Welcome to Day 2 of the Stronger Together Summit! In this interactive opening session, Dr. Anna Thomas will set the stage for the day by walking you through what’s ahead—and introducing one of the most important shifts in caregiving: moving from doing it all yourself to building a care plan and support system that actually works.

You’ll explore what it means to lead with intention, identify your real care needs, and discover the types of support services and resources that can lighten your load. Whether you're just starting your caregiving journey or ready to reorganize what’s already in place, this session will help you take the next step with clarity and confidence.

Key Takeaways:

1. Gain a clear overview of Day 2 sessions and how they connect to your caregiving journey

2. Identify your core caregiving responsibilities and map out realistic support needs

3. Learn how to build a care team using personal, professional, and community resources

About the Speaker:
Dr. Anna Thomas is a physician, award-winning speaker, TEDx presenter, and caregiver advocate. She is the founder of LifeCare LeadHership™ and host of the Stronger Together Summit. Through her work, she empowers professionals and families to navigate caregiving, leadership, and life transitions with resilience and clarity.

Dr. Thomas draws from her background in palliative care, her personal experience as a caregiver, and her deep commitment to improving support for working caregivers and families affected by dementia. She is the creator of the Care Leader™ framework and host of The Age of Caregiving podcast. With compassion, science, and strategy, she equips individuals and organizations to lead with intention—even in life’s hardest seasons.

What does it look like to be the glue holding everything together—but feeling like you're coming undone? In this raw and empowering session, Dr. Staci Moore shares her experience as a GenX woman caring for aging parents, supporting adult children and grandchildren, managing multiple businesses, and navigating mental health—all while being the “go-to” for everyone else.

With powerful storytelling and practical strategies, Staci reveals how she moved beyond the myth of “just handling it” and built a sustainable care system grounded in reality, tech tools, and tough conversations. This talk is for every GenXer sandwiched between caregiving and survival—who needs permission to stop burning out and start backing themselves up.

Key Takeaways:

1. Build a real support system – Stop doing it all alone and bring in help you can trust

2. Plan before the crisis hits – Use strategic care planning to protect your time and peace

3. Address the family elephant – Have the hard conversations and define roles clearly

4. Let AI lighten the load – Use digital tools to track care, manage health, and save time

About the Speaker:
Dr. Staci Moore is a Revenue Strategist, global speaker, and cofounder of a women’s empowerment nonprofit. With over 40 years in sales and a background in Behavioral & Social Sciences, she brings both strategy and soul to caregiving conversations. She holds an Honorary Doctorate of Humanitarianism and is a Global Humanitarian Award recipient.

Known as TheOper8tor, Staci manages life with PTSD, ADHD, chronic depression, and dyslexia while caring for her stepfather with dementia in a multigenerational household. Her caregiving journey led to unexpected healing, deeper family connection, and her appearance on The Caring Corner Podcast with Mischelle O’Neal.

Staci speaks candidly about the invisible labor of the sandwich generation and offers tangible tools for care planning, digital delegation, and self-preservation—especially for GenX professionals and caregivers.

When Tannisha Thompson’s father was diagnosed with early-onset dementia, her world changed overnight. In her twenties, she stepped into the role of full-time caregiver—a profound reversal that reshaped their relationship and redefined her life. As the disease progressed, so did the challenges, but so did their love.

In this heartfelt session, Tannisha shares her story of resilience, sacrifice, and unwavering devotion. She speaks especially to young and midlife caregivers navigating this journey, reminding them that though the burden may feel heavy, they are not alone—and they are more powerful than they know.

Key Takeaways:

1. Understand how dementia transforms family roles and relationships

2. Recognize the strength and love at the heart of caregiving—even when it’s thankless

3. Encourage younger caregivers to embrace the journey and find meaning in the sacrifice

About the Speaker:
Tannisha Thompson is an Atlanta native, educator, and advocate who brings both personal experience and professional insight to her work. She holds a B.A. in English from Savannah State University and an M.S. in Instructional Design & Technology. A seasoned Learning & Development Specialist, author, and coach, Tannisha currently serves at FreedomCare and leads her own ventures, T. Tanee’ Enterprises, LLC and The Transparent Church Girl.

Her advocacy is deeply personal—she cared for her father, Rev. Tommy Thompson Jr., through his journey with dementia until his passing in 2023. Today, she shares her voice to uplift others walking the same path.

Dementia is often misunderstood—and caregivers are often left feeling overwhelmed, isolated, or blamed. In this eye-opening and compassionate session, Tammy Goodson (T.J.) explains what dementia truly is, what it does to the brain, and how we can shift our perspective from guilt to grace. She invites attendees to acknowledge their own limits, release unrealistic expectations, and embrace the power of love, boundaries, and self-identity in the caregiving journey. Caregivers will walk away with validation, encouragement, and practical insights to help their loved one—without losing themselves in the process.

Key Takeaways

1. Understanding what dementia is—and what it is not

2. Releasing guilt and embracing realistic expectations

3. Honoring your loved one without losing your sense of self

About the Speaker:
Tammy Goodson, also known as T.J., is a compassionate caregiver advocate with a deep understanding of dementia and end-of-life care. She spent over four years working with hospice clients at the Visiting Nurses Association in Red Bank, New Jersey, many of whom were living with dementia. Tammy holds a degree in Pharmacy Technology from Phoenix University and a degree in Alternative Medicine from Everglades University. At 66 years young, she brings both lived experience and professional insight to help caregivers feel seen, supported, and empowered.

Imagine stepping through an invisible door into a world where the rules have changed—but the heart of your loved one still shines bright. In this inspiring and practical talk, Amy Morehead introduces Hero’s Glasses™, a powerful mindset tool that helps caregivers stop struggling to pull their loved one back into reality and instead become the courageous guide who joins them in theirs.

Through five transformative mindset shifts, Amy empowers caregivers to move from frustration and grief to clarity, compassion, and connection—reframing caregiving not as something happening to them, but as a sacred mission they are uniquely called to lead.

Key Takeaways

1. Step into their world, not against it. Learn how to stop the struggle and guide with patience and love when your loved one’s reality no longer matches yours.

2. See the person, not just the disease. Discover practical ways to look beyond symptoms and reconnect with your loved one’s heart and soul.

3. Find victory in small moments. Shift your focus from trying to “fix” dementia to celebrating the tiny connections that bring meaning and peace.

About the Speaker:

Amy Morehead APRN is a nurse practitioner, certified Positive Approach to Care® consultant/trainer, and founder of Dementia Hero. After caring for her mother through Alzheimer’s disease, Amy felt called to help other families facing dementia’s challenges. She combines her medical expertise, lived caregiving experience, and deep compassion to guide care partners from overwhelmed and exhausted to confident and courageous.

Through her Hero’s Glasses™ approach, Amy helps caregivers reframe dementia. Inviting them to stop struggling to pull their loved ones back into reality, and instead become the brave guide who steps into theirs. Her work focuses on practical mindset shifts that build clarity, connection, and peace.

Amy volunteers in multiple roles for the Alzheimer’s Association, including advocacy, community outreach, and support for families. She also hosts the Dementia Hero podcast and leads caregiver support groups. As a speaker, Amy inspires caregivers, professionals, and communities to see dementia differently and lead with love. When she isn’t speaking or working with families, she helps manage her family’s vacation rental properties and dreams up her next travel adventure.

Caregiving requires us to navigate change almost daily. This can be a significant source of stress for everyone involved. This session explores the adaptability and resilience all caregivers are capable of through personal stories and examples.

Key Takeaways

1. Leave with reassurance and perspective to quiet the guilt that often accompanies caregiving.

2. Through reflection and interactive moments, you’ll see just how capable and resilient you’ve become.

3. Gain simple, meaningful strategies you can use with your loved one to strengthen connection and care.

About the Speaker:
An entrepreneurial spirit, Katie Kristofic has always been drawn to companies and projects with a greater purpose. She founded The Carefullist in 2023, providing an online social community, resources, and support for family caregivers after her caregiving journey ended when her mom passed away from Alzheimer’s Disease.

Katie spent over 20 years as a marketing communications professional in Pharma and Biotech, leading teams in strategic and promotional marketing, public relations, and crisis communications management.

She has a BA in Communication Studies from West Chester University and a Corporate Communications Certification from Cornell University. In addition to her passion for leveling the caregiving playing field, Katie enjoys comedy, baking, and spending time with her family.

In the demanding role of caregiving, it's easy to place your own needs last. But what if sustaining others begins with sustaining yourself? This session invites caregivers to reflect on their own well-being as a foundational part of the care they provide. Through personal insight, practical tools, and compassionate guidance, attendees will explore the quiet power of self-compassion, how to recognize early signs of depletion, and ways to build sustainable practices that honor both their giving heart and their personal humanity. Because the care you give—at its most enduring and impactful—truly starts with you.

Key Takeaways

1. Self-care is not selfish. Caregivers will learn how investing in their own well-being strengthens their capacity to support others over the long haul.

2. Boundaries protect both you and those you love. Attendees will walk away with practical ways to set limits that foster healthier, more sustainable relationships.

3. Your identity matters beyond your caregiving role. Participants will be encouraged to reconnect with parts of themselves that may have been buried under responsibility and routine.

About the Speaker:

Maria is a passionate public health professional and doctoral student committed to advancing mental health equity through systems leadership, advocacy, and inclusive program design. With a strong foundation in community engagement and a personal understanding of the complexities faced by caregiver families, Maria champions the belief that every mind matters—regardless of background, circumstance, or diagnosis.

Her work bridges public health and mental wellness, focusing on the social determinants that influence access to care and quality of life. Through partnerships, research, and lived experience, Maria seeks to dismantle stigma, strengthen resilience, and expand culturally competent mental health supports in underserved communities. Currently pursuing her doctorate in public health with a focus on leadership and policy, Maria remains driven by a vision where mental well-being is a shared responsibility—and a recognized right. She is honored to be part of conversations and efforts that remind us all: healing begins with being seen, heard, and valued.

The journey from diagnosis to memory loss is one filled with grief, grace, frustration—and deep, enduring love. In this heartfelt session, retired journalist and caregiver Rich Heiland shares the honest, often emotional story of walking alongside his wife Connie, a retired lawyer and college instructor, through the progression of dementia.

Rich reflects on the emotional whiplash of being a spouse in this journey—living on the end of a yo-yo string between anger, fear, and tenderness—and how he and their children have found meaning, sanity, and even joy along the way. This talk offers validation and insight for anyone caregiving for a partner, and a gentle reminder: love can stretch, bend, and survive.

Key Takeaways

1. Learn how to navigate the complex mix of love, grief, frustration, and guilt that often comes with caring for a partner with dementia.

2. Discover how embracing imperfection, honesty, and vulnerability can help preserve your mental health and strengthen connection.

3. Gain perspective on how to hold onto love, identity, and moments of joy—even as roles shift and memory fades.

About the Speaker:

Rich Heiland is a retired journalist and semi-retired consultant, trainer and public speaker, focusing on planning, personal leadership and personal and business development. During his journalism career he was a reporter, editor, publisher, college instructor, part of a Pulitzer Prize-winning team and a National Newspaper Association Columnist of the Year honoree. He also writes the intodementia.com blog about his wife’s dementia and his experience and learnings as a husband and caregiver, as well as those of their children.

We all recognize the importance of preparing for life’s inevitable transitions—yet so many delay estate planning until it’s urgently needed. Leslie Fuller brings both personal and professional insight to this foundational session, shaped by the loss of two family members—one with a plan, one without—and her current experience navigating estate planning amid her husband’s journey with pancreatic cancer. This session highlights how proactive planning, open family communication, and the right resources can reduce stress, protect your wishes, and provide peace of mind.

Key Takeaways:

1. Estate planning lets you stay in control—even if life takes an unexpected turn.

2. Failing to plan can create financial and legal burdens for those you love.

3. Planning ahead brings peace of mind—to you and your family—before crisis hits.

About the Speaker:

Leslie Fuller, LMSW, is the founder and owner of Inspired Senior Care and a passionate advocate for quality care in aging services. With over 17 years of experience serving older adults, she specializes in dementia care education and has dedicated her career to supporting both professional caregivers in senior living communities and family care partners.

Through Inspired Senior Care, Leslie provides interactive, real-world training that helps organizations cultivate a culture of compassionate, person-centered care. Her work emphasizes adaptive communication, relationship-based support, and practical problem-solving strategies that empower care teams to make a lasting impact.

She is also the author of Navigating the Move: A Guide to Supporting Parents in a Move to Senior Living, a trusted resource that helps families approach one of life’s most emotional transitions with clarity, compassion, and confidence.

Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s can feel both deeply meaningful and incredibly isolating. In this reflective and empowering session, therapist and author Dawn Wirtz shares insights from her book Memories Matter, written to comfort and validate caregivers walking this emotional road. Drawing from her personal experience as a long-distance caregiver and her professional background in mental health, Dawn explores the complexity of ambiguous grief, the importance of celebrating your loved one, and how to care for yourself without guilt.

Key Takeaways:

1. Understand and validate the difficulty of Alzheimer's disease to help understand the need for self-care for the caregiver.

2. Define Ambiguous Grief and identify ways this adds to caregiver burnout.

3. Take away ideas for celebrating your loved one.

4. Provide many ways to practice self-care while caring for and loving someone with Alzheimer's disease

About the Speaker:

Dawn Brenniman Wirtz is a mental health therapist in Ankeny, Iowa. She earned her Master of Science in Counseling from Drake University in 2018. Before this, Dawn worked for numerous retirement communities in the Des Moines area for over 20 years. Dawn’s mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2018, and since then, Dawn has been on this emotional journey with her mom.

Unique to Dawn's caregiving journey is that she's a long-distance caregiver. While she lives in Iowa, her parents live in a suburb of Chicago 325 miles away. Every other Thursday to Saturday, she is with her parents. This situation also prompted her to recognize the importance of leading yourself first and focusing on emotional well-being and paying attention to burnout.

Dawn's book, Memories Matter, came from this need to take care of herself and share her emotional story. As a therapist, journaling is a tool she promotes often to her clients. This book was her journaling.

To close out a powerful day of connection, learning, and shared experience, Dr. Anna Thomas will wrap up the summit with a heartfelt thank-you, key reflections from the day, and a few special giveaways. This final session is your chance to celebrate everything you've learned, acknowledge the strength of the caregiving community, and walk away with renewed energy—and maybe even a prize or two!