After caring for my own mother and seeing the overlooked risks of seizures in dementia, I dedicated myself to building the research-based, practical solutions families and care teams urgently need.
– Russ Barker, MHA, DHSc Candidate
Founder, Seagull Health
About the Founder
My name is Russ Barker. I hold a Master’s in Health Administration (MHA) and am completing my Doctor of Health Science (DHSc) degree, expected in May 2026. With 25 years of experience as a nursing home administrator, I have always been passionate about improving care for people living with dementia. This mission became intensely personal when I cared for my mother, Eileen, who had Alzheimer’s and developed seizures in the final years of her life.
Caring for her, especially during her mid-to-late stages, opened my eyes to the overlooked risks of seizures in dementia and the lack of practical tools to support families and care teams. Despite my long-term care experience, I found myself searching for answers that were difficult to find.
My commitment was solidified during a day spent honoring my mother’s memory at her favorite place, Carmel Beach. While there, I met an artist named Greta Billman, who was painting the coastline my mother cherished. I shared my mother’s story with her, and Greta named the painting “Eileen’s View.” That painting now hangs in my office as a reminder of my mother’s spirit and the importance of improving care. On that day, a persistent seagull inspired the name of my company: Seagull Health.
Drawing on both professional experience and personal caregiving, I founded Seagull Health to help close the seizure care gap in dementia. My focus is on developing our SeizureSafe™, a risk management ecosystem, and providing direct Advisory Services, delivering the integrated tools, expert knowledge, and hands-on support I wish had been available to my family and my mother’s caregivers.
My focus is on leveraging research and collaboration to reduce seizure risks, enhance quality of care, and drive innovation in dementia care.
Key Areas of Expertise
- Offering Expert Advisory & Consulting: Providing tailored facility risk audits, custom policy development, specialized staff training, and ongoing strategic guidance to effectively implement best practices in dementia seizure care.
- Developing Practical Tools: Translating 25 years of LTC experience and research into actionable training and risk assessment tools.
- Empowering Caregivers: Providing clear response guidance and documentation strategies to build staff confidence.
- Driving Evidence into Practice: Leading the ongoing research and development behind SeizureSafe™, including our 2025 pilot program.
My goal with Seagull Health is to ensure no family or care team faces the uncertainty I experienced when navigating dementia-related seizures. I am committed to providing practical, reliable resources through our SeizureSafe platform, offering guidance via our Advisory Services, and partnering with organizations dedicated to improving resident care.
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