As a Kid

Christy’s experience working with people living with dementia started when she was 8 years old and her mom took her to work (a memory care community, before such a thing officially existed).

There, Christy bumbled into successfully persuading a resident who was determined to walk home to St. Louis (from California) to come back into the building with her instead.

 

As a Professional

Christy went on to become a Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP), Certified Dementia Care Unit Manager (CDCM), and Cognitive Stimulation Instructor (CCSI). She has run award-winning memory care communities in assisted living and skilled nursing levels of care. As a professional, she figured out what she did right in that interaction as a little kid and has been teaching it to others ever since.

Christy is the go-to local expert for families living with a dementia diagnosis and the challenges that come with it. Christy is a speaker, founder of DementiaSherpa.com (CTC Dementia Care Management), and host of The Alzheimer’s Podcast.

An expert in creatively managing “behaviors” without drugs, Christy helps you move from constant struggle and overwhelm to solutions that actually work.

Using her 18 years of experience in working with over 1,500 people living with dementia and their families, she’s developed a system that helps families move from crisis management to confidence. Christy helps her clients stop losing precious time to stress, worry, and arguments and start feeling joy again. (Yes, joy!)

 

As a Speaker

Christy has been invited to speak at the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration Annual Education Conference; the Inaugural Connecting Circles of Care and Building Bridges of Hope Dementia Caregiver Cruise & Conference; Alzheimer’s Association McGinty Conference; Oregon Health Care Association Annual Conference and Spring Expo; LeadingAge Oregon Annual Conference; Senior Professionals Information Network; Metropolitan Senior Network; Cherry Park Plaza; Mt Hood Adult Day Center; Gresham Chamber of Commerce; Clackamas County Senior Network; Yamhill County Senior Network; Salem Hospital; Farmington Square-Tualatin; Farmington Square-Beaverton; Farmington Square-Salem; Brookstone Alzheimer’s Specialty Care; Cedar Village; Vineyard Heights; ComForcare-Salem; Home Instead-East Portland; Home Instead-Clackamas County; Home Instead-Tigard; Home Instead-Hillsboro; Jennings McCall Center; Rosewood Park; Miramont Pointe; SpringRidge at Charbonneau; The Springs at Sherwood; and many more.

 

As a Family Member

Christy’s mission is that every person living with dementia be treated with respect, kindness, love, empathy, and compassion–and that their families be supported along the way.

Why? She’s been through it seven times in her own family, and understands how crucial all of those elements are, and that dementia affects the whole family.

 

Questions? Email info@dementiasherpa.com for answers.