Dr. Allen Power is an Eden Alternative certified geriatrician who advocates for person centered methods of care and communication that create wellbeing for those living with dementia. He has authored the books Dementia Beyond Disease and Dementia Beyond Drugs. His pioneering efforts have taught many care partners how to interpret the unmet needs of someone living with dementia that are often expressed by behaviors. 

In this interview, Dr. Allen Power shares his experiences as a geriatrician that led him to become an international speaker about the practices of person directed dementia care in the home and senior living community setting. Dr. Power provides insights into models of care partnerships that do not require antipsychotic medications, and other chemical or physical restraints. He details the need for dedicated staff assignments where care partners do not rotate. It is his belief that dedicated staff enables an environment of relationship and connection that meet the needs of those living with cognitive challenges in a holistic and more effective way. Dr. Power supports a warm, home like setting where residents of long term living are given more autonomy and respect. In this interview, he shares his thoughts about how behaviors can be translated into the communication of needs by those who have lost their ability to communicate clearly with words.