Susan Farris has been at the helm of the James L. West Alzheimer’s Center since 2004. She is retiring Feb. 22 after having been only the second President and Executive Director in the Center’s 25-year history.
Highlights of her tenure include the launch of the Center’s highly-regarded Community Education and Outreach department, expansion of formalized medical professional training and direction of the Center’s transformative $12.5-million reconstruction project, from vision through completion.
She answered some questions from The Business Press.
What’s different today than in 2004 when you started at James L. West Center in the care and cure for Alzheimer’s?
A cure is still elusive. Researchers are looking at brain changes that happen years before you see any symptoms of cognitive decline — in a person’s 30s and 40s, rather than old age. And that makes sense for the guys who want to find a treatment or a cure, because any disease is best managed if it is caught early. But for now, there is still no known specific cause of Alzheimer’s disease and no cure. There are many curable and treatable causes of cognitive problems, however, so anyone experiencing problems should see a specialist right away.
You have pushed for more community education and outreach. What was your thinking and where does programming stand at this point? Looking into the future, people 1) want to live at home; 2) government resources are not sufficient to cover the tidal wave of baby boomers who will develop dementia and need care; and 3) there are not enough younger folks to provide that care under the current long-term care system. People with dementia will be living at home, and society can prepare for that, if they begin now.
About six years ago, we saw an opportunity to use technology and our years of hands-on experience to develop and deliver a series of training programs for medical professionals and family caregivers — in person and online. We were getting a lot of calls for help and the calls were coming from farther away — sometimes from outside the U.S.
Families needed guidance earlier in their journey and medical and nursing schools wanted their students to have specific training to care for people with dementia. Physicians were beginning to test for dementia under a new Medicare benefit, but what then? Patients and their families rely on the family doctor to guide them — especially when it is a new diagnosis. Our classes are free to the public and can be scheduled for any group of eight or more who want to learn more about caring for folks with dementia. Links to podcasts on a variety of topics are available on our website and we are filming our third in a series of webinar programs for physicians and their office staff.
What’s behind your retirement at this time? I have cared for aging Texans for 30 years, and two of my favorite aging Texans — my parents — need me now. They are 93 and 94, and I don’t want to miss this time with them.
You mentioned finishing the reconstruction project. What’s different about the James L. West Alzheimer’s Center? From its founding in 1993, the West Center has been a care model that drew people from around the world, literally. The bones of the building were good and people loved the care that they saw, but we knew that subconsciously, the medical-centric environment was not enhancing the remaining abilities of our residents.
The medical professionals we were training were seeing disability, not hope. We carefully researched and re-built our five living areas to look and function like real homes for real people — vibrant, happy and full of life.
Alzheimer’s disease is progressive, and there are losses of awareness and function at each stage. Because we have a house for each stage of dementia, we were able to balance scientific design, color and amenities to provide the right environment for the folks at each stage. We finished construction during the summer, and I can retire knowing that we have created something so meaningful and unique — right here in Fort Worth..
What key messages would you have for the children of parents suffering from dementia? Encourage them to see a neurologist or geriatric practitioner, to rule out causes of confusion that are curable — depression, infections, medication interactions. Gather together as a family and gently discuss what your parent(s) wants for their future — let them help with plans.
Siblings have to put aside their squabbles and come together for the parent’s sake. Get legal affairs in order early. Prepare yourself for the journey, with education. Find a healthy support system. It is never too early to ask for help from us, the Alzheimer’s Association, and from United Way. Your journey will be tiring, but caring for an elder may be the most important and meaningful work you will ever do.