Building a Stronger Dementia Care Workforce

On March 7, 2025, the Dementia Innovations Summit: Primary Care at the Forefront was held at Valley Medical Center in Renton, Wash.

As a member of the Dementia Action Collaborative (DAC) Health and Medical Subcommittee, I was fortunately able to participate in the content development as well as assist in marketing to the geriatric network partners. I attended the summit with many professional colleagues from the DAC as well as healthcare professionals. It was an inspiring event, with 101 in-person attendees, including several who traveled from out of state to be in attendance.

As a nurse, I know the importance of the interdisciplinary team, and how providing care for the whole person is no less important for the individual person living with dementia than it is for the family member or caregiver.

We had an excellent keynote speaker, Dr. Nancy Isenberg, MPH, FAAN, Diplomate of the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine (DipABLM), Center for Health Aging, Providence Swedish. Her presentation was titled Dementia Prevention, Science, Neuroplasticity, and Brain Health. It was inspiring to hear about our brains ability to change and adapt.

For some of you, this might be the first time you are hearing the term “neuroplasticity.” This term speaks to the brain’s ability to change and adapt, and there are two types. Type 1 is structural plasticity, where our experiences or memories change a brain’s physical structure. Type 2 is functional plasticity, where the brain functions move from damaged areas to undamaged areas.

Sometimes people believe that there is nothing they can do to promote and maintain brain health. This is not a fact. Lifestyle factors of staying socially connected, getting regular physical activity (at least 150 minutes per week) or aerobic and strength training, having cognitive stimulating activities, eating a healthy diet, keeping blood pressure and blood sugar levels in control, following a low-fat diet, and addressing contributing conditions like sleep apnea, hearing loss, and poor vision can all support our brain health.

The speakers were knowledgeable, and the presenters were informative as well as educational. Other presentations included:  

• Medical-Dental Integration and Noninvasive Management of Oral Health in Patients with Dementia, Hearing Loss and Cognitive Decline: Understanding the Connection
• Identifying Caregiver Burnout and Leveraging Community Resources
• Having Complex Conversations Around Diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)/Dementia

Our closing speaker was Jane Carmody, DNP, MBA, RN, FAAN, a senior program officer at The John A. Hartford Foundation. She is a champion of many initiatives, with three priority areas: age-friendly health systems, family caregiving, and serious illness and end of life. I had the privilege of working with her during our Age Friendly Emergency Preparedness grant work, and her leadership and support made a difference in the successful development of emergency kits for older adults age 85+ at risk for heat-related impacts.

A heartfelt thanks to all the DAC members, community professionals, and everyone who supported this event. A special shout out to Diedrah Todd, Healthy Aging Specialist, WA State Health Care Authority, Jamie Teuteberg, MS, Director of Healthy Aging Initiatives | Health and Aging Policy Fellow, Clinical Quality and Care Transformation, WA Health Care Authority, and Lynne Korte, MPH, Dementia Care Program Coordinator/Manager, Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS).

Contributor Mary Pat O’Leary, RN, BSN and Senior Planner with Aging and Disability Services, the Area Agency on Aging for Seattle-King County.