Alzheimer's Foundation of America to Hold Free Virtual Educational Conference

Special guest appearance by Dr. Mehmet Oz

The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America’s (AFA) will host a free virtual educational conference as part of its national Educating America Tour to help New Yorkers affected by Alzheimer’s disease during the COVID-19 crisis. The event will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 16. It is designed to provide information and advice from health, legal and caregiving experts. Guest speaker is Dr. Mehmet Oz, host of “The Dr. Oz Show.” The event is free and open to all. To register, go to www.alzfdn.org/tour.

“Knowledge is a useful and powerful tool that can help make any situation easier to navigate. That’s especially true now as more than 400,000 New York families are caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., AFA’s president and CEO. “We want individuals who are caring for someone with Alzheimer’s to know about the resources available to help them and steps that 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.”

Sessions during the AFA virtual conference will include:

•The Caregiver Story – Special guest speaker Dr. Oz will share his family’s personal Alzheimer’s story regarding the diagnosis of his mother, Suna Oz, last year. He will discuss how her diagnosis has impacted their family, the importance of getting help with memory concerns and Alzheimer’s disease, and why people should not be afraid or ashamed to talk about these issues. Dr. Oz will also provide tips to promote good brain health and healthy aging.

•Safety and Health While Navigating the Reopening Process – Allison Reiss, M.D., will talk about maintaining health and safety for families as we navigate the reopening process. She will discuss COVID-19 symptoms, its transmission, and methods to minimize risk of infection and maintain the health of the individual and caregivers. Reiss will also discuss the appropriate use of telemedicine and other forms of remote health care to minimize exposure to the virus. Reiss is head of the inflammation laboratory at NYU Winthrop Hospital, an associate professor of medicine at NYU Long Island School of Medicine, and a member of AFA’s medical, scientific and memory screening advisory board.

•Creating Your Long-Term Care Team During COVID-19 – Having a strong network is essential for caregivers to reduce stress, prevent burnout, and, ultimately, provide the best care possible. Amy O’Hara, Esq., certified elder law attorney and partner at Littman Krooks LLP, and Nancy Lorince, owner of ComForCare Home Care, will teach how to build that support structure to aid in caregiving. Tips will be provided for long-term care planning, preparing for the unexpected, and prioritizing and delegating responsibilities. They’ll also address when it is time to involve professionals and the importance of self-care.

•The Critical Role of Caregiving Technology During COVID-19 and Beyond – Stephen Popovich, president and CEO of Clairvoyant Networks, will discuss how technology can aid in caregiving during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. He will talk about how implementing simple-to-use, cost-effective cloud-based applications can help improve the lives of seniors, those with memory care needs as well as their caregivers.

For more information or to register, go to www.alzfdn.org/tour. Those who can’t participate in the virtual conference or have immediate questions about Alzheimer’s disease can connect with licensed social workers seven days a week through AFA’s national toll-free helpline at 866-232-8484; or via an online web chat (available in 90-plus languages) at www.alzfdn.org by clicking the blue and white chat icon in the right hand corner of the page.