SURVIVING ALZHEIMER'S
WHAT'S NEW
Paula's Upcoming/Recent Talks & Articles
Caring for the Caregiver
Parade Magazine, September 6, 2019
Most caregiving falls on family shoulders, and that’s true even if you’re a four-star admiral, health leader and professor like former surgeon general David Satcher, who served as “America’s top doctor” from 1998 to 2002. What he, MSNBC's Richard Lui, and others are doing to help others like themselves.
Brain Power
Woman's Day, April 2019
Dementia hits women especially hard. I wrote this first-person piece to explain why I decided to join the quest for answers by enrolling in a study looking at the effects of perimenopause on Alzheimer's. (Print edition; link goes to PDFs of magazine pages.)
"Understanding the Latest in Dementia Issues"
National Press Foundation fellowship
Thrilled to have been selected for my second National Press Foundation fellowship. Looking forward to hearing the latest on research, treatment, economic impact, caregiving, tech innovations, and more in Washington, DC.
The Link Between Menopause &
Alzheimer's
Wall Street Journal
In this 2-19-19 report on the fascinating line of research into the hormonal impact on dementia, I explain why I'm in a study by Lisa Mosconi, PhD,: “It was a low-risk opportunity for me to help unravel these kind of mysteries about what causes Alzheimer’s.”
Paula's Newest Book:
A Memory Keeper
Though my latest book (August, 2018) isn't targeted to dementia families specifically, it can be a resource for those with mild cognitive impairment or who are helping someone with mild dementia still able to access long-held family stories and reminisces. It's a fill-in-the-blank personal-history journal, my third interactive-journal for Peter Pauper Press, the gift-book publishing house.
7 Steps to Managing Difficult Dementia Behaviors (Safely & Without Medications)
by Paula Spencer Scott, in Better Health While Aging
Learn the "Why This, Try This" approach to dealing with stress-making behaviors (agitation, pacing, delusions, and many more) without medication. I wrote this piece for Dr. Leslie Kernisan's site, which is packed with useful info you won't find elsewhere. She's a very smart geriatrician who understands caregivers' needs well.
Maria Shriver on Alzheimer's
From my interview with her in Parade
"What are you most optimistic about in the fight against Alzheimer’s?"
"I’m super excited that people like Bill Gates and young neuroscientists are jumping into this space...we’re at a place where smart minds meet technology meet funding meet interest."
Preventing Alzheimer's: What You Can Do
by Paula Spencer Scott, Parade cover story
Read the report of my visit to the first Alzheimer's Prevention Clinic for risk assessment and intervention. Scientists are more excited than ever about "upstream" solutions to Alzheimer's. Genetics play a still-mysterious role in this awful disease but may not be your inevitable destiny. (Know your ABCs!)
Tapping the Creative Brain for People With Alzheimer's & Related Diseases
by Paula Spencer Scott (in Parade)
...“It’s the cultural cure,” says Anne Basting, a gerontologist and theater arts professor at the University of Wisconsin who won a MacArthur fellowship “genius” grant last year for her work in this area, including TimeSlips, the imagination-based storytelling method....
Two Words That Can Immediately Make Any Dementia Behavior Less Stressful
by Paula Spencer Scott, at Alzheimer's Reading Room
The beauty of the "why-this, try this" approach with people who have dementia is that it starts working the very second you decide to use it.
It can stretch your sorely-tested patience and swap frustration for positive action.
"Why I Wrote Surviving Alzheimer's"
essay in AlzAuthors
I knew little about dementia back when my grandmother began using a kitchen pot for a commode. Or when my dad began wailing, “Oh why didn’t anyone tell me?” on the day after my mother’s funeral, because he’d already forgotten she died.
So how did I wind up writing a guide to Alzheimer’s care?
New! EXPANDED Surviving Alzheimer's
Published January 10, 2018
The book's completely updated and expanded 2nd edition includes: an extensive chapter on end-of-life care, more on how to communicate better with someone who has difficulty talking or understanding, added behavior challenges, and more on the "Why-This, Try-This" approach to dementia care.
