All Home Care Matters and our host, Lance A. Slatton were honored to welcome Julia Wood, MOT, OTR/L the Director of Professional & Community Education for the Lewy Body Dementia Association (LBDA).

 

About Julia Wood, MOT, OTR/L:

 

Julia Wood, MOT, OTR/L is an occupational therapist and international educator specializing in assessment and treatment of people with Parkinson’s disease and related dementias. Julia joined the Lewy Body Dementia Association (LBDA) as director of Professional & Community Education in 2021.

 

She co-authored the first American Occupational Therapy Association Practice Guideline for Adults with Parkinson’s Disease in 2022 and serves on the Comprehensive Care Subcommittee for the World Parkinson’s Congress (WPC).

 

About the Lewy Body Dementia Association (LBDA):

 

The Lewy Body Dementia Association (LBDA) is the leading national organization dedicated to improving the lives of Lewy body dementia (LBD) families.

 

The Lewy Body Association (LBDA) Mission:

 

To optimize the quality of life for those affected by Lewy body dementia, we accelerate awareness, advance research for early diagnosis and improved care, and provide comprehensive education and compassionate support.

 

Program Provision Highlights:

 

Support: 

 

LBDA offers a wide variety of compassionate and confidential support services for those who are symptomatic or diagnosed, their families and current or former care partners, including but not limited to:

• Virtual and in-person support groups

• Connecting to Lewy Buddies, lived-experience volunteers who share their time and experience with individuals and families

• Opportunity to connect directly with one of LBDA’s licensed social workers through the Lewy Line, a toll-free number, Monday - Friday

• Assistance in identifying additional external programs or local resources

 

(LBDA does not promote any doctor, medical center, allied healthcare provider, medication, product or treatment, nor direct referrals for residential facilities or home care agencies). 

 

Education:

 

LBDA provides free resources and educational programming throughout the year on a wide variety of LBD topics.

 

• 2024 Community Webinar Series: Empowerment through Education is designed to provide strategies for self-advocacy, exploration of the complex symptoms of LBD, and skills and resources to enhance quality of life.

 

o Available to watch on LBDAtv or Mediflix

 

• 2025 Community Webinar Series: Mastering Lewy Body Dementia Together will focus on building mastery of understanding on the complex symptoms of (LBD), continuation of providing strategies for self-advocacy and resources for support, and tactics for enhancing quality of life.

 

o Begins January 15 

 

• The Lewy Learning Center is a free online platform for sharing education LBD with the community and health care professionals. A go to place for on-demand learning, courses are available to watch at any time, share with friends and family members, with unlimited viewing options. 

• LBDA offers complimentary educational materials for individuals and families as well as healthcare provides which can be requested via lbda.org (US only)

 

Research:

 

LBDA facilitates, promotes and assists in the development of LBD clinical trials and research studies.

 

• The Lewy Trial Tracker is a tool for individuals to receive information on new and currently recruiting clinical trials and studies. It is a single source of information that highlights study topics, procedures, locations and study site contact information. Registrants receive quarterly emails, and the information collected is confidential.

 

• LBDA’s Research Centers of Excellence is a network of 25 of the nation’s leading academic medical research institutions connecting individuals and their families with highly-specialized physicians providing advanced diagnosis and treatment, as well as conducting LBDA research.