Free virtual meeting helps residents with Alzheimer’s

The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) will host a free virtual educational conference, as part of its national Educating America Tour to help Wisconsin residents affected by Alzheimer’s disease during the COVID-19 crisis. The event takes place Thursday, Aug. 20, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The conference will provide information and advice from health, legal and caregiving experts, and is free and open to all.

“Knowledge is a useful and powerful tool that can help make any situation easier to navigate,” said Charles J. Fuschillo Jr., the AFA’s president and CEO. “That’s especially true now, as more than 120,000 Wisconsin families are caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The AFA wants individuals who are caring for someone with Alzheimer’s, to know about resources available to help them, and steps they can take to improve their loved one’s care and quality of life.

“This conference will bring that information directly to families, without having to leave their homes,” said Fuschillo.

As part of the conference, Dr. Mehmet Oz will share his family’s personal Alzheimer’s story, regarding the diagnosis of his mother, Suna Oz, last year. He will describe how the diagnosis impacted his family and will share tips to promote good brain health, and healthy aging.

Sessions during the AFA virtual conference include the following: Brain Health in the Time of COVID-19 – Keynote speaker Nathaniel Chin, MD, will talk about prevention of COVID- 19, as well as dealing with the consequences of isolation. He will also discuss prevention of cognitive and functional decline, as the nation is still in the midst of the pandemic, especially as it affects seniors. Chin will also provide healthy lifestyle tips.

Powers of Attorney, Worth Their Weight in Gold – Jennifer A. O’Neill, certified elder law attorney and founder of O’Neill Elder Law in Hudson, will provide tips for longterm care planning, preparing for the unexpected, and prioritizing and delegating responsibilities. She will discuss the importance of powers of attorney and the different types of powers of attorney that are available.

Finding Hope, Humor, and Heart in Caregiving – Elaine K. Sanchez, caregiver lecturer, author and co-founder of CaregiverHelp.com, will share stories based on her book, Letters from Madelyn, Chronicles of a Caregiver. She will teach how to develop an attitude of creative indifference toward caregiver anger, guilt, depression and grief. She will also explain why having negative feelings doesn’t make someone a bad person.

For more information or to register, visit alzfdn.org/tour. Those who can’t participate in the virtual conference or have questions about Alzheimer’s disease, can connect with licensed social workers seven days a week, through a toll-free helpline at 866-232-8484.