Amy Shaw, PA

"Working with Amy was the first time I truly felt heard."

Amy Shaw is a dementia clinician, educator, and founder of Better Dementia™.

Over the past decade, she has worked alongside more than 700 families navigating the complexities of dementia in palliative care, hospice, memory care, and private consulting settings. Her work centers on one core conviction: caregivers do better when they understand what is happening in the brain — and what to expect as abilities change.

Early in her clinical career, Amy noticed a pattern. Families were loving, committed, and deeply invested — yet overwhelmed, conflicted, and uncertain. The problem was not effort. It was understanding.

Without a clear neurological framework, caregivers are left reacting to changes they do not fully understand. Conversations escalate. Corrections create conflict. Decisions feel frightening.

When caregivers understand the what, when, and why of dementia, everything shifts.

That insight became the foundation for Better Dementia™.

Through structured education and steady guidance, Amy helps families move from reactive caregiving to informed, confident navigation — preserving dignity while reducing unnecessary conflict.

About Amy Shaw, PA-C

Dementia is complex. Caregiving should not feel chaotic.

Amy is a Physician Assistant with clinical experience in geriatrics, palliative care, hospice, and dementia-focused practice. Her work bridges medical realities with practical caregiving strategies, translating complex information into clear, usable understanding for families.

She is the author of The Arc of Conversation: A How-to Guide for Goals of Care Conversations (Springer, 2025) and the forthcoming book Better Dementia: From Overwhelmed to Empowered (Bloomsbury, 2027).

Through Better Dementia™, Amy provides national dementia caregiver education and private consulting services.

(All services outside Wyoming are educational and supportive in nature.)

Professional Background

Mission

To help caregivers understand the what, when, and why of dementia — so they can master the how of caregiving with clarity, steadiness, and compassion.

Amy founded Better Dementia™ to provide structured, clinically grounded dementia education for families navigating one of life’s most complex caregiving roles.

Better Dementia™ is built around a clear framework that helps caregivers:

• Understand how dementia changes the brain
• Recognize stage-based patterns across the journey
• Adjust communication and expectations as abilities shift
• Respond to behaviors with steadiness and dignity
• Reduce unnecessary conflict through informed caregiving

Better Dementia™ exists to replace guesswork with clarity — and overwhelm with confident navigation.

Founder of Better Dementia™

Amy Shaw is the author of:

The Arc of Conversation: A How-to Guide for Goals of Care Conversations
(Springer, 2025)

And the forthcoming book:

Better Dementia: From Overwhelmed to Empowered
(Publishing, 2027)

Her writing bridges clinical clarity with practical guidance, helping families and professionals navigate serious illness and dementia with steadiness and understanding.

Author & Educator

“Amy’s education and support helped me feel prepared rather than taken by surprise at each step of the way.”

— Brenda, Family Caregiver