The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America will launch its 2023 Educating America Tour in Phoenix on Thursday, Feb. 16 with a free Alzheimer’s and Caregiving Educational Conference at the Ahwatukee Event Center, 4700 E. Warner Road in Phoenix.

The free conference, which begins at 10 a.m., is open to everyone and will allow participants to learn from experts in the field of Alzheimer’s disease, brain health, and caregiving, according to a press release. To register, go to www.alzfdn.org/tour.

“Knowledge is a useful and powerful tool that can help make any situation easier to navigate, especially something as challenging as caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease,” said Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., AFA’s president and CEO. “Connecting families with useful, practical information and support that can help them now and be better prepared for the future is what this conference is all about. Whether Alzheimer’s is affecting your family, you are a caregiver or just want to learn more about brain health, we invite you to join us on Feb. 16.”

Sessions during the AFA conference will include:

• Preventing Alzheimer’s disease: From Cradle-to-Grave — There are many theories on ways to delay or prevent Alzheimer’s disease. What is the best strategy? Jeremy Pruzin, MD, will provide a general overview of Alzheimer’s disease and discuss two important areas in prevention: modifiable risk factors such as lifestyle choices and vascular risk factors, and promising, presymptomatic, pharmacological strategies that are currently being tested in clinical trials.

• Aging in Place Along the Alzheimer’s Spectrum — Many older adults prefer to age in place and live in their own homes, however, every living situation should be determined by where they will get the best possible care. Is the caregiver able to alter their life to provide the support their loved one needs? Or are they better off in a dementia-care setting?

• What Happens Next? Best Practices in Palliative Dementia Care — Many families choose palliative care for their loved ones to optimize their quality of life and mitigate pain or discomfort as dementia-related illness reach the later stages of the disease progression. By assessing and treating the pain or discomfort they may be experiencing, palliative care provides an extra layer of support.

There will also be a special presentation, Highlights of a Baseball Reminiscence Program, an initiative designed to promote socialization and improve quality of life for individuals living with dementia and their caregivers, by the Phoenix-based Society for American Baseball Research.

Free, confidential memory screenings will be conducted throughout the day.

For more information or to register, go to www.alzfdn.org/tour.