Dementia & COVID-19: Two Leaders Who are Making a Difference

Susan Ryan sits down with Dr. Jennifer Carson, the director of the Dementia Engagement, Education and Research Program at the School of Community Health Sciences at University of Nevada, Reno, and Dr. Al Power is an internist, geriatrician, and Schlegel Chair in Aging and Dementia Innovation at the Schlegel University of Waterloo Research Institute for Aging in Ontario, Canada. Both Jennifer and Al are highly committed and knowledgeable advocates for people living in dementia who have worked together over the years on many projects. In this episode, Al and Jennifer talk about the power of deep-knowing relationships and individualized approaches as foundational to generating quality of life experiences for people living with dementia, and why consistent, or dedicated, staffing is paramount to that success. The conversation also touches on how the pandemic dramatically revealed how significant relationships really were in addressing the profound challenges of loneliness and social isolation among elders who have dementia. Jennifer and Al also talk about ageism and ableism, and how the crisis has exposed these stereotypes even more perilously. Check out Dementia Friendly Nevada here: https://dementiafriendlynevada.org/ Find out more about Dr. Power here: http://www.alpower.net/

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