Webinar Series on Dementia and IDD

The National Task Group (NTG) on Dementia and Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (IDD) announces their first webinar series addressing the challenges related to the increase in the diagnosis of dementia for adults with IDD, their families, health care providers, and support agencies. This series is a result of a year of collaboration amongst members to identify the issues and potential solutions. One of the recommendations to address cited issues was to present training through traditional seminar formats and webinars on the various topics identified (NTG, 2012).
The Webinar series has been generously funded by the Special Hope Foundation. The Special Hope Foundation’s mission is to provide accessible healthcare delivery designed to meet the needs of adults with developmental disabilities. By funding this webinar series they are providing national training that will help health care providers, organizations, and advocates reduce disparities in access to quality assessment, interventions, and care for older adults with cognitive or functioning decline due to dementia. There will be a small additional fee to cover future workshops and seminars.
Outlined below is the series coordinated by the NTG. The Webinar training will be presented in two series of 4 topics held weekly in March and May 2013. The March Series will be held on Tuesdays March 5, 12, 19, and 26 from 1:00 to 2:30PM EST.
Registration will be opened January 15th for the March Series. For registration information after that date please go to this link.

March Webinar Schedule

March 5, 2013, 1:00PM to 2:30PM EST: Introduction of Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (IDD) and Dementia, Presenters: Matthew Janicki, Ph.D., The University of Illinois at Chicago and Mary Hogan, MS, Family Advocate

Discussion will include an overview of the demographics and systems issues as well as diagnostic issues that are specific to adults with IDD. The topics to be discussed in this series will also be introduced in this session. Included will be a discussion from a family member of the impact dementia can have on an older adult with IDD through her personal experiences with her brother.

March 12, 2013, 1:00PM to 2:30PM EST: The Importance of Early Detection and Diagnosis of Dementia for Adults with IDD, Presenter: Lucille Esralew, Ph.D., Trinitas Regional Medical Center

This session will focus on the importance of early detection and intervention, especially for adults with IDD as diagnostic overshadowing and lack of understanding of the symptoms for dementia in adults with pre-existing cognitive impairments are challenges in caregiving. That NTG on Dementia and IDD sub-committee on screening, chaired by Dr. Esralew, has developed a tool for early detection. This tool will be presented along with the findings from the first pilot of this tool.

March 19, 2013, 1:00PM to 2:30PM EST: Systems Issues for Adults with IDD and Dementia, Presenters: Kathy Service, RN, Ph.D., Massachusetts Department of IDD and Mary Beth Schneider, NYSARC

The Developmental Disabilities System has traditionally focused on children and young adults. Research and program adaptations for older adults has lagged behind the increasing numbers of older adults requiring services to meet changing needs, including the onset of loss due to dementia. Family, staff, and community health care providers have not traditionally been trained in this area so few resources exist to meet these new challenges. Additionally, it is essential that a person centered approach be used to make sure that a quality of life and care continues to be available for each individual adult with IDD and dementia. These issues will be discussed in this session.

March 26, 2013, 1:00PM to 2:30PM EST: Collaboration across the networks for Adults with IDD, Dementia, and their Caregivers, Presenters: Larry Force, Ph.D., Center on Aging and Policy at Mt. St Mary College, and Ron Lucchino, Ph.D. Age Inc and NTG Member Advocate

Often the intersection of the aging networks with the IDD service network is through the caregivers who provide about 85% of the care for adults with IDD. However, older caregivers are experiencing the same rate of loss due to dementia as in the general older population. It is essential that the networks of resources and research are working together to solve this growing incidence of dementia in caregivers and adults with IDD. The existing gaps in services as well as possible points of duplication will be discussed as well as recommendations provided past on past experiences of networking and collaboration by the presenters.

References:

National Task Group on Intellectual Disabilities and Dementia Practice. (2012). ‘My Thinker’s Not Working’: A National Strategy for Enabling Adults with Intellectual Disabilities Affected by Dementia to Remain in Their Community and Receive Quality Supports.