Dr. James T. Gillespie Jr, MD

"I would give a zero rating if I could. My loved one with frontotemporal dementia and primary progressive aphasia, for whom I am power of attorney, was admitted to the senior behavioral unit at the hospital because of aggressive behavior at her assisted living facility. She was there for 10 days. Dr. Gillespie called to talk to me on the 1st day she was there to ask me questions. He did not bother to call me AT ALL for the remaining 9 days. He did, however, in the 15 or 20 minutes that he talked to me, decide to write in his notes that "the family is in denial and this is a problem." I don't know what I could have possibly said in that time for him to decide something like that about "the family." "The family" has been living this for 5 years, "the family" has done extensive research on FTD and PPA, "the family" has been to Northwestern where the leading researchers in FTD and PPA work, "the family" is very knowledgeable about the symptoms and progression of this disease. I'm not sure Dr. Gillespie had any experience with PPA or FTD. He did seem concerned that the family had decided on a full code designation for our loved one. First, I didn't ask for his opinion. Second, my loved one is in better physical health than most people and probably Dr. Gillespie too. It's not his place to decide that someone with dementia has no purpose in life. Third, he talked to me as if I'm stupid. I'm actually not and have several letters after my name, too. Finally, what the family decides is none of his business. There is absolutely NO WAY my family member will EVER be in that unit again or see Dr. Gillespie."