The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) will host a free virtual Alzheimer’s educational conference for Californians on Tuesday, November 15 from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm PST as part of its 2022 national Educating America Tour.  The conference, which is free and open to everyone, will allow participants to learn from health and caregiving experts in the fields of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and the legal concerns associated with the disease.  To register, go to www.alzfdn.org/tour. 

“Knowledge is a useful and powerful tool that can help make any situation easier to navigate, especially something as challenging as caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease,” said Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., AFA’s President & CEO. “Connecting families with useful, practical information and support that can help them now and be better prepared for the future is what this conference is all about. Whether Alzheimer’s is affecting your family, you are a caregiver or just want to learn more about brain health, we invite you to join us on November 15.”

Sessions during the AFA conference will include:

·         Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease and Future Directions for Treatment and Prevention – Dr. J. Wesson Ashford will discuss understanding the biology of Alzheimer’s disease, imaging the Alzheimer’s brain, developing screening approaches for cognitive impairment, and finding ways to treat and prevent Alzheimer’s disease, which currently affects more than 6.2 million Americans and more than 690,000 Californians.

J. Wesson Ashford, MD, PhD, is the Director of the War Related Illness & Injury Study Center at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System; a Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University; and Chair of AFA’s Medical, Scientific and Memory Screening Advisory Board.  He is also a Senior Editor for the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

·         Estate Planning for Incapacity– It is important for families impacted by Alzheimer’s disease to make sure that they have the right legal documents in place.  Estate planning is not just something that you do to protect your loved ones after you die.  Certified Elder Law Attorney Dennis M. Sandoval will explain that a major part of estate planning is incapacity planning.  He will describe this with an overview of living trusts, powers of attorney, advance health care directives, POLST forms and HIPAA authorization forms.  He will advise on how to protect individuals who have lost the ability to manage their personal and financial affairs.

Mr. Sandoval is a managing partner of Sandoval Legacy Group, based in Riverside.  He is a Certified Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law Specialist; a Certified Taxation Law Specialist; and Fellow with the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. 

·         A Dementia Diagnosis: What Happens Next? – When a loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, family members often do not know where to turn or what to do.  Do not try to go on this journey alone.  There are a lot of support services available.  Mary Michlovich, Executive Director of the OPICA Adult Day Care, in Los Angeles, will address the importance of community-based organizations to provide support for the individual living with dementia and the caregiver.  She will provide guidance on resources ranging from education to respite, information, support groups and counseling, socialization and engagement.

Since 2006, Ms. Michlovich has served as Executive Director of OPICA, and in that time implemented the OPICA Brain Train, expanded art and music therapy programs, increased intergenerational programs, initiated numerous collaborations with other organizations, developed new programs and increased census.  Prior to OPICA, she was the Director of the Culver City Senior Center.

For more information or to register, go to www.alzfdn.org/tour. Those who cannot participate in the 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 by calling 866-232-8484 or web chatting at www.alzfdn.org by clicking the blue and white chat icon in the right-hand corner of the page. The web chat feature is available in more than 90 languages.

The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide support, services and education to individuals, families and caregivers affected by Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias nationwide and to fund research for better treatment and a cure. Its services include a National Toll-Free Helpline (866-232-8484) staffed by licensed social workers, the National Memory Screening Program, educational conferences and materials, and “AFA Partners in Care” dementia care training for healthcare professionals. For more information about AFA, call 866-232-8484, visit www.alzfdn.org, follow us on Twitter or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.  AFA has earned Charity Navigator’s top 4-star rating for seven consecutive years.