Join us in celebrating that Spring finally arrived March 20^th and signs of renewal are clearly visible as early flowers bloom, grass turns green, and trees bud with new leaves and flowers. It’s a beautiful sight given the long cold and snowy winter that was complicated by persisting Covid-19 related restrictions. The beauty of spring reminds us new opportunities are on the way, in our yards, gardens and countryside, but also in life as we emerge from the pandemic with new hope for the future. The rollout of Covid-19 vaccines early this year is making an important difference right now AND holds promise for helping all of us, as individuals, as health care providers and recipients, and as family and community members – getting into a new and more comfortable way of living. 

We hope you will join the National Council on Aging for their 4^th Annual Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Day, which will be held Thursday May 6^th, 2021. This one-day, free, virtual symposium offers on-demand access. The program is intended for public health practitioners, professionals in the aging network, mental health providers, and healthcare professionals. The agenda will feature a broad range of topics, focusing on ageism in mental health, inter-related diversity and access issues, and treatment approaches. The program underscores the message, “Everyone has a role to play,” so please join hands with others to help older adults who are struggling by registering for the program at. For more information, contact: healthyaging@ncoa.com.

Dementia Friends USA is part of a global movement that is changing the way people think, act, and talk about dementia. This important public health awareness program is grounded on the value that everyone has a part to play in creating dementia friendly communities. Online training to be a Dementia Friend has been available for some time, but will now be offered through in person training in Iowa.

The Iowa Association of Area Agencies on Aging (I4a) secured a state sublicense for Dementia Friends, and work has been underway this year to tailor Dementia Friends Iowa training materials to launch the program. The program uses a two-step approach: Master trainers train Champions, who in turn train individuals of all ages as Dementia Friends. An overview of the Dementia Friends program may be viewed at the Csomay Center website’s Dementia Friendly page.

The Dementia Friends Iowa stakeholder group is composed of key informants Joe Sample, I4a and Dementia Friends Director, Amy Phan, Iowa State University Intern and Project Coordinator, Megan Zimmerman, Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging and Director of the Dementia Friendly Cedar Valley program, Brianne Fitzgerald, Greater Iowa Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association Program Director, Maria Donahoe, Family Caregiver Coordinator at Kirkwood Community College, and Marianne Smith, Csomay Center and Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) Director. A broad group of collaborators support the Dementia Friends Iowa program, including Iowa Area Agencies on Aging, Gerontology Society of Iowa, Csomay Center for Gerontological Excellence, Iowa Aging and Disability Resource Center, and aging and gerontology studies programs at Iowa universities. The goal is to expand this group of supporters to include diverse community services, programs, and individuals who are Dementia Friends!! For more information, contact Joe Sample at director@4ia.org.

A community-focused approach that engages residents, family members, and care staff of Coalition member organizations, as well as community members in the broader Quad City region, is being considered. The Conversation Project an initiative of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, is among options being discussed. This important nationwide movement has a goal of helping everyone talk about their wishes for care through the end of life, so those wishes can be understood and respected. As Co-founder and Director Ellen Goodman notes, “The Conversation Project emphasizes having a conversation on values – what matters to you, not what is the matter with you.” Visit their website for more information.

Longtime research practice change partner, Western Home Communities in Cedar Falls, is training their staff to be Dementia Friends using the online program. In the upcoming year, leaders hope to collaborate with Dementia Friends Iowa to offer live (in person) training to staff, older adults living at WHC, and also family and community members.

Key WHC leaders are also participating in Dementia Friendly Cedar Valley, the first Dementia Friendly Community USA program in Iowa and companion program to Dementia Friends. Led by Megan Zimmerman, Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging, Dementia Friendly Cedar Valley is training community sectors, such as employees of restaurants, grocery stores, banks, first responders, and other community-based services. The goal is to help service provider better understand dementia, and in turn interact in ways to support and respect persons living with dementia and their care partners. Please see the short overview programs about Dementia Friends and Dementia Friendly Communities at our Dementia Friendly webpage.  

The Iowa Geriatric Education Center (IGEC), home to the Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP), provides a yearly Geriatric Lecture Series that focuses on topics that are important to providing best practice care to older adults and their family care partners. This year’s Series offer Age-Friendly programs that address the 4Ms: What Matters, Medications, Mobility, and Mentation: Depression, Dementia and Delirium. The GLS offers free continuing education credits and certificates of attendance for individuals who complete all modules in the series. For more information or to register, visit https://igec.uiowa.edu/gls

This program is sponsored by Gateway Geriatric Education Center that is one of 48 Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Programs nationwide. “The Future of Geriatric Care in Older Adults” will be held via teleconference (Zoom) on June 3^rd and 4^th, 2021. Diverse geriatric program topics will address appropriate prevention, assessment and intention strategies. The program is free and offers continuing education credits. For more information and/or to registration, visit their website.

2021 Alzheimer’s Impact Movement (AIM) Advocacy Forum Registration is Now Open. The Alzheimer’s Association, Iowa Chapter just announced that the nation’s premiere Alzheimer’s advocacy event will be held virtually on May 19th at 7:00 pm ET (6pm CT). The Association and AIM will once again honor congressional champions and advocate leaders during the virtual event. Advocates will have the opportunity to meet with their Members of Congress on May 17th and 18th. Register today! For more information about the Iowa Chapter and advocacy work locally, contact Robyn Mills (Public Policy Director, Alzheimer's Association, Iowa Chapter) at romills@alz.org

University of Iowa researchers are looking for participants to help evaluate if qualities of older adult’s speech can be used to detect late-life depression. If so, there are opportunities to identify and treat depression early! We are seeking older adults who are 65 years old or older, speak English, can read study-related materials, and have mild or more depression. Participation involves 2 virtual visits that each take about 30 minutes. Visits involve completing a depression scale and reading study passages using a computerized recording application. Participation is conducted through phone calls and an on-line program. In-person contact is not required. For more information contact us at audible-depression@uiowa.edu

The Csomay Center welcomes the opportunity to share news from our community-based partners and readers. If you have a story, information about upcoming events, or news that you want to pass along to other, please do send to us! Send the information tor Ryleigh Maas for inclusion in an upcoming issue. And if you have any questions about the fit or timing of your news, just ask Ryleigh at Ryleigh-Maas@uiowa.edu

Please visit GeriatricPain.org