Disrupt Dementia: Empowering Minds and Inspiring Lives

"Disrupt Dementia: Empowering Minds and Inspiring Lives," is a four-part virtual series about what everyone – at every age – needs to know about brain health and dementia, and what we can all do to become more empowered on behalf of ourselves, our families and our communities.

Dementia is a global health concern affecting millions of lives, and as the population ages, understanding and addressing cognitive health becomes increasingly crucial. "Disrupt Dementia" aims to unravel the complexities of dementia and explore practical strategies for maintaining brain health at any age.

The series includes the following sessions:

Session I: Demystifying Dementia and the Six Pillars of Brain Health
This session will provide a basic understanding of dementia and brain health. We’ll describe specific steps people can take at any age to optimize their cognitive health and offer resources that individuals, families and community leaders can share to empower people who currently have dementia to continue living with joy, meaning and purpose.
Click here to watch this program.

Session II: Doctors and Dementia: Wisdom from Both Sides of the Desk 
Dive into invaluable insights shared by Dr. Jason Karlawish, author and Co-Director of the Penn Memory Center, and a group of recently retired physicians who now live with dementia themselves. Gain a unique perspective "from both sides" of the physician’s desk. Learn how to talk with your doctor about Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia, and how to get a diagnosis and the type of care and services that you or your loved one needs.
Watch on-demand with this link!

Session III: Understanding Parkinson's Disease, Lewy Body Dementia and Related Neurological Disorders
What services and treatments are available and how can you access them? What are successful strategies for living well? With Kristin Rossi from the Michigan Parkinson Foundation, Dr. Hank Paulson from the Michigan Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, and Barry Kaufman, who has been living with Lewy Body Dementia for the past 14 years. 
Tune in to learn more!

Session IV: Addressing Race and Gender Disparities in Dementia and Brain Health
Why are women twice as likely to develop dementia as men? Why are African Americans and Hispanic/Latino Americans more likely to develop dementia than non-Hispanic white Americans? AARP’s Senior Vice President and Executive Director for the Global Council on Brain Health (GCBH) Sarah Lenz Lock will be joined by other national dementia researchers from GCBH to talk about racial, ethnic, gender and other disparities in dementia and brain health, and what individuals and communities can do to address these factors. 
What can you do? Click here to learn more!

This series features renowned experts, healthcare professionals and individuals with lived experience to provide an approach to dementia and cognitive health that is comprehensive, accessible and inspiring. Attendees have the opportunity to engage in Q&A sessions and interactive discussion.

"Our hope is to leave people feeling empowered because regardless of our age, there are things we can do to optimize our brain health and to continue to live well," said Lisa Dedden Cooper, Manager of Advocacy at AARP Michigan. "Through 'Disrupt Dementia: Empowering Minds and Inspiring Lives,' we hope to create a platform where everyone can come together, learn, and take action both in our own lives and for our communities."

The "Disrupt Dementia: Empowering Minds and Inspiring Lives" series is accessible virtually, to make it available broadly. Register and attend each session in the series with the links provided above.