September 14, 2022
From “Where Did I Put My Keys?” to “What Keys?”: Signs That Your Clients May Be Losing Capacity
Cognitive changes occur with normal aging. But where’s the line between normal changes and pathology that significantly (and legally) affects a client’s decision-making? And how can you tell the difference between cognitive deterioration due to dementia, and cognitive change associated with depression that does not have roots in neurodegeneration (and is treatable)? Appreciating these distinctions will allow professionals who serve elders to feel more confident in understanding their client’s behavior and in discerning the thresholds at which they need to pursue a more formal assessment on his or her behalf.
Presented by: Dana Chidekel, Ph.D, ABPdN, ABN
Dr. Dana Chidekel, a clinical neuropsychologist, is certified by both the American Board of Pediatric Neuropsychology and the American Board of Professional Neuropsychology. She maintains a private practice in Calabasas, in which she provides comprehensive assessments to children and adults referred for cognitive, developmental, academic, psychiatric, and behavioral problems. Licensed to practice in California, Oklahoma and Connecticut and license-pending in Nevada, Dr. Chidekel dedicates a portion of her practice to forensic work. She is retained as a consultant and expert by plaintiff and defense in approximate equal proportions, in state and federal matters associated with personal injury, elder law, probate, employment law, educational law, business law, and (limited) family and criminal law. Cases involve testamentary and contractual capacity, traumatic brain injury, medical malpractice, psychological trauma, harassment, discrimination, developmental disability, and special education. She loves the good fight, which any fight on behalf of the truth. Dr. Chidekel has authored and coauthored professional articles about developmental neuropsychology and parameters of professional practice, that appear in journals such as Cerebellum, Pediatric Neurology, and Applied Neuropsychology: Child. She is co-author of ADHD as a Model of Brain-Behavior Relationships (Springer 2013) and author of Parents in Charge: Setting Healthy, Loving Boundaries for You and Your Child (Simon and Schuster, 2001). She is a frequent presenter to lay and professional audiences as a speaker, panelist, and keynote. Dr. Chidekel has appeared on local and national radio and TV programs, including multiple appearances on The Today Show.