Professionals and caregivers to attend Delaware Dementia Conference Nov. 14

More than 400 family and professional caregivers, as well as individuals who are living with early-stage dementia, are expected to attend Creating a Caring Community, the Alzheimer’s Association Delaware Valley Chapter Annual Delaware Dementia Conference, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 14, at the Dover Downs Hotel & Conference Center in Dover.

Attendees will meet and share experiences with each other, stop by vendors’ and sponsors’ tables for free information and promotional giveaways, and learn the latest about dementia care from experts in the field during presentations and specialized breakout sessions.

“The conference is designed to provide both family and professional caregivers – as well as people living with Alzheimer’s disease – with strategies and best practices for coping that can be easily digested and adopted,” said Kristina Prendergast, manager conference and program outreach for the chapter.

The keynote speaker is Jennifer Fitzpatrick, MSW, LCSW-C, CSP, a gerontology instructor at Johns Hopkins University and author who will present Creating a Caregiver-Inclusive Culture.

Other featured speakers include James M. Ellison, MD, MPH, from the Swank Foundation Memory Care Center in Wilmington; and Olivia Carter-Pokras, PhD, a health disparities researcher with experience leading NIH-funded research projects.

The daylong conference will consist of several breakout sessions focusing on a number of dementia-related topics geared for people living with early-stage dementia, advanced clinical professionals, caregivers, friends and care partners, including: What Is the Current View on Modifiable Risk Factors for MCI and AD; Effective Communication for Caregivers: When Words Are Not Enough; Recognizing Pain in People with Dementia; Elder Law Basics: Foundational Estate Planning and Asset Protection Planning; Innovative Community Responses to Dementia; Navigating Communication With Different Generations: Reducing Drama and Conflict in Healthcare; Promoting Cultural Sensibility Through Lifelong Learning; and Necessary Conversations for Dementia Caregivers.

New to the conference this year will be an Alzheimer’s Community Forum from 2:45 to 4:15 p.m. This input session, open at no charge to all members of the community and conference attendees, will provide an overview of Alzheimer’s, dementia and memory loss followed by an open dialogue for attendees to share their thoughts about how the Alzheimer’s Association can help people in their communities. To register for the forum, call the Alzheimer’s Association’s free, 24/7 Helpline at 800-272-3900.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association 2018 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report, at least 5.7 million people in the United States have Alzheimer’s. As many as 26,000 Delawareans have the disease or another type of dementia. Last year, an estimated 54,000 caregivers in the First State provided 62 million hours of unpaid care valued at more than $779 million.

“Because we understand the stress Alzheimer’s places on everyone impacted by the disease, we’ve lined up an array of topics to be facilitated by dementia experts to help lessen the burden,” said Kellie Butsack, the chapter’s interim director programs and services.

To register for the conference, go to www.alz.org/delval/helping_you/ conferences. The conference offers contact hours for nurses and social workers. Registration fees range from $45 to $100 with scholarships available. For more information about conference registration, CEUs and more, contact Kristina Prendergast at kprendergast@alz.org or 800-272-3900.