Dementia education comes to a doctor near you soon

Gilbert Sun News
Dec. 5, 2022
by Lin Sue Flood

It’s staggering to think that 6.5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s. You may even know a relative, friend or neighbor who has it.

With one of the highest growth rates for dementia in the nation, Arizona is projected to reach 200,000 cases by 2025.

Family members who are suddenly thrust into the “caregiver role” are desperate for support, unprepared to face a disease that lasts years and becomes more challenging as it progresses. The lack of healthcare professionals trained in dementia care affects us all.

Hospice of the Valley’s Dementia Care and Education Campus is launching an unprecedented education project aimed at training more than 3,000 health providers over the next 14 months to enhance dementia care for those with early and moderate stages of the disease. The extensive campaign is being funded by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health.

“Half of all primary care physicians feel the medical profession has little to no preparation for serving the burgeoning numbers of people living with dementia,” said Hospice of the Valley Dementia Program Director Maribeth Gallagher, citing a recent Alzheimer’s Facts and Figures Report.

“There is a tremendous and critical need for dementia care education and training that will help providers deliver evidence-based skillful and compassionate care,” Gallagher said. “And that need will only grow as the incidence of dementia rises each year.”

This education project covers a wide variety of topics, from assessing and diagnosing mild dementia to understanding which medications help or harm dementia patients.

The presentations also give doctors practical tools they can share with family caregivers, such as the soothing effects of “Vitamin M” — music — or ways to decode behaviors that express unmet needs like fear, anxiety or pain.

Hospice of the Valley already offers an in-home Supportive Care for Dementia program at no charge to family caregivers who are caring for loved ones — from pre-diagnosis through the early and middle stages of dementia. This new initiative focuses exclusively on medical professionals, equipping them with tools to help their patients manage early and moderate stages of the disease with knowledge and dignity.

“We can educate providers — and through them, families — to improve quality of life for people living with all types and all stages of dementia,” said Supportive Care for Dementia Medical Director Gillian Hamilton.

Call 602-767-8300 or email education@dementiacampus.org to schedule presentations for healthcare providers.

Lin Sue Flood is director of Community Engagement at Hospice of the Valley. Visit hov.org.