Join us March 1, 2023 | 8am-4pm

Florida Gulf Coast University, Cohen Center

11451 FGCU Blvd. South, Fort Myers, FL 33965

Attendees will park in Garage #1 which is P5 on the map. The event will be held in Cohen Student Union Ballroom which is #17 on the map. View Map

CEUs Sponsored by
Osterhout & McKinney Logo

Family care partners and professionals are invited to join us for an upcoming Alzheimer’s & Dementia symposia. This symposium will provide attendees with valuable education, information and resources – as well as inspiration and encouragement for the caregiving journey. 5.5 CEU’s have been approved for Florida Board of Nursing, Nursing Home Administrators, Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy, Mental Health Counseling and Guardians.


For questions regarding the conference, contact us at info@dubincenter.com or call 239-437-3007. Limited to 200 attendees.

$100 Professional – CE Credit $50    Individual – No CE Credit

The goal of the 9th Symposium on Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias is to inform, educate and train individuals in southwest Florida and across the state who are caring for persons with Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. This year’s conference, titled “Innovations in Alzheimer’s Caregiving and Treatment” will provide insights for family caregivers and healthcare professionals on ways to improve care delivery for those living with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia and enhance support of families caring for loved ones with these diseases. It will also provide helpful strategies for individuals and families to successfully navigate the caregiving journey.

Who Should Attend

Nurses, nurse practitioners, nursing home administrators, social workers, licensed marriage and family therapists, recreation therapists, activity directors, mental health providers and family caregivers.

* Opportunity to earn 5.5 continuing education hours.

Event Schedule 

7:30 – 8:00a // Registration, Breakfast and Networking

Registration, breakfast, and networking

8:00 – 8:15a // Welcome and Summary of the Day

FGCU President, Provost, or Representative

Summary of the Day: Lynne Thorp, Executive Director, The Dubin Center

8:15 – 9:15a // Session 1 – Why Did Alzheimer’s Disease Become a Crisis…

Why Did Alzheimer’s Disease Become a Crisis and What We Can Do About It. (1 CEU)

Speaker: Jason Karlawish, M.D.

Professor of Medicine, Fellow, Institute of Aging, University of Pennsylvania

Physician, Researcher and Author on Issues at the Intersection of Bioethics, Aging, and Neuroscience

9:15 – 10:15a // Session 2 – Tapping the Wellspring of Creativity

Tapping the Wellspring of Creativity (1 CEU)

Speaker: Anne Basting, Ph.D.

Author, Artist, and Advocate for the Power of Creative Care

Professor, University of Wisconsin

10:15 – 11:15a // Session 3 – Optimizing Ketogenic Nutrition for Brain Health

Optimizing Ketogenic Nutrition for Brain Health (1 CEU)

Speaker: Dominic D’Agostino, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, University of South Florida

Morsani College of Medicine and Research Scientist at the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition



11:15a – 12:15p // Exhibits & Book Signing

Visit our exhibitor booths and get your books signed by our speakers.

12:15 – 1:00p // Exhibits & Lunch

Lunch is included with full day early registration.

1:00 – 2:00p // Session 4 – Social Prescriptions, An Alternative Treatment…

Social Prescriptions: An Alternative Treatment in Alzheimer’s Disease (1 CEU)

Speaker: Angel C. Duncan, PhDc, MA, MFT, ATR
Specialist Adult Neurocognitive and Psychiatric Disorders, and Psychology with a focus in Gerontology Adjunct Professor, University of Tampa

2:00 – 3:30p // Session 5 – Identifying and Staging Nine Dementias

Identifying and Staging Nine Dementias (1.5 CEUs)

Speaker: Tam Cummings, Ph.D.
Gerontologist, dedicated to “Untangling the complexities of dementia” Author and Educator

3:30 – 4:00p // Closing

Final Remarks, Symposium Evaluation, and Thank You

Hotel Options

Embassy Suites by Hilton Ft. Myers – Estero

10450 Corkscrew Commons Drive, Estero FL 33928

Event Dates: February 28, 2023 – March 2, 2023

Book by: January 29, 2023

Rate & Rooms: 1 King Suite – $289.00

Click here to book online

Direct: 239-444-5486; Hotel: 239-949-4222

Fax: 239-949-0505

Hilton Garden Inn Fort Myers Airport/FGCU

16410 Corporate Commerce Way, Fort Myers, FL 33913

Group: 9th Annual Symposium Innovations

Group Code: ASIAC

Event Dates: February 28, 2023 – March 2, 2023

Book by: January 29, 2023

Rate & Rooms: 1 King Bed – $219.00

2 Queen Beds – $219.00

Click here to Book Online

Call to Book: 239-210-7200 or 1-800-HILTONS (Provide Group Code/Name)

Homewood Suites Fort Myers Airport/FGCU

Group: The Dubin Center

Group Code: BUC

Event Dates: February 28, 2023 – March 2, 2023

Book by: January 29, 2023

Rate & Rooms: 1 King Bed Studio Suite Nonsmoking – $239.00

Click here to Book Online    

Call to Book: 239-210-7300 or 1-800-HILTONS (Provide Group Code/Name)

2023 Symposium Presenters

Dr. Anne Basting

Tapping the Wellspring of Creativity

Anne Basting is a writer, artist and advocate for the power of creativity to transform aging care. She is Professor of English at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and Founder of the award-winning non-profit TimeSlips.org, which trains, inspires, and supports caregivers to infuse creativity into care. Her writing and large-scale public performances have helped shape an international movement to extend creative and meaningful expression from childhood, where it is expected, through to late life, where it has been too long withheld.

Her books include Creative Care: A Revolutionary Approach to Elder and Dementia Care (Harper), Penelope: An Arts-based Odyssey to Transform Eldercare (U of Iowa), and Forget Memory: Creating Better Lives for People with Dementia (Johns Hopkins). Internationally recognized for her speaking and her innovative work, Anne is the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, and numerous major awards and grants. She believes that creative engagement can and should be infused into every aging care system and has trained/consulted with Meals on Wheels, libraries, home care companies, senior centers, memory cafes, museums, adult day programs, and every level of long-term care.

Dr. Jason Karlawish

Why Did Alzheimer’s Disease Become a Crisis and What We Can Do About It

He researches and writes about issues at the intersections of bioethics, aging, and the neurosciences. He is the author of The Problem of Alzheimer’s: How Science, Culture, and Politics Turned a Rare Disease into a Crisis and What We Can Do About It and the novel Open Wound: The Tragic Obsession of Dr. William Beaumont and has written essays for the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Forbes, The Hill, Nature, STAT, and the Philadelphia Inquirer. He is a Professor of Medicine, Medical Ethics and Health Policy, and Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania and Co-Director of the Penn Memory Center, where he cares for patients. He lives in Philadelphia.

Dr. Angel Duncan, PhDc, MA, MFT, ATR

Social Prescriptions: An Alternative Treatment in Alzheimer’s Disease

Angel has an extensive background in counseling psychology, art therapy and Alzheimer’s disease diagnostic neuroimaging and clinical research trials. Her work is in Medical Life Sciences- U.S. Medical and Clinical Affairs at Life Molecular Imaging. She works with diverse advocacy groups and Alzheimer’s research centers across the country. Angel co-developed and co-facilitates a monthly support program for early-onset and early stage dementia at the Yale University Art Gallery that now runs virtually.

She is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Tampa and guest teaches in neurological and psychiatric disorders throughout the nation. She resides on the Board of Directors and serves as the Executive Arts Director for the Cognitive Dynamics Foundation. She also resides on the Medical Advisory Board for Lorenzo’s House, a national nonprofit in young-onset Alzheimer’s support. Angel has chaired and co-chaired neurosciences and creativity track symposiums throughout the country and speaks globally about Alzheimer’s and caregiver support, diversity and inclusion in clinical trials, mental health and the importance of creativity on the brain. She is a widely published author and is featured in diverse media for her work.

Dr. Dominic D’Agostino

Optimizing Ketogenic Nutrition for Brain Health

Dominic D’Agostino, Ph.D., is a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology at the University of South Florida (USF) Morsani College of Medicine and a Research Scientist at the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC). Dr. D’Agostino received his B.S. in Nutritional Science and Biological Sciences in 1998 at Rutgers University before receiving a Predoctoral Fellowship in neuroscience at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in 1999. In 2004 Dr. D’Agostino entered into a postdoctoral fellowship in neuroscience at the Boonshoft School of Medicine at Wright State University in Ohio before moving his research program to USF Tampa in 2006. Funding through the Department of Defense (DoD) and Office of Naval Research (ONR) lead him to develop and patent unique technologies for a wide range of applications related to enhancing resilience in undersea environments, treating neurological disorders and in treatment and prevention of metabolic-based diseases. Dr. D’Agostino continues to work closely with federal organizations, private industry, 501c3 foundations and media outlets.

Dr. Tam Cummings, PhD

Identifying and Staging Nine Dementias

Tam Cummings, PhD. founded her company in 2009 with the mission to “Inspire, Educate, and Empower Dementia Caregivers.” Now her professional gerontology practice in the Texas Hill Country is recognized as one of the leading educators of dementia caregivers and program design for dementia care in Texas and nationally. Dr. Cummings attended Baylor, Texas A&M, and Concordia Universities. She has been awarded degrees in journalism, social work, and gerontology. Her post-graduate studies are in educational psychology and rural public health. Dr. Cummings is a member of the National Association of Professional Gerontologists, has authored and published four books for dementia caregivers and speaks in national podcasts for dementia caregivers. Dr. Cummings developed the Dementia Behavioral Assessment Tool (DBAT) for staging dementias along with a classification and staging tool for the behavioral, communication, and movement variations of the FTDs (Frontotemporal Dementias) – the only tool of its kind.


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