By Vincent Lim
William Vega, executive director of the Edward R. Roybal Institute on Aging at the USC School of Social Work, delivered the opening plenary lecture at the “Many Faces of Dementia” conference at the Davidson Continuing Education Center on March 18.
The conference brought together medical professionals, health care providers, clinical researchers and caregivers in the greater Los Angeles area who provide help for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
Vega knows about the challenges faced by dementia caregivers from his mother-in-law. He related the story about his mother-in-law, who was hospitalized after collapsing out of sheer exhaustion from caring for her husband with dementia. During her hospital stay, she told Vega that she enjoyed being away from home because it provided a reprieve from caregiving.
“It is so critical to prepare families in advance for the challenge,” Vega said. “People walk into the situation naïve about what you need to do.”