Care Planet's Virtual Cruise and Conference Sailed into Port!
Care Planet’s first virtual cruise and conference, for everyone on the dementia journey, is now available for you to purchase!
You can watch this 3.5 hour virtual event from the comfort of your home while you learn from eight leading dementia care experts. Our conference sessions cover a variety of topics, from brain health, to creative care partnering with art, to the power of positivity, and so much more!
Get ready to experience inspiration, motivation and empowerment today!
Care Planet's
Virtual Cruise and Conference Agenda
Cruise and Conference Welcome and Opening Remarks: Presented by Lisa Marie Chirico
First Session: Finding the Miracles in Our Challenging Caregiver Journeys Presented by Lisa Marie Chirico
Second Session: Living Well With an Uninvited Guest: Care Partnerships on the Dementia Journey Presented by Dr. Amanda Mullen
Third Session: A Window Into My Life Living With the Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Presented by Phil Gutis
Fourth Session: Confident Creative Care Partnering with Art Presented by Erica Curcio
Fifth Session: “Blue.River.Apple. Hopeful Musings” Presented by Nancy Nelson
Sixth Session: The Science of Brain Health: Wading through the Evidence Presented by Katurah Hartley
Seventh Session: Introduction to dangle & dot Presented by Nancy Nelson and Katurah Hartley
Eighth Session: dangle & dot: Charting a New Course Presented by Nancy Nelson and Katurah Hartley
Ninth Session: Remembrance of Things Present: The Ecology of Memory Presented by Peter Maeck
Tenth Session: Discover How Project Lifesaver Protects Your Loved One and Provides Your Family with Peace of Mind Presented by Gene Saunders
Cruise and Conference Closing Remarks: Presented by Lisa Marie Chirico
Care Planet's Virtual Cruise and Conference
Speaker Faculty Bios
Lisa is on a mission to empower family caregivers as well as people searching for more positivity and greater well-being in their lives through her personalized coaching and special events.
After working in the corporate world for several decades, she finally had her aha moment and got off the hamster wheel to embrace work that resonates with her spirit and makes a lasting impact on people’s lives. As a journalist and author of two books, “Take the Freedom, Leave the Fear” and “What’s Compassion Have To Do With It?,” Lisa is also an Alzheimer’s Advocate, Long-Term Care Advocate, and an Elder Care Specialist.
In addition to her practice as the Nursinghomeologist℠, Lisa helps people “turn the lights on” in their lives through her work as a Certified Career and Grief Intuitive Coach.
Lisa, a graduate of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, has a diverse marketing communications background with more than 20 years of experience that includes strong writing skills, project management, and public relations expertise.
The direction of her career path accorded her the unique opportunity to work in an extensive scope of industries. From marketing for a home textiles manufacturer, to public affairs for a nonprofit organization, to communications and media relations for the trade association of the U.S. coffee industry. While involved in the advertising and PR agency side of her career, Lisa worked with clients on a variety of accounts. As a freelance writer, her experience ranges from business journals to trade publications.
Lisa also has professional work experience in the financial services industry. As an investment management conference producer, she carried out in-depth research on trends and contemporary issues that were relevant to pension fund investment officers, foundations and endowments, and alternative investment consultants. From this research, she developed an agenda for each conference, and successfully recruited speakers.
Lisa is inspired by her Dad’s long and courageous journey with Alzheimer’s disease. Her most recent work includes the creation of Time-Love-Coffee-Peace, her podcast. In addition, she launched the Connecting Circles of Care and Building Bridges of Hope℠ dementia caregiver cruise and conference to the Caribbean in 2019, followed by the creation of her first virtual cruise and conference for everyone on the dementia journey in June 2021.
Peter Maeck is a writer, photographer, teacher, and speaker. His plays and dance scenarios, including for Pilobolus and MOMIX Dance Theatres, have been produced in New York City, Europe, and Africa. Peter served as a U.S. State Department Cultural Specialist in Tanzania and Morocco. He has created training and motivational programs for corporations worldwide. His prize-winning photographs are in private collections and international galleries.
With lyrical prose, rhyming poetry, and original photographs, “Remembrance of Things Present: Making Peace With Dementia” celebrates Peter’s father’s brave, good-humored experience with Alzheimer’s Disease, while tracking Peter’s own journey from despair to acceptance to ultimate embrace of his dad’s condition.
Peter has presented “Remembrance of Things Present: Making Peace With Dementia” at multiple TEDx events and mental health conferences. It is now available as a book published by Shanti Arts.
Peter has a BA in English from Dartmouth College and an MFA in Playwriting from Brandeis University. More at: www.petermaeck.com.
Katurah “Kat” Hartley is the Project Manager for Cleveland Clinic’s Healthy Brains Initiative. Kat, a pharmacist, worked as a Project Manager at the Food and Drug Administration in the Division of Neuropharmacological Drug products. At FDA, she was a member of the Alzheimer’s Assessment team and was involved with the development and approval of Alzheimer’s drug products.
Kat is an active and passionate advocate for increased dementia research funding and improved family care support.
She has had six members of her family affected by this disease and now cares for her brother and Mother. Kat is partnering with Nancy Nelson to create dangle&dot, a social enterprise empowering people to live well with dementia through positivity and purpose.
Nancy was born and raised outside of Seattle, WA. She’s a mom of two daughters and a proud grandmother. For more than fifty years, she’s called Las Vegas, NV home.
Diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s (AD) in 2013, Nancy was re-diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) in 2017.
Nancy speaks, writes, and advocates from an inside view of an outside reality. She talks of hope and how she’s found joy and consolation in helping all who have any form of dementia. Nancy speaks with and holds care partners in the highest regard “for without them where would we all be?!” Her belief is that communication is key and becoming a partner in one’s own health is paramount.
Nancy authored and published three books in her Blue.River.Apple. series, referred to by some as “reality” poetry, and by others, “prescription” poetry. Nancy journals day-to-day experiences from frustration to discovery heightening her ability to make an Alzheimer’s difference.
Through the Alzheimer’s Association, Nancy was selected as one of twelve nationwide representatives to participate in the 2015 National Early-Stage Advisory Group. On the Las Vegas local Desert Southwest Chapter front, Nancy was named the 2016 Volunteer of the Year where she still facilitates support groups, and speaks about how Alzheimer’s and hope may be used in the same sentence.
Nancy contributes to Cleveland Clinic by actively sitting on its Voices for Patient Advocacy Council, and participates in the COBRE five-year brain study. In 2018, Nancy was inducted into the Nevada Women’s Hall of Fame and also named 2018 Nevada Senior Citizen of the Year.
Nancy is partnering with Katurah Hartley to create dangle&dot, a social enterprise empowering people to live well with dementia through positivity and purpose.
Dr. Amanda Mullen is a Clinical Psychologist who has focused her career on supporting, teaching, and counseling people living with dementia as well as their families and care partners. She was awarded a Doctor of Psychology degree from Nova Southeastern University in Florida in 2001 and has since returned to live in Massachusetts where she was born and raised.
In her private practice, Changing Minds, Dr. Mullen focuses on helping elders and their families navigate brain change. Through this work, she has had the opportunity to learn and fully embrace the Positive Approach® to Care (PAC) philosophy developed by Teepa Snow, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA (teepasnow.com).
Along with her business partner, a friendly Labradoodle named Eva, Dr. Mullen works to increase awareness of how to optimally support those living with brain change.
She is certified by Positive Approach® as a Trainer, Consultant, Coach and Mentor. In addition to working with people living with dementia and their families in Massachusetts, she travels the U.S. with a team of PAC professionals training those who offer care in settings such as assisted living and skilled nursing facilities. Through a combination of education and skill building, learners are encouraged to focus on the strengths and preserved abilities of those living with dementia. Care partnering is embraced as a fluid and dynamic process that involves curiosity, flexibility, and creativity.
Jarvis E. “Gene” Saunders, Jr. founded the Project Lifesaver program in October 1998, while serving with the Chesapeake, VA Police Dept., as a Captain commanding Special Operations and SWAT and Chief of SAR, Chesapeake Sheriff’s Office, when it became apparent to him there was a major void that needed to be filled. Project Lifesaver International is a 501 (C) (3) community based, public safety, non-profit organization that provides law enforcement, fire/rescue and other first responders with a comprehensive education, training, and technology based program for individuals with cognitive disorders who are prone to the life threatening behavior of wandering including those with Alzheimer’s disease and Autism.
Project Lifesaver was the first organization to apply locating technology for the search and rescue of individuals with cognitive disorders and have remained the leader, the Gold Standard, in this field for the nearly 17 years. Gene has been a leader in the development of materials and training programs to provide the necessary education of doctors, caregivers, school administrators, first responders/search personnel, and of course, the families of loved ones at risk. In fact, Gene is a subject matter expert and advisor on the wandering issue for: Leaders Engaged on Alzheimer’s disease (LEAD), National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the Alzheimer’s Foundation, and the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA) the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners and the International Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners. The Project Lifesaver training program is recognized and approved by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services.
The task of searching for wandering or lost individuals with Autism, Alzheimer’s, or other cognitive conditions has been dramatically growing and is a serious societal problem. Without effective procedures and equipment, searches can involve multiple agencies, hundreds of officers, countless man hours and tens of thousands of dollars. More importantly, because time is of the essence, every minute lost increases the risk of a tragic outcome. Experts estimate that today over 5 million people have Alzheimer’s disease; nearly 60% of people with Alzheimer’s will wander at some point during the progression of the disease. Additionally, children with autism and Down syndrome also have a tendency to wander, and in a recent National Autism Association survey, nearly 92% of parents felt their autistic child was at risk of wandering away and becoming lost.
Project Lifesaver program is now in 50 states, the District of Columbia and seven provinces throughout Canada with over 1,527 member organizations. The success of the program can also be measured by the lives of the “at risk” individuals and their families the program has touched with over 3500 rescues.
During his Police service of 33 years and Project Lifesaver, he has received numerous awards and commendations including the following; Police Silver Star for Valor (3); Police Commendation (3), Star Performer; Legion of Honor (2); Masonic Building Communities Award (2); Commendation from the President of the United States; ABI Medal of Honor; Pilot International Virginia District Hero Award; Bank of American Local Hero Award; Moving America Forward Award; Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation “Service before Self” Commendation, Person of Distinction Award. He also has extensive Military and Law Enforcement Special Operations experience.
Erica Curcio is a Registered Art Therapist and Licensed Mental Health Counselor who specializes in working with and speaking about persons living with dementia and their Care Partners.
She provides home-based and virtual art and talk therapy sessions with a focus on enhancing the quality of life of the person living with dementia, as well as their family members. Erica uses Art Therapy to create new connections and reconnect people living with dementia to themselves and the outside world.
She speaks about dementia and art to various organizations with a mission of changing our perspectives to understand the lived reality of someone living with dementia. By stepping in someone’s shoes, we can better understand what life might look like. After participating in one of Erica’s presentations, you’ll start to notice that small modifications can make all the difference.
In January, Erica was invited to speak to an audience of Massachusetts General Hospital Care Partners and will be returning in the fall to facilitate an art-based Care Partner Support workshop. This past May, Erica was asked to speak to the Alzheimer’s Association MA/NH chapter at their annual Map Through the Maze Virtual Conference. In this presentation, 150 participants were able to experience art therapy firsthand and all of their artwork can be found here https://youtu.be/cZ-61jIKjfM
You can find Erica on Instagram @thetravelingarttherapist and on the web at www.ericacurcio.com
A former reporter for The New York Times, Phil also served in senior communications roles for the Natural Resources Defense Council and the American Civil Liberties Union.
Diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease at 54, Phil joined the Alzheimer’s Association 2017-2018 National Early-Stage Advisory Group and has continued his advocacy with a special focus on educating others about the benefits of drug trial participation. He is enrolled in Biogen’s aducanumab drug trial, and shared his five-year experience with the drug for an article by The Washington Post.
Phil has written about his experience being diagnosed with younger-onset Alzheimer’s for The New York Times and has done extensive outreach as a contributing writer with other outlets including MemoryWell News for the Ages and Being Patient. He is currently on the Board of the Delaware Valley Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association and serves as co-chair of the Longest Day for the Chapter.
