The goal of Trovato, LLC is to teach those impacted by Dementia the necessary information and skills they need to navigate the course of the disease. Trovato, LLC will “teach you to fish.”
Gerontologist and Dementia Expert
Mikki Firor, M.S., is a Gerontologist and Dementia Expert. In high school, Mikki had her first experience with people with dementia at a local assisted living community. Seeing someone crying in the corner and others gluing pasta to paper, she knew that more could be done but knew nothing about dementia.
She focused on learning everything she could about dementia through reading, asking questions, and volunteering with older adults. When she went on to study Psychology at Stevenson University, she found new ways to learn more about dementia, aging, how this impacted families, and how care options were changing. She secured rare opportunities for internships, such as the Neuropsychology Dementia Clinic at the Baltimore V.A. Hospital, and continued volunteering.
When she graduated, she immediately began studying Gerontology and Counseling at McDaniel College, where she completed her masters. During this time, she worked with adults who had severe mental illness and dementia which set up her for a very niche skillset that influences her intake practices and shapes the techniques she recommends for working with individuals with dementia today!
Mikki has been a professional public speaker for many years, even before Trovato, and has really learned how to help her audience understand complex ideas. As the director of a dementia unit in an assisted living facility, Mikki worked with professional caregivers, families, and individuals impacted by dementia through first-hand interaction. She made changes to the environment and procedures that improved the quality of life for her residents. She supported families and became an advocate for the residents and their families. She bonded with the staff by getting her hands dirty and teaching them new techniques by showing them how to use them.
With all of this experience, Mikki knew something was missing in dementia care. So, she opened Trovato, LLC in 2016. Today, she continues to work with care partners and people with dementia, coach care partners, train professionals, lead support groups, educate through seminars and conferences and consults with various professionals, assisted living communities, medical providers, and other medical organizations.