About Your Consultant

My name is Lauren Ewing, I am a licensed and certified Speech-Language Pathologist. I received my Bachelor’s Degree in Speech and Hearing Science from Purdue University and my Master’s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

In addition to my license as a Speech-Language Pathologist in the state of Indiana and Certificate of Clinical Competence with the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, I have earned my certification as a Dementia Care Specialist through specialized education courses with Evergreen Certifications.

My professional history has been focused on working with adult and geriatric populations residing within Skilled Nursing Facilities (nursing homes), Assisted Living Facilities, Independent Living Facilities, and in-home care. After nearly a decade of experience working with clients with cognitive-communication, speech-language, and swallowing impairments, I gravitated my continuing education and professional focus towards dementia care.

My mission with Always a Village, LLC is to provide education, counseling, and community support to caregivers of those living with dementia. I believe increased knowledge and awareness of the various types of dementia will improve the level of care provided to dependents as well as improve the quality of life of both caregiver and dependent.

Here to Support Those Living with Dementia and their Caregivers

  • I will be providing educational services to individuals as well as larger groups, including healthcare staff in-services or community outreach programs.

    Within my scope of practice as a Speech-Language Pathologist and certification as a Dementia Care Specialist, I can provide education to caregivers regarding:

    • Cognitive-communication changes caused by various types of dementia.

    • Strategies to cope with and adapt with these changes.

    • Tips and strategies to maximize functional communication with those living with dementia and their caregiving village.

    • Education of dementia’s impact on eating and swallowing.

    • Training on safest swallowing practices to maximize independence as well as safety during the progression of the disease.

    • Tools to allow you to make the most informed decisions regarding the care you provide.

    • Recommendations regarding accessibility, comfort, and adaptability to living environments to improve quality of life and safety of those living with dementia.

  • As a caregiver myself, I am aware of how difficult it can be to care for someone living with dementia. The cognitive, physical, and emotional tolls caregiving can take on the caregiver can understandably cause burnout.

    This is where I come in. I will provide you with empathetic, non-judgmental counseling regarding adapting and adjusting to the cognitive-communication changes you and your dependents are working through. My plan is to serve as a guide during the caregiving journey to strengthen communication skills, safety, and well-being of both the person living with dementia and their village.

    We can also work through strategies and identify resources available to you to improve decision-making abilities during your dementia caregiving journey.

  • I will provide you with skills and resources to become a strong advocate for the person you are caring for, as well as yourself, regarding dementia care.

    We will take a look at your own village to identify resources within the community to assist you in your time of caregiving. If there are gaps in your village in which you need more assistance, we will work together to find the resources available to you to bridge those gaps!

    As a consultant within the local community, I meet with and learn about various dementia care services offered by licensed counseling services, senior care services, skilled nursing, memory care, respite care, and adult day care services within Hancock County. This allows me to provide you with additional information to support you in exploring services within facilities, should that need arise during your journey.

    For services I am unable to provide directly, I will work to refer you to the appropriate person(s).