If you're caring for someone living with dementia in Fairfax, there's one Saturday this fall worth circling on the calendar. On Nov. 14, 2026, the Northern Virginia Dementia Caregivers Consortium (NVDCC) holds its 40th Annual Caregiver's Conference, "Rooted in Care, Radiant in Hope," at the Inova Conference Center in Fairfax.
It's one full day of expert guidance, practical tools, and time with people who understand exactly what you're carrying. The hard part isn't deciding whether to go. It's figuring out how to get away for the day. This guide covers why the day matters, what you can get out of it, how to plan it, and how the right help at home makes it possible.
Here are the details at a glance:
- Event: 40th Annual Caregiver's Conference, "Rooted in Care, Radiant in Hope"
- Host: Northern Virginia Dementia Caregivers Consortium (NVDCC)
- Date: Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026
- Venue: Inova Conference Center, 8100 Innovation Park Dr, Fairfax, VA 22031
- Time: Doors at 7:30 a.m., program from 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.
- Registration: Through Eventbrite, where you'll find current ticket pricing
- Refunds: Up to 12 days before the event, so by Monday, Nov. 2
- Parking: Free
- Contact: Ashley Johnson, 703-489-3000, admin@nvdcc.org
Why This Conference Matters
Dementia caregiving in Northern Virginia is not a niche experience. The Alzheimer's Association reports that 164,000 Virginians age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer's, supported by 333,000 family caregivers who provide 561 million hours of unpaid care a year. Nationally, AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving count 63 million family caregivers, almost one in four adults.
That care has a cost to the caregiver too. The Alzheimer's Association's 2026 Facts and Figures report notes that dementia caregivers face a higher risk of emotional distress and poorer mental and physical health. The National Institute on Aging is direct about it: it's critical for caregivers to ask for help and take a break.
That's why this event has lasted 40 years. The NVDCC calls it the region's largest caregiver-focused dementia conference, designed for everyone from brand-new caregivers to people a decade in. It also falls during National Family Caregivers Month, when Fairfax County highlights caregiver programs and resources all month long.
Put simply, it's one of the few days a year built entirely around the person doing the caring.
What You Can Walk Away With
The program, published on the NVDCC site and the 2026 speaker page, packs a lot into one day. Check the NVDCC site before you go in case of schedule changes.
A better neurology appointment. The 9 a.m. keynote, "A Cheat Sheet for Your Neurology Appointment," comes from Dr. Jennifer Pauldurai, MD, a cognitive and behavioral neurologist and medical director of the Inova Brain Health and Memory Disorders Program. Appointments are short and the stakes are high. Learning how to prepare is one of the most useful skills a caregiver can pick up.
Permission to take care of yourself. At 10 a.m., Liletta Harlem, CDP, director of the Dementia Caregivers Support Program, leads "Healing While Helping: Supporting Loved Ones with Dementia Without Losing Yourself." She brings her own experience caring for her mother through Alzheimer's.
A map of what comes next. The 11 a.m. Continuum of Care panel brings together a credentialed Aging Life Care manager and registered nurse, a hospice leader, and a home care agency owner. If you've been wondering what the stages ahead look like, from help at home to hospice, this hour lays them out.
Where the science stands. At 1 p.m., Brigid Reynolds, MSN, ANP-C, and Alison Perlberg, M.A., of the Georgetown University Memory Disorders Program cover "Alzheimer's Disease in 2026: From Symptomatic Care to Early Detection and Prevention."
Real talk for working caregivers. At 1:45, Jessica C. Guthrie, M.Ed, presents "When Caregiving and Career Collide." She began caring for her mother, who has early-onset Alzheimer's, at age 26 and has been her primary caregiver for more than 11 years. If you're juggling a job and a parent, don't miss this one.
A room full of local resources. Exhibitors are on site all day, with time set aside during breakfast, both breaks, and lunch. It's a rare chance to compare Northern Virginia dementia resources face to face instead of over a dozen phone calls.
Feeling understood. The final session, at 3 p.m., is Compassionate Coaching's Playback Theatre, led by Erin Whalen, where actors improvise scenes from stories audience members share. Then there are the lunch tables. Someone near you has already been through the stage you're heading into, and they'll tell you how it went. For many caregivers, that's the best part of the day.
Planning Your Day: The Logistics
Get the address right. Some third-party event sites list 3225 Gallows Road, but the official venue is 8100 Innovation Park Drive, Fairfax, VA 22031.
Know the timeline. Doors open at 7:30 a.m. Registration, breakfast, and exhibitors run from 8 to 8:45, the welcome is at 8:45, and the keynote starts at 9. Lunch is from noon to 1, raffle winners are announced at the 2:45 break, closing remarks are at 4, and the day wraps at 4:15.
Mark your dates. Refunds close on Monday, Nov. 2. Parking is free, and the agenda includes both breakfast and a lunch break.
Come prepared. Bring a written list for the keynote: changes you've noticed and roughly when they started, the current medication list, and the questions you never have time to ask. Know which exhibitors you want to see (adult day programs, care management, legal and financial planning, in-home help). Sit near an aisle if home might call.
Plan coverage at home first. This is the part most families leave too late. From doors at 7:30 to the 4:15 close, plus the drive both ways, a caregiver who stays all day needs roughly nine to ten hours of coverage. With dementia, that usually means someone who can handle meals, medication reminders, bathroom help, and late-afternoon restlessness.
How BrightStar Care of Fairfax Can Help
Families often think of in-home care as something for the hardest days. Very often, it's what makes a day like Nov. 14 possible, and what lets the lessons from it actually stick afterward.
BrightStar Care of Fairfax is family-owned, founded locally by Kerry and Rob Massie in 2012, and based at 10517C Braddock Rd, Fairfax, VA 22032. The agency is Joint Commission accredited and part of the only home care brand to receive The Joint Commission's Enterprise Champion for Quality award every year since the award began in 2013. The team serves Fairfax, McLean, Reston, Great Falls, Vienna, Annandale, Falls Church, Centreville, Oakton, Chantilly, Clifton, Tysons Corner, Dunn Loring, and Herndon.
On Conference Day
- Full-day respite care, so you can stay from the 9 a.m. keynote to the final session without watching the clock.
- Alzheimer's and dementia care that keeps your loved one's usual routine going, from meals and medication reminders to the afternoon walk.
- Personal care for the things that are hardest to hand off: bathing, dressing, toileting, and getting settled.
- Peace of mind, so you can be present in the room, take notes, and talk to exhibitors instead of checking your phone.
After the Conference
The conference is one day. The support doesn't have to be.
- Ongoing respite care, a few planned hours each week so you can attend a caregiver class, join a support call, or simply rest.
- Dementia care that adapts as needs change, from a few hours of companionship to more hands-on daily support.
- A consistent caregiver who sees your loved one regularly, which can make it easier to notice changes worth bringing to the next neurology appointment.
- Support for working caregivers, with dependable coverage during work hours.
- Skilled nursing when a health condition is part of the picture, with Registered Nurse oversight of care plans.
- Veterans care through the VA Community Care Network for veterans who qualify.
To talk it through with someone local, call BrightStar Care of Fairfax at (703) 267-2380.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I register?
Through the NVDCC's Eventbrite page, which lists current ticket prices. Refunds are available until Nov. 2.
Who should attend?
Family caregivers of people living with dementia, whether they're new to caregiving or years in. Professionals and advocates attend too.
What if my loved one needs personal care while I'm away?
Then you'll want personal care or dementia care, not just supervision. BrightStar Care of Fairfax can talk through full-day coverage with you, personal care included.
Ready to Take the Day for Yourself?
The speakers are lined up, the program is set, and the parking is free. Usually the only thing missing is one dependable person at home.
If this is the year you've been meaning to go, start with the date, count back three weeks, and see how in-home care can cover things at home on Nov. 14 and on all the ordinary days after it.
Call BrightStar Care of Fairfax at (703) 267-2380 and speak with someone local.
You've spent the year caring for someone else. On Nov. 14, let someone take care of you for a day.