Alzheimers

Firearms and Dementia: What is the Risk?

In 2015, a woman was shot by her husband.  Her husband was diagnosed 2 years prior with a dementia disease.  He was a retired Police Chief and had access to his firearm.  He shot her during a moment of confusion and paranoia. There is no positive outcome for a person who owns a firearm and has a diagnosis of some form of dementia, more appropriately called a major neurocognitive disorder.  Dementia is a set of symptoms including poor judgment, memory loss, and decreased ability to function to name a few.  Hallucinations and delusions may be a part of that list

August 11, 2020
Alzheimer's Care

What is Alternatives in Alzheimer’s Care?

This month, I would like to explain what Alternatives in Alzheimer’s Care is and what I do as a Dementia Specialist.  Please see the video interview with Jon Younger, Owner of Assisted Living Locators below.  I speak to what services I provide as a Dementia Specialist. My professional journey over the last 24 years in healthcare allowed me to work with people living with dementia, their families, and healthcare professionals.  My personal journey began with my grandmother’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease. During the early years of my profession, my maternal grandmother Ruth began to display symptoms of dementia.  Her memory

July 22, 2020
#Alzheimer's

Importance of Diagnostic Testing

During these days of the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing violence, and political uncertainty, I wanted to talk about something else.  I want to increase awareness about the reality that symptoms of dementia could very well be the consequence of something that is treatable and reversible.  Dementia is NOT a diagnosis.  It is a group of symptoms including memory loss; confusion and disorientation; lack of insight and poor judgement; challenges with sequencing and performing tasks; challenges with language and word finding; and mood and personality changes. When someone experiences any of these symptoms, a common reaction is to begin to withdraw and

June 10, 2020
#dementia and COVID-19

Recommendations to Improve the Quality of your Day during Social Isolation

Are you a care partner for your loved one who has dementia?  This is an incredibly difficult time for all of us, but only you know how challenging this time of social distancing has been for you and your loved one.  Adult Day programs are closed, and we do not know when they will open.  Although there are home care agencies who are equipped and educated to provide care in the home, you may resist having anyone enter your home.  This is due to fear of exposing you and your loved one to COVID-19.  This crisis has spawned increased fear,

May 21, 2020
Denying the Human Element
Alzheimer’s Care

Denying the Human Element

I recently interviewed Dr. Michele Ricard, Gerontologist. Dr. Ricard is a specialist in Geriatric and Internal Medicine. She is a Certified Medical Director serving patients living in skilled nursing and rehab facilities. Throughout most of her career, Dr. Ricard was a Clinical Instructor for medical students until retirement 2 years ago. She frequently lectures, sharing her years and wealth of knowledge, to inspire and educate medical professionals. I have had the pleasure of knowing and collaborating with Dr. Ricard for many years. She was the founder of the Elder Community Collaborative, originally started to improve communication and outcomes for patients

April 24, 2020
Tammy Pozerycki presenting an ADDC seminar
#alzheimerscare

Why Take the Path to Becoming a Certified Dementia Practitioner?

In 2019, Massachusetts became the first state to mandate dementia education for all physicians, physician assistants, and nurses.  Governor Baker included acute care hospitals in this law.  The hospitals are required to come up with a plan on how they are going to best care for patients with dementia.  In my opinion, it doesn’t matter what profession you are in, if you work with adults in any capacity, you unequivocally need to understand dementia.  REGISTER TODAY FOR THE NEXT LIVE IN-PERSON Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Care seminarThursday, March 12th, 2020in Marlborough, MA The National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners (NCCDP)

March 3, 2020
#caregiving

Holding the Person with Dementia to a Higher Emotional Standard

All human beings share emotion.  We freely feel sad, happy, angry, excited, frustrated, proud, frightened, relieved, anxious, affectionate, embarrassed, satisfied, guilty, confident; and I could go on and on to list all the positive and negative feelings we experience. In a recent blog by Dr. G. Allen Power, he expresses a very powerful thought process and how people view a person living with dementia.  Although he focusses on the research on ECT (Electroconvulsive Therapy) used for dementia symptoms, this paragraph struck me as completely valid in my experience. “We get angry, sad, frustrated or anxious, but people with dementia have

February 12, 2020
The Art of Utilizing a Fiblet
#Alzheimer's

The Art of Utilizing a Fiblet

What is a fiblet? In the world of dementia, you may understand the term fiblet as a “lie” or “white lie.”  In order to increase the quality of day for the person living with dementia, the caregiver must create moments of peace and reassurance.  I would like you to reframe the term fiblet as a “therapeutic non-truth.”  In general, caregivers prefer to tell the truth.  In the world of dementia, it is referred to as reality orientation.  This choice may not be in the best interest of the person with dementia. If we think of a fiblet as a therapeutic

October 15, 2019

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