New Project of Music and Poetry Honors the Love of Care Partners

Sunday, April 3rd, 2022

“Love Is Stronger Than Loss” is a new playlist of 7 songs written by Daniel C. Potts, MD, FAAN honoring the love of care partners and persons living with dementia.

Daniel was introduced by Cheryl Blanchard of Alzheimer’s Tennessee to her son, Brandon Blanchard, a musician and recording professional in Nashville, TN, who provided the recording, mixing, and orchestral arrangements for the project, with Daniel Potts on piano and vocals.

We hope that these songs and the stories behind them will be inspiring to any who are walking the road of care partnership through dementia.

Here is a blog which contains the poetry, the stories behind the songs, and Youtube links for the music:

Love Is Stronger Than Loss

Here is a Youtube playlist of the songs:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTfkuNUdVB502wUvxCtuynKRO_A0byk1h

Daniel C. Potts, MD, FAAN Advocates Via Podcasts and Interviews

Monday, January 10th, 2022

Cognitive Dynamics Founder and President, neurologist Daniel C. Potts, MD, FAAN advocates for persons living with dementia and care partners via a number of podcasts and online interviews, which may be accessed at the following links. These presentations cover topics such as the expressive arts in dementia care, the role of spirituality and faith in dementia care, reminiscence and life story, care partner wellness, the building of empathy in healthcare providers, virtual reality, helping persons with dementia to live well, etc.

Being Patient: The Transformative Power of Art in Dementia Care

Dementia Alliance International: Learnings from Patients

N2 Creative Aging with Angel Duncan

Kentuck Museum: Memory, Forgetting, and Art

The Caregivers, with Lon Kieffer

Dementia Action Alliance: This Dementia Life

Alz Authors: Untangling the Expressive Arts for Dementia Care

Life on Repeat: Pillars of Personhood

Professional Insights

Together in This: The Importance of Dementia-Compassionate Culture

Blog Talk Radion: Understanding Dementia and Alzheimer’s

Long Live The Brains: Who Knew He Was An Artist?

Loving Through Dementia: Dementia Conversations

New Inspirational Video Resources from Cognitive Dynamics

Saturday, July 18th, 2020

Cognitive Dynamics would like to share links to 4 newly edited and released videos that we feel will be sources of education, comfort and inspiration for you and those in your circles, especially care givers/care partners, and those who work in dementia care. These videos highlight the powerful stories and advocacy of three individuals you know well, Lynda Everman, Dr. Don Wendorf, and Dr. Richard Morgan. 

Below are public, shareable links to the videos, which appear on our foundation’s YouTube channel, CognitiveDynamics1, along with brief descriptions of the content of the videos. 

1) Dr. Richard Morgan: Still Ministering to Elders, Persons Living with Dementia, and Care Givers 

https://youtu.be/OVtZjX2NvrE

In October of 2016, Cognitive Dynamics Foundation President, neurologist Daniel C. Potts, MD, FAAN traveled to North Huntingdon, PA with fellow dementia advocates Lynda Everman and Dr. Don Wendorf to interview retired Presbyterian pastor, author and Clergy and Faith United Against Alzheimer’s Coalitions co-convener, Dr. Richard Morgan about his lifelong ministry to elders, persons living with dementia and caregivers. In this interview, rich in faith, as well as stories and wisdom gained over the decades, Dr. Morgan discusses his lifetime of caring for, and taking up the cause of the marginalized, and speaks of his many books, including No Act of Love is Ever Wasted: The Spirituality of Caring for Persons with Dementia. In his late eighties in this interview, Dr. Morgan displays the passion and fiery love that still lights his ministry, which his friends and loved ones know so well.

2) Dr. Richard Morgan: Treasure for Alzheimer’s 

https://youtu.be/r-XyEq66d1o

In this shorter clip taken from the full interview above, Dr. Morgan speaks about his experiences using the art of Lester E. Potts, Jr., a rural Alabama saw miller who discovered hidden artistic talent in the throes of Alzheimer’s, to engage persons living with late-stage dementia whom he visited in long-term care facilities. Dr. Morgan shares how connections and relationships were forged which formerly did not exist, and gives hope to caregivers and others who seek to know the identities still deeply present inside each of us despite the loss of cognition. The book, Treasure for Alzheimer’s is available amazon. 

3) Reflections on Care Giving: An Interview with Dr. Don Wendorf

 https://youtu.be/ehJHQqf30wo

On March 27, 2015, Cognitive Dynamics Foundation President, Daniel C. Potts, MD, FAAN interviewed Don Wendorf, Psy. D, retired psychologist, author and Alzheimer’s/dementia advocate about his care giving experience for his late wife, Susan. Don discusses how to remain focused on the personhood of the loved one living with dementia, and see their behavior from their perspective. He emphasizes the importance of empathy in caregiving to nurture the relationship and help with the care partner’s own emotional struggles. The interview, vulnerable, honest and authentic, is rich in insights which can aid other care givers on their journeys.

4) Reflections on Care Giving and Advocacy: An Interview with Lynda Everman 

https://youtu.be/XulxJ61RS-o

On March 27, 2015, Cognitive Dynamics Foundation President, Daniel C. Potts, MD, FAAN interviewed Lynda Everman, advocate, author and co-convener of several national dementia advocacy networks (ActivistsAgainstAlzheimer’s, WomenAgainstAlzheimer’s, Clergy and Faith United Against Alzheimer’s) because, in her words, “Love requires action.”  In this interview, Lynda talks about care giving for her late father and late husband, and how she channeled these experiences into effective advocacy. Lynda’s personal stories and reflections speak to the importance of the ministry of presence and convey her central message: “These are still  the people you love. They are valuable. Continue to love them and be present with them.”

We are grateful to videographer and editor, Brian Covert, of Covert Productions, for producing these videos. 

Building a Dementia-Friendly Community Through a Framework of Faith

Thursday, August 2nd, 2018

Below is the transcription of a plenary address,”Building a Dementia-Friendly Community Through a Framework of Faith,” offered at the Andrew Gerow Hodges Chapel of Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Alabama on April 26, 2018 by Dr. James M. Houston, Professor Emeritus of Spiritual Theology at Regent College. The event was part of a faith-based dementia-friendly initiative of  Cognitive Dynamics Foundation in collaboration with the Faith United Against Alzheimer’s Coalition of UsAgainstAlzheimer’s, funded by a grant from Dementia Friendly Alabama.

A video of the event can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFG8GQhxxMI

For inquiries about the Dementia Friendly Initiative from Cognitive Dynamics, please contact project directors, Lynda Everman and Dr. Don Wendorf, at ldeverman@icloud.com

Click here for a transcription of Dr. Houston’s address.

Dr. James M. Houston

Andrew Gerow Hodges Chapel

Cognitive Dynamics Begins Dementia Friendly Initiative

Friday, April 6th, 2018

Cognitive Dynamics Foundation has partnered with Dementia Friendly Alabama and the Faith United Against Alzheimer’s Coalition (a network of UsAgainstAlzheimer’s) to more effectively support and serve Alabama residents who are living with dementia and their care partners and families.

Supported by a grant from the Central Alabama Aging Consortium via its Dementia Friendly Alabama Initiative, projects leads Lynda Everman and Dr. Don Wendorf, internationally recognized dementia advocates, will provide resources and education to faith communities in the Birmingham/Tuscaloosa area.  During the Feb. 1 – July 31, 2018 grant period, visits will be arranged with staff of faith-based organizations to talk with them about what constitutes a dementia friendly faith-based community and leave them with tangible educational and caregiving resources and ideas to initiate or expand this ministry of compassionate dementia care.

The program is aimed at two underserved populations: 1) individuals with dementia and their care partners, who due to the cognitive, physical, emotional, and financial challenges presented by this disease, are no longer able to fully participate in their faith communities; and 2) faith communities who may not know how to recognize, interact with, and support their members with dementia and their care partners.

As part of the initiative, Cognitive Dynamics will host a Distinguished Lecture by renowned theologian James M. Houston, MA, BSc, DPhil in collaboration with Beeson Divinity School at Samford University on April 26, 2018 at 7 pm.  The topic of this lecture will be “Building a Dementia Friendly Community through a Framework of Faith.”

Cognitive Dynamics hopes to collaboratively raise awareness of the unique needs of this population in our community, help reduce the stigma associated with Alzheimer’s and related dementias, and foster dementia friendly faith communities where those living with Alzheimer’s and their care partners feel respected, supported, and included, and where they can continue to participate in activities that are meaningful to them.

For more information about this program, please contact us at info@cognitivedynamics.org.

Do You Know Me Now” Crowd Funding Goes Live on Indiegogo

Friday, May 15th, 2015

DO YOU KNOW ME NOW ?

Life is about relationships, and relationships are built through our unique human traits – the things that make us who we are.  All of us have a story!  And our stories need to be heard.

People who have Alzheimer’s disease or other causes of dementia share our humanity– no one loses their personhood just because they have memory loss or confusion.  And they still need to be in relationship with others who love and care for them.  To truly know someone we must appreciate their life stories, as well as the particular gifts and passions that they contribute to the world.

Do You Know Me Now? is a feature documentary exploring relationship and personhood in people who have Alzheimer’s disease and other causes of dementia.  Our film will take a novel look at what it means to be a person with dementia who is still very much alive and possessing those traits upon which relationships may be built, even late into the disease.  We will highlight the stories of some very special people  and their loved ones who have found ways to connect — who have discovered joy, beauty and self-expression despite the losses.

Relationship that is deep and meaningful is still very much a possibility despite advancing cognitive loss, and should be the standard if we are to create what one of the film’s featured caregivers calls a “culture of compassion.”  Such care calls us to take an empathic journey into the very core of the person with dementia in search of the beauty and relational energy contained within.  We believe that our society cannot afford to lose this human treasure.

We have completed approximately half of the work needed to produce our documentary and are seeking the remainder through this Indiegogo crowd funding drive.  We need to raise $75,000 to finish the film, and get it out to the world. 

Will you help us tell the stories of people with Alzheimer’s and other causes of dementia, to show the world that they are still vibrant souls capable of meaningful relationships?  Will you help us share the hope, end the stigma, and create a culture of compassion?

Thank you for your support!

The IV Pillars Model© at Reflection Therapy

Friday, September 19th, 2014

Robert Montgomery, MA, MFT, Alan Swindall, M.Div., MA, MFT and Daniel C. Potts, MD, FAAN have collaborated to develop The IV Pillars Model©, an innovative new therapy for caregivers and persons with dementia/Alzheimer’s disease which provides ways to maintain personhood while preserving communication. The goal of the therapy is to provide a new perspective that informs the caregiver on how to effectively alter their interaction with a loved one suffering from a new Alzheimer’s/dementia diagnosis so that anxiety is lowered and loving, non-verbal interaction is sustained.

http://reflectiontherapy.com/TuscaloosaAlzheimersCounseling.php