ST. LOUIS — The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America is hosting a free Alzheimer’s and Caregiving Educational Conference on Wednesday in St. Louis County. The conference is a part of the foundation's 2023 national Educating America Tour.
A spokesperson with the nonprofit said more than 120,000 people in Missouri are living with Alzheimer’s disease.
The conference plans to give St. Louisans access to learn from local experts in the field of Alzheimer’s disease, brain health and caregiving.
“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,” Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., AFA’s president and CEO, said. “Connecting families with useful, practical information and support that can help them now and be better prepared for the future is what this conference is all about."
Free and confidential memory screenings will be conducted throughout the day on Wednesday.
Sessions during the conference include local experts:
- The Aging Brain and the Elimination of Alzheimer’s Disease – Dr. David Carr will talk about cognitive change, the causes of dementia, and the latest diagnostic tests and treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. He will also provide tips to help protect brain health. Dr. Carr is an Alan A. and Edith L. Wolff professor of Geriatric Medicine and clinical director in the Division of Geriatrics and Nutritional Science at the Washington University School of Medicine. He is also a clinician in the Memory Diagnostic Center and Geriatric Assessment Clinic at Washington University, where he maintains an outpatient consulting practice in dementia and geriatric care.
- Cognitive Stimulation Therapy for Persons with Dementia – Dr. Marla Berg-Weger will explain how Cognitive Stimulation Therapy uses strategies that exercise different cognitive skills, including executive functioning, multi-sensory stimulation, and reminiscence, with the goal of improving cognitive function, through the use of word association/categorization, current affairs, food, and number games. She will provide information on accessing groups and practitioner training. Dr. Berg-Weger is a professor of Social Work and executive director of the Geriatric Education Center at Saint Louis University, as well as a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America.
- Fall, Burnout and Isolation –Tips and Tricks for Caregivers by the Caregiver Club – Alicia Behan Christopher and Jodie Finney, co-founders and co-presidents of the Caregiver Club, will provide advice on how to prevent falls and modify your home to make it more dementia friendly. In addition, they will talk about combating isolation and caregiver burnout. The duo founded the nonprofit to help improve the lives of individuals living with dementia by supporting their caregivers, based on their own personal experiences of caring for a loved one living with dementia.
Event Details
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Where: The Renaissance St. Louis Airport Hotel - 9801 Natural Bridge Road, St. Louis
To register for the conference, click here.
