GSA Momentum Discussions

In this Momentum Discussion Podcast episode, our guest shares challenges and opportunities around brain health in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. He provides insights into the Healthy Brain Initiative’s Road Map for Indian Country and discusses success stories with indigenous communities addressing dementia issues. Finally, he outlines research questions that need to be answered to...

The National Consumers League and National Council on Aging worked with health leaders and obesity specialists to establish a set of rights so people with obesity will be screened, diagnosed, counseled and effectively treated for their overweight and obesity based on medical treatment guidelines. During the Momentum Discussion Podcast episode, leaders from these two organizations discuss the impet...

Most individuals with dementia experience behavioral symptoms during their disease trajectory. These symptoms are troubling to the person living with dementia, their care partners, and others such as family members or those living in congregate living settings. In this Momentum Discussion Podcast episode, Dr. Kalisha Bonds Johnson, a Board-Certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner at...

This Momentum Discussion podcast episode addresses the importance of physical activity for longevity and independence, challenges older adults may face when exercising and their solutions, and suggestions on how to get started with incorporating routine exercise into one’s life. Download the transcript Guests: Kathryn N. Porter Starr, PhD, MS, RDN Associate Professor, Duke University School of Med...

In this Momentum Discussion podcast episode, Dan Stewart, MSG, Long-Term Care Equality Index program co-lead and associate director of the Aging Equality Project at the HRC Foundation, discusses considerations aimed at ensuring equitable and person-centered care for individuals in the LGBTQ+ community and ensuring LGBTQ+ inclusion in the healthcare. He provides insights into unique challenges arou...

Certain groups of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) develop dementia at rates similar to older adults in the general population. However, adults with certain conditions, such as Down syndrome, develop Alzheimer's disease at greater rates. During this Momentum Discussion podcast episode, our guest discusses this issue and provides an overview of unique challenges i...

In this Momentum Discussion podcast episode, Dr. Carl V. Hill, Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer at the Alzheimer's Association provides insights into race, ethnicity, and Alzheimer's in America and shares information about barriers and facilitators to quality dementia care for all populations. He discusses how to successfully engage in dementia risk reduction conversations with peopl...

During this Momentum Discussion podcast episode, interprofessional experts examine obesity as a disease and discuss the need to intently treat individuals with obesity using guideline-based and standard-informed interprofessional and multifaceted plans of care. They share insights into the unique needs of older adults living with obesity, and they reflect on the heterogeneity of the older adult po...

In this Momentum Discussion podcast episode, interprofessional experts from Emory Integrated Memory Care discuss the common neuropsychiatric condition of agitation in Alzheimer's disease (AAD) and how it impacts individuals living with Alzheimer's and their caregivers. They discuss challenges to detecting AAD and share how detecting and treating this common symptom can improve quality of life for...

More than 90% of caregivers are also financial caregivers, defined as either contributing direct financial support or coordinating some or all their loved one’s money-related matters. Managing someone’s finances is complex and can extend for months or even years, both during the care recipient’s life and often well beyond the death of a loved one. Longer life spans and lifestyle changes create an...

This Momentum Discussion podcast provides insight into the “Aging and Oral Health Research “Meeting within a Meeting” held during the March 2023 American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research Annual Meeting. Learn about the primary objectives and outcomes of the meeting and the impact of loneliness and isolation in older adults and oral health and nutrition in aging. Download the...

According to the Alzheimer's Association, over 11 million Americans provide an estimated 18 billion hours of unpaid care for people with Alzheimer's or other dementias. In 2022, this care was valued at $339 billion. Most of these caregivers are women, and many caregivers are from diverse and underserved communities. In this Momentum Discussion podcast episode, leaders from the Alzheimer’s Associat...

Agitation 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. It is one of the most distressing behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, and between 30%...

According to the McKnight Brain Research Foundation website, “there is growing hope and expectation that it’s possible to maintain cognitive health later in life, allowing people to age independently and enjoy the benefits of a fuller life.” During this Momentum Discussion Podcast episode, Allison Brashear, MD, MBA, a member of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees and the University at Buffalo’s Vic...

Early detection of dementia leads to better outcomes for individuals with dementia and their care partners. It allows them to potentially benefit from a variety of care interventions, make decisions about their care, and tap into community resources to enhance their quality of life and function. Despite this, the Alzheimer’s Association reported that neither older adults nor primary care practitio...

In their special report, Alzheimer’s Detection in the Primary Care Setting: Paving a Path Forward , the Alzheimer’s Association reported that despite a strong belief among older adults that brief cognitive assessments are important and that early detection of cognitive problems is beneficial, only half are being assessed for cognitive decline, and much fewer receive routine assessments. The Associ...

People with obesity often experience bias due to their weight which can negatively impact their overall health and well-being. Older adults may have faced weight bias for many years, including from their healthcare providers, their families, and themselves. In addition to the weight bias being prevalent in healthcare, it also permeates places of employment, educational institutions, the media, and...

Kickstarting the obesity conversation with older adults requires an understanding of the pathophysiology of overweight and obesity in conjunction with an appreciation for communication concerns that affect conversations with older adults. In this podcast episode, Dr. Jason Lofton of Lofton Family Clinic and Wellness in De Queen, AR discusses important issues addressed in Step One of The GSA KAER T...

Early detection of dementia is vital, and it allows people living with dementia to receive comprehensive care to address symptoms, build a care team, participate in supportive services, access community supports, and potentially access disease-modifying treatments or enroll in clinical trials. With early detection of cognitive impairment and disclosure of the diagnosis to the patient, the individu...

A person living with dementia and their care partner often have needs for a variety of community supports that enables them to achieve their greatest potential function and quality of life. This podcast episode addresses the fourth step of the KAER Framework : Refer for Community Services. Our guests discuss how interdisciplinary care teams in primary care can use risk-based strategies to refer ol...

GSA developed this podcast and the associated Additional Handout: Podcast Discussion Points in December 2022. It is important to note that payment policies change often and vary by payor, and listeners should seek payor-specific guidance around billing for services.  Appropriate reimbursement for detection, evaluation, and diagnosis of dementia as well as for care planning and ongoing care of indi...

It is vital that health care professionals supporting older adults on their weight loss journey recognize the importance of cultural differences as well as differences in risk based on age, race, or ethnicity. Cultural preferences and views about larger body sizes should also be respected. In this podcast episode, Dr. Rodolfo Galindo, an expert review panelist of the GSA KAER Toolkit on the Manage...

We all experience normal physiological and metabolic changes as we age, including loss of muscle mass, that can impact functioning and quality of life. When combined with obesity or overweight, these changes can be magnified, causing even greater functional losses and decreases in quality of life. An all-too-often approach of simply limiting caloric intake to lose weight may further heighten these...

Researchers have identified several molecular pathways at a cellular level, including within the mitochondria, which appear to influence both aging and age-related chronic disease. These cellular changes associated with aging are cumulatively referred to as age-associated cellular decline, or AACD. Identifying AACD risk factors and intervening with cellular nutrients earlier in the aging process,...

Researchers have identified several molecular pathways at a cellular level, including within the mitochondria, which appear to influence both aging and age-related chronic disease. These cellular changes associated with aging are cumulatively referred to as age-associated cellular decline, or AACD. Identifying AACD risk factors and intervening with cellular nutrients earlier in the aging process,...