Latest News

By Danny Yarnall

The COVID-19 pandemic has left many healthcare providers scrambling for resources to treat cases over the last several months. And public health officials fear a resurgence in cases. Doctors and healthcare professionals may be forced into difficult decisions: whom do you save?

In a recent paper published in The BMJ, authors Andrew Peterson, PhD; Penn Memory Center Clark Scholar Emily Largent, JD, PhD, RN; and PMC Co-Director Jason Karlawish, MD, analyzed the ethics of allocating scarce medical resources in the COVID-19 pandemic while addressing potential harms to at-risk populations.

“The potential for [allocation decisions] to disproportionately affect vulnerable populations—including older adults, people from minority communities, or people with disabilities—is a particular concern,” the authors wrote.

We are a nation, a city, at a crossroads.

Driven by the unjust killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and countless other Black individuals, Americans are confronting the painful truth that discrimination and systemic racism are present in our daily lives. Across the globe and within our own West Philadelphia neighborhoods, people are taking to the streets with a clear message: Black Lives Matter.

By Danny Yarnall

Emily Largent, PhD, JD, RN, was recently selected to be part of the Greenwall Foundation’s Faculty Scholars class of 2023.

“I’m thrilled to have the Greenwall Foundation’s support to work on my project, ‘Autonomy on the Precipice of Cognitive Decline,’ Dr. Largent said. “This project will examine—from ethical, legal, and social perspectives—how our evolving understanding of Alzheimer’s disease is redefining and reshaping the patient experience.”

By Danny Yarnall 

Three Penn Memory Center (PMC) research coordinators — Allie Weiss, Sidnei McCrea, and Olivia Sykes — are departing the center this summer as they prepare to begin their medical school careers.

Weiss joined PMC in 2017 and has been instrumental to the Phase III Biogen study as a research coordinator and conducting cognitive assessments for our Aging Brain Cohort (ABC) Study. She will attend Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Jefferson University.

“Her intelligence, dedication, and kindness were apparent in all the work she did during her time at the Penn Memory Center,” said PMC Co-Director David Wolk, MD. “Our staff, faculty, and patients will miss her, but we are very excited for the many contributions she will make as a physician.”

By Danny Yarnall

A bill aimed at protecting seniors from financial scams was recently introduced by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Jerry Moran (R-KS).

Presented on Thursday, May 21, 2020, The Protecting Seniors from Emergency Scams Act calls for the Financial Trade Commission (FTC) to submit a report to Congress on COVID-19 scams directed against older adults along with suggestions on how to stop such scams.

In a time where state and federal government efforts look to provide relief to its most at-risk citizens, scammers look to prey on seniors. The IRS sent out an alert in April warning against phishing scams, specifically those requiring confirmation of financial information to receive coronavirus stimulus checks.

“Now during the COVID-19 pandemic, these scammers are using fear and uncertainty to take advantage of our vulnerable populations,” Sen. Moran said in a statement.

Join the Penn Memory Center Wednesday morning for a discussion with gerontologist Anne Basting, PhD, an innovator in dementia care, MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient, and author of the new book, “Creative Care: A Revolutionary Approach to Dementia and Elder Care,” available now through HarperCollins Publishers.

When: 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Where: BlueJeans (Google Chrome recommended)

Thanks to a generous donation, the Penn Memory Center social work team has ten $100 gift cards to Starr Restaurants to give away. These gift cards can be redeemed now for take-out or saved for when restaurants reopen.

The anonymous donor has requested that these cards go to PMC caregivers who are experiencing financial hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic. If this describes you, enter the drawing below.

Winners will be selected randomly and announced on Friday, May 29. Gift cards will be mailed directly to recipients. Good luck!

Questions? E-mail felicia.greenfield@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.

By Melissa Kelley and Danny Yarnall

The COVID-19 shutdown has brought a shift to academic schedules across the board, leaving little time to honor interns and student workers. While we were not able to recognize them in person, we would like to congratulate our team of social work students on their tremendous efforts and their completion of the University of Pennsylvania’s Master of Social Work program.

“Our social work students play a vital role in providing support to our patients and their families and have enabled us to greatly expand the scope of our work,” said Alison Lynn, PMC’s associate director of social work. 

Penn Memory is continuing its virtual caregiver forums virtually in response to the uncertainty and tension that the COVID-19 pandemic has added to your distress around caregiving.

These forums are a place for caregivers with a loved one in facility care and caregivers with a loved one at home to connect and gather. Our goal is to provide you with a virtual place to meet, share stories, gain new perspectives, and share coping strategies with others going through a similar experience during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The PMC social work team will build on the success of these forums by continuing to provide this virtual space. We may not have all the answers, we hope you will take this as an opportunity to feel a little bit more connected.

Upcoming forums: