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The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) will host a virtual Alzheimer’s educational conference for Wisconsin residents on Wednesday, August 24, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CST as part of its Educating America 2022 national tour. The conference, which is free and open to all, will enable attendees to learn from and ask questions of health and care experts. To register, go to www.alzfdn.org/tour.
“Knowledge is a useful and powerful tool that can help make any situation easier to navigate, especially something as challenging as caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease,” said Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., President & CEO of AFA. “Connecting families with useful, practical information and support that can help them now and better prepare for the future is what this conference is all about. Whether Alzheimer’s is affecting your family, you’re a caregiver, or you just want to learn more, you can attend this free virtual conference from the comfort of your home or office.”
Sessions during the AFA virtual conference will include:
- Early detection and reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease – Recent research shows that brain changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease begin long before dementia is diagnosed. Lindsay Clark, Ph.D., will discuss the research and challenges of early detection. It will share common dementia risk factors and provide strategies for risk reduction and intervention. These include cardiovascular risk factors and cerebrovascular function. Clark is a clinical neuropsychologist and assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Medicine and the Madison VA Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC).
- My Two Elaines: Learning, Coping, and Surviving as an Alzheimer’s Caregiver – Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s can be challenging, but it’s important for caregivers to know they’re not alone. Martin J. Schreiber, a family caregiver, attorney and former governor of Wisconsin, will share tips he learned while caring for his wife, Elaine, during the 18 years she lived with Alzheimer’s. He’ll describe strategies that worked and didn’t work for him and offer guidance for other families caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s.
- Home Security – Most families who have a loved one living with dementia prefer to keep their loved one at home to live independently in a comfortable environment rather than placing them in a care facility. But to do this, it’s important to make sure the home is safe and dementia-friendly. Janet Weigel, CDS, will assist care partners by informing them of vital safety needs at home. It will help assess areas of your home and daily living that may need adjustment as dementia progresses. This will help prevent falls and keep your loved one safe, happy and able to live more independently. Janet is a Board Certified Dementia Practitioner and Dementia Outreach Specialist with the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Alliance of Wisconsin for Columbia, Marquette and Sauk Counties. She was also a family caregiver for her father, who was living with Lewy Body Dementia.
For more information or to register, go to www.alzfdn.org/tour. Those unable to attend the virtual conference or have immediate questions about Alzheimer’s disease can connect with licensed social workers seven days a week through AFA’s National Toll Free Helpline by calling 866-232 -8484 or by chatting online at www.alzfdn.org by clicking the blue and white chat icon in the right corner of the page. The online chat function is available in more than 90 languages.
About the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA)
The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide support, services, and education to individuals, families, and caregivers affected by Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias nationwide, and to fund research into better treatments. good and cure. Its services include a National Toll Free Helpline (866-232-8484) staffed by licensed social workers, the National Memory Screening Program, AFA Partners in Care conferences and educational materials, and dementia care training for health care professionals. For more information about AFA, call 866-232-8484, visit www.alzfdn.org, follow us on Twitter or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn. AFA has earned Charity Navigator’s top 4-star rating for seven consecutive years.
