“God Never Prays Back” Spirituality: God IS "Praying back" with the Individual with Alzheimer's
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
The spirituality of the individual with Alzheimer’s should not be negated or excluded in his or her continuing care. Spirituality is the way individuals find meaning, hope, comfort and inner peace in their lives, and therefore should be nurtured and respected throughout the disease progression. Caregivers should recognize and reverence the spirituality of each affected individual.