of talking about dementia are painful, bordering on offensive, to me. Someone once said my dad “lost his mind” and I just about came unglued. He did not lose his mind. He got a disease that was causing brain death, which is a very different thing. (Safe to say, I “lost my mind” in that moment because I was so angry and didn’t check that anger!)

That said, when I read this quote it brought me a certain peace. It matches what I observed at times, that my dad seemed still to be present somewhere, even as he was dying with end-stage dementia. His personality, his wit, his charm would peek out every so often — never long enough and never often enough, but enough that I had the sense *he* was still there, but he was somewhere I could not reach.

I’m confident that most neurologists wouldn’t agree, but as an untrained observer, I find comfort in thinking that as dementia was devastating and then destroying my dad’s brain, just maybe his mind/self slipped through to another reality that we couldn’t quite reach except when he slipped back into ours for brief visits.

Scientific? No. Comforting? More than the science.

This is not necessarily a good thing. Self-care is important to keep a caregiver sufficiently energized to care for some...
06/02/2026

This is not necessarily a good thing. Self-care is important to keep a caregiver sufficiently energized to care for someone else.

When I say self-care, I mean sleep, needed medical care, exercise, etc. rather than bubble baths and weekly movies, though the latter type is a wonderful bonus. Ask periodically: how can I squeeze in time for me? Short bursts of time count too.

In this blog post, "Write a Note", L.S. Fisher reflects on her husband's loss of memory through the lens of his love for...
06/01/2026

In this blog post, "Write a Note", L.S. Fisher reflects on her husband's loss of memory through the lens of his love for music.

"As time passed by, his repertoire dwindled to a few songs. The man who had the talent to sing a song after hearing it one time, no longer existed. For about five years into dementia, Jim could still play “Buckaroo” flawlessly after a few false starts."

It can all be so confusing at times, can't it?

Jim and his uncle used to play music together on a daily basis. One time, our four-year-old son said, “Dad would you sing that song “I’ve ...

In The Purple Sherpa Basecamp FB group, we know that sharing our journeys with others who know what we are going through...
06/01/2026

In The Purple Sherpa Basecamp FB group, we know that sharing our journeys with others who know what we are going through can be a huge source of support. It really is true that we are stronger together.

Our closed group is free, and you are welcome: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ThePurpleSherpaBasecamp/

While I was caring for my dad, I didn’t really appreciate the degree to which I was always on alert. On high alert. I wa...
06/01/2026

While I was caring for my dad, I didn’t really appreciate the degree to which I was always on alert. On high alert. I was always listening for any sound that could indicate a problem, whether I was next to his bed in the hospital or sleeping next to the receiver for a bed alarm. I’d wake up multiple times each night — assuming I could sleep in the first place. I was exhausted for many months after my dad died.

There’s no easy answer for these questions, but we need to ask them because we need to have reasonable rest to be effective caregivers and to be healthy ourselves. The best rest I found was standing in a dark, quiet room alone for a few minutes and allowing my overstressed system to relax, but that’s no substitute for a solid 6 to 8 hours of sleep a night.

Without outside help (whether on a daily basis or occasionally for a weekend or more of respite) I’m not sure what the answer is. What have you found to help?

This article shares thoughts from three caregivers about what they did to help maintain their family member's dignity an...
05/31/2026

This article shares thoughts from three caregivers about what they did to help maintain their family member's dignity and independence.

"In an effort to honor her mother’s dignity, Campbell found small ways to involve her in daily activities, from helping with the grocery list, to picking out her own clothes, to chores like putting away grocery items and taking out the trash."

How can you help a loved one maintain their independence in the face of a dementia diagnosis? In three new VOICES essays, caregivers share their wisdom.

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Cheyenne, WY

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678-831-3550

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