NCAL Day

NCAL-4 - Dementia Empathy Experience Program (DEEP) - Session Opportunity 1

Sunday, October 19, 2025

10:15 AM - 11:15 AM PDT

Location: Oceanside G

CE: NAB: 1 | ANCC: 1

Speaker(s)

Dr. Anna Fisher, CADDCT, CDSGF, CMDCP, CDP, QCP

Nurse & Educator
Papillion Community Living Center
Plattsmouth, NE, United States
Cameo Rogers, CTRS, CDP, CDCM, CADDCT

Corporate Lifestyle Manager
Immanuel
Omaha, NE, United States
Tina Sandri, MHSA, LHNA, QCP, RYT 200 (she/her/hers)

President
Forest Hills of DC
Washington, DC, United States
Jennifer Svoboda, BSW, MHA, CHCC (she/her/hers)

Director of Quality and Compliance
Arete Living
Portland, OR, United States
Chrisi Karcz, MSN, BSN, RN, CRRN, CDP (she/her/hers)

Vice President of Quality & Clinical Services
Gardant Management Solutions
Kankakee, IL, United States
Afra McGhie (she/her/hers)

Senior Vice President of Operations
Cogir Senior Living
Scottsdale, AZ, United States
Shauna Kapsner, LALD (she/her/hers)

Director of Education & Events
Care Providers of Minnesota
Bloomington, MN, United States
Helen Crunk, RN, BS

Regional Director of Health Services
Vetter Senior Living
Elkhorn, NE, United States

Moderator(s)

Pamela L. Truscott, DNP/HSL, MSN/Ed, RN, QCP, DNS-CT, RAC-CT, CDP (she/her/hers)

Director of Quality Improvement
AHCA/NCAL
Washington, DC, United States

PDF

Disclosure(s):

Dr. Anna Fisher, CADDCT, CDSGF, CMDCP, CDP, QCP: No financial relationships to disclose

Cameo Rogers, CTRS, CDP, CDCM, CADDCT: No financial relationships to disclose

Tina Sandri, MHSA, LHNA, QCP, RYT 200: No financial relationships to disclose

Jennifer Svoboda, BSW, MHA, CHCC: No financial relationships to disclose

Chrisi Karcz, MSN, BSN, RN, CRRN, CDP: No financial relationships to disclose

Afra McGhie: No financial relationships to disclose

Helen Crunk, RN, BS: No financial relationships to disclose

It is estimated that by 2050 over 16 million people will suffer from dementia. Every 65 seconds someone new is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and it impact 200,000 people under the age of 65 in the U.S. alone. Every year in the U.S. over 500,000 people die from Alzheimer’s disease and it is the only top 10 death with no known cure. Dementia care is one of the top services that assisted living providers across the country provide every day but are we prepared enough? Dementia Empathy Experience Programming (DEEP) is a concept that allows assisted living providers to spend a few moments in the shoes of someone who is suffering from dementia. In addition to gaining empathy, participants will learn valuable insights on how to improve care and services provided to those suffering from the disease from leading experts within the assisted living setting. DEEP will guide participants through a variety of stations aimed at enhancing the learner’s empathy for and improving their success in working with residents who have dementia.

Learning Objectives:

Discuss alterations in perception associated with dementia.
Describe the difference between misperceptions and misidentifications and their impact on perception and understanding.
Explain how the DEEP approach enhances awareness and empathy in caring for residents with dementia.