Stacey Eisenberg, owner of A Place At Home – North Austin, recently joined more than 1,200 volunteers, advocates, and community leaders at the 2026 Alzheimer's Association Community Leaders Summit in Anaheim, California. Representing the Capital of Texas chapter, Eisenberg participated in national discussions about dementia care, advocacy, and community education alongside fellow advocates united by a shared purpose: supporting families affected by dementia and advancing the mission to end Alzheimer's disease.
The annual summit serves as a national gathering point for Alzheimer's Association volunteers and advocates working on the front lines of dementia support. Participants explore updates in research, policy advocacy, caregiver resources, and community education programs with the urgent goal of strengthening the nationwide network of people supporting families affected by Alzheimer's and related dementias. For Eisenberg, the experience reinforced a powerful message about the community effort required to support families navigating dementia. "Standing in a room full of people who give their time, their voices, and their hearts to this cause reminded me of something simple," said Eisenberg. "Ending Alzheimer's truly takes a village."
This gathering matters because Alzheimer's disease affects millions of families nationwide, creating complex caregiving challenges that require coordinated community responses. The summit's focus on collaboration between caregivers, volunteers, advocates, and educators highlights how every role contributes to improving dementia care and ultimately ending the disease. The implications extend to healthcare systems, family support networks, and public policy as communities work to address the growing dementia care crisis.
In Round Rock and North Austin, Eisenberg focuses on caregiver education and practical dementia training through her organization. Many home care agencies claim dementia expertise, but families often worry whether caregivers truly understand the daily realities of memory loss. Eisenberg emphasizes the necessity of ongoing training and community education to bridge that gap. Through A Place At Home – North Austin, caregivers receive specialized dementia training designed to help families keep loved ones safe, engaged, and supported at home. The agency also collaborates with community educators to expand dementia awareness across Central Texas.
One of those leaders is Amanda Herndon, Community Care Coordinator for the organization and a Certified Dementia Educator. Through her program Within Reach Care, Herndon leads workshops and training sessions based on the teachings of dementia care expert Teepa Snow. These sessions help caregivers and families better understand communication strategies, behavioral changes, and engagement techniques that support dignity and quality of life for people living with dementia. This local training initiative demonstrates how national summit discussions translate into practical community support.
Eisenberg's advocacy also extends to a new project inspired by one of her oldest clients. She is currently preparing to release "Peter's Memory Beads," an initiative designed to highlight the importance of keeping the brain active while honoring the life of a beloved client named Peter. The project reflects a core philosophy behind Eisenberg's work: meaningful engagement and connection remain vital at every stage of aging. More details about the Memory Beads initiative will be announced soon through the organization's website at https://aplaceathome.com/north-austin/.
The momentum from the summit now returns with Eisenberg to Central Texas, where the work continues with fellow advocates, caregivers, and community partners. For families facing Alzheimer's, this ongoing collaboration between local organizations and national networks means improved access to trained caregivers, better educational resources, and stronger community support systems. The purple color that symbolized the global fight against Alzheimer's throughout the summit now represents a continued commitment in Central Texas to supporting those affected by dementia until the disease is ended.
