Dementia Care Digest

 

   Official newsletter of the

Alzheimer's Foundation of America's

Dementia Care Professionals of America division
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March 2015/Issue 8
A Message from AFA's Deputy Director, Educational Services

The entertainment industry has shone a national spotlight on Alzheimer's disease recently through the two high-profile movies: Still Alice, in which Oscar award-winning actress, Julianne Moore, portrays a woman with young-onset Alzheimer's disease, and I'll Be Me, a documentary following country music star, Glen Campbell, on his farewell tour after he was diagnosed with the disease.

 

This heightened public awareness of Alzheimer's disease will hopefully prompt a thoughtful, national conversation about not only the need for increased federal investment in Alzheimer's disease research, but also the need for investment in resources and supports for individuals facing this disease and related dementias. 

 

As dementia care partners, it's important for us to be advocates for change in the dementia space to ensure that the individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias and their families with whom we work have access to, and are receiving, the best care. Whether through reaching out to local, state, or federal officials or pursuing opportunities for professional networking and growth, DCPA encourages you to get involved and to keep the conversation about Alzheimer's disease going!

 

As always, please be in touch to let us know how we can best support you.  

 

In health,

Kristen Cribbs, MPH
Deputy Director, Educational Services
On the Job: Resources for Providing Optimal Care
Participate in the White House Conference on Aging Regional Forum

The White House Conference on Aging (WHCOA) is holding a series of regional forums to engage older adults, their families, care partners, community leaders, and experts in the aging field about issues affecting older Americans. Upcoming meeting locations include Phoenix, Ariz. on March 31; Seattle, Wash. on April 9; Cleveland, OH on April 27; and Boston, Mass. on May 28. Participation is by invitation; however, the meetings will be webcast. Visit the WHCoA website to learn more.

National Institutes of Health Alzheimer's Disease Research Summit Recap

 

If you missed the National Institutes of Health's Alzheimer's Disease Research Summit 2015, which took place on February 9 and 10, you can view all or parts of the Summit for free online. 

 

Attend the American Society on Aging's Annual Conference

 

The American Society on Aging (ASA) will host its annual "Aging in America" conference on March 23-27 in Chicago. The multidisciplinary conference, featuring leaders in the field of aging, will offer general sessions on topics about aging and quality of life for older adults, including issues in Alzheimer's disease and dementia care. Visit ASA's website for more information or to register.
 
In the News
  • The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched Nursing Home Compare (NHC) 3.0 during late February, an expanded and strengthened NHC 5-Star Quality Rating System for nursing homes. Read about the enhanced program.  
  • Director of the National Institute on Aging (NIA), Richard Hodes, discusses the importance of investment in aging and Alzheimer's disease research during a challenging fiscal time for the Institute in a recent NIA blog post.
  • The LeadingAge Center for Applied Research recently published a research brief that describes trends in the nation's immigrant home health care workforce. 
  • A recent "New York Times" piece explores how shifts in the job market during recent years have created significant opportunities for stable and lucrative careers in health care, especially for women.
  • During a three-part series, "The Arizona Republic" discusses an innovative medical study--being led by researchers at the Phoenix-based Banner Alzheimer's Institute and the University of Antioquia in Colombia-- involving a large family in Medellin, Colombia that carries a rare genetic mutation that predisposes them to developing early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Read parts one, two, and three of the story.
Continuing Education
All too often, older adults (i.e., individuals age 65 years and older) are inadequately assessed for cognitive impairment by their primary care providers during routine medical appointments. The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) convened a workgroup to discuss this issue and recently released a report, "The Gerontological Society of America Workgroup on Cognitive Impairment Detection and Earlier Diagnosis: Report and Recommendations," with recommendations for increasing detection of cognitive impairment, which is a critical first step towards early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. 

Read the report from GSA and take the corresponding Dementia Care Digest quiz to earn one Continuing Education Unit (CEU)*. 


 

*Professionals who are sanctioned as AFA Qualified Dementia Care Providers or AFA Qualified Dementia Care Specialists must renew their AFA qualification every two years by obtaining four CEUs.

 

Every hour of continuing education equals one credit. 30 minutes of content equals 0.5 credits. A program of less than 30 minutes in total is not applicable, and all intervals of less than 30 minutes are rounded down to the nearest 30-minute mark.

Completion of each Dementia Care Digest quiz equals one CEU.

 
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