Dementia Resources in Tampa & Pasco County

A Guide for Families and Caregivers

Caring for someone with dementia can be challenging—but you are not alone. This guide provides local resources, education, and support options for families navigating dementia in Tampa, Hillsborough County, and Pasco County.

👉 If your loved one needs immediate help at home, visit our Dementia Care Services page or call 813-343-0272

What is Dementia?

Dementia is a set of symptoms. It is not the disease itself.

As we grow older, things do slow down, including our cognitive abilities. So, taking a second or two longer to remember a person’s name or to calculate a sum is normal. There comes a point where the decline is more than normal and that is called Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Once cognition issues progress to the point where they are getting in the way of one performing everyday activities of daily living, then the decline is labeled Dementia.

There are over 200 different types of Dementia, diseases where the symptoms (impaired activities of daily living) occur. Alzheimer’s is by far the most prevalent. Other major ones include: vascular related dementia, stroke related dementia, Parkinson’s related dementia and Lewy -Bodes disease. Many people have more than one dementia.

Why is it important to know what you have?

Each one has its own pattern. Each one has its own coping strategies. And, some involve specific medications, ones that if taken for the wrong dementia, could actually acerbate the problem.

Where do you turn for a diagnosis?

The physician that specializes in these types of diseases is called a Neurologist.

20 years ago, they made their diagnosis based upon your answers to a long list of questions, using process of elimination. Some of that still goes on today. For the last 15 years MRI and PET scans have been used. The latter is very accurate but it costs $2k+ and is not usually covered by insurance. About 24 months ago, doctors started using a special blood test that gauges that amount of a special protein in your blood that is associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

Clinical Trials

These are good for two purposes:

• If you have a diagnosis, one gets to try cutting edge strategies to reverse the damage (if early enough) or slow/stop any further progression (damage).
• And, if one cannot afford the PET scans or certain treatments, the trials my give them the opportunity have the tests performed to conform a diagnosis.

Hillsborough (Tampa) and Pasco Clinical Research/Resources

The number one area resource for research and treatment is the USF Byrd Institute (for Alzheimer’s) and Morsani Center (for Parkinson’s treatment).  The Byrd Institute offers research, clinical trials, neurologists, and support groups.

There are a number of excellent neurologists in the Hillsborough area. Please contact our office for the names of the ones of which we are aware.

The same goes for research/dementia trials. Please call the office for some of the other one in addition to the Byrd institute.

Caregiver Support Groups

The first thing anyone suffering from any form of dementia needs to know is that they are not alone! There is a plethora of education resources and support groups available.

Most support groups work with caregivers affected by all types of dementia. Some of the places to turn:

• Byrd Institute- see their website for times, locations, and links (if virtual). https://www.griswoldcare.com/promo/pairing-you-with-caregivers-tampa/
• Alzheimer’s Association- the AA trains and supports caregiver groups across Tampa Bay. https://www.alz.org/flgulfcoast
• Dementia Spotlight Foundation- Gary Leblanc and Dementia Spotlight lead a couple of local in person groups while also hosting virtual groups at all times of the day (many attended by caregivers across the world). He also has support groups for the ones dealing with the dementia themselves so that they can share their issues with others that have already gone through what they are experiencing. https://dementiaspotlightfoundation.org/
• Dr Cate McCarty Dementia Coach – Cate now resides in Maryland but she worked in Tampa Bay for over 20 years. She has her PhD in social work and leads virtual groups and offers counseling. https://Catemccarty.com

Educational Resources

Local

• Dementia Spotlight- in addition to support groups, Gary trains the area first responders and leads local seminars throughout Florida and Georgia. Please see the DS webpage above for more info
• Byrd Institute- in addition to the support groups, the Byrd Institute holds periodic training events throughout Hillsborough county and also hosts a weekly podcasts covering dementia related topics. https://thealzheimerscaregiverpodcast.libsyn.com/
• This is the link to a Byrd Institue podcast where we were the guest expert.  https://thealzheimerscaregiverpodcast.libsyn.com/

National

Teepa Snow                 https://teepasnow.com/

Tam Cummings           https://www.tamcummings.com/

Both of these women are excellent!

The New Medicare Guide Program

For individuals on Traditional Medicare that have a diagnosis of dementia, there is a new program under Medicare that provides:

• 24/7 help line
• Area Dementia related resources
• A Care Navigator to help one access and make the best use of the resources
• And, $2500 a year for respite care

For more details see our blog article on the same topic or call the office to see if you would qualify.

Local Dementia Support in Tampa Bay

At Griswold Care Pairing for Tampa and Pasco, we help families navigate every stage of the dementia journey—from understanding a diagnosis to finding the right care at home.

We proudly serve Tampa, Carrollwood, Lutz, Wesley Chapel, Land O’ Lakes, and surrounding communities.

If you need help now, we’re here to guide you.

📞 Call 813-343-0272 today