Conversations in Memory Care

Essential Learning for Better Support

Date:    January 18, 2017

Time:   8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Location:  The Pavilion, Marion, Illinois

This innovative educational event will offer unique insights, tools and resources to help professionals address the special needs of persons with different types of dementias with emphasis on holistic support of the person and their caregivers. Join us for an engaging agenda to gain the most current information on differential diagnosis, overcoming diagnosis stigma, specialty interventions, local resources and more.

Upon completion of this program, you should be able to:

• Recognize the salient differences between Alzheimer’s, various dementias and movement disorders.
• Identify activities that will enhance or maintain function and safety of persons with the different dementias.
• Discuss the impact of diagnosis stigma for the person with the disease/disorder as well as their loved ones and caregivers.
• Select the appropriate evidence-based interventions to address functional and cognitive deficits of persons with the various dementias and movement disorders.

Faculty:

Additional faculty to be announced.

Mike Bius, BA, serves as a Multimedia Education Manager for the Alzheimer’s Association, Greater Illinois Chapter. He holds a bachelor’s degree in interpersonal and group communication. Mike joined the Alzheimer’s Association in January of 2012 meshing his talents and expertise in corporate training and education with his passion for seniors, adult learners, and caregivers. In his initial position with the Alzheimer’s Association as Manager of Education and Outreach, he has conducted hundreds of education programs throughout the state. Now, as a Multimedia Education Manager, he focuses exclusively on educating the public through ‘virtual learning’ platforms.  This includes webinars, YouTube videos and programs via phone. Mike brings his high energy and passion for teaching to the classroom and beyond. Through sharing stories and best practices, and using humor and numerous teaching styles, community members gain invaluable information they can apply immediately.  Mike’s personal mission is to increase the impact of the Alzheimer’s Association by reaching as many people via education programs as possible, in order to improve the quality of their lives, and have fun while doing it. 

Elaine Jurkowski, PhD, is a Professor in the School of Social Work at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Dr. Jurkowski was previously an Assistant Professor at the University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada. She has held administrative and research positions for The Illinois Public Health Leadership Institute at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Jurkowski began her social work career working with people who have cognitive and developmental disabilities and supporting these people to develop community social, recreation and leisure skills. Her philosophy of “community integration” and “citizen participation” evolved into vocational and residential settings, and included case management and administrative positions in vocational rehabilitation, and residential settings, serving people with disabilities for the Department of Health and Family Services, Province of Manitoba.

Max Zubatsky, PhD, LMFT is a licensed marriage and family therapist and an Assistant Professor in Family and Community Medicine at Saint Louis University. He also serves as the clinical supervisor of the doctoral program in Medical Family Therapy. Dr. Zubatsky earned his PhD in Family Social Science at the University of Minnesota and post-doctorate at the University of Chicago-Chicago Center for Family Health. He has over five years of clinical experience working in primary care and memory clinics with patients and families suffering from Alzheimer’s and Dementia-Related Disorders. His research interests include chronic illness in families, caregiving, Alzheimer’s Disease, community health and hoarding disorder. Dr. Zubatsky is currently conducting research on early caregivers of Alzheimer’s Disease and different types of family services delivered around the disease. He is also a current board member and Director of Research for The Hoarding Project, interested in the clinical and research outcomes around Hoarding Disorder and the aging population.

Conflict of Interest Policy Statement:   Faculty participating in this program are expected to disclose to the program audience any real or apparent conflict(s) or unlabeled use related to the content of their presentations.