MEDIA & PRESS KIT
Lisa Berlanga
Author of Dementia in the Raw: Confessions of a Caregiver UNCENSORED
Caregiver. Author. Advocate.
“Dementia wasn’t the hardest part. Living through it is.”
Lisa Berlanga brings an unfiltered caregiver's voice to a conversation that is too often softened, sanitized, or left unspoken.
Drawing from her own experience caring for her mother with dementia, Lisa speaks candidly about the anger, guilt, exhaustion, grief, family conflict, impossible decisions—and unexpected humor—that can come with caregiving.
Her mission is simple: to be the honest, down-to-earth advocate she wishes she'd had from the very first day of her caregiving journey.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Dementia in the Raw: Confessions of a Caregiver UNCENSORED
Part memoir. Part survival guide. Completely uncensored.
Nobody talks enough about the anger. The guilt. The exhaustion. The resentment. The family conflict. The grief. Or the impossible decisions caregivers sometimes have to make.
Dementia in the Raw does.
Lisa Berlanga didn't set out to become an author or a caregiving expert. She was a daughter trying to survive the overwhelming reality of caring for her mother with dementia.
What began as confusion and constant fight-or-flight eventually forced Lisa to examine not only what dementia was doing to her mother, but what caregiving was doing to her.
Through deeply personal stories, dark humor, hard-earned lessons, and practical solutions, Lisa takes readers through the Four Stages of Caregiving and the changes that helped her move from chaos and burnout toward greater organization, perspective, and control.
Rather than telling caregivers how they should feel, Dementia in the Raw meets them where they actually are.
This isn't a clinical handbook, and it isn't another polished story about gracefully navigating dementia.
It's the conversation Lisa wishes someone had been willing to have with her when everything was falling apart.
Her message to caregivers is clear:
You can love the person you're caring for and still hate what caregiving is doing to your life.
And sometimes, changing the way you approach caregiving can change everything.
ABOUT LISA BERLANGA
Lisa Berlanga is the author of Dementia in the Raw: Confessions of a Caregiver UNCENSORED, a candid memoir and practical survival guide inspired by her experience caring for her mother with dementia.
Born and raised in California's Central Valley, Lisa is a mother of three and entered the caregiving world without professional training or a roadmap for what was ahead.
She quickly discovered that some of the hardest parts of caregiving weren't being openly discussed.
The anger.
The guilt.
The exhaustion.
The isolation.
Family dysfunction.
Grieving someone who is still physically present.
And the uncomfortable reality that caregivers sometimes reach a point where they simply cannot continue doing things the same way.
Lisa began questioning everything—including herself.
Eventually, she realized that improving her mother's care required changing the way she approached her own role as caregiver.
Organization, journaling, routines, humor, perspective, boundaries, problem-solving, and a willingness to adapt became survival tools.
Lisa turned those experiences into Dementia in the Raw.
With no previous background in writing, publishing, audiobook production, website development, or marketing, she taught herself the skills necessary to bring the project to life—including narrating her own audiobook.
Today, Lisa's goal is to bring honesty and validation to caregivers who may believe they're the only ones having thoughts, feelings, and struggles they're afraid to admit.
She isn't approaching the conversation as a clinician looking in.
She's a caregiver who has lived it.
WHY DEMENTIA IN THE RAW IS DIFFERENT
There are many excellent resources explaining dementia.
Lisa's work focuses on something different:
What is happening to the caregiver?
Instead of beginning with the disease, Lisa begins with the human being trying to survive it.
Her work explores what can happen when a caregiver stops focusing exclusively on changing the person with dementia and begins examining what they can change—their environment, routines, organization, expectations, reactions, boundaries, and perspective.
The result is a conversation about dementia caregiving that is raw, sometimes uncomfortable, occasionally funny, and intentionally practical.
Because validation matters.
But Lisa believes caregivers also need solutions.
LISA'S CORE MESSAGE
A better quality of life for the caregiver can lead to a better standard of care for the person they love.
Caregiving can become so focused on the needs of the person receiving care that the caregiver gradually disappears from the equation.
Lisa challenges that approach.
Her message isn't simply “practice self-care.”
It's about taking a serious look at the caregiver's entire operating system.
What isn't working?
What can be organized?
What can be documented?
What patterns are being missed?
What expectations need to change?
What responsibilities can be handled differently?
What is within the caregiver's control?
And perhaps most importantly:
Is the caregiver willing to change and adapt, too?
INTERVIEW & PODCAST TOPICS
Lisa is available for conversations surrounding:
The Caregiver's Willingness to Change
Why waiting for the person with dementia to change can leave caregivers trapped—and what happened when Lisa began changing her own approach instead.
The Emotions Caregivers Don't Want to Admit
Anger, resentment, guilt, frustration, exhaustion, grief, and why acknowledging difficult emotions can be more useful than pretending they aren't there.
Caregiver Burnout Before You Recognize It as Burnout
How living in constant crisis mode gradually becomes “normal.”
Organizing Caregiving Like a Job
How job descriptions, responsibilities, routines, schedules, documentation, and systems can reduce chaos.
The Power of Journaling and Data
Using food, behavior, medical, and video journaling to identify patterns that are difficult to recognize when you're exhausted.
Family Dysfunction & Dementia
How caregiving can expose or intensify existing family dynamics.
Humor in the Middle of Something Terrible
Why sometimes you have to laugh—and why humor doesn't mean you aren't taking dementia seriously.
Grieving Someone Who Is Still Here
Navigating the complicated grief associated with dementia.
Why “Take Care of Yourself” Isn't Enough
Moving beyond generic self-care advice toward practical changes that affect a caregiver's daily life.
From Chaos to Control
The Four Stages of Caregiving and the changes that transformed Lisa's experience.
Why Dementia in the Raw Isn't Just Another Dementia Book
Why Lisa chose transparency over polish—and practical solutions over simply telling her story.
SUGGESTED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
- What happened in your caregiving journey that made you realize something had to change?
- Why did you choose the word “UNCENSORED” for your book?
- What are caregivers feeling that you believe people aren't talking about enough?
- You talk about a caregiver's willingness to change and adapt. Why is that so important?
- What do you mean when you say improving a caregiver's quality of life can raise the standard of care they provide?
- How did organization change your experience as a caregiver?
- What role did journaling and tracking patterns play in caring for your mother?
- How did family dynamics affect your caregiving experience?
- Why is humor such an important part of your story?
- What makes Dementia in the Raw different from traditional dementia and caregiving books?
- Was there a point when you realized other caregivers were experiencing the same thoughts and emotions you had believed were uniquely yours?
- What do you want an exhausted caregiver to feel after reading your book?
SHORT INTRODUCTION FOR PODCAST HOSTS & MEDIA
Lisa Berlanga is the author of Dementia in the Raw: Confessions of a Caregiver UNCENSORED. Drawing from her personal experience caring for her mother with dementia, Lisa speaks candidly about the anger, guilt, exhaustion, grief, family conflict, and difficult decisions caregivers often experience but may be afraid to discuss. Her work combines raw personal storytelling with practical solutions designed to help caregivers move from chaos and burnout toward greater organization, perspective, and control.
SHORT AUTHOR BIO
Lisa Berlanga is the author of Dementia in the Raw: Confessions of a Caregiver UNCENSORED, a candid memoir and practical survival guide inspired by caring for her mother with dementia. Through raw storytelling, humor, and hard-earned solutions, Lisa advocates for the caregiver behind the care—bringing validation to the difficult emotions caregivers often hide while encouraging practical changes that can improve both their quality of life and the care they provide.
ULTRA-SHORT BIO
Lisa Berlanga is an author, caregiver, and advocate bringing an uncensored voice to dementia caregiving through honest storytelling, practical solutions, and a message centered on improving life for the caregiver behind the care.
BOOK DETAILS
Title: Dementia in the Raw
Subtitle: Confessions of a Caregiver UNCENSORED
Author: Lisa Berlanga
Publisher/Imprint: Shop LB Market
Genre: Dementia Caregiving / Caregiver Memoir / Practical Caregiving Guide
Available Formats: Print, eBook & Audiobook
Audiobook Narrator: Lisa Berlanga
Official Website: DementiaInTheRaw.com
Email: Lisa@LisaBerlanga.com