Elder law attorney to present at virtual Alzheimer's Educational Conference

The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) will host a free virtual Alzheimer’s educational conference for Michigan residents on Wednesday, July 13, from 10 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. as part of its 2022 national Educating America Tour. The conference, is free and open to everyone.

Presenters include Glenn Matecun, a Michigan estate planning and elder law attorney for more than 30 years and an attorney with Matecun, Thomas, & Olson PLC with offices in Livingston and Macomb counties. Matecun, who handles legal matters throughout the state, graduated from the Detroit College of Law (now Michigan State University College of Law) in 1989, where he was a member of the Detroit College of Law Review and graduated with magna cum laude, second in his law school class. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Wayne State University in 1986.

Matecun will present “Navigating the Estate Planning and Elder Law Maze.” When a family member is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia-related illness, it’s never too soon to plan for their long-term care and get the necessary documentation in place. Matecun, will discuss how to plan for long-term care while legally protecting your assets, and the foundation you should create to safeguard your loved one and your family.

Other sessions include “Living with Dementia and Other Chronic Conditions: How Do Family Care Partners Influence Another’s Health and Well-Being?” presented by Courtney A. Polenick, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Michigan Medical School and faculty associate in the Aging & Biopsychosocial Innovations Program of the Survey Research Center at the U-M Institute for Social Research.

Another session will look at “What is Dementia? Understanding the Differences Between Diseases and Types of Dementia.” This session will be presented by West Bloomfield resident Barry Kaufman who has been living with Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) for the past 12 years. He retired from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and is an active participant in LBD research and support groups with the NIH (National Institutes of Health) and the University of Michigan.  He serves on the Steering Committee of the Michigan Dementia Coalition, a statewide coalition that consists of approximately 200 individuals from dementia-related fields and backgrounds, representing more than 65 organizations. He is also a member of the National Council of Dementia Minds.

 There will also be a special musical performance by singer-songwriter David Molinari of Senior Sing-A-Long, a West Michigan nonprofit organization which provides music therapy to individuals living with dementia-related illnesses in long-term care communities.

For additional information or to register for the conference, go to www.alzfdn.org/tour. Those who cannot participate in the virtual conference or have immediate questions about Alzheimer’s disease can connect with licensed social workers seven days a week by calling 866-232-8484 or web chatting at www.alzfdn.org by clicking the blue and white chat icon in the right-hand corner of the page.