Speakers Include: 

Dr. David Carr, MD
Section Head, Division of General Medicine and Geriatrics Department of Medicine
Washington University of St. Louis School of Medicine 

David B. Carr, MD, professor of medicine and of neurology, is recognized as an outstanding clinician in the area of geriatric care, rehabilitation and dementia.

Carr graduated from the University of Missouri School of Medicine in 1985 and completed his residency in internal medicine in 1988 at the Michigan State University Hospitals. He completed a geriatrics fellowship at Duke University. He joined the Washington University faculty in 1994.

Dr. Carr is the Alan A and Edith L. Wolff Professor of Geriatric Medicine in the Department of Medicine and Neurology at Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Carr is also the Section Head of Geriatrics in the Division of General Medicine and Geriatrics. He has an outpatient dementia practice in the Geriatric Assessment Clinic in the Department of Medicine and is a clinician in the Memory Diagnostic Center in the Department of Neurology. He is a site PI or sub PI with Alzheimer’s Disease drug trials in the Knight Alzheimer’s Disease Clinical Trials Unit. He has been and/or currently is a principal investigator or co-investigator on research initiatives with past or current funding through NIA and the Missouri Department of Transportation. His research areas includes studying older drivers and assisting in validating AD biomarker tests in the community. He also has been active in consulting work with NHTSA, TIRF, University of Toronto, Medscape, UpToDate and the American Geriatric Society and will often assist and participate in developing national guidelines related to fitness to drive in medically impaired older adults. He has been the primary author or co-author on over 100 peer review manuscripts and chapters, most related to older drivers.

Dr. Carr will provide an update on the pharmacological approaches to managing behavioral and psychological symptoms associated with dementia.

Melissa Smith, MSOT, OTR/L, Director of Programs
and Mackenzie Jones, BS Dementia Navigator
at Memory Care Home Solutions.   

Melissa Smith, MSOT, OTR/L, is the Director of Programs at Memory Care Home Solutions, where she leads program delivery, evaluation, and community partnerships to improve care and quality of life for people living with dementia and their families. She earned her Bachelor of Science from McKendree University and her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. With over 20 years of experience as an occupational therapist, Melissa has held leadership roles focusing on program development, team management, and health equity. Her extensive experience in nonprofit leadership, combined with clinical expertise as an occupational therapist, contributes to her dedication to improving care and advocacy for vulnerable populations.

Mackenzie Jones is a Dementia Navigator at Memory Care Home Solutions. She holds a Bachelor of Science with a major in Social Work from Hannibal-LaGrange University. She is passionate about her work at Memory Care Home Solutions providing education and support to care partners and persons living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Mackenzie has experience working with older adults in many settings including skilled nursing facilities, in-home care, and community case management.

Melissa Smith and Mackenzie Jones will provide an overview of typical causes of catastrophic behaviors for people living with dementia and their care partners.

Ann Marie Mohr
Executive Director Project Present

Ann Marie Mohr has taught at Washington University since 2006. She teaches Acting, Improvisation, and Embodied Communication courses. Mohr is the Executive Director of Project Present whose mission is to improve the quality of life for older adults, caregivers, and individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Project Present provides improv sessions, communication training, support groups, and caregiver immersive sessions to create connection, strengthen communication practices, and promote joyful collaboration. Project Present’s evidence based programming combats isolation, reduces stress, and cultivates creativity with organizations, professionals, and individuals both locally and nationally. Mohr created Mohr Improv, an organization devoted to communication training and the facilitation of applied improvisation workshops to build collaborative practices, strengthen communication practices, and cultivate creativity within businesses and organizations. She has worked with groups including Channel 5 News, Purina, Abbot Pharmaceuticals, Husch Blackwell, Wash U’s Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education, the Pritzker Group, Washington University’s medical school and business school. Mohr was founder and Artistic Director of OnSite Theater Company, St. Louis’s premier site specific theater company for ten years. Mohr has her M.A. in Drama, is a Professional Applied Improv Practitioner, a Certified Dementia Practitioner, a Master Interprofessional Educator, has studied both improv and drama therapy, and attended Washington University’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s Clinician Partner’s Program. She has taught, directed, and acted both locally and internationally.

Project Present’s session will focus on improving quality of life for caregivers and individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias through strengthening communication practices and the application of improvisation.

SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER: Amelia Cottle
Dementia Diseases Guide/ Educator /Advocate

Amelia Cottle’s husband, Brian, was diagnosed at age 52 with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease in April 2012 and died at their rural home in June 2017. Shortly after her husband was diagnosed, her father was placed in a care facility due to a diagnosis of vascular dementia; he died in 2019.  These experiences shaped a life that takes her across Missouri as an educator and advocate for the dementia community. A dynamic and engaging speaker, she channels her deeply personal experiences into educational presentations filled with purpose, mission, humor, and love.

Amelia will share how she supported her spouse through the unique experience of younger-onset dementia and the journey they experienced. The presentation will include a review of underlying health conditions that contribute to the exacerbation of behavioral symptoms.

Jill Cigliana, MSOT, OTR/L
Executive Director at Memory Care Home Solutions
& Chair of AOTA Dementia Community of Practice 

Jill Cigliana, a leader and catalyst for positive change in the field of dementia care, serves as Executive Director of Memory Care Home Solutions. With over 24 years of experience in acute and post-acute healthcare settings, Jill leads a dynamic team of professionals who push the boundaries of conventional approaches to pave the way for a more compassionate and effective future in the landscape of home and community-based dementia care. She holds a M.S. degree in Occupational Therapy from Washington University in St. Louis and currently leads the Dementia Community of Practice for the American Occupational Therapy Association. She has served as Project Director for multiple grants in the Administration for Community Living’s Alzheimer’s Disease Program Initiative.

Jill Cigliana will lead a panel discussion on real-life, in-home caregiver experiences, from family care partners who support loved ones with dementia on a daily basis.