One of the Minnesota Northstar GWEP's missions is to provide tools and resources to help support older adults who may be experiencing dementia—while offering support to their caregivers as well.
Activity Leaders
African Immigrant Dementia Education Project
The project is building on the foundation that is being laid by the African Immigrant Memory Loss Project and features an ongoing partnership between African Career, Education, and Resources, Inc. (ACER) and the University of Minnesota.
The goal of this project is to develop a culturally tailored dementia education program. For more information, please contact us.
Alter: Creating Dementia Friendly Congregations
Alter™ was established to address dementia-related disparities in the African American community by transforming predominantly African American faith communities into dementia-friendly environments. See how to join Alter in Minnesota.
Caregiver Registry at the University of Minnesota
Consider being a part of the University of Minnesota Caregiver Registry. Becoming part of the registry does not enroll you in any study, but it provides Dr. Gaugler with permission to contact you in the future about any upcoming opportunities to participate in research.
- If you are a family member or friend who knows someone with memory loss or is helping them, please fill out the University of Minnesota Caregiver Registry-Family form.
- If you are a professional who cares for persons with memory loss or their families, please fill out the University of Minnesota Caregiver Registry-Professional form.
DEER Roadshow
A Minnesota county tour on dementia and dementia care, Dementia Educational Experience Roadshow (DEER) is an educational program that offers critical skills training and education for caregivers, families, communities and health professionals. The program leader is Joe Gaugler, PhD, who serves as professor and the Robert L. Kane Endowed Chair in Long-Term Care and Aging at the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota.
Dementia Clinical Resources for All Healthcare Settings
Dementia Education
ACT on Alzheimer's provides ready-to-use webinars and access to in-person training delivered by volunteer or professional trainers.
Video Tutorials about Dementia Care
Use these ACT on Alzheimer's® videos in your work with cognitively impaired patients and their care partners. Presented in clinic settings with real patients, the video tutorials represent best and emerging dementia care practices.
Dementia Education For Dental Providers
Resources are linked here to increase the capacity of dental providers to care for the growing number of older adults living with dementia and to support their care partners. You will find training packages and resources for the entire dental team (DDS, DH, DT, DA and administrative staff) and video tutorials. The site also provides training opportunities.
These dementia education resources for dental providers have been developed through a collaborative initiative including the Minnesota Dental Association, the University of Minnesota Northstar Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program, Delta Dental Foundation, the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry and ACT on Alzheimer's.
Dementia Friends
Through the Minnesota Northstar GWEP's partnership with Dementia Friends, we offer a training program for students, direct care providers, and a variety of healthcare professionals. You will find training specifically catered to healthcare clinicians as well as dental team members.
Dementia Q&A Webinars
Watch this interactive webinar from the first event in June 2021 featuring an interprofessional panel of experts who answer questions about dementia and dementia care. Panelists include a geriatrician, a psychologist, a cultural expert, a physical therapist, a geriatric pharmacist, and a lawyer to address questions and concerns related to living with dementia, dementia care, and the key issues that often come up.
Watch this webinar from the second Q&A event in October 2021 featuring a different but equally expert interprofessional panel who answer questions about dementia and dementia care. This presentation was in collaboration with the Minnesota Northstar GWEP and the Riverside Center for Excellence in Aging and Lifelong Health in Virginia.
Watch the webinar from March 17, 2022.
Watch the webinar from April 18, 2022.
We convened a geriatric nurse (Dr. Fayron Epps), a cultural expert (Robbin Frazier), a creative arts therapist (Dr. Kendra Ray), a geriatric pharmacist (Dr. DeLon Canterbury), a social worker (Dorothea Harris), a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (Dr. Kalisha Bonds Johnson), and a gerontological scientist (Dr. Lauren Parker) to address your questions and concerns related to living with dementia, dementia care, and the key issues that often come up.
Watch the webinar from November 6, 2023.
Join us for a free interactive webinar with an inter-professional panel of experts to answer questions about the newly approved and emerging therapies for Alzheimer's disease (e.g., lecanemab, donanemab).
We have convened a nationally and internationally renowned panel of experts including David Knopman, MD of the Mayo Clinic; Soo Borson, MD, Co-Lead of the BOLD Center of Excellence on Early Detection of Dementia; Sharon Brangman, MD, Chair of the Department of Geriatrics and Director of the Center of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease at SUNY Upstate Medical University; and Tenbit Emiru, MD, PhD, MBA, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of UCare to answer your questions and concerns.
If you are someone living with dementia, a family member, friend, or professional in the field with questions about these emerging therapies, this is the webinar for you! Please feel free to circulate to others who may be interested as well.