Clear Guidance, LLC

06/19/2026

WEAR BLUE DAY

Men's health is the focus of Wear BLUE Day on Friday before Father's Day. By wearing blue, you are saying you support the men in your life to lead a healthy lifestyle, and you care about their well-being.

Men are more likely to skip health checkups than women. At the same time, they are more likely to take chances with their health choices. The three leading causes of death for mean according to the Centers for Disease Control are cancer, heart disease, and accidents. As part of the campaign that includes Men's Health Month and Men's Health Week in June, Wear BLUE Day encourages us to take stock of our health choices and become more aware of health risks.

The Wear BLUE Campaign provides an opportunity for employers, communities, and other organizations to hold events to raise awareness about concerns surrounding men's health and how they can take charge. The day is also a way for loved ones to show their encouragement for the men in their lives.

06/18/2026

Jennifer Pilcher, Clear Guidance Founder/Owner, was proud to be an attendee at the
INDEPENDENCE, ENGINEERED: HARDWARE FOR AGING WELL - an AgeTech Connect Boston Showcase - held on June 4th at the Silicon Valley Bank in Boston.

Produced by Danielle D. Duplin, Kate Brigham, cofounders AgeTech Connect Boston

Sponsored by New England Deaconess Abundant Living, nonprofit Senior Care services and community since 1889, and innovator shaping the future of aging

Hosted by SVB's Startup Banking Team led by Ben Maitland-Lewis

https://buff.ly/xTH4HLw

06/15/2026

HOW TO TALK TO SOMEONE WHO HAS DEMENTIA
Dementia makes communication more challenging, but these practices and tips can help you stay connected through the changes.
By Nathaniel Chin, dementia expert, and Caoilfhinn Rauwerdink, communication specialist

It’s 7:30 pm, and your mother puts on her coat instead of her pajamas. She pats her pockets, then starts scanning the kitchen counters, tugging open the hallway closet and finally tipping her purse onto the floor, as if the missing item might clatter into view. ‘I need to go home,’ she says, lifting a set of keys from the bowl where you’ve been keeping them lately. ‘My mother will be waiting.’

You feel the familiar jolt: the urge to fix this with facts. Mom, you are home. Grandma died years ago. Even as you try to soften your voice, you can hear the edge in it. But the more you insist, the more she looks at you like you’re the one who’s confused. ‘Why are you doing this?’ she demands. ‘Stop telling me what I know.’

Suddenly you’re in a standoff. She’s frightened and determined; you’re exhausted and pleading. Both of you want to return to the same reality you shared earlier that evening, but you don’t know how to do it in the same language.

If you have a loved one with dementia – perhaps a parent, a grandparent, a partner or another relative – the above scenario might seem familiar. It illustrates some of the challenges that can arise when communicating with someone living with dementia, though you have likely faced other kinds of difficult situations as well.

Dementia, as you may know, is an umbrella term for the changes that happen when a brain disease begins to disrupt a person’s thinking. It refers to a decline in cognition that builds over time and interferes with the person’s independence in everyday life. It isn’t one disease, but a consequence of several different possible brain diseases. And it’s more than memory loss: dementia can alter attention, judgment and language, changing how someone finds words, follows a conversation or makes sense of what they hear. That’s one reason communication can start to feel unfamiliar, even between people who have known each other for decades.

There isn’t just one correct way to communicate with someone who has dementia. Based on experiences in the clinic and interviews with caregivers on our podcast Dementia Matters, it’s clear that families arrive at different communication styles that fit their loved one and the stage of disease. Some families are very direct and honest, without being abrasive. They address challenges head on, openly and gently naming the changes they’re noticing and offering support. Some choose to let certain inaccuracies pass in order to protect the person’s dignity. Still others explicitly ground moments of difficulty in the diagnosis, to reduce fear and blame: ‘This is the dementia, it’s not your fault,’ they might say, and then calmly explain how they are going to help. Though navigating these brain changes can be challenging – opening you up to new feelings of anxiety, stress, grief and more – there are strategies available that can lead to calmer, more connected interactions and make the journey a little easier, one conversation at a time.

To read the full article, please click here https://buff.ly/P4jA9Dc

06/11/2026

Share with caregivers you know!

Create an account or log in to Facebook. Connect with friends, family and other people you know. Share photos and videos, send messages and get updates.

06/08/2026

FTD is the most common form of dementia for people under age 60.

FTD is also frequently referred to as frontotemporal dementia, frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), or Pick's disease. It represents a group of brain disorders caused by degeneration of the frontal and/or temporal lobes of the brain.

FTD subtypes include:
*Behavioral Variant FTD
*Primary Progressive Aphasia:
-Nonfluent/Agrammatic variant
-Semantic variant
-Logopenic variant
*FTD-ALS
*Corticobasal Syndrome
*Progressive Supranuclear Palsy

How does FTD differ from Alzheimer's disease?

1) It has different symptoms.
Uncharacteristic personality changes, apathy, and unexplained struggles with decision-making, movement, speaking or language comprehension
are the most common symptoms. Often people appear physically healthy despite the neurodegeneration.

2) It typically strikes younger.
Although age of onset ranges from 21 to 80, most FTD cases occur between 45 and 64. Therefore, FTD has a substantially greater impact on work, family, and finances than Alzheimer's. (The economic burden of FTD is approximately $120,000 per year, nearly double the amount associated with Alzheimer's.

3) It is often misdiagnosed.
FTD’s estimated U.S. prevalence is around 60,000 cases, and many in the medical community remain unfamiliar with it. FTD is frequently misdiagnosed as Alzheimer’s, depression, Parkinson’s disease, or a psychiatric condition. On average, it currently takes 3.6 years to get an accurate diagnosis.

To read the full article from the AFTD website, please click here https://buff.ly/mmjFB49

06/03/2026

Clear Guidance is proud to be participating in the Center on Down syndrome and Aging webinar series.

💙 Expressive Arts Therapy for Individuals with Memory Loss
Franci DuMar, MA, RDT, CDP, CDCP, Clinical Expressive Arts Therapist, Registered Drama Therapist, Clear Guidance, LLC
Monday, June 1, 2026
Click here to watch the recording: https://buff.ly/0wrRYID

💛 Create a Better Day Through Meaningful Engagement
Tammy Pozerycki, MA, BC-DEd, CMC, CDCL, CADDCT, CFRDT, CDP, COTP, Director of Training and Education & Aging Life Care Manager, Clear Guidance, LLC
Thursday, October 1, 2026
12:00-1:30pm ET
Register here: https://buff.ly/AmZrX0J

💙 Caring for the Caregiver: Strategies for Your Own Well-Being
Clorinda “Clo” Cottrell, LICSW, Care Manager, Social Worker, Certified Dementia Care Partner, Clear Guidance, LLC; Affiliated Regional Trainer, National Task Group on Intellectual Disabilities & Dementia Practices & Katie Sweet, LICSW
Tuesday, November 3, 2026
12:00-1:30pm ET
Register here: https://buff.ly/xlCg8SL

💛 Adult Healthcare: Integrating Medical Guidelines and Psychosocial Well-Being
Clorinda “Clo” Cottrell, LICSW, Care Manager, Social Worker, Certified Dementia Care Partner, Clear Guidance, LLC; Affiliated Regional Trainer, National Task Group on Intellectual Disabilities & Dementia Practices
Stephanie Santoro, MD, Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School
Thursday, December 3, 2026
12:00-1:30pm ET
Register here: https://buff.ly/8Shg5Sg

06/01/2026

JUNE IS ALZHEIMER'S & BRAIN AWARENESS MONTH 💜

10 Healthy Habits for Your Brain

Challenge your mind
Be curious! Put your brain to work and do something that is new for you. Learn a new skill. Try something artistic. Challenging your mind may have short- and long-term benefits for your brain. Learn more about how to challenge your mind.

Stay in school
Education reduces the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Encourage youth to stay in school and pursue the highest level of training possible. Continue your own education by taking a class at a local library or college, or online.

Get moving
Engage in regular exercise. This includes activities that raise your heart rate and increase blood flow to the brain and body. Find ways to build more movement into your day — walking, dancing, gardening — whatever works for you! Learn how to get moving, and download an exercise tracker.

Protect your head
Help prevent an injury to your head. Wear a helmet for activities like biking, and wear a seatbelt. Protect yourself while playing sports. Do what you can to prevent falls, especially for older adults.

Be smoke-free
Quitting smoking can lower the risk of cognitive decline back to levels similar to those who have not smoked. It's never too late to stop.

Control your blood pressure
Medications can help lower high blood pressure. And healthy habits like eating right and physical activity can help, too. Work with a health care provider to control your blood pressure.

Manage diabetes
Type 2 diabetes can be prevented or controlled by eating healthier, increasing physical activity and taking medication, if necessary.

Eat right
Eating healthier foods can help reduce your risk of cognitive decline. This includes more vegetables and leaner meats/proteins, along with foods that are less processed and lower in fat. Choose healthier meals and snacks that you enjoy and are available to you. Learn more about eating a balanced diet, and download a food tracker.

Maintain a healthy weight
Talk to your health care provider about the weight that is healthy for you. Other healthy habits on this list — eating right, exercising and sleeping well — can help with maintaining a healthy weight.

Sleep well
Good quality sleep is important for brain health. Stay off screens before bed and make your sleep space as comfortable as possible. Do all you can to minimize disruptions. If you have any sleep-related problems, such as sleep apnea, talk to a health care provider.



💜

05/29/2026

NATIONAL PAPERCLIP DAY

National Paperclip Day on May 29 celebrates a small but handy invention. Yes, even the paperclip has its own day of honor. This quirky National Day celebrates the well-known piece of curved wire that keeps our papers together and helps us stay organized.

While many may have claimed earlier invention of the paperclip, according to the Early Office Museum, Samuel B. Fay received the first patent for a "bent wire paper clip" in the United States in 1867. The original intention of Fay’s clip was to attach tickets to fabric. However, U.S. patent 64,088 recognized that paperclips could also hold papers together.

As many as 50 others received patents for similar designs before 1899. One other notable name receiving a patent for his paperclip design in the United States was Erlman J. Wright in 1877. At that time, he advertised his clip for use in fastening newspapers.

The Gem paperclip, which was most likely in production in Britain in the early 1870s by The Gem Manufacturing Company, was never patented. However, it is the most common type of wire paperclip we still use today. In 1904, Cushman & Denison registered a trademark for The "Gem" name in connection with paperclips.

5 Other Uses of Paper Clips:
*Replace a zipper tab
*Unclog a spray bottle
*Unclog a single-serve coffee maker
*Hem holder
*Emergency hooks for broken necklaces

05/28/2026

Join us for a special morning of poetry, reflection, and conversation with author Wendy Drexler.

Wendy will share readings from her powerful poetry collection inspired by her experience as the primary caregiver for her husband living with Alzheimer’s. The event will also include audience Q&A, book sales, and a signing.

▪️ Wednesday, June 4
▪️ 11:00 AM
▪️ Waterstone at Lexington

Sponsored by Clear Guidance Life Care Management

We hope you’ll join us for this meaningful and engaging community gathering. 💜

Please RSVP by June 1st to Susan Dearborn:
📧 [email protected]
📞 781-515-0540 x1026

05/27/2026

What an incredible success Care Managers for a Cause turned out to be! 🎉

We are beyond grateful to every player, volunteer, sponsor, donor, and supporter who helped make this event possible. Your generosity, energy, and commitment made a real difference. Because of this amazing community effort, we are proud to donate $15,554.61 to the Alzheimer’s Association. 💜

Together, we are helping to support research, advocacy, education, and care for individuals and families affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Thank you for standing with us and for making such a meaningful impact.

We truly could not have done it without you! 👏🏻