Maria M. Meyer and Paula Derr, with Mary Gilmartin, Contributing writers


Maria M. Meyer has been a longtime advocate of social causes, beginning with her work as cofounder of the Society for Abused Children of the Children's Home Society of Florida and founding executive director of the Children's Foundation of Greater Miami. When her father-in-law suffered a stroke in 1993, Meyer became aware of the need for better information about how to care for an aging parent, a responsibility shared by millions of Americans. That experience led her to found CareTrust Publications and to coauthor the award-winning guide The Comfort of Home: An Illustrated Step-by-Step Guide for Caregivers , now in its third edition. This book earned the Benjamin Franklin Award in the health category. Meyer is a keynote speaker and workshop leader on caregiver topics to healthcare professionals and community groups, as well as a Caregiver Community Action Network volunteer for the National Family Caregiver Association.

Paula Derr has been employed by the Sisters of Providence Health System for more than 25 years. She has broad experience in many different clinical settings and for many years served as clinical educator for three emergency departments in the Portland metropolitan area. She was a founder of inforMed, which publishes emergency medical services field guides for emergency medical technicians, paramedics, firefighters, physicians, and nurses, and has coauthored numerous healthcare articles. For Derr, home care is a family tradition of long standing. For many years, she cared for her mother and grandmother in her home while raising two daughters and maintaining her career in nursing and healthcare management. Paula is active in several prominent professional organizations and has held both local and national board positions. Paula is a native Oregonian and lives with her husband in Portland.

Mary Gilmartin is a nurse specialist and coordinator of the COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) Clinical Research Network at the National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver, Colorado. National Jewish Medical Center has been rated first in the nation for treatment of lung disease by U.S. News & World Report . For more than 30 years, Gilmartin has worked with people who have severe lung disease. Her focus has been to educate both patients and their families about lung disease to help them have more control over the illness.