Speaker Biography

Ms. Virginia Lee

MSW, MS, CSW-G, ACHP-SW and CCM, USA

Title: Assessments, Interventions and Caring for Patients with Alzheimer's and Dementia

Ms. Virginia Lee
Biography:

Virginia Lee has been a Social Worker for the past 25 years. Her work has primarily focused on assisting people who are frailer-ed,. living with chronic illness, in health care social work  She also sees patients who seek help for variety of reasons.  For most of her career, she worked at  Masonicare Care, a premier home care agency, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes and NYC Health and Hospital Corporation at Bellevue Hospital, a trauma hospital and Coler Memorial Hospital.  She has sat on many committees, including Advisory Member of Late Life Issues Committee in Fairfield County, Co Chair Aging Committee with Connecticut National Association of Social Workers, Creative Learning  Advisory Board Meetings. She has a passion for professional training, education, and empowering aging and palliative care. Virginia has been awarded the prestigious Albert Nelson  Marquis Life time Achievement Award. 

Abstract:

In 2016, The World Alzheimer’s report estimated that 47 million around the globe had Dementia.  By 2050, an American will be diagnosing with Alzheimer’s every 33 seconds.  Caregivers provide 18 billion hours of unpaid assistance. In 2017, Every 66 seconds, an American will develop Alzheimer’s Disease. .   Leading cause of Dementias are: Alzheimer’s Disease Vascular Dementia, Parkinson’s Disease, Lewy Body Disease, Alcohol-related Dementia,(Korstkoff’s syndrome), HIV/AIDS Related Dementias, and Frontal-Temporal Dementias ( Pick’s Disease). Early signs of Alzheimer’s over 60 found those who consistently slept for more than 9 hours each might twice as likely to develop neurological conditions.  Arterial stiffness in Older Adults predicts future Dementia (Chen Cui U of Pittsburgh 2018).

Stages of Dementias include Mild Cognitive impairment, Early Dementia, Moderate Dementia, and Severe Dementia.

Risk factors of Dementia and Alzheimer’s include age, sedentary lifestyle, genetics, head trauma, lower education, poor social support, obesity, depression, hypertension, smoking, heart disease, and miscarriage in pregnancy.

Caring for Patients with Alzheimer’s and other Dementias include home safety tips, memory Aids, Enhanced communications, Strategies to assist with patients with mood and behavioral problems, such as Reminiscence techniques, communications enhancement techniques and positive psychology. 

Implications for practice, policy or research.  There’s a positive connection between higher levels of education and lower risk of dementia, including that the higher educated exercise more and both weight  

Researchers and Dr. Tanzi suggest that the therapeutic answer might ultimately be a cocktail of medications. “Drugs to hit amyloid early on, drugs to hit tangles early on, drugs to hit inflammation,” Dr. Tanzi said. “And you might want to add antivirals.” (NYTimes Nov.2018)

Delirium and Alzheimer’s disease share many underlying path physiologic contributions. Thus preventing delirium may in turn prevent Alzheimer’s disease

 Legal Instruments and financial issues to be planned with, Social Workers, Geriatric Care Managers, Alzheimer’s Association and Elder Law Attorneys. 

Finally, the presentation will encourage social workers to examine their own practice implications when working with Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias in community, , hospital, long term care settings, palliative care and hospice settings. Personal and Professional challenges. Professional and Reading Resources will be provided.