| More about me: I have been at Creighton
University since 1979 and held a number of positions over the years.
I feel it is a privilege to work with the many talented, dedicated
people at Creighton. I work mainly with Creighton’s institutional
and community relations locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally
and the Creighton Study of Violence Across the Lifespan.
Creighton University is like a small town with approximately 7,000
undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, as well as 2,800
faculty, staff, and administrators making approximately 10,000 people
– living, working, and serving the metro-Omaha community, the
Midwest region, nationally and internationally.
I am married to a wonderful man, Bill Flynn, who is a pure-bred Irishman
with a wonderful sense of humor. I have an interesting Danish-Italian
background. Bill and I are both 2nd generation immigrants to the United
States. We have been married for 26 years and have a cute little dog,
named Amee, from the Nebraska Humane Society who has us well trained.
For 18 years I was a caregiver to 3 people in my family who had Alzheimer’s
disease. When my father was still alive in 2001, I began writing about
Alzheimer’s disease with 4 other co-authors: Barbara C. Vasiloff,
MA. Co-founder of Discipline with Purpose, Inc.; Connie Kudlacek,
BS, Past Executive Director of the Alzheimer’s Association Midlands
Chapter for 20 years; Janaan Manternach, D Min, Co-author of Life,
Love, Joy Catechetical Series; Roger A. Brumback, MD, Professor
of Pathology and Psychiatry and Chairman of the Department of Pathology,
School of Medicine, Creighton University. Together we have authored
two books that are published by Demos Medical Publications. They are
Alzheimer’s Disease -- The Dignity Within: A Handbook for
Caregivers, Family, and Friends and A Caregiver’s Guide
to Alzheimer’s Disease: 300 Tips for Making Life Easier.
Information about the books are available at www.caringconcepts.org
In these books we concentrate on the skills and abilities that remain
throughout the progression of the disease. We have included charts
and diagrams to explain what happens in the brain as the disease progresses.
In my years of being a caregiver I could not find anything written
that helped me concentrate on the skills and abilities that remained
in my loved ones. By working with the other co-authors I found ways
to help make my dad’s life and mine happier. The American Journal
of Nursing gave our book Alzheimer’s Disease – The
Dignity Within: A Handbook for Caregivers, Family, and Friends a
2007 Book Award in the Consumer Health area.
Presently I am working with two other co-authors, Helene Lohman,
OTD, OTR/L and Andrea Thinnes, OTD, OTR/L on a book about activities
for persons with Alzheimer’s disease. I am also a contributor
to a book to be published in fall 2008 by Dede Bonner titled The
Ten Best Questions ™ about Alzheimer’s Disease.
As co-owner of CaringConcepts, Inc., Connie Kudlacek and I have trademarked
the words “Nurture What Remains™” and have a series
of books and brochures about Alzheimer’s disease. For more information
go to www.caringconcepts.org
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