Sandra Day O’Connor Understands Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer's Care

Sandra Day O’Connor Understands Alzheimer’s

Sandra Day O’Connor, our first female Supreme Court Justice has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.  She was the caregiver to her husband for years, who lived with Alzheimer’s.  If anyone understood the disease process, she did.  She’s become an example for me to honor in my trainings as she experienced what it was like to place her husband in memory care assisted living.  Understanding that her husband no longer recognized her and that as a human being still had the need for human connection and intimacy, she accepted his development of a relationship with another woman resident.  As Justice O’Connor

The Risks of Having Help at Home
Alzheimer's Care

The Risks of Having Help at Home

I read this article, A stranger in the house, and what I read should concern everyone.  We can assume that most everyone would choose to remain living in their own home as opposed to living in a nursing care facility.  However, in order to do that, we must rely on those who provide services in the home.  Home care is not regulated and there are current laws that actually encourage the hiring of underground, very inexpensive, so-called home care providers who are being hired to care for someone in the home.  Why? Well, the answer is cost.  The agencies who

Rethinking Dementia Care by Banning BPSD

Rethinking Dementia Care by Banning BPSD

With patience, we hope and wait for a world where dementia is eradicated. Through education, increasing awareness and understanding I am on a personal mission to eradicate BPSD. As Kate said “The term BPSD has provided a medical rationale to over-medicate and restrain people with dementia.” Do you know what it feels like to not have the ability to communicate your needs and wants???……I am fortunate to not know. What I do know is that antipsychotic medication, psychiatric hospitalizations, confining, and restraining are most often the worst choices of intervention. I believe that 90% of so-called BPSD is actually created

Governor Bakers Stamp of Approval Regarding Mandated Dementia Education

Governor Baker’s Stamp of Approval Regarding Mandated Dementia Education

Massachusetts has finally made a huge leap in their efforts to bring about awareness and remove the stigma associated with Alzheimer’s Disease and other dementia. Amazingly so, our healthcare professionals are not educated on the topic. Well, not anymore. Governor Baker gave his final stamp of approval with the new law regarding the mandated education of physicians and the required plan of action for our acute care hospitals. I’m excited to see what our healthcare system will look like for the person living with dementia by the year 2022. Knowing the epidemic is not slowing down, I want to assure