Dr. Erik Ilyayev
Physician · Alzheimer’s Association board member
Imagine a world where dementia behaviors made sense: recognize the triggers, understand behavior as communication, and respond with confidence and dignity.
Broward County Caregivers’ Day · September 9, 2026
You don’t have to figure it all out alone.
A free, hands-on morning of dementia caregiver training with practical tools, expert guidance and real support for families caring for a loved one.
Welcome from Dr. Erik IlyayevDr. Erik welcomes everyone to the first Broward County Caregivers’ Day, with moments from the morning.
What it is
A morning for the people doing the caring
Caring for someone living with dementia changes every part of the day. Caregivers’ Day brings families and professional caregivers into one room with physicians, therapists and dementia specialists who share what actually works at home.
It’s hands-on and practical. You leave with strategies for the hard moments, people you can call, and a community that understands.
- Free, hands-on dementia caregiver training
- Expert speakers
- Practical tools you can use the same day
- Real support and local resources
Connecting caregivers to resources, experts and support across Broward County.
Our goal was simple: make sure everyone walked away with practical tools they could actually use when caring for a loved one living with dementia.
Dr. Erik Ilyayev
Meet Dr. Erik
Dr. Erik Ilyayev
Physician · Alzheimer’s Association board member
Dr. Erik is a physician who brings dementia care into the home. He created Caregivers’ Day and brought its speakers and partners together because caregivers carry so much, and too often they carry it alone.
On September 9 he opened the day, introduced the speakers and led the session “Understanding Dementia Behaviors and Responding with Confidence.”
“The commitment, patience, love, and energy that caregiving requires cannot be overstated.”
Recap · September 9, 2026
Our first Broward County Caregivers’ Day
On September 9, caregivers filled Forest Trace Senior Living in Lauderhill for a morning of learning, connection and support. The conversations mattered. The connections mattered. And every caregiver in the room mattered.
1stBroward County Caregivers’ Day
4Expert speakers
3 hrsHands-on training, 10 AM to 1 PM
FreeFor every caregiver who came
The big lesson
Behavior is communication.
In his session, “Understanding Dementia Behaviors and Responding with Confidence,” Dr. Erik Ilyayev asked caregivers to pause before stopping or correcting a behavior and ask: what is this person trying to communicate?
The room worked through validation and redirection, spotting triggers with the ABC approach, and recognizing the unmet needs that can sit behind changes in behavior.
AntecedentBehaviorConsequence
Dr. Dominic Aloma shared hands-on fall-prevention strategies and exercises, M. Denise Simmons, CDP, walked through practical strategies for bathing a loved one with dementia, and Samrah Mitha, MPH, of the Alzheimer’s Association shared support and resources for families.
Where it started
The official flyer
Free, hands-on dementia caregiver training on September 9, 2026, 10 AM to 1 PM, at Forest Trace Senior Living, 5500 NW 69th Avenue, Lauderhill, FL 33319. Space was limited to 100 caregivers.
Photos from the day
Tap any photo to see it larger.
Watch
More videos from Caregivers’ Day
Filmed in the room on September 9, plus the conversations that led up to it.
Before the event
Meet the people behind Caregivers’ Day
Speakers & partners
The experts in the room
Dr. Dominic Aloma, PT, DPT, RN
United Care Home Health Services
Imagine a world where falls are preventable: hands-on strategies, techniques and exercises for fall prevention.
M. Denise Simmons, CDP
Certified Dementia Practitioner, Wisdom Senior Care
Imagine a world where bath time isn’t a battle: practical, hands-on strategies for bathing a loved one with dementia.
Samrah Mitha, MPH
Care & Support Program Manager, Alzheimer’s Association
Support, programs and resources for families caring for someone with dementia.