Adult Care Medical-Medicine Consultants: 2

Cathy Ciolek, DPT, FAPTA, Cathy Ciolek, DPT, FAPTA, President of Living Well With Dementia, LLC, has over 30 years of experience as a Geriatric Physical Therapist. Dr. Ciolek is board certified as a Geriatric Clinical Specialist, a Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP), and Certified Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Care Trainer (CADDCT) by the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners. 

Consulting Services: Consultation for individuals, care partners, and facilities to address challenging issues that impact well-being and quality of life for people with dementia.  Examples include:

• People with frequent Falls and developing Falls Assessment Process and Teams
• Behavioral Expressions of Unmet Needs
• Inappropriate Medications and Anti-psychotic Medication Reduction
• Unrecognized Pain
• Alarm Use Reduction
• Culture Change and Change Management

Background Experience: Dr. Ciolek previously served as Regional Director for the Pennsylvania Restraint Reduction Initiative (PARRI), providing education and consultation for issues related to well-being (falls, engagement, medication reduction) to nursing homes throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania via a CMS grant. 

Prior to that, Dr. Ciolek served as assistant professor and director of clinical education for the University of Delaware, Department of Physical Therapy. She has practiced as a physical therapist in outpatient, SNF, home health and CCRC facilities over the course of her career.  She is a former Instructor/ Guest Lecturer/Lab Instructor at multiple universities including: Drexel University, Temple University, AT Still University/Arizona School of Health Sciences, Widener University, and Rocky Mountain University.

Dr. Ciolek speaks and delivers seminars throughout the nation on topics including dementia, exercise for aging adults, falls and fall risk mitigation, and Person-Centered Care. She is also a noted author on geriatric issues with books entitled, “Cognitive Issues in the Older Adult," “Restraint Assessment,” and “The Older Adult With Multiple Comorbidities.”

Geriatric Physical Therapy Thought Leader

• President, Academy of Geriatric Physical Therapy (APTA Geriatrics)
• Past President, Delaware Physical Therapy Association (APTA Delaware)
• American Physical Therapy Association
• APTA Geriatrics
• APTA Delaware 

Awards and Accolades

• Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the American Physical Therapy Association
• Marilyn Moffat Leadership Award (APTA)
• Joe Lucca Service Award (APTA Delaware)
• Lucy Blair Service Award (APTA)
• Joan Mills Award (APTA Geriatrics)
• Clinical Educators Award (APTA Geriatrics)

View Dr. Cathy Ciolek's Expert Witness Profile.

Gerald W. Smetana, MD, Board Certified in Internal Medicine, is a General Internist with over 34 years of experience in an academic primary care practice at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. He is also a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School where he teaches internal medicine to medical house staff and also extensively to practicing clinicians in continuing medical education settings. 

Practicing in an outpatient setting, Dr. Smetana cares for a panel of patients that is weighted towards those with multiple chronic illnesses and high disease complexity. In addition to all aspects of office based general internal medicine, his areas of interest include Preoperative Medical Evaluation, Hypertension, and Headache. 

Dr. Smetana has been repeatedly selected as a Best Doctor in a national survey and has received a national award for scholarship in medical education. He publishes in the peer reviewed medical literature and medical texts, has edited textbooks, and has helped to develop national guidelines on topics in internal medicine. He has been invited to deliver seminars and presentations on various topics within his area of expertise nationally and internationally. 

Litigation Support - Dr. Smetana reviews cases for both plaintiffs and defendants, and has testified at deposition and trial as an expert more than 45 times. He has reviewed several hundred medical malpractice cases over the past 10 years both for plaintiffs and doctors. Dr. Smetana also consults for risk management insurers. His primary care, record review, and medicolegal consultation services are available throughout the United States.