The Kensington Falls Church is proud to present Care.Cure.Prevent, a virtual panel in collaboration with UCLA, Cedars Sinai, UCSF, USC, and Stanford to help families better understand Alzheimer’s.
Ongoing events such as this one are designed to inform and educate our residents, their loved ones, and members of the public who share an interest in senior caregiving.
At the upcoming Nov. 10 event, Lauren Miller Rogen of HFC will moderate a dynamic discussion panel on Alzheimer’s research and options for treatment.
Lauren Miller Rogen is the co-founder of HFC, a non-profit on a special mission to care for families affected by Alzheimer’s disease. She is also a screenwriter, producer, and director, whose life was deeply affected by her mother’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s.
Guest speakers at the virtual event will discuss
- The impacts of brain diseases on families
- What you can do after a diagnosis
- And how to manage the family dynamic challenges that often arise
After the discussion, registered participants can submit questions to the speakers and hopefully hear them addressed during the event.
Meet our guest speakers
But first, let’s meet the panel participants.
Doris Molina-Henry
An Assistant Professor from the USC Keck School of Medicine Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Research Institute, Doris is part of the leadership team in San Diego. Her work centers on making clinical trials more efficient to achieve better results in Alzheimer’s research.
Sarah Kremen, MD
Dr. Kremen is the Director of the Neurobehavior Program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (Jona Goldrich Center for Alzheimer’s and Memory Disorders). Her residency in neurology was completed at UCLA, and she did her fellowship training at the Greater LA VA Medical Center. Her research relates to the detection and evaluation of dementia.
Sharon Sha, MD
Dr. Sha teaches at Stanford University as a Clinical Associate Professor of Neurology and is also the Medical Director of the Neuroscience Clinical Trials Group and co-director for many other centers. Her clinical practice is devoted to caring for people with Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative disorders.
Charles Windon, MD
Dr. Windon is an assistant professor of neurology at the San Francisco Memory and Aging Center at the Univ. of California. He participates in the clinical management and care of people with cognitive changes and memory decline while maintaining various research projects.
Leila Parand, MD
Dr. Parand is the Assistant Clinical Professor of Neurology at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine. Her specialties include Alzheimer’s, Memory Disorders, Neurology, and Dementia.
At Kensington Falls Church, we’re grateful to our professional partners for sharing their knowledge and experience that help enrich our care and services. We encourage all event participants to visit our websites to learn more about the comprehensive spectrum of support and programming available to those who are affected by memory loss.
Navigating life after dementia or Alzheimer’s diagnosis
One of the best actions to take after receiving a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or dementia is to educate yourself as much as possible.
Being informed helps you anticipate what to expect—how the disease might progress—and what short and long-term challenges you might experience along the road.
Some excellent resources include the Alzheimer’s Association, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, and the Alzheimer’s and related Dementia Education and Referral Center (ADEAR).
Other steps you might take in the near future include:
- Find local support and service organizations
- Do some legal, financial, and future planning
- Make sure to get regular medical care for both patients and caregivers
Alzheimer’s disease hereditary risk factors
Researchers have identified certain genes that make you more likely to develop Alzheimer’s (“risk genes”). In contrast, other rare genes will guarantee you will develop the disease (“deterministic genes”).
The most common risk gene associated with late-onset Alzheimer’s is called apolipoprotein E (APOE) and has three common forms:
- The least common is APOE e2 which reduces the risk of developing the disease
- APOE e4 is more commonly found (in 15-20% of all people) and increases the risk of developing the disease at an early age
- And finally, APOE e3 is the most commonly found but doesn’t appear to affect the risk of Alzheimer’s
Remember that having the APOE e4 gene does not guarantee that you will develop the disease. Furthermore, many experts don’t recommend genetic testing for the late-onset form of the disease because the results can be quite difficult to interpret.
Breakthroughs in research and treatment
Almost 6.5 million people in America are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, so the need for research is especially strong.
A recent breakthrough developed in St. Louis at Washington Universityis a “highly accurate” blood test for the disease.
The study involved almost 500 patients across three continents. It showed the test provided a “robust measure” in detecting amyloid plaques associated with Alzheimer’s—even among those not yet experiencing signs of cognitive decline.
Lecanemab
Biogen and Eisai Co Ltd recently announced an experimental Alzheimer’s drug named Lecanemab, which showed it slowed functional and cognitive decline in a large trial of patients.
The study gives hope to patients and their loved ones as it showed that the drug slowed the progress of the disease by 27%. This new medication could mean a significant change in treatment options.
The Kensington Falls Church—partners in caregiving
It can be overwhelming when your loved one is diagnosed with this disease. As famous rock climber Yvon Chouinard once said: “Fear of the unknown is the greatest fear of all.”
Learning more about Alzheimer’s disease can help alleviate some of the mystery and stress of caring for someone with this challenge.
The team members at The Kensington Falls Church have years of experience dealing with the needs and fears of our residents and their family members.
That is why we created these events and will continue to do so in the future—it’s part of Our Promise to treat residents as if they were our own families. Panel discussions help educate and illuminate the facts, hopefully giving you some relief.
Reach out to The Kensington Falls Church if you’re struggling with caregiving for a loved one with an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, and see what other options might be available.
Our memory care and dementia community are designed specifically for residents with this challenging situation.
From rehabilitation and other forms of therapy to partnering with some of the leading experts in the study of Alzheimer’s, The Kensington Falls Church is here to help.