Author
Linda A. Gerdner PhD, RN, FAAN pioneered the development of individualized music for persons with dementia (such as Alzheimer’s disease). She began this work in the early 1990s and has won national and international awards for her contributions. Her work has been the impetus for further testing by researchers and clinicians across
the globe. She developed an evidence-based protocol for the use of music in this population, now in its 5th edition. Musical Memories incorporates basic principles of this protocol to empower Gabrielle in maintaining a relationship with her grandmother. Dr. Gerdner is also the primary author of the award-winning book, Grandfather’s Story Cloth, a bilingual book for Hmong-American children and their families.
Illustrator
​Maureen Taylor Gearino is a member of the Iowa Watercolor Society. Her paintings have appeared in juried shows across the Midwest. She has three grown sons and two granddaughters. This book has a special place in her heart: while painting these illustrations, she also cared for her husband, Walt. He suffered from a degenerative brain disease similar to the grandmother's in Musical Memories. For those families who live with similar challenges, Maureen would like you to know her thoughts are with you. You are not alone.
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