Mike Splaine Attends IDD Meeting in Berlin
From October 2-4, Mike Splaine joined hundreds of professionals, providers, advocates, persons with dementia, and caregivers in Berlin, Germany, for the annual Alzheimer Europe conference. On October 3, members of the International Summit on Intellectual Disability & Dementia met for a informational meeting.
As Mike reports, caring for persons with IDD and dementia is a growing challenge that will greatly impact our health and social care systems, based on demographics and on the past 60 years of social policy around institutionalization and community-based care.
Another important outcome of the meeting? There were 7 papers accepted in peer-reviewed journals, including “Consensus Statement of the International Summit on Intellectual Disability and Dementia on Valuing the Perspectives of Persons with Intellectual Disability,” which has been accepted by the Journal of Intellectual Disability. Learn more at the National Task Group on Intellectual Disabilities and Dementia Practices (NTG) website.
New Report Features Writing of Kate Gordon
Splaine Consulting team member Kate Gordon is among the writers responsible for a new American Society on Aging report released in September: Supporting People with Dementia and Their Caregivers in the Community. Kudos to Kate for her excellent (and timely) chapter on “Dementia Among Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Policies and Practices.” In the piece, Kate provides an overview of the types of home and community-based services (HCBS) available to individuals with IDD who develop dementia, promising practices, and more. Read the report here.
NADSA Update
In late September, Mike Splaine joined providers and advocates attending the National Adult Day Services Association (NADSA) Conference, held in St. Petersburg, Florida. This year’s theme was “Celebrating Diversity in Adult Day Services.” One important takeaway from the conference, says Mike, is that as more state Medicaid programs are take over by managed care organizations, Adult Day Services (ADS) will play a more important role in managed care as a long term care option.
Alzheimer’s News Around the World: The latest in Alzheimer’s policy
ADI Releases Two New Global Reports
On September 28th, Alzheimer’s Disease International released their newest report, Dementia in Sub-saharan Africa: Challenges and Opportunities. The report presents the latest research and calls for action to improve awareness of, and access to, vital health services in the region. Also released in September by ADI: an updated version of the Global Dementia Friendly Communities report.
On that note, we’re excited to announce that Mike Splaine will be presenting on the topic of Dementia Friendly Innovations Around the World as a keynote speaker at the 2017 Action Communities Learning Summit on October 24th in Minnesota. Learn more here.
National Alzheimer’s Project Act Update
On Friday, September 18th, the 2017 updates to the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA) were published on the NAPA Website. In order to create a focused and accessible document, federal agencies provided narrative descriptions of activities completed in 2016, plus progress on ongoing initiatives. Activities outlined in this National Plan Update vary in scope and impact, and include: immediate actions that the Federal Government has taken and will take; actions toward the goals that can be initiated by the Federal Government or its public and private partners in the near term; and longer-range activities that will require numerous actions by federal and non-federal partners to achieve. See the updates here.
Recommended Reading: The Alzheimer’s Medical Advisor
Written by experts at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University, this helpful book for caregivers is based on the latest clinical knowledge and scientific research on Alzheimer’s and the care of Alzheimer’s and dementia patients. From basic facts about Alzheimer’s and other dementias to practical guidance on the day-to-day, along with a full chapter on self-care for caregivers, this resource was developed through a grant from the National Institute of Nursing Research. Order the book here.
Splaine Consulting Presents…Want to know what’s happening in dementia policy around the world? If you’re an American Society on Aging member, stay tuned for a link to the archived version of our Global Dementia Policy webinar, presented on World Alzheimer’s Day, September 21st.