I want to share an exciting new project with you. For the past year, Margaret and I have had the honor of collaborating with Barbara White (former Deputy Director for the Akron Public Library) to write a Dementia Inclusive Public Library Guide. This guide was the brainchild of Bonnie Burman from the Ohio Council of…
Seniors living in long term care communities have been more isolated than ever during this COVID-19 pandemic. It is especially confusing and isolating for people living with dementia. Many have been quarantined in their rooms for long periods of time and have little contact with others. Here are some unexpected but helpful tools to help meet their basic needs of companionship and communication.
Everyone knows someone who is living with dementia. Who do you know? Would you like to know how you can better support your friend, neighbor, loved one, or co-worker? Would you like to join a global effort in reducing the stigma of dementia? Are you, your organization, group or business interested in making a real difference in your…
Stay up to date and learn alongside Jennifer Brush and her team as they implement a model program of person-directed living It’s a new year, a time for new beginnings, and the perfect time to start a new project. During 2017, I’ll be working with the team at Clark Retirement Community in Grand Rapids, Michigan…
Let’s not keep secrets any longer. I’m please to welcome Vicki Tapia as our guest this month, author of Somebody Stole My Iron. By reading about one what daughter’s journey was like with Alzheimer’s disease, you may find help with the challenges you face. Reticence by Vicki Tapia An unexplained inner drive compelled me to…
We are pleased to announce that Brush Development is the first Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) training center in the U.S. for Montessori for Aging and Dementia. Jennifer Brush, an AMI Certified Educator, is the only person in the U.S. to offer the two-day Montessori for Aging and Dementia workshop, which is the first step…
The ability to speak, hear, and understand language and conversation are central to almost every aspect of daily life. Yet, these skills are often taken for granted until someone loses them. For older Americans, communication disorders are among the most common challenges they may face. Unfortunately, these disorders may go untreated for years—or may never…
This week, I’d like to share an interview with me conducted by Vicki Tapia about the book I wrote with Kerry Mills, I Care: A Handbook For Care Partners Of People With Dementia. Vicki is the author of Somebody Stole My Iron, a family memoir about dementia. You can learn more about it at…
I would like to welcome Matthew Adams to our blog this month. He is trying to provide a solution to a very difficult question-how do you explain dementia to a child when we ourselves are having trouble understanding it? I applaud his efforts and hope that the Ally Bally Bee Project helps destigmatize dementia and…
Twenty years ago while working at a long-term care community, I learned about a memory-training strategy called Spaced Retrieval, which is used to teach people with memory loss new or previously known information. I began using this strategy with people who had Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, traumatic brain injury, aphasia and other conditions that cause…
There is not a magic pill, at least not yet, that can prevent memory loss, ward off cognitive decline, or keep us young and healthy forever, but we can help to maintain our brain health by reducing stress, having a positive attitude, engaging in social activities, being more physically active and challenging ourselves mentally. If…
This week I welcome Vicki Tapia as a guest blogger, family care partner, and advocate for people with dementia. By Vicki Tapia: In 2004, my father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s-related dementia and a few months later, my mother with Alzheimer’s disease. That was the year I became a caregiver. While my parents didn’t reside with me,…
