Neurologist opera singer, veterans’ care experts to headline spring Memory Care Forum

Ready to learn about the latest research and best practices in memory care?

With all-new programming, the 2017 spring Memory Care Forum kicks off May 22-23 in Philadelphia. Its 23 speakers will cover topics including executive strategy, staff training, resident engagement, art therapy, medication management, memory care environmental design and the legal rights of those with dementia.

The two-day event, produced by the Institute for the Advancement of Senior Care and I Advance Senior Care, is specifically tailored to include the executive/administrative strategies for excellence in memory care delivery as well as the leading clinical aspects of dementia caregiving. “This year’s Memory Care Forums promise to build on a movement started in 2016 with a host of new leaders, innovators, researchers and experts sharing their best practices with the community,” says Adam Armstrong, director of the Institute for the Advancement of Senior Care.

Day 1 will kick off with keynoters Kathy Johanns, Program Administrator and Sara Rodriguez, RN, Quality Nurse Manager, both from the Texas State Veterans Homes. They will share their 2016 OPTIMA Award-winning program developed specifically for veterans who have the “double-edged sword” of post-traumatic stress and dementia. 

Day 2 brings back resident engagement guru Joshua Freitas, MEd, CADDCT, CAEd, Vice President of program development for CERTUS Senior Living, LLC, who will address the challenges of delivering quality dementia care amid the care setting and how to develop a sense of community among families and residents.

* An expanded slate of experiential sessions will give attendees opportunities for hands-on learning about how those with dementia perceive their world and how to use art and dance as communication pathways.

* New this year is a luncheon panel led by Mary Radnofsky, PhD, an author and educator with the Socrates Institute, with several panelists who have  dementia. The panel will discuss how administrators and caregivers can embrace the “nothing about us without us” principle and involve residents in more decision-making.

Other session speakers include:

• Amy Carpenter, AIA, LEED ap, Senior Associate at SFCS, Inc., who will speak about memory care-friendly interior design and how to “arrange the house” for better outcomes for those with dementia.
• Christopher Simon Coehlo, NHA, Continuous Quality Improvement Coordinator at Abe’s Garden, a memory care-only center in Nashville, who will discuss how his organization transformed the way the staff communicates with residents with dementia for improved outcomes.
• Daniel Haimowitz, MD, CMD, FACP, who will discuss dementia medication management and the crucial partnership between physicians and skilled nursing staff.
• Molly Fogel, LCSW, MSW, Director of Educational and Social Services, Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, who will speak on the impact of dementia on communication.

The closing keynote will be presented by Linda Maguire, MHS, MA-CBN, BMus, a geriatrics neuroscientist and opera singer who has learned to master the scientific power of music for those with cognitive challenges.

Read more about the expert speakers for the Philadelphia conference here.

Can't make it in May? The Fall Memory Care Forum will be held Sept. 14-15 in San Diego.

The Memory Care Forum is proud to have the following association and industry partners:

I Advance Senior Care

I Advance Senior Care is the industry-leading source for practical, in-depth, business-building, and resident care information for owners, executives, administrators, and directors of nursing at assisted living communities, skilled nursing facilities, post-acute facilities, and continuing care retirement communities. The I Advance Senior Care editorial team and industry experts provide market analysis, strategic direction, policy commentary, clinical best-practices, business management, and technology breakthroughs.

I Advance Senior Care is part of the Institute for the Advancement of Senior Care and published by Plain-English Health Care.