At Compassion Crossing Academy, we offer short, self-directed classes that help you learn with confidence. Each unit is designed for quick, meaningful progress in 30 to 120 minutes. We turn complicated topics into clear guidance you can understand and apply.

Mom put on a winter coat this morning. It's 82 degrees outside.

You found Dad trying to cook dinner at 3 a.m. again. The stove was on. Nothing was in the pan.

Your spouse looked at you yesterday with eyes that felt almost empty, and you wondered if they still knew your name.

Every day brings something new. Something harder. You're tired of being shocked, scared, and confused. You need answers, but the doctors speak in medical terms that don't match what's happening in your kitchen at midnight.​

The truth? Dementia doesn't progress in a straight line. Some days feel better. Some days, your loved one seems more like themselves. Then Wednesday arrives, and you're helping them get dressed because buttons have become impossible puzzles.​

You Google symptoms at 2 a.m. because sleep won't come when worry fills every corner of your mind.

What Nobody Tells Families About the Middle Part

Right now, you're probably somewhere in the middle. Not at the beginning, where things felt manageable. Not at the end. Just... here. In this exhausting, confusing middle space where you don't know what's coming next week or next month.​

You've noticed your loved one can't pick out weather-appropriate clothes anymore. They need help in the shower, but they insist they already bathed. They forget they need the bathroom until it's too late, and you're doing laundry again.​

The workload jumped. Suddenly.

You didn't see it coming, and now you're doing everything. Cooking, cleaning, dressing, bathing, reminding, redirecting, protecting. The person who used to handle bills can't remember if they ate lunch.​

Friends say, "It must be so hard," but they don't get it. They can't. Because dementia caregiving isn't hard in the way that breaking your arm is hard. It's hard to watch someone disappear piece by piece while you're also trying to keep them safe, fed, clean, and comfortable.

The Question That Keeps You Up at Night

"What comes next?"

You catch yourself bracing for every new change. Will they stop recognizing you? Will they stop walking? Will they stop speaking? The uncertainty gnaws at you because you can't prepare for what you can't see coming.​

Maybe you've asked the doctor, and they gave you a diagnosis but not a roadmap. Maybe they mentioned stages, but you still don't know where you are right now or what help you should be giving.​

Here's what makes it worse: you're afraid you're doing it wrong.

You wonder if you should step in more. Or step back. You don't know if these changes mean you need more help, different help, or if this is just how things are now. Nobody gave you a map for this journey, so you're navigating in the dark with nothing but your gut and your exhaustion.​

There Is a Framework That Actually Makes Sense

The FAST Scale exists. It measures function, not cognitive ability. Not effort. Not worth. Just what your loved one can actually do day to day: dressing, bathing, toileting, walking, speaking.​

This framework was designed for families like yours. It gives you language to describe what you're seeing. It helps you understand where you are in the journey so you can anticipate what's ahead and ask for the right kind of help at the right time.​

FAST moves in order through seven stages, with important substages in the later phases. When you understand these stages, you stop being surprised every time something changes. You stop blaming yourself when the workload suddenly doubles. You recognize patterns instead of just reacting to chaos.​

Most importantly? You learn to tell the difference between dementia progression and a condition that is medically treatable. Because not every change is "just the dementia." Sometimes it's an infection, a medication side effect, or a stroke. Things that need a doctor, not just acceptance.​

What You'll Walk Away Knowing

In approximately 40 minutes, this online class will teach you how to apply the FAST Scale step by step using what you observe and what other caregivers report.​

You'll learn what FAST measures and what it doesn't. You'll recognize real-world examples of functional loss at each stage. You'll understand when to pause and call the doctor because something doesn't fit the pattern.​

This isn't about predicting how long someone will live. People live with dementia for years, even decades. This class simply gives you the map you deserve for the journey you're already on.​

Taught by Peter M. Abraham, BSN, RN, EOLD, a registered nurse who has supported hundreds of families through this exact experience. He's published over 500 healthcare articles, authored 24 books for caregivers, and spent years helping families navigate advance care planning in hospice and palliative care settings.​

You Don't Have to Navigate This Alone Anymore

Seeking to understand the stages isn't giving up. It's an act of love. It's you showing up for someone who can't advocate for themselves anymore. It's you doing the hard work of learning so you can provide better, safer, more compassionate care.​

This class gives you clarity when everything feels uncertain. It gives you confidence when you're second-guessing every decision. It gives you the language to ask for help and the knowledge to know what kind of help you actually need.

Enroll in Dementia Staging Made Understandable: A Family Guide to Using the FAST Scale today, and finally get the roadmap you've been searching for.