About

Brains are a big deal in my family.

Hi! I'm Kristina, a gerontologist with a lifelong passion for enriching the lives of older adults.

After my dad’s mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia, I went back to school to learn more about how to help her. My goal is, and always has been, to help older adults live their lives to the fullest.

After my mom’s father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, I created Understanding Alzheimer's as a resource to help families like mine understand more about the disease. The Instagram account, @understandingalzheimers, helped connect a community of people looking for help - not only those affected by dementia, but those hoping to help older loved ones in all types of ways.

My mom’s mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s just days before her husband of 64 years, my grandfather, died of the same disease. My grandma was bored, lonely, and depressed after he passed and as her disease started to progress.

Research shows that the more active someone’s brain is, the healthier it might be, which means the disease may not progress so fast. But my grandma can’t go out and find these activities for herself. A lot of older adults - dementia or not - are in her boat. This sparked the idea of Busy Minds Box, with the intention of preserving brain health while bringing some fun back into her life and those just like her. 

Enter Busy Minds Boxes! Using what I know as both a caregiver and a gerontologist, I design each box to engage the mind in fun and creative ways. Every month features the opportunity to learn something new, aided by the items inside the box.

So this is for you, Grandma. And for you who’s reading this, it’s for your grandmother or grandfather, mother or father, or even yourself. Because trust me: I understand wanting to do something (anything!) to help make your loved one's life just a little bit happier.

It's my passion and goal to promote brain health through fun and engaging activities sure to put a smile on your loved one's face.