Alzheimer's Disease, Dementias and Healthy Aging

March Newsletter

5 Fast Facts About Concussions

• Concussions Happen More Often Than You Think.
• Concussion Symptoms Aren’t Always Obvious.
• Older Adults Are at Higher Risk for Concussions
• Helmets Help Prevent Head Injuries for People of All Ages.
• Screen Time Impacts Concussion Recovery

Studies have shown that people who experience a traumatic brain injury in early to midlife are two to four times more at risk of developing dementia in late life. 

Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center

Lecture Series

Neuroinflammation is a Critical Component and Mechanisms of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy

Dr. Jon Cherry

Wednesday, March 13th, 2024

12:00 - 1:00 PM

Dr. Cherry is an Assistant Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Boston University's (BU) Avedisian and Chobanian School of Medicine. Dr. Cherry’s research interests focus on understanding how neuroinflammation after repetitive traumatic brain injury contributes to CTE pathogenesis. Specifically, Dr. Cherry seeks to identify the mechanism behind tau tangle accumulation and spread. He is the director of the digital pathology hub present within the BU Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center. This research entails exploring ways to better characterize pathology across a spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, frontotemporal lobar degeneration, motor neuron diseases, and others.

2024 Vermont Geriatrics Conference

The conference is designed to equip physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, physician assistants, social workers, and other healthcare professionals with practical and innovative approaches to the medical care of older adults. The Alzheimer's Disease and Healthy Aging Program will be among the exhibitors. Stop by to see us!

Date and Time:

Tuesday, April 16, 2024, from 8:00 AM to 4:45 PM.

Location:

DoubleTree by Hilton, 870 Williston Road, South Burlington, VT

Age-Friendly and Dementia-Friendly Communities: Similarities & Differences

Age-friendly and dementia friendly share some fundamental objectives. First, both aim to help older adults remain independent and in the community as long as possible by creating a supportive enabling environment. Additionally, they reach across sectors to engage with broad coalitions of stakeholders, including older people, to strengthen community supports and increase inclusion for the benefit of people of all ages. Age-friendly takes a whole person view of older individuals. This contrasts with the negative stereotype of aging strictly as a period of decline and loss. Though dementia friendly is more targeted to specific needs of individuals living with dementias and their care partners the movement is a natural extension of age friendly communities, and a necessary one. Learn more about Dementia Friendly Communities and how you can make a difference in your community here.

Alzheimer's Advocacy Day

Thursday, March 28, 2024

9:30AM-3:00PM

Unitarian Church and Statehouse in Montpelier

Join Vermonters for a powerful and impactful opportunity to contribute to building a more dementia knowledgeable and friendly Vermont.

The morning will be spent as a group at the Unitarian Church with a program focusing our accomplishments and the role advocates played, meeting leaders working to build a dementia capable Vermont, and brainstorming what we need and what we can contribute. In the afternoon we will head to the Statehouse to meet with policy makers.

For more information and to RSVP: https://p2a.co/1yWq4F4

802-440-1881

Megan Polyte (she/her)

Policy Director, Alzheimer's Association, Vermont Chapter

Guiding the Future: Rethinking the Role of Advance Directives in the Care of People with Dementia

When people lose capacity to make a medical decision, the standard is to assess what their preferences would have been and try to honor their wishes. Dementia raises a special case in such situations, given its long, progressive trajectory during which others must make substituted judgments. The question of how to help surrogates make better-informed decisions has led to the development of dementia-specific advance directives, in which people are given tools to help them communicate what their preferences are while they are still able. Such directives allow the perspective of the person to play a clearer role in guiding decisions about their care. Dementia directives can never serve as rigid algorithms. Rather, they can be used to help inform conversations, to help surrogates make decisions that are better aligned with the preferences the person would have had. This essay lays out the proposed utility of dementia-specific directives and addresses some of the criticisms raised about them.

Webinar: Beyond Alzheimer’s: Identifying and Managing Other Types of Dementia

Wednesday, March 13, 2024 1:00 -2:00PM ET

Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia, but not all dementias are Alzheimer's disease. Join us for a one-hour webinar covering multiple types of dementia, including their onset presentation, behavioral and cognitive changes, and disease progression. The session also will discuss non-pharmacological approaches to dementia care, along with over-the-counter medications that advertise cognitive improvements and new medications to treat Alzheimer’s disease. The presenter will be Rita Jablonski, PhD, CRNP, FAAN, FGSA, is a tenured professor, geriatric care nurse practitioner and established dementia care researcher.