Creator and Author Judy Cornish

Judy Cornish is an author, founder of the Dementia & Alzheimer’s Wellbeing Network (DAWN®), creator of the DAWN Method® of dementia care, and a retired elder law attorney. Her two books (The Dementia Handbook and Dementia With Dignity) take person-centered care from theory to practice by identifying the skills not lost to dementia. Through DAWN, Cornish provides online training programs for families and professional caregivers, as well as staff training for agencies and facilities. Her goal is to see dignified dementia care become available for all.
In 2010 Ms. Cornish founded the Dementia & Alzheimer’s Wellbeing Network in Moscow, Idaho. Through her hands-on work with dementia, she developed a proprietary method for working with people who have dementia—one that helps them develop and retain a sense of security and wellbeing. The DAWN Method is simple enough to be used by caregivers in the home and works in care facilities as well. It targets the emotional distress that accompanies cognitive decline so that behaviors are avoided and caregiver stress is minimized.
Today the DAWN Method is in use with seniors in a number of locations in the United States, using a two-tiered care system of case managers and dementia care specialists. Ms. Cornish provides training in the DAWN Method and consults with families, agencies and individual caregivers from all over the world.
Connect with Judy at the DAWN Method!
Judy’s TEDx Talk
View Judy’s TEDx Talk at TED.com or watch it below
Recent interviews:
- Love Conquers Alz podcast with Susie Singer Carter & Don Priess—Judy, Susie and Don discuss our current care culture and treatments surrounding dementia and then how to change our approach when interacting with people experiencing dementia or Alzheimer’s. [59 minutes; aired on April 28, 2021]
- The Hospice Chaplaincy Show with Saul Ebema—Saul and guest host Marie Conlin talk to Judy about her journey to dementia care and about the creation of the DAWN Method. [50 minutes; aired on March 8, 2021]
- The ‘D’ Word podcast with Pete Hill—Pete and Judy chat about the importance of rational and intuitive thought in light of dementia. [on UK Health Radio, aired in 2020]