On this month's cover, a participant in the adult day program at the Louis and Anne Green Memory and Wellness Center at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) takes part in an art class. The nurse-led center, part of FAU's Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, is a state-designated memory disorder clinic that aims to promote the well-being of people with Alzheimer disease and related dementias and their family caregivers. Among its offerings are comprehensive memory and wellness evaluations; driving assessments; counseling services; support groups; community outreach and education programs; and an adult day program with activities like games, discussion groups, music, crafts, and yoga. Between 2020 and 2021, the center served more than 4,100 individuals.
"When people come to us for a service, we want that interaction to be continued through the trajectory of the illness or their journey as a caregiver and beyond," says the center's director, Maria de los Angeles Ortega, DNP, APRN, GNP-BC, PMHNP-BC, CDP, FAANP, FAAN. "It's not a one-time stop; we intend to be there as support and a resource."
The center is also an academic environment for FAU nursing students from the undergraduate to the doctoral level-as well as students from other disciplines, including medicine and social work. In addition to the research and practicum opportunities it provides, Ortega says that engaging in clinical experiences at the center helps students consider and discover "their perceptions about aging and people with dementia."
In this month's Editorial, "Shining a Light on Alzheimer Disease and Other Dementias," AJN managing editor Amy M. Collins discusses her grandmother's experience with dementia-and the need to bring awareness to this major public health issue. Also see the lead In the News story, "Progress in Dementia Care," for a summary of emerging evidence on symptom mitigation, causal factors, diagnostic testing, and drug therapy.-Diane Szulecki, editor