Professionals from across the globe are bringing their Innovative concepts and ideas to the Midwest Dementia Summit. Here is your opportunity to learn from the best! Network with your peers and take home a wealth of new ideas for improving dementia care.

A whopping 24 sessions are available to choose from in our Professional and Caregiving Tracks. Presenters will be posted beginning in April, so check back to start planning your Summit experience.

Professional Track

Title: Innovative Design for Adult Day Care Facilities

Mike Wargo, VP Hospice Foundation
Jeff Helman, President Helman Sechrist Architects

Milton Village is the first dementia daytime care facility in the U.S. that integrates immersion programming and comprehensive caregiver training into its continuum of care.  Unique in concept and design, and based on the revolutionary care concept developed in the Netherlands, this innovative approach provides new methods of caring for those diagnosed with dementia and their caregivers.  Learn how Milton Village was developed, funded and implemented.

Playing Detective: Finding the Trigger for Behavioral Expressions in Dementia

Monica Ott M.D., CMD

Designed for professionals who must identify triggers for behavioral expressions in persons with dementia in order to reduce distress and improve functioning.  Three cases will be utilized to discuss appropriate behavior for individuals with Lewy Body dementia, Frontotemporal dementia, and history of traumatic brain injury with schizoaffective disorder.  Participants will evaluate challenging behaviors such as sexually inappropriate, physically aggressive, and verbally aggressive and propose individual care plans that prevent or reduce the frequency or severity of these behavioral expressions.

Caregiver Track

The Confident Caregiver: Thriving While Taking Care of Your Aging Parent or Loved One

Wendy Taddeucci, Founder/Expert

In this program, I distill my 12 years of care-deciding and, at times, care-giving experience with my mother into a focused session, providing a snapshot of my unique roadmap and proven strategies for supporting aging parents while prioritizing self-care.  Participants will gain insights into key topics such as decision-making on care arrangements, financial considerations, self-care practices, and preparing for difficult conversations.  This program is tailored to address specific needs and create an empowered environment for caregivers.

Nuzzles and Snuggles – The Impact of Equine-assisted Services on Social-emotional Well-being of Older Adults

Aly Stscherban, Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor

The Nuzzles and Snuggles Program utilizes horses, ponies and donkeys in guided interactions with participants for physical, cognitive, mental and emotional benefits.  It expanded on the Miniature Horse Visitation Program concept, and it was designed in response to the need for more one-on-one interactions with the equines of community members living in relative isolation.  It targets organizations serving older adults, support groups and residential treatment facilities.

Professional Track

Opening Minds through Art (OMA):  Supporting the Creativity of People Living with Dementia

Amy Elliott, PhD

Scripps Gerontology Center’s Opening Minds through Art (OMA) program is an intergenerational, visual art program designed to celebrate the creativity of people living with dementia.  This presentation will provide the background and rationale as to why intergenerational art programs are essential to providing quality care.  Research shows OMA improves the wellbeing and mood of older adults living with dementia, and volunteers show improved attitudes toward people living with dementia. The goal of this session is to showcase the creative capacity of people living with dementia and provide a new perspective on engaging art activities appropriate for this population.

Lewy Body Dementia:  A Common Disease You May Not Know Enough About

Norma Loeb, Founder & Executive Director, Lewy Body Resource Center

This session will bring awareness about Lewy Body dementia including:  What are the symptoms of Lewy Body dementia? What distinguishes LBD from Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease? Why is it so often misdiagnosed? What are the best practices for handling hallucinations and behavior issues? What caregiving support and resources are available?

Caregiver Track

Reframing our Thoughts around difficult Behavioral Expressions Associated with Dementia

Keri Morante, Director of Memory Care, Visiting Angels

This program is designed to help caregivers apply the Cognitive Behavioral Education (CBE) model to the management of difficult behavioral expressions associated with dementia.  During this program, we will facilitate a discussion about different behavioral expressions participants have experienced, and use the CBE to demonstrate how changing our own thoughts as caregivers can change interactions and outcomes.  Participants will leave this program with an understanding of how to use the CBE to make improvements in their caregiving interactions.

2. Title:  Family Caregiver Programs – There is so much more that we can do!

Presenter:  Tina McIntosh, Owner, Founder of Joy’s House

Description: This session will include active discussion about the needs for family caregivers and what we can, and should, be doing to fill these gaps in our communities.  A presentation about the services and programs that Joy’s House has recently launched for family caregivers throughout the state of Indiana. Finally, realistic steps to bring solutions to our local communities.

Professional Track

Get Notified, Not Alarmed

Dave Cherrone, Fire Marshall (retired)

The last thing people think about when creating a memory care center is about their fire or evacuation emergency policies and procedures.  I will explain how you can be notified of an emergency without alarming those in your care.  Learn about the alternatives to those traditional bone rattling fire alarm system horns.  Learn what you can do to reduce the invitation of elopement without creating a hazard.  Moreover, of course, how to navigate the procedure(s) necessary to get approval from local and state authorities having jurisdiction when implementing these options.  The end goal is to create a caring environment, not a scaring environment!

Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias – Supporting our LGBTQ+ community

Sadiya Abjani, Director of Training and Instructional Design, SAGE

During this presentation, participants will focus on information that providers can use to make sure their services are welcoming to LGBTQ+ people with dementia. Support caregivers who identify as LGBTQ+ as these may be partners of people living with dementia, or they may be the adult children or friends of people with dementia. Look at some ways that providers can help advocate for LGBTQ+ people with dementia, including working in your local communities to help reach LGBTQ+ people and make sure you can connect them to affirming services.

Caregiver Track

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Traci Lamb, Founder, CEO The Caregiver Worldwide Network

Professional Track

Dementia Strategic Plan Indiana

Shannon Effler, MSW, Associate Director of the Innovating, Maximizing, and Advancing geriatric Education (imAGE)

Indiana’s Strategic Plan to Address Dementia was established during eh 2021 legislative session through House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1177.  Under Indiana Code (IC) 12-9.1-5, the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) Division of Aging (DA) is required to develop a Dementia Strategic Plan (DSP) to identify and significantly reduce the prevalence of dementia in Indiana.  This presentation will provide an overview and progress made on the pan’s objectives and solicit input from participants on next steps.  This session is appropriate for both professionals and caregivers.

Using a Virtual Equine Augmented Reminiscence Approach to Stimulate Positive Memories and Social Interaction for Older Adults Who Have Dementias

JoAnn M. Burke, Ph.D., LCSW, LMFT, BSN

This workshop will review the use of reminiscence approaches to stimulate positive memories and social interaction.  Demonstrate how evidenced-based reminiscence approaches and equine assisted learning is integrated into an innovative intervention that can be offered virtually in synchronous (live streaming) or in asynchronous (video) formats. The goal is to help persons with dementias reconnect with their lifestyle and improve the quality of their lives through sharing memories with a care partner or others. This intervention can be used in home care, senior centers, senior ministries, nursing homes and assisted living.

Caregiver Track

True Burden of Loss: The “To-Do” Checklist When You Experience a Death

Sarah Youngs, Community Relations and Engagement, Center for Hospice Care

Loss brings both emotional and practical challenges.  People are not informed, so they are unprepared for the clerical to-do lists or the tasks that need to be done after a loved one dies.  When faced with this, it can add to the mental load and the stress on top of grief.  This program helps navigate through some of the burdens that we are clerically face with and a reasonable checklist with resources to get us through the difficult tasks.  Everything from “preparing for Loss,” to “Month Three and Beyond,” we will review clerical duties, financial duties, Advance Directive initiatives, and the Empathy App.

More Than Just Memory Loss: Understanding Executive Function and Dementia

Jessie Hillock, M.A., CCC-SLP, CDP

Dementia is more than just memory loss.  However, the first word that typically comes to mind when people hear the word dementia is “memory loss.”  Families are often left in the dark on how to handle all of the other cognitive decline challenges they see in their loved one as thy navigate the day to day, such as using a cell phone, making a recipe, taking a shower.  These changes are related to changes to executive function skills.  This presentation was designed to equip families with clarity on these types of brain changes and tolls to decrease the daily overwhelm.

Professional Track

A surveyor’s Perspective: Dementia Care in Long-Term Care Settings

Tammy Alley, Deputy Director Long-Term Care
Brenda Buroker, Director Long-Term Care Surveyors

In this session, we will discuss the Long-Term Care survey process, specifically focusing on Dementia Care Federal Regulations.  Give an update on survey outcomes related to dementia care. Give an overview of concerns with Assisted Living Facilities who provide Dementia Care. Provide regulatory guidance to improve Dementia Care in Long-Term Care settings.

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Caregiver Track

Palliative Care: Specialized care for every age at every stage of serious illness

Bunmi Okanlami MD, MBA, FAAP 

Palliative care is specialized interdisciplinary care for people with serious illnesses, which focuses on improving their quality of life by addressing their symptoms, providing physical, emotional, psychosocial and spiritual support to the patient and their family. This session will describe the concept of Palliative Care and focus on quality of life that it provides.  Differentiate Hospice care from Palliative Care.  Identify the benefits of Palliative care to individuals, families and their communities.  Recognize the need for increased access to Palliative care overall.

Utilizing the Power of “Memory Mining”

Joe Hausch, PHOTAVIA, President/CEO
John Wright, CAPS, CSSP

Participants will experience a selection of PHOTAVIA's award-winning, multi-media offerings, the “A Moment in Time” series that leverages a single iconic photograph, aesthetically crafted into a cutting-edge engagement tool that enhances care and support for individuals living with dementia and their families.  This unique and easy-to-deliver approach fosters social connection, sharing of autobiographical memories and is particularly well suited for cognitive stimulation, social engagement, and overall well-being.

Professional Track

Rethinking Dining – Optimizing Outcomes for Individuals with Dementia

Jen Bruning, MS, RDN, LDN, Director of Nutrition & Brand Development for Incite Strategic Partners
Jennifer Stelter, Psy.D., CDP, CADDCT, DCS, DCSCT CEO of NeuroEssence, LLC at the Dementia Connection Institute

Dining is a multi-sensory experience, one which those living with dementia may not be fully experiencing.  Lower oral intakes at meal times may lead to a myriad of health complications and co-morbidities among those living with dementia.  However, newly developed programming addressing the multi-sensory nature of eating and the dining environment may enhance mealtimes for those with dementia. This session will focus on nutrition issues specific to dementia, including nutrients and food components to support cognitive health, issues with dining for those with dementia and evidence-based sensory techniques for enhancing wellness at meal times.

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Caregiver Track

What Caregivers Should Know About SHIP and SMP

Megan Rogers, Northwest Region Volunteer Supervisor, Indiana SHIP

The Savvy caregiver will learn Medicare basics and helpful tips to ensure their loved ones have the best Medicare coverage to meet their needs. Medicare myths will be dispelled and the caregiver will be empowered with the information they need to manage their loved ones’ health coverage and protect their loved ones from Medicare scams. Caregivers will also learn how to navigate systems like the Social Security Administration Office and Medicaid Programs.

Keeping Love Alive Through Dementia…The Journey No One Wants to Take

Debbie Carriveau, R.N., CDP, QMCP, Executive Director of Dementia Care Services Hubbard Hill

This presentation is based on the stories, insights, and wisdom of the authors of “Keeping Love Alive as Memories Fade, The 5 Love Languages and the Alzheimer’s Journey”.  This presentation will teach participants how to maintain emotional bonds with the dementia person. How to understand the connection between the brain and its influences on how we express love. Understanding the way each of us express and give love. Facilitating unity and reconnection during dementia. 40 ways to say “I love you” in middle and late-stage dementia, as well as dealing with delusions of unfaithfulness and family issues.