DCPutnam Consulting allows me to work in a field that I love! My 24+ years of professional experience have given me a wealth of knowledge within the field. I have worked closely with family caregivers who have been in great distress at the thought of placing their loved one in a memory care facility. We have had very personal conversations around Hospice and end-of-life care. I have spent many hours training / certifying new employees about the “ins and outs” of memory care, as well as providing monthly in-services to staff members in assisted living communities, adult day programs and nursing homes.
Education programs and consultations have been available for the general public and family members in Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island. I have recently (3/2019) moved to the Pittsburgh, PA area and will continue offering my services in the greater Pittsburgh area.
Understanding Alzheimer’s disease and the other dementias is critical. Over 5,800,000 Americans currently have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and the Alzheimer’s Association anticipates that by 2050 there will be more than 15,000,000 Americans living with this disease if we do not have access to a cure.
There are four major areas of concentration that DCPutnam Consulting addresses:
- Facilitating Alzheimer’s and Dementia Support Groups
- Certification for Professional Caregivers
- Family Caregiver Consultations
- Community Education
The content for each of these areas of concentration overlap, but the perspective and needs do vary.
A sampling of topics that are offered are:
- Clarification of Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease
- Identifying other Forms of Dementia
- 10 Warning Signs as Identified by the Alzheimer’s Association
- Important Legal Steps
- What’s the Financial Picture
- What are ADL’s (Activities of Daily Living)
- What Happens to the Brain if Someone has Dementia
- What is the Mini-Mental Exam
- Caregiver’s Daily Log
- Risk Factors for Alzheimer’s Disease
- Improving Communication Skills
- Understanding Challenging Behaviors
- “Living in the Moment”
- Therapeutic Fiblets
- Holiday Tips & Visits
- Nutrition and Hydration
- Distraction Techniques
- Kubler-Ross’s Five Stages of Grief
- How do Dementia Patients Handle Pain
- Caregivers Learning to Say “No”
- Routine – Routine – Routine
- Purposeful Activities
- Medication Options
- Sex and Intimacy
- Options for Placement
- Touring Potential Facilities
- End of Life Care and Hospice
