The DEER Program

Are you living with dementia, or think that you might be? Do you know someone who is?

The Dementia Engagement, Education, and Research (DEER) Program in the School of Public Health at the University of Nevada, Reno is now enrolling for our free, six-week Dementia Self-Management Program!

The program is designed specifically for people living with mild to moderate dementia (or who are experiencing cognitive changes, even without a diagnosis) and engages participants in outlining personal well-being goals and charting a proactive path toward achieving those goals.

Based on the science of chronic disease self-management and grounded in the lived experience of people living with dementia, Dementia Self-Management is the perfect first step on someone’s dementia journey.

Online and in-person (in Reno) options available.

More information and registration at https://DEERprogram.org/Dementia-Self-Management

One of the DEER Program's longest-standing partners, the Sanford Center for Aging, is enrolling for numerous upcoming wellness programs this fall, both online and in-person in Reno, NV.

From chronic disease self-management to fall prevention to care and support approaches, the options are bounfitful!

Don't miss the opportunity to connect with these high-quality opportunities to support your well-being.

More info at https://med.unr.edu/sanford/health-services/wellness-programs

It's Mythbusting Monday!

Myth: Dementia means life is over.

Truth: A dementia diagnosis does not mark the end of a person’s life, identity, or ability to experience meaning. People living with dementia continue to feel joy, love, pride, frustration, curiosity, creativity, and connection. They continue to form relationships, contribute to their families and communities, and grow in ways that may look different but are no less real. Research and lived experience consistently show that quality of life after diagnosis is shaped far more by social connection, respectful relationships, and supportive environments than by dementia itself. When communities focus only on decline and loss, opportunities for engagement narrow, expectations shrink, and people are unintentionally excluded. When we focus on strengths, adaptability, and possibility, we create space for people living with dementia to continue living full, meaningful lives.

Learn about the power of "game-ification," from world-renowned physician, innovator, and entrepreneur Dr. Bill Thomas!

Monday, September 14, 2026
1:00 - 2:30 PM Pacific via Zoom

Registration at https://bit.ly/DFNV-SW

Have you heard of "game-ification?"

Join us on September 14 for our DFNV Distinguished Speaker Series, where Dr. Bill Thomas of Lifespark will share about the Spark Performance Leage (an intergenerational sports leage) and about the power of game-ifying well-being for elders.

Monday, September 14, 2026
1:00 - 2:30 PM Pacific
Online via Zoom

Free and open to all!

Register today: https://bit.ly/DFNV-SW

Join Dementia Friendly Nevada on Monday for the Distinguished Speaker Series!

This will be a fantastic presentation about an exciting program, led by and for people living with dementia, focused on supporting well-being post-diagnosis.

Register at https://bit.ly/DFNV-SW

At DFNV, we know that the best guides to living well with dementia are people living with dementia themselves.

Join us next week for our DFNV Distinguished Speaker Series, where Damian Murphy of Innovations in Dementia will share the story behind "The Good Life With Dementia:" a post-diagnostic course for people living with dementia, designed and delivered by people living with dementia.

Monday, August 10, 2026
1:00 - 2:30 PM Pacific
Online via Zoom

Free and open to all!

Register today: https://bit.ly/DFNV-SW

Freedom. Belonging. Support.

These ordinary but profound words form the foundation of DEER Program Director Dr. Jennifer Carson's reflections on her time walking the Camino de Santiago as part of Walking the Talk for Dementia 2026.

Read the full article, and learn how the Camino invites us to consider another way forward when it comes to dementia care and support.

https://www.unr.edu/nevada-today/news/2026/experiences-of-the-pack-jennifer-carson-reflection-on-dementia?utm_source=LinkedIn&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=health-Medicine&utm_content=Jennifer-Carson&fbclid=IwY2xjawTdkP1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETE1d3pMZG9QQXF6Z3RQSTZnc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHj-i4S-g3u2j6cUqxR2SSAkVKW_0zqxbtXbkkul5W2Ps0VoywSgK68gkPnaP_aem_CUK4zE-4lPaUvcN4wCDE7g

Dementia, the Camino and another way forward Jennifer Carson, Ph.D, reflects on the Camino de Santiago and how freedom, belonging and support can reshape the way we approach dementia care.

Join Dementia Friendly Nevada next week for a chance to hear from the International Association for Indigenous Aging on "Resources for Dementia-Friendly Communities!"

Don't miss this month's DFNV Distinguished Speaker Series session!

Featuring:

"The International Association for Indigenous Aging: Resources to Support Dementia-Friendly Communities"

Presented by Bill Benson, Megan Dicken (United Houma Nation), and Marvina Chavez (Diné) of the International Association for Indigenous Aging - IA2

Monday, July 13
1:00 - 2:30 PM Pacific
Online, via Zoom
Free and open to all!

Register today at https://bit.ly.DFNV-SW

A day at the fair and a chance to connect with the community? That's a winning combination! 🎪

The DEER Program shared how to improve the lives of people living with dementia and their care partners through education, research and community engagement. We want to thank everyone who stopped by to visit Dr. Jennifer Carson and the The DEER Program while they were at the State Fair of Nevada.

Dementia Conversations creates space for honest, respectful dialogue about living with dementia.

These facilitated conversations bring together people living with dementia, care partners, and community members to share experiences, reflect together, and learn from one another in a supportive environment.

Rather than focusing on education about dementia, Dementia Conversations centers lived experience, listening, and connection. The goal is not to provide answers or advice, but to foster understanding, reduce isolation, and build empathy through shared conversation.

If you are looking for a space grounded in respect, curiosity, and community, Dementia Conversations offers an opportunity to listen deeply and engage meaningfully.

More information and registration at https://DEERprogram.org/Dementia-Conversations