On Tuesday, Sept. 26, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) is hosting a free Concepts in Care educational conference which will provide Alzheimer’s-related education and services to Long Islanders living with Alzheimer’s, their family and professional caregivers, and the general public. The event, part of AFA’s national Educating America Tour, will be held at the Marriott Melville (1350 Walt Whitman Rd., Melville), from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
“There are more than 50,000 people on Long Island who are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease,” said Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., AFA’s president and chief executive officer. “This conference will help give people a better understanding of the illness, enable them to learn from experts and help them be more prepared to work with, and care for, people who are impacted by the disease.”
Peter Davies, Ph.D., director of the Litwin-Zucker Center for Alzheimer’s Disease & Memory Disorders at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, will keynote the conference, providing an overview of Alzheimer’s disease, research and clinical trials. Davies is also a professor of pathology and neuroscience at Hofstra University’s Northwell School of Medicine. For more than 35 years, Davies’ research has been focused on the biochemistry of Alzheimer’s disease, with a specific interest in the development of new treatments and diagnostic tests for Alzheimer’s disease.
Jane Stelboum, a certified yoga teacher and owner of Sarasvate, will present Yoga Designed for the Brain, where she will teach attendees how simple, effective yoga tools can help the caregiver stay grounded, calm and focused. In this session, she will teach breathing technique and meditation to help reduce stress and improve your mood.
Bert Brodsky, founder of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America and chairman of its board of directors, and Jared Finkelstein, co-chair of AFA Young Executives, will both share their stories as caregivers for loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease.
In addition, there will be a session taking a look inside some of AFA’s local member organizations, including The Bristal Assisted Living and EAC Network.
A Q-and-A session will be held following each session to give attendees the opportunity to ask questions. Participants will also be able to receive a free memory screening, a free hearing exam, and have the opportunity to network with one another. The event will also feature a display of the AFA Quilt to Remember, the nation’s first large-scale quilt that pays tribute to the more than five million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease.
Visit www.alzfdn.org/events or call 866-232-8484 for more information and to register.
