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My Career Path

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I'm a gerontologist  and a brain health specialist. I believe it is important for you to understand why

I chose this career path.

 

The Learning Curve

I have always loved science and I have spent

over half of my working life in medical careers. 

It was working with older people who had

dementia that sent me on a deep dive

into academia to learn everything I could

about aging and dementia.  So by the time

I was 52 years old I had:

  • BA in Gerontology,

  • Masters in Gerontological Studies

  • Nursing Home Administrator’s license.

 

I didn’t work directly with seniors with dementia after graduate school but I did work with their spouses, children, other family and friends.  They were the primary caregivers of these seniors and they did everything they could to make their lives better.  And, I learned that it came at a cost.  This education was the most profound.  It changed my life.

 

All About the Brain

I started my brain fitness education with Posit Science as an Authorized Provider for their Brain Fitness Program and the Cortex with Insight program.  That was in 2006 and was just the start of the brain fitness revolution that was to come.  I was hooked.  I loved everything about the new research                                                                           coming out and the discovery of neuroplasticity.  It offered                                                                           hope for the aging brain.  Next steps involved becoming                                                                               certified as a brain health coach because wherever I                                                                                   spoke about brain fitness I was asked to teach classes.  The                                                                   public wanted more!  I was certified through Posit Science                                                                           for the two programs I mentioned above.  I needed                                                                                       something more inclusive of total health and I found Dr.                                                                               Cynthia Green.  Dr. Green started teaching and certifying                                                                             brain health coaches through her Total Memory

                                                                         Workout program. 

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                                                                              My Purpose My Passion

M                                                                   My education, experience, and knowledge would probably                                                                          be enough to convince you that I know what I am doing.        but it doesn’t tell you why I am doing this.  I am a leading-edge Boomer.  Like others my age I was experiencing tip-of-tongue slips, forgotten names, and other memory glitches that we all worry about.  I forgot a pivotal word while I was speaking once in front of a large group of people.  It really scared me.  I didn’t have the knowledge that I have now so I immediately went to the dark side of my thoughts and swore I was getting young-onset dementia.  Plus I was working with people who did have Alzheimer’s disease – so I was terrified.  But I happened to have an interest in brain fitness and, the research on aging brains was just coming out.  I discovered I was experiencing typical aging brain issues and I started to relax.  But the memory of those emotions drives me to teach.

 

Also, the Alzheimer’s Association’s latest facts and figures are grim.  1in 6 women and 1 in 11 men are projected to get Alzheimer’s disease.  These numbers are bigger than breast cancer and prostate cancer.  With no treatment or cure on the horizon and Alzheimer’s disease viewed as an epidemic our future looks bleak.  I just can’t allow that to happen.  My Brain Health Program for Optimal Aging is structured to allow us to live high quality brain healthy lives.  Current research has revealed that this offers the best hope of delaying the onset of dementia.  Either through the Self Study Course or the One on One Coaching Program - It is the very best gift we can give to family, our friends and ourselves.

 

Finally, I had brain surgery a couple of years ago.  Talk about walking the talk!  I had to really live all of the lifestyle choices that I write about.  I believe my brain is functioning at a very high level again – my own testimonial! 

 

It would be a great honor to have you experience the Brain Health Program for Optimal Aging.

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    Patricia Faust MGS. CAt 

    © 2019 PCF CONSULTING

     patricia@myboomerbrain.com

    Where did summer go?  It was a goal of mine to be intentional each day of summer to appreciate the warm weather, the long days, and believing we are in the lazy, hazy days of summer.  Turns out that wasn’t exactly how the summer went.  At the beginning of summer, we had a lot of rain.  I mean enough rain to flood the Ohio River and its tributaries.  Everything was wet! Then we went into the heat mode!  At the end of June, we went camping for a long weekend.  We are tent campers!  I think we were the only tent campers in the entire campground.  It was obvious that RVs and Motor Homes were the way to go on this particular camping trip.  Their air conditioners filled the night air with their compressors whirring.  Not to be outdone, my sister-in-law and her husband brought an air conditioner to cool off their tent!  We were really roughing it!!  The 100+ degree temperatures will give us lots of stories to tell about how we survived the heat and still had a great time.

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    Then there was July and August and I have no idea what we did to mark those months as memorable.  And now it is September.  This is the best month of the year.  The weather is temperate, and we have an overlap of professional sports in Cincinnati.  The Cincinnati Reds Major League Baseball team is finishing up the season.  The Cincinnati Bengals National League Football team is starting their season. The FC Cincinnati Major League Soccer (MLS) team is amid their season. 

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    Octoberfest is at the end of this month.  Cincinnati has the second largest Octoberfest festival in the world, second only to Munich Germany!

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    September is really all about Raising Awareness for the Aging Population!​

    • Healthy Aging Month (Brain Health)

    • National Senior Center Month

    • National Assisted Living Month

    • Falls Prevention Awareness Week

    • World’s Alzheimer’s Month

    • National Suicide Prevention Month

    • National Recovery Month

    • Substance abuse and mental health services

    This list is mostly positive references to senior events/awareness.  Suicide Prevention Month and National Recovery Month might not seem like they should be in this list.  But the statistics of seniors taking their own lives is the highest of all age groups.   I did a little research to confirm that statement.  What I found was unsettling.  My next newsletter will include a blog on senior suicide.  This is really important information for all of us.

     

    The Walk to End Alzheimer’s is less than a month away!! Yikes – I told you I lost a couple of months of the summer!!!  Here are some facts on the personal impact of Alzheimer’s for families, friends, and caregivers.

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    • Today, more than 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s.  By 2050, this number is projected to rise to nearly 13 million.  This is a direct correlation to the large size of the Boomer generation.

     

    It is hard to conceptualize the impact of these figures if you are not aware of the devastation Alzheimer’s disease leaves behind.  So, let’s make this more personal:

    • Are you a Boomer?  The last group of Boomers will pass through the 65-age threshold in 2030.  Age is a non-modifiable risk factor for Alzheimer’s.  The percentage of getting Alzheimer’s and other dementias starts to increase rapidly the older you get.  Boomers are now in the high-risk group which accounts for the huge projection of those with Alzheimer’s by 2050.

    • Do you have a parent, grandparent or other relative or friend that are in the over-65 age group?  You will likely experience Alzheimer’s as a caregiver or friend/relative of a caregiver.  Alzheimer’s will impact your life in many ways.

    • Do you have parents in this over-65 age group and children still living at home?  You are now part of the sandwich generation, responsible for care of your parents and your children.  The results of the extreme stress and financial burden will make for a very difficult time in your life.

     

    The Alzheimer’s Association is fully aware of the impact of this horrible disease.  Their goal is to Find the First Survivor.  The Walk to End Alzheimer’s is their largest national fundraiser.  Please support/join Team My Boomer Brain as we too fight to bring an end to Alzheimer’s. 

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    Link to donate:  http://act.alz.org/goto/faust

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    Thanks to all, 

     

    Pat

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