Carol A. Foster, an Associate Professor of Otolaryngology at the University of Colorado, School of Medicine, developed a maneuver that allows sufferers to treat their own symptoms. Her YouTube video demonstrating the Half Somersault maneuver has been viewed over five million times.
Kate Lorig, DrPH, is professor emerita at Stanford University School of Medicine and a partner in the Self-Management Resource Center (SMRC). As director of the Stanford Patient Education Research Center she was a co-developer of the Building Better Caregiver Program. For 20 years, Kate watched her mother care for her father, who was severely disabled by a stroke.
Diana Laurent, MPH, is a health educator and partner in the Self-Management Resource Center. During her over 30 years at Stanford School of Medicine, she co-developed the Building Better Caregivers educational program, as well as several other educational programs. Diana was and is a caregiver of her parents and in-laws; she also has experience in participating in the care of with relatives who have dementia.
Rob Schreiber, MD, is a board-certified geriatrician/internist and the Vice President/Medical Director of Summit ElderCare, the largest PACE (Program of All Inclusive Care for Elders) Program in Massachusetts. Previously, he was the Physician-in-Chief at Hebrew SeniorLife in Boston, Massachusetts and on the faculty of Harvard Medical School for over 20 years. Rob has been a caregiver for his parents, as well as multiple other elderly family members and actively works with caregivers in his role at Summit ElderCare.
Maureen Gecht-Silver, OTD, MPH, OTR/L, is an assistant professor of clinical family medicine and occupational therapy at University of Illinois at Chicago. In her clinical and academic roles, she has worked towards improving self-management skills and quality of life for people with chronic conditions and disabilities as well as their caregivers. Maureen, along with her sisters, was a caregiver for her father, who lived to age 98.
Dolores Gallagher Thompson, PhD, ABPP, is board-certified in clinical psychology and geropsychology and is professor emerita at Stanford University School of Medicine and co-director of the Optimal Aging Center in Los Altos, California. She has 30 years of experience in conducting funded intervention research with family caregivers and worked directly with caregivers in her clinical practice at Stanford. Dolores entered this field after being a long-distance caregiver for her mother who suffered multiple strokes before her death; at that time few resources for caregiving families were available and her experience shaped her subsequent career choices.
Marian Minor, PT, MSPH, PhD, is a professor emerita at the University of Missouri School of Health Professions where she taught and did research on exercise. She has contributed exercise information for self-management education for a variety of populations. Marian has been a caregiver herself and has supported other caregivers for many years.
Virginia González, MPH, is a health educator and partner in the Self-Management Resource Center (SMRC). She has over 15 years of experience working at the Stanford School of Medicine, where she was a co-developer of various self-management programs and was instrumental in the cultural adaptation and Spanish translation of these programs for Latino/Hispanic communities. After leaving Stanford and before becoming a partner in SMRC, Virginia was raising her children, while caring for her aging, chronically ill parents and in-laws. She also has personal experience with caring for extended family members with dementia and mental illness.
David Sobel, MD, MPH, is adjunct lecturer in the Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine. As the medical director of Patient Education and Health Promotion for Kaiser Permanente Northern California, he has developed and evaluated programs to serve over five million Kaiser members. In addition, to assisting in the car of both his parents during their 90s, David is currently helping to manage the care for a family member with advanced dementia.
Danbi Lee, PhD, OTD, OTR/L, is an assistant professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. Her work is focused on improving the experiences of people with disabilities and their caregivers as they transition into meaningful community activities and roles after rehabilitation. Danbi has personal experience supporting family members with dementia and stroke.
LYNDA SHRAGER, OTR, MSW, CAPS, is the author of Age In Place: A Guide to Modifying, Organizing, and Decluttering Mom and Dad’s Home (Bull Publishing, April 4, 2018). Her newspaper column, Mom’s Rx, appeared in countless newspapers across the country. Lynda is a featured columnist for Everyday Health, a leading online consumer health web site. She is also the author of Otherwise Healthy® - A Planner to Focus Your Thoughts on Organizing Life after Being Diagnosed with Breast Cancer.
Lynda has practiced in the medical field of geriatric rehabilitation for more than 37 years, focusing on all aspects of senior health and wellness. She combines her expertise as an occupational therapist, master’s level social worker, professional organizer and Certified Aging in Place Specialist to pursue her passion of providing therapeutic care in the patient’s home environment and in educating their caregivers. Learn more at otherwisehealthy.com.
Author Photo Credit: Joann Hoose
Paul J Christo, MD, MBA is listed as a Top Doctor and among the top 1% for Pain Management by U.S. News & World Report. He hosts an award-winning, nationally syndicated SIRIUS XM radio talk show on overcoming pain called, Aches and Gains® featuring distinguished celebrity guests such as Naomi Judd, Joe Montana, and Montel Williams. He is a board-certified pain specialist and anesthesiologist, an Associate Professor in the Division of Pain Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and was honored by the American Society of Pain Educators as Pain Educator of the Year for his transformational work on public education through the media.
Liz Crocker’s career has included teaching, broadcasting, writing, and running several businesses. She currently owns Canada’s oldest children’s bookstore, which she cofounded in 1978, and holds leadership positions with a number of health care and cultural organizations. Liz is the author of two children’s books and hundreds of chapters and articles in books, magazines, and newspapers. With Bev Johnson, Liz coauthored Privileged Presence: Personal Stories of Connections in Health Care, published in 2006 with a second edition in 2014. She also edited The Healing Circle: Integrating Science, Wisdom, and Compassion in Reclaiming Wholeness on the Cancer Journey, published in 2010.
Polly Bennell has worked in publishing, advertising, and education; has been an independent filmmaker; practiced psychotherapy; and taught writing and film at the university level. She currently maintains a life-coaching practice for writers, among others, and also practices writing herself.
Holly Book’s path has taken her on an amazing journey of motherhood, owning businesses, and being the editor of a children’s magazine. Holly eventually attended seminary and became a Transforming Memories 174 hospice chaplain. For the last ten years, she and her husband have been ministering to the homeless and those struggling with addiction on the streets of Atlanta.
Allison Webel, RN, PhD is currently an Assistant Professor of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Her research focuses on developing and testing HIV self-management interventions and in understanding the social and behavioral determinants of co-morbid chronic disease in people living with HIV. Her long-term goal is to improve the health and wellness of all people living with HIV and chronic co-morbid conditions. She lives in Shaker Heights, Ohio with her family.
Allison R. Webel RN, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University
Kate Lorig, DrPH, is director and professor emerita at Stanford University School of Medicine’s Patient Education Research Center
Diana Laurent, MPH, is a health educator and trainer at Stanford Patient Education Research Center
Virginia González, MPH, is a health educator and consultant to Stanford Patient Education Research Center
Allen L. Gifford, MD, is Professor of Public Health and Medicine at Boston University, acting director of the Department of Veteran Affairs Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research
David Sobel, MD, MPH, was director of patient education and health promotion, Kaiser Permanente Northern California and is now consulting professor, Stanford University School of Medicine
Marian Minor, PT, PhD, is professor emerita at the University of Missouri, Department of Physical Therapy
Author Deborah Stewart is a health educator, car safety expert, and grandmother with many years of experience writing simply about pregnancy, infant health, and safety. Her new co-author Jenny Harvey brings experience in human development, family support, injury prevention, perinatal health, and infant care. Jenny has spent her career supporting, educating, and empowering families to be healthy, safe, and happy.
Josephine Connolly Schoonen, MS, RD, is a former spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. She is a clinical assistant professor of family medicine and the director of the Dietetic Internship Program at the State University of New York–Stony Brook.
