Recently we came across a new book, released just this year, which delves into the seemingly complex world of dementia. Dr. Macie Smith simplifies care, demystifies dementia and sheds light on how we can all preserve our loved ones’ quality of life if they are experiencing it themselves.
Read on to learn more about Dr. Macie Smith, A Dementia Caregiver Called to Action: The Journey, and her meaningful contribution to our communities around the world.
What is dementia and how does it present itself?
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia – contributing to 60-70% of cases. However, with over 100 diseases and conditions responsible for causing dementia it’s important to remember that individuals will be experiencing it differently across a spectrum of symptoms.
Dementia, as a symptom rather than a diagnosis, makes itself clear through its negative influence on one’s cognitive abilities. This can manifest itself in a plethora of ways throughout a person’s daily activities, through their ability to think abstractly, and via their decline in mood, increasing confusion, and other changes in their behaviors.
There’s no exact blueprint for how dementia will look to everyone, but Dr. Macie Smith’s new book explains some key factors to help us understand more about how dementia can manifest while still being very varied from individual to individual.
For this reason, it’s clear that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to delivering care to those affected by dementia. As ever, we are all on our own unique paths through life, with our own nuances, habits, personalities, and more. This fact, coupled with the different stages of dementia, means that no two cases are exactly the same. So why should caregiving look the same?
A Dementia Caregiver Called to Action: The Journey
After caring for her grandmother who had dementia, Dr. Macie Smith made it her mission to help others through their own experiences.
Her second book – following on from A Dementia Caregiver’s Guide to Care: Just Ask Dr. Macie published in 2019 – A Dementia Caregiver Called to Action: The Journey invites us to delve deeper into compassion and understanding for our loved ones. The book tells us to hope for the best while planning for the worst when we’re faced with caring for someone with dementia.
Dr. Smith takes us through everything we need to know – cutting through the noise of the insurmountable information available online today. This approach is vital to helping us understand what dementia is and how we can help those experiencing it.
Keeping things simple, Dr. Smith’s book is a short, concise, and digestible source of information which encourages us to lead with compassion to be a valuable supporter, advocate, and care partner.
Dr. Smith explains that a hopeful and positive outlook can have a meaningful impact on our loved ones, which inevitably improves and preserves everyone’s quality of life regardless of dementia’s presence in our lives.
About Dr. Macie Smith
Dr. Smith offers premium well-being consultancy services via Zoom, connecting with people around the world, which aid in creating a sturdy, positively impactful plan for the right care for each individual – and their caregivers. Dr. Smith also creates comprehensive care guidebooks for Synergy® HomeCare, writes accessible blog posts, sells her books at an affordable rate, and educates others via TV, social media, and radio. In doing so, Dr. Smith continues to give back to the communities around us all.
After gaining her bachelor’s and master’s degree from South Carolina State University (SCSU), Dr. Smith went on to attain her Doctor of Education degree from Nova Southeastern University. As a SCSU alum, Dr. Smith joined SCSU’s Board of Trustees in 2021 serving as Vice Chairwoman. She’s a Licensed Social Worker for the State of South Carolina Board of Social Work Examiners, a Social Worker in Gerontology, and a Certified Social Work Case Manager providing instrumental services to improve the lives of countless individuals.
With over 24 years of experience as a social worker and gerontologist, Dr. Smith is deeply familiar with helping families and loved ones to cultivate the best environment for protecting the quality of life for everyone touched by dementia.
As a WOCS 93.7 FM radio show host, Dr. Smith researches topics for weekly coverage to produce captivating interviews for radio and social media. For example, Dr. Smith’s talk with Taylor Wilson of the SC Alzheimer’s Association about the new Alzheimer’s treatment sheds more light on the progression of medical support for those with the disease. Dr. Smith also works with Saltbox TV as an on-air personality who educates and entertains people on the subject of dementia care. She believes that it’s important to transform what we would typically see as a heavy subject into an opportunity for positivity and compassion, lending people a hand in being supportive so that caregivers and their loved ones affected by dementia can get more out of life.
Additionally, Dr. Smith is an Assistant Professor at Benedict College in Columbia – a private, historically black college Founded in 1870. This ties into her uplifting approach to helping others to bloom, especially as she continues to work with people of all ages and those from under-served communities.
Furthermore, as African Americans are statistically twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease, Dr. Smith’s involvement in many different projects and positions in our communities feed back into her mission of uniting a network of people – to care for those affected by the conditions which cause dementia.
There’s no limit to Dr. Smith’s expertise and connection to improving lives as she breathes positivity into caregiving, for everyone involved.
Helping us to form a system of support and care through her offerings, including her new book, Dr. Smith addresses common questions and offers valuable insights for everyone on their own caregiving journey.
You can gain access to Dr. Smith’s wisdom through her website, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and X. You can also find Dr. Smith’s new book via Amazon and reach out via email to book a talk. We aren’t able to predict who will get dementia, and it could happen to any of us. If you take action and learn more now, you never know who you may positively impact tomorrow.
