Outreach and Partnerships Manager
School of Medicine and Public Health, Division of Geriatrics | Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center
Hometown: East Troy, WI
Jennifer McAlister is an academic staff at UW–Madison School of Medicine and Public Health at the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and a dementia coaching provider with Embrace Care Management, a private geriatric care management firm based in Sheboygan, WI. She has held various leadership roles across the long-term care continuum in her 30-year career in the field of dementia care, putting models of person-centered dementia care into practice. She has extensive experience working with families impacted by neurocognitive diseases, like Alzheimer’s disease, at all stages of disease progression with specialized focus on the needs of individuals living with mild cognitive impairment and atypical dementias. Jennifer is the recipient of the 2011 Outstanding Professional Award from the Alzheimer’s Association, Wisconsin Chapter. She was also instrumental in the development of an award-winning service-learning partnership with Carroll University, which was recognized with the prestigious Esther Letven Campus-Community Partnership Award from Wisconsin Campus Compact in 2013. Jennifer received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Talks:
Understanding Mild Cognitive Impairment: From Diagnosis to Daily Life
More than 80% of Americans know little or are not familiar with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), which can be an early stage of Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. About one-third of people living with MCI due to Alzheimer’s disease go on to develop dementia within five years. This presentation will provide information on MCI, the importance of early diagnosis and treatment, tools to assist in developing a chronic disease management plan and how to connect individuals to resources and support so they can continue to live their best lives.