FEATURED POST
Follow Dementia Advocates
Teepa Snow
Teepa Snow has been an occupational therapist for forty years. She founded PAC (Positive Approach to Care), which offers various trainings, products, and services surrounding dementia care and education in an effort to change the culture surrounding dementia. She considers herself an expert educator in dementia care and an advocate for those who currently live with it.
Rachael Wonderlin
Rachael Wonderlin is a gerontologist, author of two books (When Someone You Know Is Living in a Dementia Care Community: Words to Say and Things to Do and Creative Engagement: A Handbook of Activities for People with Dementia), and a dementia care consultant. She has coined phrases related to dementia care like “Embrace their reality” and “Timeline confusion” to better guide caregivers of people with dementia.
Ashley Stevens
Ashley Stevens is a gerontologist, certified dementia practitioner, social worker, and dementia strategist. Her passion for this area of work began when her great grandma developed Alzheimer’s. She advocates and posts on her blog about the illness and care tips. Additionally, she offers several services to further educate individuals and organizations on dementia and caregiving.
Natali Edmonds
Dr. Natali Edmonds is a board certified geropsychologist who works as the lead Careblazer with Dementia Careblazers. She began posting videos that gained notoriety about four years ago. Her focus is aiding caregivers and families in their journey of helping a loved one with dementia.
Vicky Noland Fitch
Vicky Noland Fitch is a certified dementia practitioner, social worker, and author of Dementia with Grace: A NEW, Positive Way of Dealing with Behaviors in People with Dementia. She has been working for over 25 years with caregivers and individuals with dementia. Along with providing tips and help for caregivers, she encourages positive behavior management.
Dementia Friends
Dementia Friends is an organization that seeks to change the culture and conversation around dementia. It emphasizes learning and action. Someone can become a ‘Dementia Friend’ by taking lessons and attending programs. They have a sister organization in the United Kingdom.
ABOUT the Contributor
Claire is a graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Communication Studies. As a recent intern at a day center for aging and dependent adults, including those with dementia, she is enthusiastic about learning as much as she can and building solid relationships with incredible people. Her participation in the virtual activity programs brings back fond memories of her interactions with her loving grandmother, who journeyed through Lewy Body Dementia for over ten years.
She hopes that this guidebook will prove helpful and useful for those journeying through dementia.
SUBSCRIBE
MY PICK
OF THE MONTH
Recently, a friend recommended I read The Geography of Memory: A Pilgrimage Through Alzheimer's by Jeanne Murray Walker, a widely-respected poet. It details Walker's journey alongside her mother's progression with Alzheimer's Disease, providing insight into the life of a caregiver and care-receiver. Though she is honest about the pain, grief, and darkness experienced, Walker shines a light on the profound love and new discoveries that came from the journey.