Safety First: Understanding and Responding to Dementia Behaviors
Catholic Charities Hawaii (CCH) is offering another Zoom workshop focusing on Dementia-Related Behaviors that can be challenging for caregivers and providers of persons living with dementia in the community. This session will target unpaid caregivers of persons living with dementia in the community and the service providers, friends & family, neighbors, educators, and advocates who support them. These workshops are made possible by a grant given to Catholic Charities Hawaii from the U.S. Administration for Community Living/DHHS for the Alzheimer’s Disease Programs Initiative awarded to organizations across the country to increase resources and information to improve the well-being of persons living with dementia in the community and their caregivers.
The workshop will cover:
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- Benefits of working as a team with healthcare and community resources through all stages of dementia
- Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of dementia and why safety comes first
- What the caregiver can do to help increase safety at home for their person living with dementia
- Fall prevention and dementia, assessing and modifying the environment
- Wandering issues: tips for environmental changes, safety in and out of the home
- Dining and Safety: being prepared for possible swallowing difficulties and nutrition/hydration challenges
- Alzheimer’s Association, Hawaii Chapter statewide resources, programs and education
Expert Panel Presenters:
Jessica Barry, MD has been working at The Queen’s Medical Center Geriatric Services for 15 years. Born and raised in Kansas, she attended University of Kansas for undergraduate and medical school. Her Internal Medicine Residency was at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Her Geriatric Fellowship was with University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine. She aims to keep her older patients independent as long as possible while maintaining an optimal quality of life with proactive prevention, early diagnosis, and targeted treatment. She and her husband from Hawaii have two children. She is passionate about dementia education for lay persons and health professionals. In her free time, she ferries the children to their activities and squeezes in running and reading novels.
Ivy K. Castallanos is the Director of Programs with the Alzheimer’s Association, Hawaii Chapter. She holds a Master’s degree in Behavioral Science and Health Education from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and has more than 20 years’ experience in the combined areas of health education, health promotion and disease prevention, health equity, and corporate wellness. She has served in roles with organizations such as HMSA, the American Heart Association, and HealthAssist, and has held research positions with the Johns Hopkins Center for Cancer Pain Research and the Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology, and Clinical Research in Baltimore, Maryland. Ivy joined the Alzheimer’s Association in 2014 and finds joy in empowering families affected by dementia. She is a full-time mom of two and a full-time caregiver for her mother.
Implementing the National Task Group-Early Detection Screen for Dementia (NTG-EDSD)
Free half-day training that will aid staff at Hawaii agencies and organizations as well as family caregivers to assess, record and observe cognitive function over time in persons aging with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD).
In-person event with remote Zoom uplink available. Parking instructions will be sent to registrants who plan to attend in person. Lunch and handouts will be provided.
After the training, attendees will be able to:
• Describe clinical manifestations, incidence/prevalence, and risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) in persons with Intellectual Disability (ID) with emphasis on Down syndrome
• Share an overview and rationale for use of the NTG-EDSD, an administrative screen designed to detect dementia-related changes in persons aging with ID
• Describe how Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of dementia (BPSD) manifest in persons with IDD
• Develop an approach to managing BPSD that includes behavioral & environmental interventions as primary, and psychotropic medications as secondary, in partnership with healthcare professionals
• Understand how to complete the NTG-EDSD tool with persons aging with ID and their caregivers or whoever knows them best
• Know when the tool can be administered and kept in the person’s records – how and why it can be shared with the person’s physician
• Describe the challenges encountered in accurately diagnosing dementia with individuals living with IDD, and the rationale for using the NTG-EDSD tool to track cognitive changes over time to share with and help physicians with person-centered assessment and treatment options
Trainer: Ritabelle Fernandes, MD, MPH is a Professor at the Dept. of Geriatric Medicine, John A Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii. She is also Medical Director of Population Health at AlohaCare. She is a certified Regional Trainer for the National Task Group on Intellectual Disabilities and Dementia Practices. Dr. Fernandes championed memory clinics across the state to provide comprehensive, person-centered dementia care. She has served on the Doctors workgroup for the State Task Force on Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia.
Learn more about the work and resources of the National Task Group on Intellectual Disabilities and Dementia Practices.
To find out more about the NTG-EDSD for physicians, staff, advocates, and families, and translation of the tool into other languages: https://www.the-ntg.org/ntg-edsd
Care Home ECHO: Communicating Effectively
This one hour Care Home ECHO session covers topics essential for care home and foster home operators. Topics include the 4Ms of geriatrics: What Matters, Medication, Mentation (or Mind) and Mobility which are based on evidence-based practices that support healthy aging.
Dorothy Colby, Certified Positive Approach to Care™ Trainer and Mentor, will teach this session about Communicating Effectively.
Target Audience: Care Home Operators, Care Home Staff, Nurses, Allied Health Professionals, Social Workers, Foster Home Operators, Case Managers, Service Coordinators
Hypertension and Alzheimer’s Disease Risk
The National Association of County and City Health Officials is hosting a Cardiovascular Health Community of Practice (CoP) peer-learning session about the connection between Hypertension and Alzheimer’s Disease Risk Reduction. This session will explore the connection between hypertension and Alzheimer’s disease, highlight evidence-based risk reduction strategies, and share practical tools and resources that support local and state public health efforts. Participants will also engage in interactive discussion with peers working in cardiovascular health, brain health, and healthy aging.
Non-Pharmacological Treatment of Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia
Non-pharmacological treatments play a critical role in preventing and slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. This presentation will provide the latest updates on prevention and treatment strategies, emphasizing the importance of managing midlife risk factors and adopting evidence-based lifestyle interventions. Attendees will gain practical, actionable steps to support cognitive health and learn about a comprehensive range of local, state, regional, and national resources available for individuals and families living with memory loss and dementia.
Participants in this webinar will be able to:
- List risk factors for cognitive impairment and dementia and ways to reduce these risks through improved management.
- Identify lifestyle interventions that have an impact on cognition and neurological disease processes, from prodromal phases to early dementia.
- Identify local, state, regional, and national programs and services to improve the quality of life for individuals and families living with dementia.
About the Presenter:
Kristoffer Rhoads, PhD, is a Professor of Neurology at the University of Washington School of Medicine and serves as the Director of the Division of Neuropsychology at Harborview Medical Center. He specializes in the evaluation and treatment of mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Dr. Rhoads currently serves as the Governor-appointed Chair of the Health and Medical Subcommittee for the Washington State Dementia Action Collaborative and is also the Director and Co-lead of UW Project ECHO Dementia
*This webinar is designed for professionals and family caregivers. Eligible professionals can claim ONE FREE CE credit within 60 days of the live webinar by attending the live event or watching the recorded program.
Messaging Brain Health: Public Health Strategies for Dementia Risk Reduction
Public health professionals are invited to join an upcoming webinar hosted by the BOLD Public Health Center of Excellence on Dementia Risk Reduction on public health messaging around brain health. The webinar will feature a panel discussion and showcase a new toolkit to help public health agencies create and disseminate culturally responsive messaging campaigns.
During this free webinar, participants will:
- Understand how communicating effectively is a key strategy to increase knowledge and awareness about dementia risk reduction.
- Learn how to apply key components of a new toolkit for public health agencies to understand your community’s needs and identify opportunities to promote brain health.
- Hear health department leaders share their experiences crafting and implementing awareness campaigns in their states.
Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience – Geriatric Grand Rounds
Susan C. Price, MD, is the Chief of the Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Care at Hawai’i Pacific Health and the Medical Director of the Straub Benioff GUIDE Program. Dr. Price will be teaching the Department of Geriatric Medicine Grand Rounds on Monday, December 8, 2025 from 12:30-1:30pm (HST).
At the end of this session, physicians will be able to:
- Understand the GUIDE program background, goals and components.
- Describe GUIDE eligibility and referral process.
Intended Audiences: Physicians, nurses, and other allied health staff caring for geriatric patients.
Vision Loss and Dementia
One increasing but sometimes overlooked risk factor for dementia and cognitive decline is vision impairment. Untreated vision loss can accelerate brain aging, lower cognitive reserve, and contribute to social isolation, all of which raise the risk of dementia. This course explores the relationship between cognitive function and visual health, emphasizes the value of routine eye care, and offers methods for early detection, support, and intervention, especially for those 45 and older.
Learning Objectives
- List 6 or more modifiable risk factors for dementia
- Describe the relationship between vision impairment and increased dementia risk
- Evaluate interventions and support strategies for individuals with co-occurring vision loss and cognitive impairment
- Identify special considerations for high-risk populations
About the Speaker: Dr. Joshua Ehrlich is the Paul R. Lichter Research Professor of Ophthalmology and is an Associate Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences and in the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. He is also an Associate Director of University of Michigan’s Center for Global Health Equity. Dr. Ehrlich’s research focuses on the impact of vision loss on systemic health, well-being, and optimal aging. A second focus of his research is on population aging and determinants of later-life health and wellbeing. He is an invited member of the Lancet Commission on Global Eye Health and advises numerous national and international organizations on issues related to sensory health, aging, and policy. He has authored more than 150 scientific articles, and his research is funded by the National Eye Institute, the National Institute on Aging, and the Fogarty International Center at NIH, as well as Gates Ventures.
Transform end-of-life care with deep listening
Discover evidence-based counseling techniques that help social workers, chaplains, and care teams manage trauma, de-escalate crisis moments, and bring calm to high-stress hospice and palliative settings. Join Gary Gardia for a powerful 90-minute webinar merging mindfulness, compassion, and clinical skills to strengthen patient and family support.
AFTER THIS WEBINAR YOU’LL BE ABLE TO:
- Define counseling in end-of-life care
- Explain mindfulness and deep listening frameworks
- Identify two mindfulness techniques for de-escalation
- Recognize two high-risk situations requiring both interventions
- Describe two scenarios applying these techniques to traumatic stress
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