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. From conferences to webinars to in-person seminars, MN GWEP offers many ways for you to find assistance.
Here you will find information about various Minnesota Northstar GWEP activities led by Drs. Gaugler, McCarthy and Shuman.
Joseph E. Gaugler, PhD, is a professor and the Robert L. Kane Endowed Chair in Long-Term Care and Aging and the Center for Healthy Aging and Innovation, at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. Teresa McCarthy MD, MS, CMD is leader of the Minnesota Geriatrics ECHO, and associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Medical School, University of Minnesota. Stephen K. Shuman, DDS, MS is professor and director of the Oral Health Services for Older Adults Program and director of the Division of Hospital and Special Care Dentistry in the School of Dentistry at the University of Minnesota.
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 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.
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.
Recordings of Past Educational Events about Dementia
Alzheimer's Disease: What It Is and What Can Be Done
Approximately 94,000 Minnesotans live with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia, and a quarter million people provide unpaid care to these individuals. The value of this care to Minnesota and society is over $3.5 billion dollars per year, which exceeds the annual revenue of some Fortune 500 companies.
In a tour across the state of Minnesota, Professor Gaugler has met with with families and professionals to talk about Alzheimer’s disease, share information and stories, and help us realize we are not alone on the dementia journey. Although the in-person visits have paused during the pandemic, free online webinars have allowed more people to learn about Alzheimer's.
When Dr. Gaugler presents, he focuses on the live questions from the audience. Therefore, the recordings from 2020 and 2021 answer different questions.
See the presentation from 2020 and the most recent presentation recording from October 2021.
Download the presentation slides:
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.
Deprescribing and Dementia Q&A
We have convened two geriatric pharmacists, Dr. Amy Busker and Dr. DeLon Canterbury, to address your questions and concerns related to living with dementia, prescriptions, and the key issues that often come up.
If you are someone living with dementia, a family member, friend, or professional with questions about Alzheimer's disease and related dementias related to de-prescribing, this is the webinar for you! View the slides below or watch the webinar.
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 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.
Watch this interactive webinar from November, 2023 where a panel of experts answers questions and concerns about the newly approved and emerging therapies for Alzheimer's disease (e.g., lecanemab, donanemab).
Panel experts include:
- 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
- Tenbit Emiru, MD, PhD, MBA, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of UCare
A New Era: Understanding Lecanemab, Donameb, and Emerging Therapies for Alzheimer's Disease
Watch this interactive webinar from November 6, 2023 featuring a panel of experts who answer questions about the newly approved and emerging therapies for Alzheimer's disease (e.g., lecanemab, donanemab).
Expert panelists include:
- 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
- Tenbit Emiru, MD, PhD, MBA, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of UCare
View dementia resources in the Age-Friendly Care and Education Collection, a curated collection that highlights educational and clinical resources for educators, health professionals, learners, patients, caregivers, and others interested in improving care for older adults.