Maggie and Thomas recently interviewed Gary Glazner, founder and Executive Director of the Alzheimer's Poetry Project (APP).  In this podcast, Gary explores the power of the arts in empowering individuals with a dementia diagnosis. Throughout the conversation, the group discusses the significance of creativity, ambiguity, expression, and sensory stimulation for these individuals and their families. 

Established in 2013, the APP attempts "to improve the quality of life of people living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia by facilitating creative expression through poetry."  APP was the recipient of the 2013, Rosalinde Gilbert Innovations in Alzheimer’s Disease Caregiving Legacy Award, as well as the 2012 MetLife Foundation Creativity and Aging in America Leadership Award, in the category of Community Engagement. In 2013, the National Endowment for the Arts listed the APP as a “best practice.”  

Mr. Glazner is also the author of “Dementia Arts: Celebrating Creativity in Elder Care,” on Health Professionals Press, 2014. Additionally, his work has been published by Harper Collins, W.W. Norton and Salon.com.  Per the APP website,  programming has reached 26 states domestically, as well as Australia, Canada, England, Germany, Poland, and South Korea, serving over 35,000 people living with dementia.

In this episode, Maggie and Thomas interview Jason Bloome, founder of Connections Care Home Referrals. Jason started Connections nearly 20 years ago after being inspired by his own personal caregiving experience, with a desire to help low-income families find caregiving options for older adults. Jason discusses how certain policy limitations effect access to assisted-living care for older adults. He specifically discusses the limitations of Medicaid programs in California and how policy changes could potentially make Medicaid money available to individuals seeking assisted living options.

Dr. Gabrielle Mahler, D.M.D, is a Los Angeles based dentist specializing in older individuals with cognitive impairment. In this episode, Dr Mahler shares some of her experience and insight regarding oral care for older adults living with dementia symptoms. ​

Ymkje Dioquino, MS, LMFT is the Chief Operating Officer of the Presence Care Project in San Francisco, CA. She is also a Family Care Therapist at the Ray Dolby Brain Health Center in San Francisco, where she provides psycho-therapeutic services and support to persons with Dementia and their families and friends. She has practiced mindfulness since age 19 and started teaching Mindfulness Based Dementia Care (MBDC) in 2014. She was kind enough to speak with us concerning mindfulness practice and caregiving. Mindfulness practices can be an excellent, life-giving resource for caregivers feeling exhausted from their work. Please listen!

Anne Hanenburg is a landscape architect specializing in Dementia Design and Healing Gardens. She was gracious enough to speak with us about the significance of the physical environment in dementia care settings. Whether your loved one is living in a memory care community or at home, these dementia design principles can be very insightful. Listen below, or wherever you get your podcasts.

With the rise in dementia diagnoses over the past several years, wandering has become much more common among seniors. In communities throughout the US, individuals have tragically gone missing after wandering away from their homes. Whether individuals are at home or living in a facility, wandering can happen at any time. In this episode, we discuss efforts being made by the County of Los Angeles to educate caregivers and provide support in finding loved ones that have wandered away from home due to cognitive impairment. The pilot program, called LA FOUND, is part of a larger effort to prevent these incidents and encourage coordination among community agencies to support effected families. Listen below, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This is the second part of our interview with Mariette Salama, in which we continue to discuss her work as a Skilled Nursing Facility Administrator.  Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) are a vital part of our healthcare system, and are often misunderstood. Social workers often find that families are misinformed concerning a SNF's ability to accept Medicaid and Medicare for long term care, particularly with dementia care patients. 

Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) are a vital part of our healthcare system, and are often misunderstood. They are often used for post acute care (after a hospitalization), but can occasionally be used for long-term care as well. However, social workers often find that families are misinformed concerning a SNF's ability to accept Medicaid and Medicare for long term care. During this episode, we speak to Mariette Salama regarding her work as a Skilled Nursing Facility Administrator. 

In this episode, we speak with Dr Adria Navarro concerning decisional capacity. Adria Navarro, Ph.D., LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker with expertise in mental and neurological disorders, and teaches theory, community practice, and research methods in Azusa Pacific University’s MSW program. Download below, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This is the second part of our interview with Monica R. Moore, MSG, and Dr Sarah Kremen, MD, of the Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer's Disease Research at UCLA. In this episode, Dr. Kremen discusses the work of the Easton Center in conducting clinical trials and Alzheimer's Disease research. Download HERE, or wherever you get your podcasts.