What My Grandchildren Taught Me about Alzheimer’s Disease - Dana Olivia Dunn Territo
“You Gotta Sleep With Your Friend”: Alzheimer's Sleep, Sundowning and Wandering Patterns
What My Grandchildren Taught Me about Alzheimer’s Disease - Dana Olivia Dunn Territo
Dana Olivia Dunn Territo [+]
Advocate for those affected by Alzheimer’s disease
Dana Olivia Dunn Territo has always shared a passion and love for the older generation, particularly those affected with Alzheimer’s disease. For over 30 years she has worked and advocated for this population. She was on the committee that started the first Alzheimer’s Walk Fundraiser in Baton Rouge and the original Activity Director in the first Alzheimer’s secured unit in a nursing home in the city. She later served as an advisor to build Louisiana’s first Alzheimer’s Social Model Day Respite Center, a center of which she subsequently worked as director and one that was later nationally recognized. She has served on local, state, and national organizations promoting quality care for those affected by Alzheimer’s disease, and her programs and training curricula she developed for Alzheimer’s care have helped caregivers and healthcare professionals alike to meander the arduous journey of the disease. Since 2013, Dana has voluntarily written a weekly Alzheimer’s Question and Answer column in The Advocate, a Baton Rouge-based newspaper with a circulation of over 98,000.
Description
Though very common, erratic sleep patterns, sundowning and wandering behaviors are worrisome for caregivers as well as a source of safety concerns. Offering a soothing sleep setting, meeting basic needs, and making the environment comfortable, as well as incorporating safety measures are necessary in handling these behaviors during the disease progression.