State leaders roll out dementia plan at Gerontology Program’s anniversary
The UNC Charlotte Gerontology Program celebrated its 25th anniversary earlier this year and took the opportunity to help state leaders roll out North Carolina’s first plan to comprehensively address dementia.
Mark Hensley, an Alzheimer’s specialist at the N.C. Division of Aging and Adult Services, and Berkeley Yorkery, associate director of the N.C. Institute of Medicine, presented the first statewide Alzheimer’s plan at this 25th anniversary event. Dozens of students, scholars, practitioners and community activists from the gerontology field attended. Hensley and Yorkery’s presentation highlighted the aspects of the plan toward creating a dementia-capable state — one that is informed, safe and respectful of individuals with dementia and their families, provides supportive options and fosters quality of life.
“As is the case for most health-related fields, effective outcomes in gerontology means cooperation between scholars, government, private industry and the community,” said Nancy Fey-Yensan, dean of the UNC Charlotte College of Health and Human Services, “I am especially proud of the part we are playing in developing a strong, cohesive network of like-minded individuals and organizations who want to make Charlotte and North Carolina the place to age successfully.”
North Carolina has the nation’s ninth-fastest growing older adult population with an estimated 160,000 persons currently with Alzheimer’s or a related dementia. That number is estimated to increase to more than 300,000 by the year 2030.
Gerontology program director Julian Montoro-Rodriguez said considering these statistics, dementia should be a priority for healthcare providers across the state. “Discussions like those at the 25th anniversary celebration are a small part of our efforts to collaborate with community partners to identify ways to implement the recommendations of Dementia Capable North Carolina plan.”
This is especially important for Mecklenburg County, whose Alzheimer’s mortality rate is consistently among the highest in the state
“During the past years, the Gerontology Program has been educating and training students and professionals on how to work with older adults, promote a positive experience of aging and improve the quality of life for older adults in Charlotte and North Carolina,” said Montoro-Rodriguez, “Our priorities are to continue working with community partners across sectors to assess the needs of older adults, identify priorities for caregivers and implement evidence-based programs to support them.”
UNC Charlotte originally offered a gerontology minor and later expanded course offerings to include the current master’s degree and graduate certificate program. It currently hosts 29 affiliate and eight core faculty in the colleges of Liberal Arts & Sciences, Health and Human Services and Engineering. This fall, the program will begin to offer a hybrid online graduate certificate with in-person classes held at UNC Asheville.