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Rita Altman, R.N., M.S.N., C.V.M., is the Senior Vice President, Memory Care & Program Services, for Sunrise Senior Living where she uses the latest evidence-based research to design and oversee the implementation of Sunrise's memory care and assisted living programs. She received her B.S.N. from The University of Pennsylvania, and her Master's degree in Nursing Leadership and Management from The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Rita has more than 30 years of nursing experience which includes nursing education, staff development training, intergenerational programming, and management in childcare, adult day care, assisted living and skilled nursing settings. Rita is one of ten Validation Masters worldwide, and studied under Naomi Feil, who developed the Validation Method. She has contributed to and authored articles for nursing and trade journals and has spoken on the topic of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias both nationally and internationally. She has also participated in or provided resource support in several televised media presentations including The Memory Loss Tapes for HBO's Alzheimer's Project. Rita volunteers her time to educate and advocate for improved dementia care services and quality of life for those with Alzheimer's disease and their family caregivers. She is an advisory council member of the Greater Pennsylvania Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, a member of Pennsylvania Health Care Association's Speakers Bureau, a board member of the Validation Training Institute, a member of The George Washington University Nurses' Honor Society, Sigma Theta Tau International, Honor Society of Nursing, and the Alpha Eta Society.
