Early Identification of Cognitive Impairment among Vulnerable Older Adults Living at Home

Join the Falk College Research Center for a Virtual Research Colloquium on Friday, September 25, from 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Presenters, Maria Brown, Assistant Research Professor for the Falk College School of Social Work / Aging Studies Institute, and Kathy (KC) Pearson, Neighborhood Advisor for the Syracuse Model Neighborhood Facility will address the topic of “Early Identification of Cognitive Impairment among Vulnerable Older Adults Living at Home.”

African Americans are twice as likely as Caucasians to develop Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (AD/D), are at greater risk of frailty if they have AD/D, and are less likely to seek a diagnosis before experiencing a crisis. Cognitive decline has been identified as a risk for decline into physical frailty and a potential intervention point in the Triggers of Decline© conceptual model. This pilot program was designed to introduce a mechanism for the early identification of previously undetected cognitive impairment, provide referrals for comprehensive cognition screening at a Center of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease (CEAD), and increase access to needed health and community support services. This collaborative community-based year-long program implemented and evaluated the addition of an evidence-based cognitive screening tool to other assessment tools used by in-home service programs for older adults in a mid-sized city in the Northeast. The principal partners were Syracuse University, the CEAD at SUNY Upstate Medical University, the Onondaga County Office of Aging Services, Syracuse Model Neighborhood Facility, which employs the Neighborhood Advisor and serves the target population, and the Central New York Citizen’s Aging Research and Action Network (CNY-CAN). The pilot evaluated the processes and outcomes of adding the Mini-Cog© screening tool to existing AAA assessments performed by the Neighborhood Advisor serving a predominantly African American neighborhood in a mid-sized northeastern city. This presentation reviews process and outcome evaluation data from the pilot, describes challenges encountered and lessons learned during implementation, and discusses the potential for and implications of expanding the intervention across the county and eventually the state.

If you require accommodations, please contact Katie Gratien at kgratien@syr.edu by September 18, 2020.

Connection Details

Meeting ID: 991 8486 1297
Passcode: 496232

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