Webinar: DEMENTIA CARE 101: Strategies to Assist the Aging Adult with Sensory Changes

In this session, Carrie Chiusano will leverage her expertise from Dementia Care Centers of Excellence to help caregivers distinguish between normal aging and aging with a dementia diagnosis to apply best practices navigating the environment. Those with Alzheimer’s Disease or related dementias often experience sensory stimuli differently or more intensely as their condition progresses, and may not be able to identify or communicate needs effectively. Understanding these differences is crucial for providing appropriate care and support to aging individuals in memory care.

Learning Objectives:
1. Understand the diverse spectrum of dementia and cognitive decline to enhance diagnostic awareness and intervention planning.
2. Examine the symptoms, progression patterns, and underlying causes of various dementia types, distinguishing normal aging processes from the early signs of Alzheimer’s and related conditions.
3. Discover evidence-based strategies for common challenges faced by individuals and caregivers in effectively supporting residents experiencing cognitive decline.

About the Presenter:
Carrie has 30 plus years of long-term care experience with Presbyterian SeniorCare Network, most of which have been dedicated to creating and evolving the Woodside Place Philosophy of specialty care for persons living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Prior to being appointed Executive Director for the Presbyterian SeniorCare Network Dementia Care Center of Excellence in January 2016, Carrie served as the Administrator for Woodside Place of Oakmont, which opened in 1991 and was one of the nation’s first dementia-specific residential care communities specifically designed to meet the holistic needs of older adults living with Alzheimer’s and related dementias. She was instrumental in championing the Culture Change initiative for the Network, which led to us becoming CARF accredited in 2011 (ongoing accreditation through 2024) in Person Centered Care.
As Executive Director, Carrie is responsible for the integration of dementia care services across the care and service continuum which comprise the Network. In this role, Carrie:
• Champions dementia care program development to offer a uniquely innovative and meaningful compendium of options for individuals living with Alzheimer’s and related dementias. The result is a vibrant and fluid interactions which are both personalized by for the individuals while assuring consistent quality across the continuum.
• Plans and implements ongoing educational sessions which ensure every team member, at every level of the organization has the deep and rich knowledge and competencies to meet the holistic needs of individuals living with Alzheimer’s and related dementia.
• Builds and maintains strategic partnerships to support the Network in our goal of enhancing the quality of life both for the individuals impacted by the disease as well as family caregivers supporting those living with the disease.
Carrie is the Champion for: the Network’s Dementia Care Integration team, CARF accreditation in Dementia Care and the creation of the Dementia Care Center of Excellence: Expanding our Reach through the Center for Innovation and Care Transformation. In addition to her service on numerous industry association boards, Carrie is a certified trainer for the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners in dementia care.

Approved for 1 PC CEU: TA-015-42-26DL