Is Early Detection the Key to Slowing the Progression of Dementia?

This virtual Public Discussion Panel was hosted by Members of the Emeriti Academy on Monday, October 28, 2024, 10am to 11am. Recording available upon request at emeritiacademy@berkeley.edu.

The diagnosis, treatment and prevention of cognitive decline is one of the most concerning health issues facing our aging population. Californians who live to be 65 or older have a one in five chance of developing dementia. When someone has dementia, it impacts their whole life: their health, their financial security, their quality of life, and the wellbeing of their care partners. If detected and diagnosed earlier, providers can intervene to slow progression of dementia and help people have a higher quality of life.

This panel presentation, hosted by the UCB Emeriti Academy and including experts from UCSF and Adelphi University (New York), addressed questions such as, is early diagnosis important, are there steps that can be taken to slow the progression of cognitive decline impairments and what are interventions to help patients and caregivers. The event concluded with Q&A.

MODERATOR PROFESSOR EMERITUS KENNETH POLSE, OPTOMETRY AND VISION SCIENCE, UC BERKELEY

Kenneth Polse retired from the Berkeley Optometry and Vision Science faculty in 2006 and remains active in the University. He is currently a Professor of the Graduate School at UC Berkeley. He is actively involved with the UC Emeriti Health Insurance Committee. Dr. Polse continues to teach an undergraduate seminar in Health Care Policy, mentoring students as a Professor of the Academy in the UC Berkeley Emeriti Academy. Some of Dr. Polse’s honors included, UC Berkeley Sarver Endowed Chair, Member, National Advisory Eye Council (NIH), and Senior Fulbright Fellow. After retirement, Dr. Polse was elected to the UC Berkeley Optometry Hall of Fame.

PANELIST PROFESSOR ANNA CHODOS, MD, MPH, GERIATRICS, UC SAN FRANCISCO

Dr. Anna Chodos is a Professor of Medicine in the Division of General Internal Medicine at Zuckerberg San Francisco General and the Division of Geriatrics, both within the Department of Medicine at UCSF. Her clinical work is in outpatient specialty care in geriatrics and dementia care. Her academic work is focused on understanding the unmet needs of older adults who are seen in primary care in the safety net, especially those who are living with dementia.

Dr. Chodos attended medical and public health school at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health. She completed an Internal Medicine Primary Care residency at UCSF-Zuckerberg San Francisco General and a Geriatrics clinical and research fellowship at UCSF. She is board-certified in Geriatrics and Internal Medicine.

PANELIST DANIEL B. KAPLAN, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK, ADELPHI UNIVERSITY

Professor Kaplan specializes in mental and neurological disorders. He is currently the Co-Director, along with Dr. Barbara Silverstone, of a 36-hour continuing education program entitled Social Work Practice Fellows.

Professor Kaplan's research includes both intervention and implementation studies that will optimize care services, clinical interventions and supportive environments for older adults with mental and neurological disorders living in the community, as well as professional development and training projects to prepare the interprofessional clinical workforce to better meet the needs of older adults and their families.

He holds clinical social work licensure in New York and Massachusetts, as well as an NASW certification in advanced gerontological clinical social work. He earned his doctorate at Columbia University School of Social Work and held an NIMH-funded postdoctoral research fellowship at the Institute for Geriatric Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College.

PANELIST SARAH DULANEY, RN, MS, CNS

Sarah Dulaney earned a Master of Science degree in gerontological nursing at UCSF and is certified as a Geriatric Clinical Nurse Specialist by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Prior to joining the Care Ecosystem study(link is external) team at the Memory and Aging Center in 2014, Sarah worked with adults with cognitive impairment in community, long term care and hospital settings. She enjoys collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to develop, implement and evaluate programs that aim to improve outcomes for people living with dementia and their families. She provides training and education on non-pharmacological strategies for behavior symptom management and caregiver support.