Alzheimer’s Caregiver Symposium Offered in Temple
Scott & White Memorial Hospital, the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System (CTVHCS) and the College of Medicine at the Texas A&M University System Health Science Center are presenting “Hope and Help for the Alzheimer’s Disease Caregiver” symposium Wednesday, March 16. The daylong program, registered as Brain Awareness Week event with the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives, will be held in the Medical Education building’s Mayborn Auditorium at Scott & White.
The purpose of the event is to provide health care professionals and Alzheimer’s patient family members with the latest information on the disease, advances in research and therapies, legal and financial issues, care techniques and available resources. Attendees have the opportunity to hear presentations from Alzheimer’s specialists and participate in breakout groups. A panel of community partners will offer information on local resources answer questions during a Q&A session.
“Hope and Help” speakers include: program director and College of Medicine assistant professor Dr. Leigh A. Holcomb, CTVHCS Neuropsychiatry Research Program; Dr. Maryann Choi, Scott & White Institute of Aging; Howard Gruetzner, M.E., director of the Waco Heart of Texas chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association; Laura Swann, J.D., Eldercare lawyer from Naman, Howell, Smith & Lee; and Dr. Judith Warren, professor and extension gerontology specialist from Texas A&M University.
Community partners for the event are the Austin and Waco chapters of the Alzheimer’s Association, Area Agency on Aging, Friends for Life, House Cross Living Centers, VistaCare Hospice and the Texas Cooperative Extension.
Event organizers have been advertising the symposium through local agencies, assisted living homes, churches and the newspaper. Registration will be held from 7:45 to 8:15 a.m. and is open on a walk-in basis. The event also has been approved for Continuing Medical Education credits.
Program Director Dr. Leigh A. Holcomb hopes attendees will benefit from the information presented at the symposium.
“This event is designed to bring medical and community resources together for the people that need it,” Holcomb said. “People need to know more about the research being done on Alzheimer’s disease and understand how far we have come in the last 10-15 years. We are trying to raise awareness about the disease and the resources that are available to help caregivers.”
