A ‘Top Doc’ for over 10 years, Dr. Gill Hamilton reflects on progress in dementia care
We have some very cool news to share! Dr. Gillian Hamilton, medical director of our Supportive Care for Dementia program, was just named a Phoenix Magazine“Top Doc.” She would never use this word for it, but… it’s impressive. Especially since it’s an honor she’s received for more than 10 years in a row! Dr. Hamilton embodies the spirit of humility and service. As one small example, she often asks people to address her as Gill, minus the doctor title. Yet, she is truly a national expert on dementia. For decades, she has worked to improve quality of life for people living with dementia and their care partners. We took this opportunity to ask her a few questions about the progress she’s seen in dementia care since she was first named a Phoenix Top Doc.
Q: What’s one of the most significant changes you’ve seen in dementia treatment over the past decade or so?
A: There's more understanding and interest in dementia when I talk to physicians nowadays. They may not feel that they know how to manage it yet, but they think it's important to understand it. And they're very interested in learning more, so that's fantastic.
Q: What do you think caused that shift to happen?
A: The media. And also, we're starting to find more ways to help people with dementia. We're starting to find out the causes, the root causes. I am emphasizing “starting” — there’s a long way to go. We have a few pharmacological treatments. They're not very good, but at least we have something, and all that is in the last 20 years, and even more so in the last couple of years. So, I think that sparks interest.
Q: What current treatments do you think, in general, are the most effective?
A: The major treatment for dementia, as of today, is an environmental approach. So, that’s communication and all the ways that you surround a person living with dementia, creating a world that they can understand. And that is something that takes education. So, programs like our Supportive Care for Dementia are important because we can spend time educating.
Q: When do you think treatment with medication makes the most sense?
A: “I think if the person has hallucinations, such as seeing scary things that aren't there, or delusions, believing things that are not true, especially terrifying things like they're being attacked in the middle of the night, or if they are physically aggressive or extremely agitated, then physicians come in with medications that might help. If the person is depressed or anxious, antidepressants often help. Other than that, if there's somebody with dementia where it’s more just their memory is getting worse and worse, and they're kind of not enjoying their life, then that is up to families and friends and the community. Families can make a huge difference. And communities can make a huge difference by being dementia-friendly and improving quality of life for people who are living with dementia at any stage.
Q: What do you hope for the future?
A: I would like to see more people with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia speaking out for themselves. And I hope this campus will help to do that.
So with that inspiration, let’s share some voices. If you are caring for a person living with mild dementia, ask them: “What is something you are looking forward to?” We can add the responses to our social media feeds and help everybody understand what it means to live well with dementia. Responses can be emailed to sastmartin@dementiacampus.org