🧠✨ The 2025 ALTER Dementia Summit was a powerful and purpose-driven gathering held at Impact Church in East Point, GA, bringing together faith leaders, researchers, healthcare professionals, youth advocates, caregivers, and community organizations dedicated to addressing dementia through a lens of cultural humility, faith, and health equity.
💜 Founded by Dr. Fayron Epps, a trailblazer in advancing dementia awareness in Black faith-based communities—this year’s summit reflected her powerful vision to empower churches in becoming dementia-friendly spaces. The event beautifully blended education, empowerment, and community connection. Through its signature training program, ALTER Dementia equips places of worship with the knowledge and resources to support both caregivers and parishioners impacted by dementia. These trainings offer hands-on education, consultations, and a toolbox designed to meet each faith community’s unique needs.
🎤 The summit was enriched by the powerful voices that shared wisdom, heart, and lived experiences. Bishop Glenn B. Allen Sr. shared about the critical role faith leaders should play in creating supportive, dementia-friendly environments. He called on churches to make intentional changes—ensuring caregivers and individuals living with dementia are not only welcomed, but fully included and embraced within the life of the church. Kathy Washa, Staying Sharp Program Director, emphasized that brain health can be nurtured at any age, highlighting AARP’s Staying Sharp online platform as a free, accessible resource for enhancing cognitive well-being and supporting caregivers. Clay Jacobs, Executive Director of the Alzheimer’s Association–Georgia Chapter, highlighted the importance of early detection and risk reduction. Dr. Stephanie Johnson, Clinical and Research Neuropsychologist, Cognitive Solutions LLC, emphasized the importance of research participation and making clinical trials more accessible. Dr. Feylyn Lewis shared both personal and professional perspectives on youth caregiving, while Janelle Gore (ALTER Dementia) and Dr. Bashir Easter (Melanin Minded Foundation), spoke with passion about youth caregiving advocacy. The voices of youth caregivers also known as the “invisible caregivers”—sisters, Giavanni Lewis and Mckenzie Lewis, and Jaden Easter (Melanin Minded Foundation)—were especially moving, offering honest reflections and creative approaches to caregiving through music, dance, and resilience.
🎶 A standout moment from the summit was the Gospel Explosion, featuring powerful performances by gospel artists’ Zebulon Ellis and Bishop Paul S. Morton (Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International). Their music brought attendees to their feet in worship and reflection—a joyful reminder of the spiritual strength that anchors so many caregivers and communities navigating dementia. That same energy carried into day three’s vibrant celebration of HBCUs and Panhellenic (Greek) organizations, where attendees proudly represented their schools and organizations, received shout-outs, and filled the room with music, dancing, and a swag surf that captured the heart and spirit of the entire summit.
The summit featured an impressive lineup of vendors, including organizations like AARP, the Alzheimer’s Association, the Lewy Body Dementia Association, and Xylina Cassandra (Author, Puppeteer (Boss Frog), and Alzheimer’s & Dementia Care Advocate), among many others.
🙌🏾 Kathryn Boxill of Links2Equity was honored to attend and engage in these critical conversations about brain health, caregiver support, and expanding access to research and resources for Black communities.
🔑 10 Key Takeaways from the 2025 Summit:
- By 2030, 40% of Americans diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease will be from Black and Brown communities.
- Faith communities are powerful partners in dementia care. It is imperative that churches and faith-based organizations play a vital role in creating safe, dementia-friendly spaces by educating, supporting, and advocating for individuals and families, especially within Black communities.
- Youth caregivers need more recognition, resources, and mental health support—they are often unseen and unsupported.
- Participating in clinical research/trials is vital to ensure treatments are effective and equitable for diverse populations.
- We must address historic medical mistrust with transparency, community engagement, and representation in research leadership.
- Culturally tailored caregiver training and support improve outcomes and reduces burnout.
- Music, movement, and art are powerful tools for connecting with loved ones experiencing dementia.
- Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and other chronic conditions strongly increase dementia risk—prevention begins with awareness and then action.
- Youth-led panels offered moving insights into the sacrifices, love, and resilience that young caregivers bring to their families.
- The U.S. lags in youth caregiver support and policy compared to countries like the UK—this must change.
🧠The ALTER Dementia Summit was a powerful reminder that community, care, and culture are essential to navigating dementia with dignity. It reinforced the importance of standing together to ensure no one walks this journey alone. Interested in Links2Equity’s detailed summit summary? Reach out to us at info@Links2Equity.com.
📅 Save the date: Next year’s summit will take place on April 23–25, 2026.
đź”— To learn more, visit: https://alterdementia.com/; https://alterdementia.com/alter-summit/
🧰 Exploring Support Resources
đź’» Caregiving While Black
The “Caregiving While Black” course provides culturally relevant education and support for Black caregivers navigating dementia care.
đź”— https://scholarblogs.emory.edu/epps-faithvillage/research-projects/care/
🧠AARP Staying Sharp
AARP’s Staying Sharp platform provides participants with free, accessible tools to strengthen cognitive well-being and support loved ones.
đź”— https://stayingsharp.aarp.org/
🔬 Find a Clinical Trial
Participating in research is vital to advancing dementia care and treatments. Explore these resources to find clinical trials you or a loved one may be eligible for:
đź”— ALZ Trial Match
đź”— ClinicalTrials.gov
đź”— National Institute on Aging – Clinical Trials
💜 Please follow Links2Equity’s Facebook and LinkedIn pages to stay updated and be part of this important conversation on Alzheimer’s care and education. Your support helps amplify our mission! Let’s create meaningful change together!
#ALTERDementiaSummit2025 #ALTERDementiaSummit #FaithAndCaregiving #FaithAndBrainHealth #YouthCaregivers #BlackHealthEquity #DementiaAwareness #DrFayronEpps #DementiaFriendlyChurches #BrainHealthMatters #AlzheimersAwareness #Dementia #AlzheimersDisease #HealthEquity #Links2Equity
