Warning Signs of Alzheimer's with Healthy Living for Your Brain and Body (Part I) Advancing the Science: The Latest in Dementia Research (Part II)

Instructors: Debra Ross and Jean Barnas

The first segment of this class is a discussion of typical age-related memory capability and thinking or behavior changes that may evolve as a person ages. Common warning signs of Alzheimer's and dementia will be identified and explained, with tips for interactions with someone having memory concerns. A subset of this discussion will be strategies for good decision­ making in the areas of sleep, smoking, physical and mental health, nutrition, and cognitive and social engagement. Science-based guidelines will be offered for each of these strategies.
The second segment of this class provides a focus on the latest research on Alzheimer's and other dementias, where tremendous gains have been made in the basic understanding of the science and biology underlying these disorders. These advances are leading to great strides in strategies for prevention, detection, diagnostics and therapeutic interventions­with significant help from the Alzheimer's Association.

About the Presenters: Debra Ross has served as a champion for quality dementia and health care education to professionals and the community for almost three decades. She has been a volunteer educator and speaker for the Alzheimer's Association Greater Michigan Chapter for almost two decades, continues to facilitate the Dementia Certification program, and serves as a monthly support group facilitator for individuals diagnosed in the early stages of dementia.
Jean Barnas is a program director at the Alzheimer's Association and has worked there since 2001. She learned about the practical aspects of the disorder by being a caregiver for her mother for 10 years after she had been stricken with Alzheimer's. This practical experience is bolstered by a master's degree in gerontology and counseling.