On Thursday May 30, almost 100 Westchester residents braved the rain, wind and severe thunderstorms to attend The New Jewish Home’s 20th Annual Stein Lecture on Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease at the Sarah Neuman Campus in Mamaroneck. The New Jewish Home is a comprehensive, mission-driven healthcare system serving older New Yorkers since 1848.

Keynote speaker Dr. Tia Powell, Director of the Montefiore Einstein Center for Bioethics, was on hand to discuss her new book, “Dementia Reimagined: Building a Life of Joy and Dignity from Beginning to End,” and to deliver a critically important message:  “Dementia is not only about loss – it’s also about the preservation of dignity and hope.”

In his opening remarks, Dr. Jeffrey I. Farber, President and  CEO of The New Jewish Home, said, “Dementia is the disease that Americans fear the most.  There is no cure. Here at The New Jewish Home we see how it impacts our residents and families.  So, we focus on providing good care and comfort.”

Dr. Farber added that both the Manhattan and Westchester campuses of The New Jewish Home have earned accreditation from Comfort Matters, a nationwide dementia care education and research program dedicated to improving the quality of care and life for people with dementia.  Accreditation validates that an organization has taken extra steps to prepare for the care of persons with dementia.

During her presentation, Dr. Powell noted that The New Jewish Home and Sarah Neuman have in place the best practices in dementia and Alzheimer’s care.