Supporting Cognitive Health and Dementia Care Across the Lifespan
Thursday, November 05, 2026 | 8 a.m. - 4:15 p.m.
Location: Cape Fear Botanical Gardens
536 North Eastern Boulevard, Fayetteville, NC 28301
Target Audience
Designed for family caregivers, friends, community members, faith-based caregivers, and healthcare professionals—including physicians, nurses, social workers, counselors, psychologists, pharmacists, therapists, care managers, direct care staff, and other members of the healthcare team—this conference offers practical tools and real-world solutions that can be immediately applied in home, community, and clinical settings.
Program Description
Join internationally recognized dementia care expert Teepa Snow for an engaging and transformative conference designed to equip both caregivers and healthcare professionals with practical, evidence-based strategies to support individuals living with cognitive changes and dementia across the lifespan.
As the prevalence of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias continues to rise, the need for compassionate, person-centered care has never been greater. This dynamic conference will provide participants with a deeper understanding of brain changes associated with dementia, effective communication techniques, approaches to managing challenging behaviors, and strategies that promote dignity, independence, and quality of life for individuals living with cognitive impairment.
Registration Fee
Family and Community Caregivers: $50.00
Healthcare Professionals: $75.00
Agenda
8 a.m. Registration/Sign-in
8:45 a.m. Welcome
9 a.m. Beyond Memory Loss: Understanding, Connecting, and Caring
Teepa Snow
10:30 a.m. Break
10:45 a.m. Beyond Memory Loss: Understanding, Connecting, and Caring
Teepa Snow
12:15 p.m. Lunch Provided
12:45 p.m. From Diagnosis to What Matters Most: Dementia Care Across the Lifespan
Dr. Christine Khandelwal
Dementia is more than a disorder of memory and cognition. For individuals and families, dementia intersects with mobility, medications, multimorbidity, frailty, function, relationships, and the values and priorities that define quality of life. A comprehensive approach to dementia therefore requires looking beyond the diagnosis to the whole person and the context in which they live.
Drawing on principles of geriatrics and palliative medicine, this session will use the Geriatrics 5Ms—Mind, Mobility, Medications, Multicomplexity, and Matters Most—as a practical framework for dementia care across the lifespan and throughout the illness trajectory. Participants will explore how each of the 5Ms can guide clinical assessment, identify opportunities to preserve function and independence, reduce treatment burden, support caregivers, and align care with the individual's goals and values.
The presentation will emphasize that high-quality dementia care is not simply about prolonging life or treating cognitive symptoms. It is about helping individuals maintain function, dignity, relationships, meaning, comfort, and quality of life for as long as possible while supporting the people who care for them.
1:45 p.m. Break
2 p.m. Brain Health and Nutrition
Dr. Rhunelle Murray
As we age, maintaining brain health becomes increasingly important for preserving memory, cognitive function, and overall quality of life. This program explores the connection between nutrition and brain health, highlighting key nutrients, healthy eating patterns, lifestyle habits that can support cognitive wellness and healthy aging. Participants will learn practical strategies to make informed food choices that promote brain health and reduce the risk of age-related cognitive decline.
3 p.m. Break
3:15 p.m. Estate and LTC/Asset Preservation Planning...The Good, Bad and Ugly
Mr. Jason Sutton
This session provides an overview of the essential estate planning documents every adult should have in place and explores the potential consequences of failing to plan ahead. Participants will gain a better understanding of key estate planning tools, decision-making documents, and strategies for protecting assets in the event long-term care or nursing home services become necessary. Attendees will leave with practical guidance, a checklist of critical estate planning documents, and greater awareness of options available to help preserve financial resources while planning for future care needs.
4:15 p.m. Adjourn
Featured Speaker
Teepa Snow is one of the world’s leading advocates and educators on the topic of dementia or other forms of brain change. Teepa is an Occupational Therapist with over forty years of rich and varied clinical and academic experience. Her philosophy is reflective of her education, work experience, medical research, and first-hand caregiving experiences. Her advocacy efforts led her to the development of the GEMS® State of Brain Change, a model for understanding the different brain changes that are associated with dementia as well as the brain plasticity experienced by neurotypical individuals. Teepa also created the Snow Approach™ training strategies, which are effective techniques for anyone seeking to optimize care and support for those living with brain change. As the Education Director of Eastern North Carolina’s Alzheimer’s Association, she also helped to create the nation’s award-winning DVD entitled Accepting the Challenge: Providing the Best Care for People with Dementia. Her user-friendly approaches provide guidance and leadership to international efforts to promote best practices in care. Teepa’s organization, Positive Approach to Care® (PAC™), was founded in 2007 and is now collaborating to improve dementia care in over thirty countries worldwide. PAC provides online and in person services, training, and products to professionals, family members, the lay public, and people living with brain change. In 2022, Teepa founded Snow Approach Foundation, a nonprofit organization based near her home in Hillsborough, North Carolina. The purpose of Snow Approach Foundation is to foster the development of a neurodiverse, inclusive community through access to information, services, and support. Teepa presents with extraordinary expertise and humor to audiences large and small throughout the world. Please join in her mission to improve the culture of dementia care, one mind at a time.
Speakers
Dr. Christine Khandelwal graduated from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her Family Medicine residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Her passion for caring for complex, geriatric, and seriously ill patients led her to pursue a Geriatrics Fellowship with a concentration in Hospice and Palliative Medicine at UNC Chapel Hill. Over the past decade, Dr. Khandelwal has served as a clinician educator, program developer, and healthcare system leader. She has been instrumental in launching Inpatient Palliative Care Consult Services at WakeMed and across the Cape Fear Valley Harnett Health systems, as well as piloting innovative ambulatory models of geriatric and palliative care in community practices throughout Wake and Harnett counties. She previously served as Professor of Family Medicine and Director of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine, where she advanced medical and interprofessional education in rural North Carolina, helping prepare the future healthcare workforce to care for an aging and increasingly complex population. She now brings her expertise to the UNC Cancer Center Supportive Care Clinic, where she focuses on improving quality of life and supporting patients and families living with cancer and serious illness. Dr. Khandelwal’s leadership roles—including Chair of Medicine at WakeMed Raleigh, Chair of Peer Review, and gubernatorial appointee to the North Carolina Medical Board—reflect her longstanding commitment to advocacy through service. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB), where she contributes to national policy and regulatory efforts that promote safe, equitable, and accessible care. Across her clinical, educational, and leadership roles, she remains committed to advancing high-quality care and improving outcomes for seriously ill and aging populations.
Dr. Rhunelle Camille Murray, is a board-certified neurologist and epileptologist with more than 15 years of experience in clinical neurology, neurodiagnostics, and healthcare leadership. As Medical Director of LifeWorks Neurodiagnostic Center in Fayetteville, North Carolina, she specializes in epilepsy and seizure disorders, EEG and EMG testing, and the diagnosis and management of complex neurological conditions. Dr. Murray earned her medical degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine, completed her neurology residency at North Shore–Long Island Jewish Health System, and pursued fellowship training in Clinical Neurophysiology at the University of Virginia Medical Center. She also holds a Master’s degree in Health Administration, reflecting her commitment to both patient care and healthcare excellence. Known for her collaborative, patient-centered approach, Dr. Murray is dedicated to empowering patients through education, trust, and active participation in their treatment plans. Her clinical expertise, leadership, and passion for serving diverse communities have made her a respected voice in neurological care throughout the region.
Mr. Jason Sutton, JD, Attorney, Founder of Elder Care Law Firm, earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Management from North Carolina State University. While on a four-year athletic scholarship playing varsity basketball for the Wolfpack, Mr. Sutton excelled in the classroom as well as on the court. He went on to earn his Juris Doctorate from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. Even in law school, he knew he was passionate about elder law and estate planning — where he focused his studies. When not practicing law, Mr. Sutton enjoys spending time with his wife and three children, coaching recreation sports, and traveling.
Objectives
- Describe the cognitive, behavioral, and functional changes associated with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias and their impact on individuals across the lifespan.
- Apply evidence-based, person-centered communication and care strategies to enhance interactions, promote dignity, and improve quality of life for individuals living with cognitive impairment in home, community, and healthcare settings.
- Identify practical approaches for recognizing unmet needs, responding to behavioral expressions, and supporting caregivers through collaborative, compassionate dementia care practices.
Credit
Contact Hours: 6.0
CEUs: .6
Substitutes/Refunds/Transfers
• Cancellations must be in writing (email or mail).
• Registrants cancelling between two weeks and five full business days prior to the first day of the event are refunded at 70% of the registration fee subject to a minimum $25 cancellation fee.
• No refunds or credits will be given for cancellations received less than five full business days prior to the event.
• No refunds or credit will be given for no-shows.
• No vouchers will be issued in lieu of a refund.
• Transfers/substitute(s) welcome (notify in advance of the program).
Attendance at this activity grants permission for Southern Regional AHEC to use any photographs, audio, video, or other images from this activity for promotional or educational purposes. Please notify an AHEC staff member if you have concerns.
ADA Services
Americans with Disabilities Act Individuals requesting accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) should contact the ADA coordinator at least five days prior to the event at (910) 678-7305 or mariah.williams@sr-ahec.org.
Contact Us
Denise Melton, Administrator of CPD / Behavioral Health and CME / 910-678-7201 / denise.melton@sr-ahec.org
Jasmine Harris, Director of CPD, Behavioral Health / 910-678-7218 / jasmine.harris@sr-ahec.org
Melanie Wheeler, Manger Education Support Team / 910-678-7209 / melanie.wheeler@sr-ahec.org
Mariah Williams, Project Specialist / 910-678-7305 / mariah.williams@sr-ahec.org