Are you caring for a parent or loved one with dementia and feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, or unsure how to help?

Have you lost patience… then felt guilty afterwards?

Have you watched somebody you love change and thought: "I wish I understood this better."

This book was written for that moment.

When Kirit Thakore's mother was diagnosed with vascular dementia, he did what many families do. He tried to stay strong, tried to help, and often misunderstood what was really happening.

Looking back, there is so much he wishes he had known sooner.

This is not a clinical textbook.

It is an honest, deeply personal dementia memoir written by a son who loved his mother deeply and learned painful lessons too late.

Inside, you'll discover:

• early dementia warning signs families often dismiss
• how vascular dementia can affect memory, behaviour, eating, sleep, and fear
• why arguing or correcting can sometimes make distress worse
• practical emotional lessons for caring for a parent with dementia
• ways to respond with more patience, compassion, and understanding
• the mistakes the author wishes he could take back

If you are supporting somebody with dementia, you may recognise yourself here.

The exhaustion.

The repeated questions.

The broken sleep.

The frustration.

The guilt.

The heartbreak of grieving somebody who is still physically here.

This book does not pretend to offer perfect answers.

But it may help you understand the illness more clearly, feel less alone, and care with greater confidence and compassion.

Written from lived experience, If I Only Knew Then, What I Know Now About Dementia offers emotional support, understanding, and hard-won lessons for carers, families, and anyone trying to navigate this difficult road.

Because sometimes the greatest pain is not losing somebody.

It is realising too late what you wish you had understood sooner.