FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ON May 20, 2009

Tuscaloosa Neurologist Named AAN Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Advocate of the Year

ST. PAUL, Minn. -

The ��ɫ���� (AAN) has named Daniel C. Potts, MD, of Tuscaloosa, AL, the AAN Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum Advocate of the Year. Potts has been championing new approaches to care for people with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia that help them explore their untapped skills and enhance the quality of their lives. The award recognizes the exemplary efforts of graduates of the AAN’s Donald M. Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum, a skills-development program designed to help neurologists become effective advocates for their patients and their profession. “Before my selection to the Palatucci Forum, all I had was a story about my father—powerful though it was—and the desire to make things better for Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers,” said Potts, a graduate of the 2008 Donald M. Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum. “The Forum provided the means by which to make the story known, and the tools and support to create and implement an action plan to accomplish my goals. The Forum has changed my life, and hopefully will change the lives of countless suffering dementia patients and their caregivers.” Potts drew his inspiration from the experiences of his late father, Lester, who was transformed from a rural Alabama lumberman to watercolor artist when he participated in an art therapy program at Caring Days, a Tuscaloosa adult daycare center that bridges the gap between independent living and highly restricted care. The younger Potts has since focused his advocacy efforts on dementia patients still living in community settings and their caregivers. He promotes a model of caregiving in which new or hidden talents in each patient are sought out and developed, thereby promoting dignity, self-worth, and caregiver respite. The comprehensive dementia daycare model, of which Caring Days is an example, is being advocated on the local, state, and national levels. Successes have included plans for a capital campaign to expand the mission of Caring Days and securing grant money to create and support mobile daycare centers in West Alabama. In addition, Potts has authored articles on advocacy in national publications, delivered speeches to regional and national organizations that promote caregiver respite, and presented at the Alzheimer’s Association’s Dementia Care Conference. Potts has also been involved in discussions with the AAN and Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) to develop legislation to support dementia daycare centers nationally, and will be a keynote speaker this September at the 4th annual National Concepts in Care Conference in Chicago, sponsored by the AFA. The board of Caring Days has committed to expanding the dementia daycare model into rural West Alabama, and is preparing a capital campaign for a new facility and expanded services. Potts has worked with the Area Agency on Aging to advocate for the West Alabama region to host a pilot program for the concept of mobile dementia daycare through a grant from the US Department of Senior Services. Potts has spoken throughout Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Mississippi about his advocacy plan, in addition to giving a poster presentation at the Alzheimer’s Association’s Dementia Care Conference in California. Potts has written a book of poetry, The Broken Jar, illustrated with his father’s art. Proceeds from the book go to Caring Days to support its dementia care programs. Three art shows and two walks to raise money for dementia daycare have also featured The Broken Jar and the story of his father’s art. The Donald M. Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum is an award-winning, advocacy leadership skills-development program, designed by the ��ɫ���� to train selected neurologists and neurology residents to be effective advocates for their profession and neurology patients at the local, state, and national levels. The forum was named in memory of former AAN Board of Directors member Donald M. Palatucci, MD, and honors his spirited efforts as an advocate for his patients and chosen profession.

The ��ɫ����, an association of more than 21,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating, and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as multiple sclerosis, restless legs syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease, narcolepsy, and stroke. For more information about the ��ɫ����, visit www.aan.com or www.TheBrainMatters.org.