Dementia Untangled Banner Health

The reactions of someone with dementia to certain situations may prove difficult for caregivers to appropriately respond. Psychologist and chief clinical officer of Taproot, Dr. Linda Buscemi, helps us untangle these situations of resistance and offers a technological solution that is like having a psychologist in your pocket. She explains her company’s app “Ella,” and how it uses artificial intelligence to deliver a person-centered approach to care with non-pharmacological solutions. 

With the majority of older Americans desiring to age in place, it becomes challenging as dementia progresses to remain at home – especially if you live alone. We wanted to find out more about successful independent living with dementia, so we turned to Harbhajan Khalsa, the Dementia Capable Southern Arizona Program director. We talk about the negative effects of social isolation, how to encourage your local community to become “dementia friendly,” and what supportive resources are available to people on the dementia journey. 

Men are less likely to participate in Alzheimer’s research and seek a diagnosis. This lack of representation extends more specifically to Black men. We enlisted Dr. Robert W. Turner II, an assistant professor at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, to help us answer questions about why these conversations are so important to have. We also discuss how to create a supportive community for men to talk about brain health and get involved in research. 

Managing the healthcare of older adults, especially those with dementia, requires a different approach. We connected with Dr. Nimit Agarwal, an associate professor and Chief of Geriatric Medicine at University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix to talk to him about a “new philosophy” that physicians and healthcare workers are learning in age-friendly hospitals. The initiative is driven by focusing on treating the disease and connecting on what matters to the patient, focusing on the individual. 

Would you want to know if you have a higher risk of developing dementia? We asked Jamie Tyrone, an author, patient advocate, and research participant to share her personal journey of discovering her genetic status after being wrongly diagnosed with a life-altering disease. Her experience has driven her to not only become a research participant, but also to share her story in her book, “Fighting for My Life: How to Thrive in the Shadow of Alzheimer’s.” Her story is inspirational and informative for anyone interested in dementia research and personal advocacy. 

Mind/body awareness can be a very powerful approach to achieving a healthy lifestyle. It can even have a positive effect on our cognitive abilities, according to Dr. Helen Lavretsky, a professor of psychiatry at UCLA. She joins us to discuss the benefits of mindful practices like yoga for people with dementia and dementia caregivers, and the different types of yoga. She also shares info about her ongoing studies to better understand the positive role yoga plays in overall health.