MEMORY CARE
Innovation Plus Outreach Critical to Meet the Coming Wave in Memory Care
By Sara Wildberger
when there’s a sharp uptick ahead. And that’s what the numbers on Alzheimer’s disease and dementia look like from this moment until 2050: going up, and fast. How can senior living leaders prepare for this abrupt spike in need for memory care? Innovative programs, community outreach and engagement, and participation in pi- lots and clinical trials were the top areas discussed at the Argentum Memory Care Symposium hosted in June in Washington, D.C. sponsored by MatrixCare.
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Facing the wave “The time is now to be thinking about how we’re going to be treating 10 times the number we do today,” said keynoter George Vradenburg, chairman and co-founder of UsAgainstAlzheimer’s. “Society won’t do it; taxpayers won’t do it—you’re the leading edge. So set the standards now.” Among the calls to action Vradenburg
made to senior living leaders: Open more doors to involvement in clinical trials, and
55% Deaths
from Alzheimer’s disease increased
from 1999-2014. Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control
40 SENIOR LIVING EXECUTIVE / ISSUE 4 2017
atch out for the “hockey stick.” That’s the metaphor for the shape data takes on a chart
The number of U.S. Latinos living with Alzheimer’s disease is projected to grow
832%
2012 2030 2060
379,000 1.1 million 3.5 million Source: USC Roybal institute on Aging and LatinosAgainstAlzheimer’s Network
develop ways to share information, data, and innovations, while recognizing the importance of preserving proprietary in- formation and healthy business practices. Be advocates for trials, he urged: “I would love to see a study about what matters most to residents and how you respect that at the individual level.” Senior living leaders can play a strong
role in the search not only for a cure but also for interventions that improve quality of life for those living with memory decline. Directing resources to timely detection and diagnosis, working with communities on dementia-friendliness, promoting better in- tegration with health care, and coordination with arts institutions and colleges were other ideas he extended. These are win-win propositions for se- nior living, Vradenburg pointed out. For instance, such eff orts can result in net lower cost of health care delivery in communities, or lower cost of treatments in the future.
Reaching out to diverse communities Recognizing that people living with mem- ory disorders are from diverse cultures and communities is key to better quality of life. Presenters in the “Memory Care & Diverse Communities: The Need for Action & Re- sources” panel provided a picture of some of these diverse communities and what they need. Moderator Virginia Biggar, executive
director, Patient-Caregiver, Faith and Vet- eran Initiatives at UsAgainstAlzheimer’s, drew attention to the group’s new initiatives focused on veterans, including outreach us- ing technology such as online groups and podcasts, which allow a geographically widespread cultural group to share support. Alzheimer’s is a “perfect storm” situation for America’s Latinos: They’re the fastest-growing older adult population in the United States and they’re 1.5 times as likely as whites to get the disease, pointed out Jason Resendez, executive director, LatinosAgainstAlzheimer’s
by 2060
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