Maximizing Independence For Those With Cognitive Impairment

Aging Adult Services at Stanford Rita Ghatak, PhD

A Continuum Of Care Model

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2003 UN ASSEMBLY ON AGING

Promise of Longevity, Active Years, Physical/Cognitive Vitality!

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Cognitive Vitality: Does Memory Define Us?

•The person, family, workplace and the continuum of care!•Short term/long term memory, functionality, productivity, capacity, behavioral issues, attention, organization, links between memories, visual cues.•Technology!

Protecting our brain: lifelong learning, mental/physical exercise , engagement, commitment to leisure, stress reduction, nutrition, cardiac-cognitive health linked, neurobics!

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Some Definitions

 Dementia - wide range of symptoms, decline in memory/ cognitive skills severe enough to reduce a person's ability to perform everyday activities.

Mild Cognitive Impairment -slight but noticeable changes - memory and thinking skills -risk of developing dementia. Not severe enough to interfere with daily life or independent function.

Alzheimer's -type of dementia. Problems with memory, thinking, behavior, slowly develop slowly and get worse over time, becoming severe enough to interfere with daily tasks.