Nurses and Social Workers can earn up to 5.5 CEUs!

Transforming Life with Dementia highlights the gaps in resources and support that impact the well-being of a person from the date of diagnosis to one year out. It emphasizes the importance of peer support, treating dementia as a chronic disease, and providing essential services to improve health outcomes and enhance quality of life from the time of diagnosis onward.

OBJECTIVES:

1. Describe the current experiences of individuals living with dementia during the diagnostic process and the critical first year, focusing on their challenges and needs.
2. Identify essential resources and supports desired by individuals living with dementia from the date of diagnosis to one year afterward, including services that enhance their quality of life and well-being.
3. Evaluate the benefits of peer support and the importance of treating dementia as a chronic disease, emphasizing how these approaches can improve health outcomes for individuals living with dementia.

Brenda Roberts is the executive director of the National Council of Dementia Minds (NCDM), an organization founded and governed by people living with dementia. In her role as director, Brenda draws on over 40 years of experience working in the human service field as an advocate for the elderly and for people living with disabilities. Brenda has a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Alma College; a Master’s degree from Central Michigan University in Education Administration and Community Leadership; and a degree from the University of Michigan in Advanced Clinical Dementia Practice. In addition to serving as director of NCDM, Brenda is also the chief executive officer of the Michigan Assisted Living Association.

Current practices in Alzheimer’s disease research and clinical care often fail to consider the intersecting roles of molecular mechanisms, sociocultural determinants, and racial disparities in disease progression and biomarker interpretation. This presentation addresses the critical gap in understanding how these factors influence Alzheimer’s risk and diagnostic accuracy, particularly among underserved populations. By integrating molecular data with sociocultural and contextual factors, this approach aims to guide more equitable and effective screening, diagnosis, and intervention strategies.

OBJECTIVES:

1. Understand the molecular mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease, focusing on key biomarkers such as tau, amyloid beta, NFL, and GFAP.
2.  Explore how environmental, social, and historical contexts contribute to the disproportional risk of Alzheimer’s among underrepresented ethnic groups.
3. Evaluate the sociocultural determinants of health and their role in Alzheimer’s risk and health disparities.
4. Examine the effects of race and comorbidities on blood biomarkers, highlighting the importance of establishing personalized biomarker norms for early detection and intervention.

Dr. Irving E. Vega, PhD obtained his undergraduate degree in Biology from the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez Campus. He continued his research training in the Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience at the Graduate School of New Brunswick, Rutgers University, earning his PhD. Dr. Vega completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Neuroscience Department at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, where he developed his research career focusing on the pathobiology of Alzheimer’s disease.  Dr. Vega is a Red Cedar Distinguished Associate Professor at the College of Human Medicine and Associate Professor at the Department of Translational Neuroscience at Michigan State University. Here, his research focuses on molecular and biochemical mechanisms that modulate the accumulation of pathological tau proteins in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Dr. Vega is also working on health disparities and the influence of ethnoracial factors on blood biomarkers in Alzheimer’s disease.

This session will discuss the major pathological features of Alzheimer’s disease, including the amyloid cascade hypothesis, and identify possible mechanisms by which anti-amyloid immunotherapy can reduce amyloid in the brain. Key features of the recent, FDA-approved monoclonal antibodies will be discussed, including how they differ from first-generation antibodies.

OBJECTIVES:

1. What are the major pathological features of Alzheimer’s Disease?
2. What are the possible mechanisms by which anti-amyloid immunotherapy might work to reduce amyloid in the brain and slow memory decline?                     
3. What are the key features of the more recent, FDA-approved monoclonal antibodies and how do they differ from the first-generation antibodies?
4. What are the major side effects of these treatments? How is it detected and treated?

Dr. Dave Morgan is Director of the Alzheimer’s Alliance and MSU Foundation Professor of Translational Neuroscience at Michigan State University. Dr. Morgan’s research interests are Alzheimer’s disease, aging, and brain function. He is internationally recognized for his work on immunotherapy and gene therapy to treat Alzheimer-related pathologies. Previously, he was CEO of the Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute at the University of South Florida. While there, Dr. Morgan oversaw the development of Community-Based Memory Screening programs and the country’s first mobile clinical trial unit for Alzheimer’s disease. Morgan received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Northwestern University and spent 10 years at the University of Southern California before joining the University of South Florida in 1992. He has participated in over 90 grant-years of NIH-funded research and published over 200 research articles. Morgan regularly sits on grant review panels for NIH and other agencies. In addition to his research activities, Morgan has consulted with both major pharmaceutical and small biotechnology companies and advised capital investment organizations regarding the most promising therapeutic approaches to curing Alzheimer’s disease. Morgan has also advocated nationally for additional Alzheimer’s research funding through his role at Researchers Against Alzheimer’s and with the Alzheimer’s Association.

Living Well with Dementia breaks stigma by emphasizing that care for individuals at different stages—whether newly diagnosed or in the end stage—should be tailored, fostering shared experiences and mutual understanding to enhance well-being, preserve identity, and create a sense of connection.

OBJECTIVES:

1. Explore how peer support positively impacts the well-being of individuals living with dementia through shared experiences and mutual understanding.
2. Recognize how peer support helps individuals with dementia maintain their identity and reduce feelings of isolation.
3. Examine the importance of shared experiences and being understood in enhancing the quality of life for those living with dementia.

The session will address the differences between normal aging changes and changes due to dementia and will discuss the characteristics of the most common types of dementias. Structural and functional brain changes will also be explained, as well as the different states in the progression of dementia, focusing on retained abilities rather than losses. The session will introduce physical and verbal techniques for managing challenging situations in care. Strategies to minimize or reduce the risk of negative outcomes in hospitalization situations will be provided and discussed. There will also be suggestions to help the care partner reduce stress and help them care for themselves to stay as healthy as possible. The goal of the session is to assist in offering awareness and techniques that emphasize positive ways to connect and interact throughout the journey of dementia.

OBJECTIVES:

By the end of the session, attendees will be able to:

1. Compare and contrast normal aging changes and early signs and symptoms of various dementias
2. Describe changes in brain structure and function during the process of dementia
3. Discuss characteristics and changes during different states of dementia progression
4. Describe verbal and physical techniques for improving interactions during care
5. Describe techniques and strategies that can impact the hospital experience for people with dementia
6. Understand the value of self-health and wellness when providing care for someone living with dementia

Meet Teepa Snow

Teepa Snow is one of the world’s leading advocates and educators for anyone living with dementia or other forms of brain change.

Teepa is an Occupational Therapist with over forty years of rich and varied clinical and academic experience. Her philosophy is reflective of her education, work experience, medical research, and firsthand caregiving experiences. Her advocacy efforts led her to the development of the GEMS® State Model for understanding the progression of dementia and changes in abilities. She also
created the Positive Approach to Care® training strategies, which are effective techniques for anyone seeking to optimize care and support for those living with brain change. As the Education Director of Eastern North Carolina’s Alzheimer’s Association, she also helped to create the nation’s award-winning DVD titled Accepting the Challenge: Providing the Best Care for People with Dementia. Her user-friendly approaches provide guidance and leadership to national efforts to promote best practices in care.

Teepa’s company, Positive Approach to Care (PAC), was founded in 2006 and is now collaborating to improve dementia care in over thirty countries worldwide. PAC provides online and in-person services, training, and products to professionals, family members, the lay public, and people living with brain change. Please visit teepasnow.com for educational video clips, DVDs, books, information on individual certifications, online support groups, virtual and onsite trainings, or to subscribe to a free monthly newsletter.

In 2022, Teepa founded a Snow Approach Foundation, a nonprofit organization based near her home in Hillsborough, North Carolina. The purpose of Snow Approach Foundation is to foster the development of a neurodiverse, inclusive community through access to information, services, and support. Teepa presents with extraordinary expertise and humor to audiences large and small throughout the world. Please join in her mission to improve the culture of dementia care, one mind at a time. Until there’s a cure, there is care!

Educational content provided by Positive Approach, LLC is used only with permission. The GEMS State Model and Positive Approach to Care techniques, strategies, and overall approach to care were created, developed, and are copyrighted by Teepa Snow and Positive Approach, LLC.

Positive Approach to Care, Positive Approach, GEMS, and Hand-under-Hand are registered trademarks of Positive Approach, LLC, registered in the United States. Positive Physical Approach, PPA, and PAC are trademarks of Positive Approach, LLC.