ABOUT

Greetings unto you my friend! My name is Dr. Debra Tann, and for the past seven years, I have committed my life’s work to the advocacy of Alzheimer’s and related dementias. My calling is to educate, empower, and encourage those in our community and at-large. Reminiscent is the name of the business. Why the name Reminiscent you may ask? Operationally defined, it is an awakening of memories of something similar; suggestive (usually followed by of); her afro is reminiscent of the 1970s. The word reminiscent is an adjective. Individuals living with dementia often reminiscence or find themselves reminiscent of their past. Often they are comfortable in their past; so they may live in a reminiscent state of mind. While the name is germane, the subtleness of its sound is befitting to our mission. Reminiscent is a 501(C)3.

Dr. Debra Tann

My Story…Could easily be your story…

A family member had dementia! When a diagnosis is given you simply do not know what to do, what to think, where to go, or what to say. Seemingly, when a doctor provides melancholic medical news such as Cancer, they generally sit with you, they may even hold your hand, provide Kleenex for your tears/nose, offer any optimistic medical advances, and provide morale and support. Additionally, you often leave the office with written materials to read about your medical condition and options. Typically the experience is the antithesis with a dementia diagnosis. When you leave the doctor’s office with a dementia diagnosis; what extensive information are you told? Are you medically guided? What are the next steps? Any resources provided unto you? Most importantly, how did you feel and how were you comforted? In my book entitled The Race of Dementia; my opening chapter deals with the many questions I pondered and how they were laced with no answers. My grandmother and my mother offered me no explanation other than my great-grandmother was “senile.” Unbeknownst to myself at the time, my great-grandmother, was experiencing what I now believe to be Alzheimer’s dementia. During this not so long ago era and perhaps even now, people quickly conclude one is either senile or crazy when it comes to dementia. Neither of the two words accurately describes a person living with the illness. Join me in the discovery of dementia and let me be the first to tell you; dementia is not a disease!

Dr. Tann’s Dementia Bio

BOOK PUBLICATION

The Race of Dementia   9/2020

CERTIFICATION & LICENSURE

Human Subjects Research: Biomedical & Social Behavioral   10/2022

AFA Certified Memory Screener   10/2022

Dementia Friendly Champion   11/2020

Dementia Virtual Tour Facilitator Evidenced Based Dementia   Second Wind Dreams   1/2020

Becoming Dementia Aware Positive Approach to Care   Teepa Snow   11/2019

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

Georgia State Capitol Advocacy (dementia) Day    3/01/2023

Senior Center VLPR “Beat the Holiday Blues”   12/16/2022

Langdale Place  “The Virtual Dementia Tour”   11/16/2022

AKA’s of  Tampa, FL Chapter  “Caregiver Tips”   11/11/2022

Valdosta Rotary Club   10/19/2022

Professional Development Langdale Place   10/11/2022

“Calling All Voices”   09/19/2022

Red Hat Society   09/15/2022

Capitol Hill (DC) Alzheimer’s Congressional Forum (AIM)   5/16-18/2022

Learning in Retirement (VSU) Dementia 101   4/26/2022

Lou-Helen Training Center CNA Program, Engaging with Dementia   3/4/2022

Georgia State University  Faculty/Lecturer Gerontology Department   1/11/2022

Senior Health Care Professionals Group   12/14/2021

The Virtual Dementia Tour Hospice South Georgia/Langdale Hospice House   11/12 &19/2021

Understanding the Agitation Narrative: A Multistakeholder Dialogue “From Where I Sit: Insights from the AAD Community”   10/2021

12th International Conference on Dementia & Dementia Care  “Consummate Caregiver”  Amsterdam, Netherlands    8/2021

Concerned Clergy of Valdosta: Dementia 101   7/2021

The Race of Dementia”   Book Discussion   3/2021

Veteran’s Day Caregiving Summit   11/2020

TRAININGS

Georgia Advocacy Training   2/2023

Georgia’s Legislative State Public Policy Priorities   10/2022

AFTD (Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration) Onboard Training   7/2021

Dementia-Friendly Community Evaluation Guide   5/2021

The Equity in Neuroscience and Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials   5/2021

BrainGuide   3/2021

Caring for Those Who Care   3/2021

Better Brain Health through Equity: Addressing Health and Economic Disparities in Dementia for African Americans and Latinos   3/2021

Alzheimer’s Congressional Team Member (Alzheimer’s Impact Movement, AIM)   5/2020

Georgia General Assembly Alzheimer’s Association Advocacy Day   2/2020

Fearless Caregiver 11/2019  – Social Media 2-2020 –  In our Right Minds 2/2020

WEBINARS/CONFERENCES

Dementia Action Alliance “Living Well With Dementia” Conference   9/2022

Social Justice: Clinical Research & Dementia Care in Multicultral America   5/2022

FTD: Connection. Learn. Engage.   4/2022

New Bloom, Educational forum with individuals living with dementia   3/2022

Addressing Health Disparities   6/2021

Find Help, Share Hope: AFTD’s Education Conference   5/2021

Living the Grief of FTD: The Winding Paths of Loss and Resilience Mary O’Hara, LCSW   11/2020

USAgainstAlzheimer’s National Summit   10/2020

Black Lives Matter in Research Dr. Jonathan Jackson, MGH Care Research Center   9/2020

Alzheimer’s 2020: Advocating on the Campaign Trial   7/2020

Rural Caregivers Conference: Finding the Hidden Treasures   7/2020

Self-Care, Mindfulness, and Remaining Positive   Corey Esannason   4/2020

Ask the Expert-FTD   Dr. Bruce Miller   4/2020

AFFILIATIONS (not an exhaustive listing)

Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA)

UGA College of Public Health (CARE Center)

Us Against Alzheimer’s   DAWN Method   Women Against Alzheimer’s   The A-List

Dementia Matters   Balm in Gilead   Alzheimer’s Society   Alzheimer’s Association   Dementia Friends

Dementia Action Alliance   Dementia Friendly America   BrightFocus Foundation  AARP

AIM (Alzheimer’s Impact Movement)   GARD (Georgia Alzheimer’s & Related Dementias)   AFTD (The Association for Frontotemporal Dementia)

Reimagining Dementia   Alter Program   A Journey with Dementia Minds

Dementia Friends Georgia   ALZAuthors

CONGRESSIONAL & LOCAL CORRESPONDENCES FOR ADVOCACY

Valdosta Daily Times  Guest Columnist  “ENACT Bill”  8/21/2021

From: Senator Jon Ossoff (Assigned to by AIM)

Letter Topics: The CHANGE Act and Paid Family Leave for Alzheimer’s Caregivers

Valdosta Daily Times, Letter to the Editor entitled “Promoting Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias Awareness to Dissuade Elder Abuse.” (Gov. Kemp signed into law 7-2020)