Latest News

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:

By Danny Yarnall

Jacqueline “Jackie” Witzman, a public supporter of the Penn Memory Center and its research, died on April 22 of Alzheimer’s disease. She was 69 years old.

Jackie Witzman, together with her husband Jack, received care at the Penn Memory Center. Later, they volunteered to participate in clinical trials, making the journey via train from their home in Delaware. They soon asked for opportunities to contribute to research and care and so became public spokespeople about their experiences as patient and research participant and caregiver and study partner. 

In the 2017 issue of InSight magazine, the cover story “The Importance of Study Partners” featured their photograph and story.

Editor’s Note: In November 2019, we published an interview with Michael Duong, a second-year medical student at the University of Pennsylvania and a caregiver for his grandfather, who is living with Alzheimer’s disease. After UPenn canceled in-person classes for the remainder of the year, we asked Michael to reflect on his personal experience of the last two months.

By Michael Duong

While the sun shone brightly outside, an unsettling stillness filled the hospital floors. I could hear my footsteps echoing, which normally only happens on night or weekend shift. It was mid-March here at Penn and outpatient clinic visits, elective surgeries and emergency department visits were becoming less frequent. I saw firsthand the concern for COVID-19 ramping up over the course of two months, on my emergency medicine rotation in February and then my psychiatry rotation in March. At that time, medical schools across the country told us students to stay home and flatten the curve, even though there were split opinions. Some of us wished to serve on the frontlines and continue learning in person. Others wished to help limit exposure to COVID-19. Both perspectives were valid and we waited anxiously to see how medical schools would respond, what provisions would be provided for our education. How could we help the medical community when we just started our clinical learning? How would our learning be affected?

By Danny Yarnall

Carl Duzen — scientist, educator, artist, and friend of the Penn Memory Center — died on April 16 at the age of 83.

The popular and engaging Cognitive Comedy workshop had just restarted under new guidance when all Penn Memory Center activities were postponed. Now the program is back in an online format.

The improv workshop will be held virtually every Tuesday from 1:30 to 3 p.m. via Zoom. Email jean.haskell205@gmail.com to sign up.

Penn Memory Center Program Coordinator Meg Kalafsky and Executive Director Felicia Greenfield and new instructor Jean Haskell worked together to continue to bring Cognitive Comedy to the PMC community.

“During this time of social distancing and uncertainty, we must find ways to connect and foster a sense of community and teamwork,” Kalafsky said. “Through the use of various improv activities, Cognitive Comedy brings people together through the use of laughter and creativity in ways that can trigger healthy physical and emotional changes.”

Haskell, a retired organizational development consultant, has taken part in theater groups and performances for years and has spent the last decade teaching theater classes at Temple University’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), where adults 50 and over can take courses in subjects ranging from World Economics to photography.

Haskell aims to bring the same lively spirit to online sessions by creating fun activities that require quick thinking and readiness.