Deborah Seelhoff leads dementia care education with Dementia Forward

Deborah Seelhoff, founder and owner of Dementia Forward LLC in Waterford, Michigan, is expanding dementia care education through training, family support, and hands-on coaching for caregivers. Her work focuses on person-centered care that preserves dignity, improves communication, and helps families and professionals better support people living with dementia.

Why it matters: - Dementia care affects families, paid caregivers, and health providers across home care, memory care, hospice, and social work. - Seelhoff’s approach pushes care away from task completion and toward person-centered relationships. - Better dementia education can reduce confusion, improve communication, and help people living with dementia feel safer and more respected.

What happened: - Deborah Seelhoff is the founder and owner of Dementia Forward LLC in Waterford, Michigan. - Seelhoff works as a dementia care advocate, educator, and Certified Dementia Practitioner. - Her work was highlighted by Influential Women as part of its profile platform for women leaders. - Seelhoff provides education, training, and personalized guidance for families, care partners, and professionals.

The details: - Dementia Forward LLC offers hands-on training, family education programs, and individualized consultations. - Seelhoff also partners with Right at Home Oakland Macomb as a dementia educator contractor. - Her training includes in-person sessions and video-based instruction. - Seelhoff uses The Positive Physical Approach™ and Hand-under-Hand® to help caregivers understand the experience of living with dementia. - She teaches through Positive Approach to Care (PAC)® and emphasizes relationship-centered care. - Seelhoff says she learned the need for practical dementia education while managing a small memory-care group home. - She encourages caregivers to look beyond diagnoses and see the person, history, and emotions behind the condition. - She tells families that dementia changes over time, so communication and care strategies must change too. - Seelhoff also promotes planning ahead, asking better questions, and understanding what quality dementia care should look like before a crisis. - Her background in dance and a Bachelor of Fine Arts shaped her ability to connect, communicate without words, and read human expression. - Influential Women listed the following profile and website for more information: Deborah Seelhoff’s profile and Dementia Forward.

Between the lines: - Seelhoff’s message is also a critique of current dementia care systems. - She points to fragmented care, low pay, high turnover, and limited dementia education among frontline and senior-care professionals. - She argues that families often make urgent care decisions without enough reliable information. - Her emphasis on empathy and hands-on learning reflects a belief that knowledge alone is not enough to change care behavior.

What's next: - Seelhoff plans to keep expanding access to practical dementia education through training, video programs, and consultations. - She wants stronger professional standards across healthcare and senior care fields. - She is encouraging younger women entering the field to stay curious, seek education, and keep the person at the center of care. - Her broader goal is a dementia-care model built on dignity, autonomy, and human connection.

The bottom line: - Seelhoff is trying to redefine dementia care as a relationship, not a checklist.