Current Events Panel Discussion: Advances in Memory Care

Steven Atkinson, PA-C, MS Related seminars and products

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Steven Atkinson, PA-C, MS, is a board-certified Physician Assistant specializing in Geriatric Internal Medicine. He practices medicine in the greater Minneapolis area. In addition to his private practice, he has been on the faculty at the University of Utah since 1994 and has been involved in medicine for over 30 years.

Steven is the co-founder of Twin Cities Physicians, which serves older adults at nearly all levels of their care. He has presented nationally for over 15 years, primarily speaking about geriatric-related syndromes.

Steven is the author of Geriatric Pharmacology: The Principals of Practice & Clinical Recommendations, Second Edition, and also sits on several boards whose purpose is to elevate the level of care in medicine for the patients they serve. Steven has been described as a “dynamic” educator and one of the most engaging presenters around.

 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Steven Atkinson is the founder and co-owner of Twin Cities Physicians and Midwest Geriatrics Services, and he is the owner of Mindful Geriatrics, LLC. He provides legal counseling services to medical professionals and receives compensation. Steve Atkinson receives compensation for course development from Executive Links. He is adjunct faculty at the University of Utah. Steve Atkinson receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. He formerly owned stocks/shares in Moderna, Inc. He is a stock holder with Eli Lilly. All relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies have been mitigated.
Non-financial: Steven Atkinson is a member of the board for MDMA. He is a member of AMDA/PALTC, GMPA, and others. For a complete list, please contact info@pesi.com.

Edward G. Shaw, MD, MA Related seminars and products

Empath Education, LLC

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Edward G. Shaw, MD, MA, is dually trained as a physician and mental health counselor. He was the primary care partner for his late wife, Rebecca, who was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease in 2007 at age 53 and died in 2016 after a 9-year journey. Ed was a practicing academic radiation oncologist for 23 years, specializing in the treatment of adults and children with brain cancer. In 2010, inspired by Rebecca’s journey, his medical interest shifted to dementia diagnosis and treatment, and with his additional training in mental health counseling, he founded the Memory Counseling Program in 2011, part of the Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine and the Sticht Center on Healthy Aging and Alzheimer's Prevention at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The program serves individuals, couples, and families affected by Alzheimer’s disease or another type of dementia.

He is the author of four books. Along with coauthors Deborah Barr and Dr. Gary Chapman, he wrote Keeping Love Alive as Memories Fade: The 5 Love Languages and the Alzheimer’s Journey, which describes his moving personal story of care for Rebecca coupled with an innovative use of the 5 love languages in dementia counseling. He also wrote The Dementia Care Partner’s Workbook, a support group manual and self-study guide for dementia care partners, providing understanding, education, and hope for the long journey of dementia caregiving from diagnosis through end-of-life. He has also co-authored two resources for support group leaders, A Leader’s Manual for Dementia Care Partner Support Groups and A Support Group for People Living with Dementia: The Leaders Manual.

Dr. Shaw now devotes more time to public speaking, educating, and encouraging seniors, people living with dementia and their care partners, and medical/mental health/other healthcare professionals working in the fields of aging and dementia. He is also a part-time geriatric mental health counselor at New Salem Counseling in Winston-Salem and a PESI speaker for many years, on a variety of topics related to geriatrics and dementia.

 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Edward Shaw is an Emeritus Professor with Wake Forest School of Medicine and receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. He has stock ownership in Embodied Labs. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Edward Shaw is a member of American Counseling Association, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, and the Society for Neuro-Oncology.

Micheal Shafer, PhD Related seminars and products

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Micheal Shafer Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of people with dementia. Dr. Shafer holds multiple teaching positions in the Michigan State University School of Medicine in the departments Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Radiology.

 

Dr. Shafer lectures nationally on a variety of clinical and research issues, and has conducted numerous trainings for physicians about medication utilization and mechanisms of actions, particularly for those used to treat Alzheimer's Disease. His primary research/clinical interests include the assessment of neuropsychological disorders (e.g., stroke, traumatic brain injury (TBI), Alzheimer’s) and the study of localized brain functioning. Prior to earning his Ph.D., Dr. Shafer provided hospital-based counseling services and conducted research at the University of Maryland Medical School.

 

Dr. Shafer earned his M.A. degree in applied psychology from the University of Baltimore and his Ph.D. in clinical psychology with an emphasis on neuropsychology from the University of North Texas.

 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Michael Shafer has employment relationships with Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, University of Michigan Health-Sparrow Lansing Neuropsychology, and PAR Rehab Services. He receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Michael Shafer is a member of the Functional Neurological Disorder Society, the Clinical Neuropsychology, the American Psychological Association, the National Academy of Neuropsychology, and the Michigan Psychological Association. He is a journal reviewer for Neuropsychology, the Journal of Head Trauma, and the Journal of Primary Prevention.

Lizette Cloete, OTR/L CADDCT, CDP Related seminars and products

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Lizette Cloete, OTR/L, CADDCT, CDP, is a Skills2Care certified occupational therapist, who graduated from the University of Pretoria (South Africa) in 1992. She and her husband moved to Greenville, SC, to be closer to her parents, who are both aging with cognitive impairment. Her primary goal is to help her parents age in place.

With an international educational background and upbringing, Lizette brings a unique perspective to the table, incorporating her occupational therapy training from South Africa with her 30 years of experience in caring for people with dementia in the USA.

In 2020, Lizette established her company, Think Different Dementia, LLC with the goal of helping families committed to keeping their loved one with dementia at home, with greater ease and less difficulty.

Lizette has been a frequent guest lecturer on various dementia related topics at various state level conferences over the past decade. She has been a guest on numerous podcasts and interviewed for the newspaper, educating people on dementia and dementia care. She is a Certified Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Care Trainer (CADDCT) and Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) through the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners (NCCDP). She is also a FitMinds certified cognitive coach. She volunteers as an Alzheimer’s Resource Coordination Center (SC Area Agency on Aging) to develop an innovative, online dementia education and longitudinal support/coaching platform for family caregivers to help people living with dementia stay at home.

 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Lizette Cloete is the founder and CEO of Think Different Dementia, LLC. She receives a speaking honorarium from South Carolina Occupational Therapy Association and grants from Alzheimer's Resource Coordination Center. Lizette Cloete receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Lizette Cloete has parents with dementia.