Loving Dementia Care Conference 2022: The Heart of Behavior & See and Support the Person’s Strengths

“Getting to the Heart of Behavior” by Julio C. Rojas, MD, PhD
Objectives
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Introduce the spectrum of behavior symptoms in dementia
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Discuss at least two consequences of behavior symptoms
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Outline a structured approach to assessment and management of behavior symptoms
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Analyze at least two behavior case studies

“Learn to See and Support the Person’s Strengths” by Jennifer Merrilees, RN, PhD
Objectives
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View two brief video clips from Teepa Snow’s “A Family’s Journey Through Dementia” (watch these videos at https://shop.teepasnow.com/product/a-...)
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Observe and discuss at least two strengths of a person living with moderate stage dementia
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Observe and discuss at least two ways that a family caregiver’s life is impacted by dementia
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Identify at least two dementia care strategies that help

Dr. Julio C. Rojas is a neurologist who specializes in dementia, caring for patients with cognitive difficulties or behavioral changes resulting from conditions including Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia (a form of dementia that causes cognitive defects and Parkinson’s-like symptoms), frontotemporal dementia (a common cause of dementia in younger adults that features behavioral changes) and progressive supranuclear palsy (a condition affecting movement and behavior in older adults). With expertise in managing difficult behaviors in dementia, he creates care plans to equip patients and their families with the necessary tools for achieving their best possible quality of life. In his research, Rojas looks for blood tests that could be used to diagnose dementia. He also works on developing novel treatments to prevent or slow neurological degeneration and cognitive impairment. Rojas earned his medical degree at the Tecnol gico de Monterrey in Mexico. He earned a doctorate in neuroscience from the University of Texas at Austin and completed a residency in neurology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and a fellowship in behavioral neurology at UCSF. A native of Mexico City, Rojas conducts patient evaluations in English and Spanish. He strives to improve access to dementia care for Hispanic communities in the United States. For the UCSF Memory and Aging Center, he co-chairs a task force that works to improve the management of behavioral symptoms for the center’s patients with dementia. He also participates in UCSF committees on ethics and diversity and inclusion.

Jennifer Merrilees received her doctorate degree in nursing from the University of California, San Francisco. She is a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Geriatrics at the Memory and Aging Center and Associate Clinical Professor for the UCSF School of Nursing.
Jennifer’s work focuses on family caregivers, management of dementia-related behavioral symptoms, and the design and implementation of care models that support people with dementia and their family caregivers. She co-founded a nurse-run clinic focused on dementia behavior management. She is a lead researcher for the Care Ecosystem, a model of supportive dementia care that is being implemented at several sites around the country. Jennifer is a co-investigator for NIH-funded projects that seek to characterize the nature of emotions experienced by dementia family caregivers. She co-leads an oral history project, hear/say, that focuses on collecting personal stories about the experience of aging, dementia and caregiving.