RESOURCES

OUR CONTRIBUTORS

Dr. Jennifer Stelter

Dr. Jennifer Stelter, also known as The Oil Doctor, Psy.D., is a Clinical Psychologist and Johns Hopkins Press author, who specializes in dementia care. She has 20 years experience in the healthcare field and over a dozen in the senior living industry. She is a Certified Dementia Practitioner and Certified Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Care Trainer through the National Council for Certified Dementia Practitioners.

Additionally, she is the CEO of NeuroEssence, LLC at the Dementia Connection Institute and the creator of the Dementia Connection Model(c). Also, she is the author of The Busy Caregiver’s Guide to Advanced Alzheimer Disease. At the Dementia Connection Institute, we provide training and education on dementia care to professionals and family caregivers with a heavy focus on ‘prescribing’ with non-pharmacological interventions and engagement and empowering care providers to do the same. The vision is that those living with dementia will be able to experience and navigate their new world freely because caregivers and professionals feel better educated, prepared, and empowered in how to provide quality dementia care. We are now open! Visit us at DementiaConnectionInstitute.org.

Jessica Ryan

Jessica Ryan is a university educated Biologist and Educator, a Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) through the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners (NCCDP), an AromaTouch® Technique Trainer certified by Dr. Hill, a top doTERRA Wellness Advocate, and a founder and co-creator of AromaTechniques an aromatherapy and hand massage technique specific to the “vintage” population. She is the CEO of The Oil Mama, LLC, and co-founder and co-owner of NeuroEssence, LLC. She has 25+ years of experience in education and the sciences from high school to university and professional level. Over the last 10 years she has committed to staying on the forefront of evidence- based essential oil uses and educating individuals and families on reducing toxic load and increasing cellular nourishment as the key to healthy mind and body at any age. She has pioneered a specialization in working with the “vintage” population, healthcare professionals, and caregivers to educate them on the usage of therapeutic essential oils for longevity and quality of life as it relates to the Alzheimer’s, Dementia, and brain health.

Jessica regularly leads workshops and offers valuable and continued support through her various resources and one-on-one consultations. She also offers additional services to healthcare and residential facilities as related to the “vintage” population including caregiver and continuing education, hospice tools, and customized community wellness plans.

D. Dow Stick

Dow Stick is a freelance health writer and nurse practitioner in Western North Carolina. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of Mary Washington and a Master of Science degree in Nursing from East Tennessee State University. Her experience as an advanced practice nurse includes adult primary care, hospice and palliative care, chronic disease management, and addiction medicine. Her interests are in the health and wellness of older adults as well as the advocacy and support of those living with dementia, especially her own 95-year-old grandmother.

Nurse Dow LLC is her content creation platform designed to provide print editors and marketing managers with authoritative copy that resonates with health consumers. Find her at NurseWriterDow.com.

Courtney Battaglia

Courtney Battaglia is a registered nurse with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Arlington. She has over 12 years of experience working directly with patients, many of whom experienced the effects of Alzheimer’s and dementia. Courtney is dedicated to providing resources for families and patients who are experiencing this diagnosis and continues to advocate daily for this population.

By combining her nursing knowledge with her passion for writing, Courtney strives to arm the public with the most accurate information for their health-related questions. While maintaining an active presence in delivering exceptional patient care, Courtney continues to promote and foster education to the public by breaking down recent research and news trends into easy-to-understand information.

Susan Kitchen, MPH, RD, CSSD, LN/D

Susan Kitchen, MPH, RD, CSSD, LD/N, is a Sports Certified Registered Dietitian, USA Triathlon and Ironman Certified Coach, accomplished endurance athlete, and published author. She is the owner of Race Smart, a performance nutrition and coaching company that works with athletes across the globe as they strive toward optimal health, fitness, and performance.

Our Resources

Individual Alzheimer's or Dementia holding gift.

Are You Ready for the Holidays?

Spending time together as family, especially around the holidays, is priceless. However, sometimes this can be a challenging season for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia and their loved ones, as they may not be able to communicate with each other as well as they used to, share their thoughts and engage […]

liquid diet soup bowl with colorful puree

Is It Ok for People With Dementia to Primarily Drink Supplements?

Ponder this question…if you could only drink your meals for the rest of your life, would you want to? I think hardly not. It’s not a way of life…it’s not quality of life. However, it’s up to each person; it’s their right to decide this. But we know that when people are progressing in their […]

Social Prescription in Dementia Care

When we think about how far research has come in dementia care, the unfortunate reality is that there is still no known medicine for it, as well as no cure. We truly think our industry is close. Therefore, the medical model doesn’t work in dementia care. However, we can’t say that there isn’t any treatment available, because we have social prescription. Social prescription is about getting to know the whole person living with dementia, from their preferences in life, roles they’ve been in, understanding what makes them happy and calm, who surrounds them in their life, and their strengths and weaknesses; essentially it’s the essence of who they are. Around 70-75% of a person’s overall health are their social determinants, not their physical or medical health. And several modalities in dementia care have proven positive outcomes by using aspects of social prescription, like the Best Friends™ Approach, Montessori Method, and Validation Therapy. The newest empirically-validated approach upholding social prescription is the Dementia Connection Model©.

Connecting to Those Who Have Dementia. It’s Simple.

Caregivers of those with dementia experience a wide range of emotions during their caregiving journey, including a sense of loss that they can no longer connect to that person, like they could before. Or, for those who are new to caregiving for that individual, they just can’t feel successful in aligning with them. With many frustrating interactions, they find themselves saying things like “This isn’t who my mom is” or “I just can’t seem to do anything right for her” or “Why does this keep happening?”, leaving the caregiver feeling hopeless.

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