Think back to the day of your loved one's dementia diagnosis. What was your reponse to hearing your loved one has dementia? Did you leave wondering what this all meant and what you would do next?
What if the same doctor had used the word "cancer" instead of dementia? Would you have immediately asked or demanded a second opinion and referral to a specialist? Would you ask the type and stage of dementia and if any medications and treatment plans are available?
Dementia, like cancer, is an umbrella term. It indicates at least two of the four lobes of the brain are currently affected and the presence of one (or more) of 48 dementias has or should be identified. Alzheimer's is actually a dementia, not another disease. It's medical name is Dementia of the Alzheimer's Type or DAT.

Today an estimated 5.7 million Americans are believed to have one of the four types of Alzheimer's Disease. Another American is diagnosed with Alzheimer's every 68 seconds. It is truly a national disaster. But when you add in persons with one of the other 47 identified forms of dementia like Lewy Body, Vascular Dementia (five variations), Frontotemporal Degeneration (nine types), Parkinson's Dementia, Wernicke-Korsakoff's (alcohol dementia), Huntington's, AIDs dementia, etc., the total number of Americans in some stage of dementia is closer to 10 - 11 million. That's a new case of dementia every 36 seconds and that is frightening!

Meet Dr. Tam
As a gerontologist, Dr. Tam provides private consultation and education services to families, extensive education courses for nurses, social workers, administrators, activity directors, and marketers, keynote addresses and breakout sessions on dementia or the aging process for national, state or regional conferences and individualized programming for dementia and memory care communities.
Dr. Tam has worked in dementia communities for more than two decades, giving her firsthand experience with persons with dementia, their struggles and behaviors and the frustration families and professionals face daily. She has used that experience to develop her stages of dementia tool. She is dedicated and passionate about helping care partners learn the skills needed to provide for care.
Dr. Tam has been the director of social work for a skilled nursing facility, the program director for memory care communities and a geriatric case manager for persons with dementia. She has been in private practice for more than four years.
A master's graduate of Baylor University's Institute of Gerontological Studies, Dr. Tam complemented her education with post-graduate studies in educational psychology at Baylor and rural public health at Texas A&M University. She is a member of the National Gerontological Society and Sigma Phi Omega, the National Society for Professional Gerontologists.