Paula Levy’s dementia care work centers families and caregivers

Paula Levy, a Colorado Springs dementia care specialist, has spent nearly four decades building adult day programs, coaching caregivers and advocating for people living with dementia. Her work highlights the growing need for respite, community support and practical guidance as family caregiving strains intensify.

Why it matters: - Dementia care often affects two groups at once: people living with the condition and the family members supporting them. - Paula Levy’s work focuses on both sides of that equation, with adult day programming, caregiver coaching and advocacy aimed at reducing burnout and isolation. - The need is growing as more caregivers struggle to find respite and community-based support.

What happened: - Influential Women profiled Paula Levy as a dementia care specialist, caregiver consultant and advocate based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. - Levy has nearly four decades of experience in dementia care, caregiver education, advocacy and community-based support. - Levy’s career has centered on improving quality of life for older adults through compassionate care and practical support for families. - Levy is the founder and board chair of A Place Like Home Adult Day Program, a nonprofit designed to provide daytime structure for people living with dementia and respite for caregivers. - Levy also runs Never Alone Consulting, where she offers caregiver coaching, consultation and support services.

The details: - A Place Like Home Adult Day Program was created to give people living with dementia meaningful engagement, connection and a supportive environment. - Never Alone Consulting is aimed at helping families understand dementia, build care strategies and reduce caregiver isolation. - Levy previously founded and served as executive director of DayBreak, an adult day program serving multiple counties in Colorado. - Levy also held leadership roles at Namaste Alzheimer Center, where she developed and managed adult day programming for people affected by Alzheimer’s disease and related conditions. - Levy has volunteered with the Alzheimer’s Association since the early 1990s. - Her honors include the Alzheimer’s Association Volunteer of the Year Award and the Joe Henjum Senior Accolades Legacy and Lifetime Achievement Awards. - Levy is certified in Teepa Snow’s Positive Approach to Care as both a Consultant and an Advanced Consultant. - Levy describes her leadership style as calm and servant-led, with an emphasis on humility, compassion and consistency.

Between the lines: - Levy’s career points to a broader gap in dementia care: families often need support long before a crisis becomes unavoidable. - Adult day programs can do more than provide supervision. They can create structure for people living with dementia while giving caregivers time to work, rest or handle other responsibilities. - Her emphasis on dignity, communication and relationships reflects a shift toward person-centered dementia care rather than purely medical support. - Levy’s concern about caregiver isolation suggests that access to respite remains one of the field’s most urgent unmet needs.

What’s next: - Levy continues to focus on expanding access to adult day programs and community-based resources. - Her ongoing work through A Place Like Home and Never Alone Consulting is aimed at helping families manage dementia with more support and less isolation. - The profile points to continued advocacy around caregiver well-being, dementia education and practical community care options.

The bottom line: - Paula Levy’s work shows how dementia care can support both patients and caregivers at the same time, while helping families stay grounded through a difficult diagnosis. - More information is available through Paula Levy’s Influential Women profile, A Place Like Home and Never Alone Consulting.