“It’s really hard to say which of these prod- ucts are beneficial and which aren’t.” There needs to be communication and collaboration among the resident, their family, the prescriber, and the pharmacist to determine the best, safest course of treat- ment for each individual. And community staff should stress to residents that they shouldn’t start any over-the-counter drugs, herbals, or other products without first consulting their physician or pharmacist, Wdowicki said.


TECHNOLOGY IMPROVEMENTS Beyond possible advances on the prescription drug front, there is the urgent need for care of those who have Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, and the Herculean effort to slow or prevent the perils of the dis- eases from happening in the first place. Sarah Lenz Lock, senior vice president


of policy and brain health for AARP, and executive director of the Global Council on Brain Health, said her job is to look for the best ways to empower older adults to choose how they will live as they age. “And I do that by leading a team that is


trying to spark a lifetime of healthier brains and disrupting dementia,” she said. “While there are tremendous opportunities to im- prove care for people right now through treatments that we already know about and improve quality of life, we are also focused on our six pillars of brain health [see p. 25 for the list] as a way to reduce your risk. These modifiable lifestyle factors improve quality of life for people and their caregiv- ers as they’re dealing with this chronic dis- ease that dementia is.” In addition to the lifestyle factors, there


are new technologies that are playing a role in care, notably in the area of artificial in- telligence (AI), communications tools, and other methods. “There’s another example of something


called Amicus Brain, where there are solu- tions and recommendations that AI is being used to facilitate and provide information,” Lenz said. “In the settings of long-term care facilities, there’s all kinds of monitor- ing devices and wearables and monitoring equipment that is useful. And AI can es- tablish and monitor patterns of behavior in ways that a mere mortal can’t.” She said she expects AI solutions to


help flag issues and track developing con- ditions, as well as improving the comfort and communications that are available to individuals. Any advances in tech or drugs are under


the greater umbrella of making sure those with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia are receiving patient-centered care. Lenz said the struggles to make such care universal in the long-term setting is based on the same issues affecting care in other areas, such as worker shortages, lack of continuity with caregivers, and reimbursement. “And, that’s what causes these challenges


for dementia care, because we have evidence- based interventions that work. They are just not being adopted on a wide scale,” she said. When the right care teams are in place,


and stay in place, the interventions in a memory care community can work through human-centered methods, be it music thera- py or some other method, Lenz added.


BRINGING PROVIDERS TOGETHER Doug Pace, senior director, long-term and community-based care, Alzheimer’s Asso- ciation, said another key to the fight is to keep providers on the same page, with his group and collaborators working on a regu- lar basis to update standards and recom- mendations based on person-centered care. “Basically, our very first recommenda-


tion is knowing your person [resident]. It starts there. And then once you know the person, you're really able to recognize and accept that person's reality,” he said. “And, once you do that, then you can really slow it down in a more meaningful way. Every person is different and every person with dementia is different.” An example would be if a caregiver


knows that music is something that really helps a resident then you can explore that and see what kind of music the resident likes, or maybe they are a dog person or a cat person. You learn more about every- thing, what really brings them joy. And, then you use that information for your in- teractions and in caring for them. Pace also leads the association’s work


with its Dementia Care Provider Roundta- ble (www.alz.org/professionals/profession- al-providers/care-provider-roundtable). “The nice thing about that roundtable, it gives everyone an opportunity to have a


MAY/JUNE 2023 ARGENTUM.ORG 23


DOUG PACE Senior Director Long-Term & Community-Based Care, Alzheimer's Association


“The nice thing about that roundtable, it gives everyone an opportunity to have a dialog across different settings...”


SARAH LENZ LOCK Senior Vice President of Policy and Brain Health AARP


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