Cristine Henage is the Assistant Director of Training and Research for the Center for Aging and Health in the Division of Geriatric Medicine at UNC. Over the UNC December Holiday break, she put some old yarn to use by crocheting sleeves for dementia patients. But what’s the purpose of these sleeves?
Occupational therapist Teepa Snow has made it her mission to show dementia in a positive light. “Dementia is a syndrome, not a single condition,” Teepa says. “It can be a primary or secondary issue, can happen at any age, and has many causes and forms.”
Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have been awarded funds from the National Institutes of Health to establish the Duke-UNC Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, a prestigious Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC).
“More than half of older adults are exposed to polypharmacy and the unfortunate thing is that those people are more susceptible to the side effects and they’re more vulnerable to drug-drug interactions. It’s important for physicians, patients, and caregivers to realistically discuss the benefits a medication can and can’t provide, and to have a plan for de-escalating or stopping certain medications.”
A recent study from Assistant Professor Joshua Niznik, PhD, PharmD, Division of Geriatric Medicine, in the Journal of American Geriatrics Society suggests de-prescribing Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors (AChEls) as a reasonable approach to lowering polypharmacy and risk of serious falls or fractures without increasing risk for all-cause negative events in nursing home residents with severe dementia. Co-authors … Read more
(Republished from the UNC Health Care and UNC School of Medicine Newsroom) Governor Cooper proclaimed Sept. 26, 2019, as ‘Dementia Friendly Hospitals Day’ in North Carolina. UNC Health Care marked this occasion by celebrating the expansion of its special training program aimed at providing better care for patients with Alzheimer’s and related dementias.
The Dementia Friendly Hospital Initiative will reach a total of 3,900 employees in four hospitals across North Carolina to raise awareness of how patients with dementia experience care and to meet their unique needs with strategic and compassionate treatment. Read more
Join UNC’s CGWEP (Carolina Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program) and Wake AHEC on Friday February 22nd for a day-long conference on “A Person / Family Centered Approach to Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia Care.” The workshop will provide a safe and supportive space for families, patients, caregivers, and providers to share strategies and best practices on: … Read more
The Duke Endowment funded UNC’s Center for Aging and Health to train four hospitals in best practices of “dementia-friendly” patient care. The Dementia-Friendly Hospital Initiative (DFHI) will transform the hospital experience for patients with dementia. Read more