Meet our dedicated team of health professionals passionate about empowering caregivers with the knowledge, tools, and compassionate support needed to care for loved ones living with dementia.
Founder, ADVANCED-Comfort
Gerontological Nurse Practitioner | Dementia Care Researcher | Aging Advocate
Ruth Palan Lopez is a nurse practitioner, educator, and internationally recognized researcher dedicated to transforming care for people living with advanced dementia. As the founder of ADVANCED-Comfort and creator of the 6M Care Planning Tool, she has led decades of work to elevate the voicesof families, improve quality of life for long-term care residents, and bring person-centered, comfort-focused care into everyday practice.
Ruth leads and collaborates on academic research and clinical initiatives focused on aging, dementia, and palliative care. Through ADVANCED-Comfort, she is making an impact to support families, staff, and systems in delivering care that is personal, compassionate, and grounded in what matters
most.
She welcomes opportunities to collaborate on research, education, and implementation efforts, and is available for consulting and strategic partnerships focused on advancing dementia care.
ruthpalanlopez@gmail.com
www.AdvancedComfort.org
The ADVANCED-Comfort research team supports the coordination,
implementation, and adaptation of the program through data collection, and engagement with families and community partners.
Research Coordinator
Research Assistant
Research Volunteer
Assistant Professor School of Nursing
Director of Ruth Sleeper Nursing Center for Clinical Education and Wellness
MGH Institute of Health Professions
Consultant Speech Language Pathologist
Mass General Brigham Center for Health Outcomes and Interdisciplinary Research (CHOIR)
Clinical Geropsychologist,
Massachusetts General Hospital
Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School
The development and impact of ADVANCED-Comfort would not be possible without the insight, leadership, and real-world experience of our community-based collaborators. These partners ensure that the 6M Care Planning Tool reflects the needs, cultures, and realities of the people it is designed to serve.
Nursing Home Administrator, South Cove Manor at Qunicy Point Rehabilitation Center
Director Adult Day Health Program Hong Lok House Greater Boston Chinese Golden Age Center
iHOPE Hill LLC
Family Member, Community Advisory Board
ADVANCED-Comfort continues to grow through international collaboration. Our partnership with colleagues in Israel has been especially meaningful in adapting the 6M Care Planning Tool for diverse cultural contexts.
Professor
University of Haifa
The Cheryl Spencer Department of Nursing
Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Science
Chair of the Center of Research & Study of Aging
Lecturer
Ruppin Academic Center
Department of Nursing Sciences
Faculty of Social and Community Sciences
Alzheimer’s Specialist
Post Doctoral Fellow
University of Haifa
Sociologist
University of HaifaCenter for Research
& Study of Aging
The Cheryl Spencer Department of Nursing Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences
The development and dissemination of ADVANCED-Comfort has been
supported in part by:
Feel free to reach out to us for any questions or to provide feedback. We'd love to hear from you! Your input is invaluable in helping us improve and serve you better.
