Everyone’s journey with Alzheimer’s disease is different. Patti Kerr’s path is one that will lead her to Syracuse in May, where she will give the keynote speech at DEMENTIACARE2012 on May 9.

Patti’s started on the road towards “the long goodbye” when her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in the early 2000s. She gave up her career to help her father care for her mother at home. Her mother died in 2007. Soon after that, she got to work on her book.

Patti interviewed more than 100 individuals and professionals that had cared for a loved one with Alzheimer’s. She published I Love You, Who Are You?: Loving and Caring for a Parent with Alzheimer’s in November 2010. Kerr weaves her own experiences together with those she interviewed.

“I wrote the book I wish I’d had while I was caring for my mother,” Patti said. “It’s a roadmap for anyone facing — or who may one day face — the journey of loving and caring for someone with Alzheimer’s. It will guide them from initial diagnosis to the end of the journey.”

The Chapter welcomes Kerr as its keynote speaker at DEMENTIACARE2012, where she will present “What I Wish Someone Had Told Me,” as well as a breakout session on building a care team.

“We’re excited to welcome Patti to our first chapterwide conference,” Catherine James, Chapter CEO, said. “She is a dynamic speaker that attendees of this conference can relate to easily.”

In addition to author and speaker, Patti is also a Certified Alzheimer’s Educator. She earned her credential from the National Certification Board of Alzheimer’s Care (NCBAC) in the fall of 2011. She is the fifth generation of her family to come from the same rural area of New Jersey, where she still resides with her family and dog.

Registration for DEMENTIACARE2012 is now open. Call (315) 472-4201 or visit us online to reserve your seat. Space is limited. DEMENTIACARE2012 is presented by the Kirkpatrick Day Program.