May 5, 2026
Today we’re continuing our Medicine in Transition theme with a topic that is deeply personal, professionally important, and long overdue. This episode is titled “The Shift of Dementia Care: From Control to Connection.”
But we’re not doing this one alone. We’re joined by a special
guest, Jennifer Stoner.Jennie
is a retired professor from Aurora University in Aurora,
Illinois, where she taught in recreation administration and
therapeutic recreation, helping train future professionals to
design meaningful, person‑centered programs for older adults and
people living with disabilities.
She has spent much of her career at the intersection of aging,
recreational therapy, and program administration, with a special
interest in how purposeful leisure and engagement can support
quality of life for people living with dementia.
Through her academic work and consulting, she’s been part of a
broader movement to move dementia care away from
simply controlling behaviors and toward connection,
dignity, and participation—in long‑term care, adult day programs,
and community settings.