GSA Momentum Discussions

The Alter program is a nurse-led, dementia-friendly congregation program aimed at empowering African American churches to serve all members, including those living with dementia and their families. Fayron Epps, PhD, RN, FGSA, FAAN, developed the Alter program to increase dementia awareness; develop a supportive, faith-based dementia-friendly infrastructure; and create a community supporting the well-being of African Americans livin...

In this Momentum Discussion Podcast episode, our guest shares challenges and opportunities around brain health in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. He provides insights into the Healthy Brain Initiative’s Road Map for Indian Country and discusses success stories with indigenous communities addressing dementia issues. Finally, he outlines research questions that need to be answered to successfully address brain health i...

The National Consumers League and National Council on Aging worked with health leaders and obesity specialists to establish a set of rights so people with obesity will be screened, diagnosed, counseled and effectively treated for their overweight and obesity based on medical treatment guidelines. During the Momentum Discussion Podcast episode, leaders from these two organizations discuss the impetus for and development of the Obesi...

Most individuals with dementia experience behavioral symptoms during their disease trajectory. These symptoms are troubling to the person living with dementia, their care partners, and others such as family members or those living in congregate living settings. In this Momentum Discussion Podcast episode, Dr. Kalisha Bonds Johnson, a Board-Certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner at Emory Integrated Memory Care, share...

This Momentum Discussion podcast episode addresses the importance of physical activity for longevity and independence, challenges older adults may face when exercising and their solutions, and suggestions on how to get started with incorporating routine exercise into one’s life. Download the transcript Guests: Kathryn N. Porter Starr, PhD, MS, RDN Associate Professor, Duke University School of Medicine  Research Health Scientist,...

In this Momentum Discussion podcast episode, Dan Stewart, MSG, Long-Term Care Equality Index program co-lead and associate director of the Aging Equality Project at the HRC Foundation, discusses considerations aimed at ensuring equitable and person-centered care for individuals in the LGBTQ+ community and ensuring LGBTQ+ inclusion in the healthcare. He provides insights into unique challenges around brain health, dementia, and agin...

Certain groups of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) develop dementia at rates similar to older adults in the general population. However, adults with certain conditions, such as Down syndrome, develop Alzheimer's disease at greater rates. During this Momentum Discussion podcast episode, our guest discusses this issue and provides an overview of unique challenges in assessing for dementia in individ...

In this Momentum Discussion podcast episode, Dr. Carl V. Hill, Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer at the Alzheimer's Association provides insights into race, ethnicity, and Alzheimer's in America and shares information about barriers and facilitators to quality dementia care for all populations. He discusses how to successfully engage in dementia risk reduction conversations with people from diverse backgrounds and shar...

During this Momentum Discussion podcast episode, interprofessional experts examine obesity as a disease and discuss the need to intently treat individuals with obesity using guideline-based and standard-informed interprofessional and multifaceted plans of care. They share insights into the unique needs of older adults living with obesity, and they reflect on the heterogeneity of the older adult population and the importance of cons...

In this Momentum Discussion podcast episode, interprofessional experts from Emory Integrated Memory Care discuss the common neuropsychiatric condition of agitation in Alzheimer's disease (AAD) and how it impacts individuals living with Alzheimer's and their caregivers. They discuss challenges to detecting AAD and share how detecting and treating this common symptom can improve quality of life for older adults and their caregivers. ...

More than 90% of caregivers are also financial caregivers, defined as either contributing direct financial support or coordinating some or all their loved one’s money-related matters. Managing someone’s finances is complex and can extend for months or even years, both during the care recipient’s life and often well beyond the death of a loved one. Longer life spans...

This Momentum Discussion podcast provides insight into the “Aging and Oral Health Research “Meeting within a Meeting” held during the March 2023 American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research Annual Meeting. Learn about the primary objectives and outcomes of the meeting and the impact of loneliness and isolation in older adults and oral health and nutrition in aging. Download the transcript Moderator:  Karen Tra...

According to the Alzheimer's Association, over 11 million Americans provide an estimated 18 billion hours of unpaid care for people with Alzheimer's or other dementias. In 2022, this care was valued at $339 billion. Most of these caregivers are women, and many caregivers are from diverse and underserved communities. In this Momentum Discussion podcast episode, leaders from the Alzheimer’s Association of Northeastern New York discus...

Agitation can be described as increased, often undirected, motor activity, restlessness, aggressiveness, and emotional distress. It may include nonaggressive behaviors such as pacing, repetitious movements, and general restlessness, or it may manifest as physically or verbally aggressive behaviors. It is one of the most distressing behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, and between 30% and 80% of people living with deme...

According to the McKnight Brain Research Foundation website, “there is growing hope and expectation that it’s possible to maintain cognitive health later in life, allowing people to age independently and enjoy the benefits of a fuller life.” During this Momentum Discussion Podcast episode, Allison Brashear, MD, MBA, a member of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees and the University at Buffalo’s Vice President for Health Sciences and...

Early detection of dementia leads to better outcomes for individuals with dementia and their care partners. It allows them to potentially benefit from a variety of care interventions, make decisions about their care, and tap into community resources to enhance their quality of life and function. Despite this, the Alzheimer’s Association reported that neither older adults nor primary care practitioners routinely raise brain health i...

In their special report, Alzheimer’s Detection in the Primary Care Setting: Paving a Path Forward, the Alzheimer’s Association reported that despite a strong belief among older adults that brief cognitive assessments are important and that early detection of cognitive problems is beneficial, only half are being assessed for cognitive decline, and much fewer receive routine assessments. The Association’s findings about dementia care...

People with obesity often experience bias due to their weight which can negatively impact their overall health and well-being. Older adults may have faced weight bias for many years, including from their healthcare providers, their families, and themselves. In addition to the weight bias being prevalent in healthcare, it also permeates places of employment, educational institutions, the media, and society overall. During this Momen...

Kickstarting the obesity conversation with older adults requires an understanding of the pathophysiology of overweight and obesity in conjunction with an appreciation for communication concerns that affect conversations with older adults. In this podcast episode, Dr. Jason Lofton of Lofton Family Clinic and Wellness in De Queen, AR discusses important issues addressed in Step One of The GSA KAER Toolkit for the Management of Obesit...