Welcome to the Be Light Care Blog
Hi there, I'm Adria.
I warmly welcome you to the Be Light Care blog. As a seasoned speech language pathologist, digital storyteller, speaker and aging advocate, my journey has been all about connecting with people like you – family caregivers, health care professionals, and anyone touched by dementia.
In 2021, I founded Be Light Care Consulting with a simple, heartfelt mission: to improve the lives of people with dementia.
But in my heart, it started long before that.
My experience in health care
I honestly never thought I would work in the medical field. During graduate school, I knew I loved working with children with severe disabilities creating alternative and augmentative communication devices and figuring out how we could use communication to manage some of the more adverse behaviors we would see. With time, however, I realized that it wasn’t necessarily children I was drawn to, it was advocacy. I loved working with people who others had given up on. I loved pulling out abilities and skills that others couldn’t see. I loved connecting with people who felt distant.
It wasn’t until I started working with individuals with dementia that I knew that my purpose in life was to advocate for them. I wanted to shine a light on dementia.
Dementia can feel scary. At the beginning of my interaction with people with dementia, I had no idea what to do or say. I didn’t know how to enter their world with them. Unfortunately, this feeling was common which left individuals with dementia and their caregivers being isolated.
You may know that too well and you're not alone.
In fact, this community is far bigger than you can imagine. According to the World Health Organization, more than 55 million people have dementia worldwide, and every year, there are nearly 10 million new cases.
Shining a light on dementia care
I named my company "Be Light" for a reason: to bring this often-misunderstood condition into the light. By talking openly about dementia, we illuminate the issues and break down barriers to build a community that's informed, compassionate and supportive.
I am also dedicated to lightening the load that caregivers and individuals with dementia carry. The weight of navigating day-to-day life, coupled with the need to understand and articulate the complexities of required care, can be incredibly overwhelming. By offering support and solutions, I aim to alleviate some of this heaviness, making their journey a little easier.
This journey isn't just about improving care; it's about adding value and depth to the way health care approaches dementia.
Personal caregivers – My goal is to make sure you're not just getting strategies for dementia care but also understanding the 'why' behind them. It's about empowering you with knowledge and tools that you can use right away. My focus is on practical, tactile, hands-one effective approaches to daily dementia care. I understand the stress you feel and I want to make an impact in your life, and the person with dementia in your life, in a real, practical way.
Professional caregivers and therapists in health care – I see you. I've been in your shoes. I was not given the education and training needed to care for individuals with dementia in school or on the job. I had to seek out educational opportunities and continuing education courses in order to meet the needs of the residents I served. My goal is to not only train you in evidence-based techniques and strategies, but to “light” a spark within you to compassionately advocate for your patients with dementia that will cause ripple effects everywhere you go.
What You Can Expect
I want to support you, uplift you and walk alongside you on this wild journey, and hopefully, help you earn small wins and lighten your load a little more each and every day.
I'm so happy you're here.
Welcome aboard!
Be light, always,
Adria Thompson, M.A. CCC-SLP
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