Meet Maureen Matthews

Maureen Matthews, RN, PhD is the founder of To Whom I May Concern, and is also the senior moderator and writer for the program.

Maureen has many years of experience as a nurse and psychotherapist, working in the field of dementia. She received her graduate degree from Yale University (1982) and doctorate from New York University (2005). She has worked with people with Alzheimer’s disease and related illnesses, and their families and friends, for over 30 years. In the community, Maureen has participated in the assessment and treatment process and facilitated support group and psycho-social activities for people with early stage memory loss, as well as collaborated with nursing homes to develop specialized care programs.

Currently, Maureen is the Director of the Early Memory Loss Program at the Stamford Counseling Center, a pastoral counseling center located in Stamford, CT.

Maureen’s inspiration to create To Whom I May Concern has come from studying the work of people such as:

• Paulo Friere – A Brazilian educator who encouraged oppressed people to speak their truth
• Oliver Sacks – A neurologist who always goes beyond signs and symptoms to the person that suffers
• Tom Kitwood – A a pioneer in person-centered dementia care
• Anne Bastings – Director of the Center on Age and Community, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, who brings together the arts and aging communities to create new ways of thinking and acting.