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Dear PMC Care Partners,

Do you remember the day you and your loved one learned about a dementia diagnosis? Whether the diagnosis the doctor delivered was mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia, or another cognitive impairment, it’s always described as a scary moment for both the patient and the care partner.

As executive director of the Penn Memory Center (PMC), I have a background in social work that helped me develop, deliver and grow the robust support system we have been providing to families in our care since 2008. From counseling and coaching to classes for caregivers, support groups, memory cafes, Time Together, and the many other ways we support families living with dementia, our goal is to bridge the gaps in dementia care and help families cope with changes, navigate the complexities of managing these progressive illnesses, and tend to their social and emotional wellbeing.

The Penn Memory Center (PMC) is thrilled to announce that former social work intern, Rachel Marx, has accepted a position as the PMC’s very first Social Work Fellow.

Marx will be training under PMC’s director of social work, Alison Lynn, MSW, LCSW, to gain advanced and specialized skills in providing brief treatment psychotherapy (6-8 weeks in duration) to people living with dementia and their family caregivers.

Rachel Marx

Marx’s services will be provided free of charge to PMC patients and their family members in order to ensure that anyone who needs supportive therapy can access it regardless of financial means or insurance coverage.

To read more about what psychotherapy looks like in the context of dementia, click here: Demystifying psychotherapy: How therapy can help you.

Marx will start working with patients both in-person and via telemedicine in early June. In the meantime, if you or a family member are interested in seeing her, please contact Alison Lynn at alison.lynn@pennmedicine.upenn.edu or 267-239-1968 to join the waiting list.

Por Meghan McCarthy y traducido por Jessica Moreno, Valerie Ramos y Camila Loaiza

Read in English

Las comunidades latinas de adultos mayores son algunas de las más sedentarias del condado, pero una investigadora de la Universidad de Pensilvania ha demostrado que las clases de educación en bienestar y la actividad física en grupo pueden ayudar a mejorar los resultados de la salud.

Estos mejoramientos universales podrían conducir a una mejor salud cognitiva.

“Para mí, se trata de la memoria”, dijo Adriana Pérez, PhD, ANP-BC, FAAN, de la facultad de enfermería de Penn. “El cerebro es capaz de aprender cosas nuevas sin importar la edad”.

El CDC informa que el 32.1 % de los latinos mayores viven un estilo de vida inactivo fuera del trabajo: el más alto entre todos los grupos de raza/etnicidad.

Esto se debe en gran parte a los determinantes sociales y estructurales de la salud, como el acceso alimenticio, atención médica, vivienda y vecindarios e ingresos seguros. Estas necesidades cotidianas son esenciales para el envejecimiento saludable del cerebro.

Los latinos son más propensos que sus pares a enfrentar dificultades para caminar al aire libre debido a temperaturas extremas o problemas de seguridad. Al contrario de las poblaciones blancas, es más probable que las comunidades latinas tengan dificultades para pagar programas de actividad física o membresías en gimnasios. Las barreras del idioma también pueden obstaculizar las clases grupales de actividad.

Participantes de Tiempo Juntos con la promotora de salud comunitaria, Ruby Rivera y la Dra. Pérez

By Meghan McCarthy 

Leer en español

Latino older adult communities are some of the most sedentary in the country, but one University of Pennsylvania researcher has shown that group fitness and wellness education classes can help improve universal health outcomes.

These universal improvements could lead to improved cognitive health. 

“To me, it speaks to memory,” said Adriana Perez, PhD, ANP-BC, FAAN, of Penn’s School of Nursing. “The brain is capable of learning new things no matter what age.” 

The CDC reports that 32.1% of older Latinos live an inactive lifestyle outside of work—the highest amongst all race/ethnicity groups. 

This is largely due to social and structural determinants of health such as access to healthy food, healthcare, safe housing and neighborhoods, and reliable income. These everyday necessities are essential for healthy brain aging.   

Latinos are more likely than their peers to face difficulty walking outdoors due to extreme temperatures or safety concerns. It is more likely for Latino communities to struggle to afford physical activity programs or gym memberships than white populations. Language barriers can make group fitness classes difficult.  

Participants of Tiempo Juntos with community health promoter, Ruby Rivera and Dr. Perez

To confront this challenge, Dr. Perez studies effective, culturally relevant strategies to engage the Latino community in Tiempo Juntos Por Nuestra Salud, which is a clinical trial that translates to “Time Together for Our Health.” 

By Meghan McCarthy

Psychedelics are more than recreational drugs with a questionable reputation.

Psychedelics – drugs that alter the mind – are being tested throughout the country for their medicinal use, including early investigations of psychedelics as an intervention for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRDs).

Albert Garcia-Romeu, PhD, and Paul B. Rosenberg, MD, researchers at Johns Hopkins, are investigating if psychedelics can help people living with ADRDs cope with their condition.

By Cait Kearney

University of Pennsylvania researcher Edward Lee, MD, PhD, received the Alzheimer’s Association Excellence in Neuroscience Mentoring Award, which honors individuals who have made significant contributions to the mentoring of dementia scientists.

In accepting the award, Dr. Lee reflected on the opportunity to provide mentorship to those who needed it most.

By Meghan McCarthy

Anne Clark rarely discussed work with her late husband, Chris. While both had successful careers, their 35-year marriage was centered on quality time.   

Anne and Chris

Yet after Chris passed, Anne was tasked with cleaning out his office desk. Methodically, she worked to organize the space. Hidden within a desk drawer, one folder stood out. Quotations, it read. Inside, Chris filed a single John Lennon lyric:  

“There are no problems, only solutions.” 

In the eleven years since his passing, Anne lives by this sentiment to honor Chris’ legacy.  

The Penn Memory Center invites you to join us for a fundraiser on June 14, 2023, at the Philadelphia Horticultural Society (PHS) Pop Up Garden on South Street, 1438 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146. The evening will honor the resilient families we care for, celebrate the accomplishments of our dedicated clinicians and researchers, and raise dollars to fund expanded research and care.