Henrico County hosts summit to improve cognitive screening for older adults

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- Advocates for older adults are invited to a summit to create an outline of the best practices for cognitive screening.

On Jan. 30, Henrico County shared in a release that any advocate for older adults, including clinicians, caregivers and other stakeholders are asked to attend a summit to prepare a statement of the best practice for screening for cognitive decline or impairment in older adults.

The meeting will be held on Saturday, Feb. 7, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Henrico County Public Schools Oak Avenue Complex, located at 15 S. Oak Ave.

Henrico County Outreach & Engagement Agency's Older Adult and the Wisdom Watch Alliance are hosting the summit.

This meeting is free, but attendees must register online. Breakfast and lunch are provided, along with Tenesha Lewis, the guest editor of PHILLIS: The Journal for Research on African-American Women, as a keynote speaker. 

Henrico's Advocate for the Aging, Ashlee Giles, said that concerns regarding cognitive decline are often identified late, which can lead families to navigate the confusing, limited options.

“Community screenings can serve as an effective bridge if they are done ethically and consistently and with clear steps for ongoing care,” said Giles. “Henrico’s Older Adult Services is pleased to partner with the Wisdom Watch Alliance to facilitate an engaging conversation with the community that helps us move from ‘what should happen’ to ‘what will we do together’ to support a family member or a loved one.”

After the meeting, the statement on best practices will be distributed to practitioners in the community to promote fair and individual-based screening, especially in underserved communities, per the release.

For more information, visit Henrico County's website here.