Nov. 10 Media Briefing at GSA 2023 in Tampa: Detecting and Addressing Agitation in Alzheimer's Disease
Media Briefing: Detecting and Addressing Agitation in Alzheimer's Disease
Date: Friday, November 10, 2023
Time: 12 to 1:15 p.m. ET
Location: Tampa Convention Center Room 402
Registration: GSA 2023 Annual Scientific Meeting media registration is required to attend this event.
Agitation, one of the most distressing behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, can be described as increased, often undirected, motor activity, restlessness, aggressiveness, and emotional distress. It may include nonaggressive behaviors such as pacing, repetitious movements, and general restlessness, or it may manifest as physically or verbally aggressive behaviors.
The prevalence of agitation has been reported to range from 30 to 80 percent of people living with dementia and is more common as the condition advances. Agitation in Alzheimer’s disease is associated with many negative outcomes such as accelerated disease progression, physical and mental health deterioration, functional decline, higher risk of admission to long-term care facilities, and poor quality of life.
During this briefing, expert clinicians will discuss agitation in Alzheimer's disease, the burden of the condition, and how care teams can improve the lives of older adults and their caregivers by detecting and treating this common condition. They will share insights from a new GSA publication that illustrates how proper treatment (from assessment to non-pharmacologic interventions and, if needed, pharmacologic treatment) can reduce the symptoms of agitation thereby improving quality of life and safety for individuals with agitation in Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers. The presenters will explain a critical unmet need around detecting and diagnosing agitation in individuals with Alzheimer’s and a new research-informed tool first presented at the GSA 2023 Annual Scientific Meeting.
Presenters:
Carolyn K. Clevenger, DNP, GNP-BC, FAANP, FGSA, FAAN
Professor, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University
Clinical Director, Emory Integrated Memory Care
Laura Medders, LCSW
Administrative Director
Emory Integrated Memory Care
Jennifer L. Pettis, MS, RN, CNE (Presenter/Moderator)
Director, Strategic Alliances
Gerontological Society of America
Lunch will be served. This briefing is being organized and conducted by the Gerontological Society of America. Support is provided by Otsuka.
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The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) is the nation's oldest and largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to research, education, and practice in the field of aging. The principal mission of the Society — and its 5,500+ members — is to advance the study of aging and disseminate information among scientists, decision makers, and the general public. GSA’s structure includes a nonpartisan public policy institute, the National Academy on an Aging Society, and GSA is also home to the National Center to Reframe Aging and the National Coordinating Center for the Resource Centers for Minority Aging Research.