Virtual Symposium 2022: Let’s Talk About Dementia and Culture - How We Talk and Teach About Dementia in Cultural and Linguistic Communities

On November 15, 2022, JF&CS hosted the virtual symposium Let's Talk About Dementia and Culture 2022. Over 600 participants joined in a far-reaching discussion of disparities in the risk of developing dementia and in access to diagnosis, research participation, and information and services. Dementia educators and advocates in Black/African American, Chinese, Brazilian/Portuguese, Haitian Creole, Spanish-speaking, and Southeast Asian communities, as well as those working with people with intellectual/developmental disabilities, shared community needs, barriers and strengths, and how to encourage open conversation, seeking help, and advocacy. Finally, we explored the steps that a statewide or regional initiative can take to better represent, include, and learn from the many different communities within its service area.

The symposium was led by Dementia Friends Massachusetts, a program of Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Greater Boston. It is co-sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association MA/NH Chapter, Dementia Action Alliance, and National Council of Dementia Minds. Thank you to our Silver Sponsors Embrace Home Care and Massachusetts Councils on Aging, the Lebovitz Family Charitable Trust, and to Point32Health Foundation for supporting Dementia Friends Massachusetts’ ongoing work with community partners and this symposium.

Watch the Symposium

Key excerpts from Community Partners Roundtable

• When people in your community hear the word “dementia,” what does this mean to them? (12 minutes)
• In your Dementia Friends sessions, what information or ideas about dementia have been the most surprising or the most useful to your participants? (11 minutes)
• What does your community need most, when it comes to dementia? What barriers get in the way of meeting these needs? (15 minutes)
• What would help people in your community who are living with dementia, and their family members, to feel comfortable communicating about dementia? (9 minutes)

Part 1: Community Roundtable Discussion (Full Recording)

• Welcome from Nora Moreno Cargie, Vice President of Corporate Citizenship and President of Point32Health Foundation

• Framing today’s conversation – Disparities, differences, and the case for community partnerships, by Beth Soltzberg

• Personal story of living well with dementia by Anitra (Nia) Mostacero

• Roundtable discussion with Community Partners: Arnetta E. Baty and Carl Byron Baty, Kun Chang, Alana Dundon, Anitra (Nia) Mostacero, Tirsa Ramirez, Saw Reh, Kathy Service, Judith Thermidor, and Bonnie Burman, facilitated by Beth Soltzberg

• Community concepts of dementia; community needs, barriers and strengths; how to encourage open conversation, seeking help, and advocacy

Click here for the recording of Part 1 in Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, and Vietnamese.

Part 2: Road to Representation

• Exploring the “Road to Representation” – how Dementia Friends Massachusetts has followed the “four R’s” to engage and serve more cultural and linguistic communities, presented by Beth Soltzberg

• Audience questions, comments, and discussion with Community Partners

Click here for the recording of Part 2 in Spanish and in Portuguese.

A transcript of the symposium in English is available from our CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) provider.

More videos:

• Introduction to Global Dementia Friends (1 minute)
• Personal Messages and Images from Dementia Friends Massachusetts Community Partners (8 minutes)

Symposium Slides and Resources

• Program Book
  • Program Book - Chinese
  • Program Book - English
  • Program Book - Portuguese
  • Program Book - Spanish
  • Program Book - Vietnamese
• Download Beth Soltzberg's presentation slides.
• Download our Dementia Resource List, updated to include resources shared by symposium participants.

Symposium Speakers

• Arnetta E. Baty, Rounding the Bases, Inc.
• Bonnie Burman, ScD, Ohio Council for Cognitive Health, I/DD and Dementia Specialist
• Kun Chang, MSW, LCSW, Associate Director, Greater Boston Chinese Golden Age Center
• Alana Dundon, Brazilian Educator and Psychologist
• Anitra (Nia) Mostacero, Advocate Living with Dementia, First Sergeant, U.S. Air Force (retired)
• Tirsa Ramirez, Spanish Educator, Latino Health Insurance Program
• Saw Reh, Vietnamese and Burmese Educator, Southeast Asian Coalition
• Kathy Service, RN/NP, I/DD and Dementia Specialist
• Beth Soltzberg, LICSW, MBA, Lead, Dementia Friends Massachusetts; Director, JF&CS Alzheimer's/Related Disorders Family Support Program
• Judith Thermidor, Haitian Creole Educator

Continuing Education

The program was approved for three (3) Social Work Continuing Education hours for relicensure, in accordance with 258 CMR. NASW-MA Chapter CE Approving Program, Authorization Number D 91323.

Based on requirements from licensing organizations, we cannot provide CE certificates to those who watch the recordings but did not attend “live” on November 15, 2022.

For more information about the symposium, please contact Beth Soltzberg at bsoltzberg@jfcsboston.org.