LaFleur’s Memory Lane Foundation is Empowering Dementia Caregivers Through Education and Support

Joanna LaFleur, CEO and Founder of the Memory Lane Foundation, is on a mission to change the way society cares for individuals with dementia.

With a degree in Recreational Therapy from Eastern Michigan University and over 20 years of experience in elder care, LaFleur’s passion stems from a deeply personal place. At the age of 17, she watched her grandmother battle Alzheimer’s, an experience that shaped her commitment to dementia care.

LaFleur’s work addresses a critical gap in dementia care: the lack of education and support for families and caregivers. As she explains, “The world is not ready or prepared to take care of people correctly.”

With over 50% of people over the age of 80 experiencing some form of dementia, LaFleur saw a massive unmet need.

“In the 20 years I’ve been doing this, what I saw that was really missing is just support and education for families,” says LaFleur. “Because so many times people go in and get a diagnosis and they get nothing else, and then the person is like changing before their eyes and doing all this, you know, normal stuff for dementia, but abnormal stuff for the rest of us. And caretakers often don’t know how to handle it.”

This reality led LaFleur to create online videos, sharing short tips about dementia. “Within two months, one of my videos about the stages of Alzheimer’s reached a million views on Facebook,” she recalls. The overwhelming response highlighted the sheer demand for accessible, straightforward information.

A significant yet often overlooked aspect of dementia caregiving is what LaFleur calls “living grief”—the emotional toll on caregivers as they witness the gradual loss of a loved one. “Caregiving for someone with dementia is one of the most difficult things,” she says. “There are 11 million people in the U.S. alone providing unpaid care to dementia patients, and many of them are experiencing this living grief.”

LaFleur emphasizes the need for grief support alongside caregiving resources, noting that caregivers are often left unprepared for the emotional burden that comes with watching a loved one slowly fade away.

In addition to her social media outreach, LaFleur offers online courses and monthly webinars to provide in-depth support for families navigating the complexities of dementia. Her website is a central hub for resources, including courses and the option to donate to help families access these services.

Through the Memory Lane Foundation, LaFleur continues to advocate for comprehensive dementia care, ensuring that both patients and their caregivers receive the support they need. By promoting education and raising awareness about dementia, her work aims to uplift families during one of the most challenging periods of their lives.

To learn more about Joanna LaFleur’s work or to donate, visit the Memory Lane Foundation’s website at https://mlfnd.org/ or follow her educational videos across social media.