An Alzheimer's Disease Research Center
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.
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.”
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)
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.
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:
When hospitalized, older patients are at risk of developing delirium, and those with dementia are even more susceptible.
Following publication of a STAT News column, Penn Memory Center Co-Director Dr. Jason Karlawish sat down with Deborah Kan, the founder of Being Patient, an independent news and community platform that aims to bring accurate information to people impacted by Alzheimer’s disease. Kan and Dr. Karlawish sought to define what delirium is, the reasoning behind why those with dementia are more susceptible to developing delirium, and what caregivers should do during this time to prepare themselves and the ones they care for.
During this time of uncertainty, when stock market values across the globe are volatile at best, many are worried about their financial future.
Innovative financial empowerment program Bridges to Wealth (B2W) strives to continue its goal of spreading the wealth by teaching financial empowerment to students, parents, and local community partners. With social-distancing in mind, they have adapted their monthly in-person investment meeting to a virtual format by launching the Adult Community Programming Town Hall series.