Early Identification and Support Expert Team


Co-Chair: Michelle Barclay, Vice President of Program Services, Alzheimer's Association

Co-Chair: Ronald Petersen, MD, PhD, Neurologist and Director, Abigail van Buren Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Mayo Clinic

Team Members: Terry Barclay, PhD; Diane Coplan; Karen Gallagher; Jayne Hager Dee; Linda Johnston; Cindy Leach; Angela Lunde; Connie Marsolek; Riley McCarten, MD; Susan McPherson, PhD; Lynn Morishita; Anne Murray, MD; Earl Reiland; Karen Riddle; Kathryn Ringham; Glenn Smith, PhD; Adine Stokes; David Tullar; Robin Weis; Maureen Wixten

Staff: David Goldberg; Donna Walberg

 

The Early ID and Support expert team will focus on the importance of early identification, understanding new opportunities for self-direction, identifying gaps in education and support, especially those that differ from later stage situations, and best practices for maintaining mutual support among dyads in early stages. Specifically, the team will develop findings and make recommendations regarding the following:

 

Detection/Early accurate diagnosis

·         Increasing accurate recognition, diagnosis of cause of early cognitive impairment in medical settings

·         Ensuring access to clinicians who can make accurate diagnoses and guidelines for the appropriate use of referrals

·         Improving the reliability of recognition of early stage Alzheimer’s within a broad range of health care and social service settings

·         Identify and integrate incentives for diagnosis into the standard of care

 

Access to interventions

·         Prolonging the period that individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease can remain at the highest functioning levels

·         Enhancing opportunities for self direction

·         Promoting coordinated care after the diagnosis

·         Identifying and promoting support networks among the individual diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, his/her professional caregivers, care partners, family, and the community

·         Addressing how caregiver (care partners) can be supported throughout early identification

·         Recommending Best Practices for post diagnostic intervention  (pharmacological and non – pharmacological)

 

Increase awareness

·         Increasing public awareness of Alzheimer’s disease early signs and symptoms, including how the Expert Team results can be translated into public information for the full population

 

Considerations:

Young onset

Care partner/ pwd role

Economic impact/infrastructure

Diversity

Evidence-based/research

Pharmacological and non pharmacological

 

To view meeting materials and resources, go to the Navigator box on the right side of your screen, and select "Pages" or "Files" under the Early ID and Support Expert Team folder.