Penn Memory Center

04/23/2026

What shapes the way care is delivered in moments of serious illness?

Join Reel Medicine Media for a screening of The Chaplain & The Doctor, a documentary exploring how medicine, spirituality, and human connection meet in patient care.

Through the relationship between physician Jessica Zitter and chaplain Betty Clark, the film examines how bias, perspective, and compassion influence the care experience.

Screening details:

📅 Saturday, May 9 at 12 p.m.
📍 Landmark Ritz, Philadelphia

Healthcare professionals, chaplains, students, and trainees receive 25% off tickets with code HEALTHCARE.

Get tickets here: events.humanitix.com/ritz?c=social

04/22/2026

What does it mean to keep creating as we age?

In the latest episode of The Age of Aging, Dr. Jason Karlawish speaks with soprano Lucy Shelton, who made her Metropolitan Opera debut at 82.

She reflects on a lifetime in music, how her voice has changed over time, and how she continues to perform.

The episode also explores what music reveals about the aging brain, including why it remains meaningful even when other abilities change.

Listen to the full episode: ageofaging.org/episodes/sprechstimme

The Age of Aging is made possible by the Michael Naidoff Communications Hub fund and Rothkoff Law Group and the Franklin Institute.

04/20/2026

What if spotting memory changes earlier meant more choices later?

Dr. Kyra O’Brien, assistant professor of Neurology and medical director of the Penn Medicine GUIDE Program, shares why early detection matters, both as a doctor and through her own family’s experience.

At Penn Medicine, routine cognitive assessment is helping more patients get answers earlier, connect to support, and explore treatment and lifestyle options sooner.

When cognitive change is named early, families have more choices.

Read Dr. O’Brien’s piece in Solving Alzheimer's.

How Penn Medicine is making cognitive assessments routine

04/15/2026

Join us for Memory Café, a free monthly pop-up café at Ralston House for older adults and their family caregivers.

Our next session, Nature in the Moment, takes place Friday, April 24, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., with doors opening at 10:30 a.m.

Led by environmental and mindfulness educator Erica Blatt, this indoor program includes guided meditation, nature observation, and a nature art activity designed to inspire calm, creativity, and connection.

Location:
The Ralston House, Wellness Center, first floor
3615 Chestnut Street

Register here: bit.ly/4epKomd

04/14/2026

Psychologist Art Kramer shares one of the most hopeful ideas in our latest episode of The Age of Aging: You do not need to have been active your whole life to benefit from exercise.

Even older adults who have been mostly sedentary can still see gains in memory, reasoning, problem solving, and brain health through movement.

Running was one focus of this episode, but the bigger message is broader. Walking, swimming, biking, resistance training, yoga, and tai chi all have something to offer.

A little movement can go a long way.

Listen to the episode for a grounded look at how exercise supports brain health, longevity, and quality of life as we age: ageofaging.org/episodes/make-way-for-the-masters

The Age of Aging is made possible by the Michael Naidoff Communications Hub fund and Rothkoff Law Group.

04/10/2026

What happens when you keep proving to yourself that you can do hard things?

In this episode of The Age of Aging, masters runner Delvin Dinkins shares how running shaped his mindset far beyond fitness. Pushing through tough workouts taught him perseverance, discipline, and how to stay the course when life gets hard.

Hear Delvin’s reflection in the latest episode, and listen to the many ways older runners describe movement as a source of strength, purpose, and joy.

Listen to Make Way for the Masters: ageofaging.org/episodes/make-way-for-the-masters

The Age of Aging is made possible by the Michael Naidoff Communications Hub fund and Rothkoff Law Group.

04/09/2026

What are the most important changes happening in dementia care right now, and what do they mean for families?

Penn Memory Center Co-Director Dr. Jason Karlawish and Director of Social Work Alison Lynn joined Studio 2 from WHYY for a timely conversation on where the field is headed.

They discuss new tools for diagnosis, emerging treatments, what research is showing about prevention, and the daily reality for people living with dementia and those caring for them.

One in three older Americans will get some form of dementia – diseases like Alzheimer’s and Lewy body – and the numbers are only expected to grow. And the to...

04/08/2026

Caring for a loved one with memory loss brings new questions, hard choices, and a lot to carry. The Penn Memory Center’s Empowering Caregivers Workshop Series is here to offer guidance, support, and practical information from trusted experts.

Join us on Thursday, April 24 at noon via Zoom for Anti-amyloid Therapies: An Update.

Penn Memory Center Co-Director Dr. David Wolk will share an updated overview of the disease-modifying therapies available for people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. He will discuss available treatments, how they work, who might be eligible, and how patients and families think through the decision of whether treatment is the right fit.

Register here: bit.ly/4skMiYy

04/07/2026

What keeps people running into their 60s, 70s, and 80s?

In the newest episode of The Age of Aging, masters runners share what running gives them, from stress relief and community to purpose, resilience, and joy.

The episode also looks at what exercise does for the aging brain, with insight from Dr. Art Kramer.

Listen to Make Way for the Masters: ageofaging.org/episodes/make-way-for-the-masters

The Age of Aging is made possible by the Michael Naidoff Communications Hub fund and Rothkoff Law Group.

04/03/2026

Why does grief in dementia feel so hard to explain?

In the newest episode of The Age of Aging, Alison Lynn, director of Social Work at the Penn Memory Center, helps name what many caregivers feel but struggle to put into words: ambiguous loss.

She explains how families often grieve while still providing care, mourning changes in the relationship long before death.

Alison also reflects on why language matters. Putting words to an experience does not erase the pain, but it helps people feel less alone and less unsure of what they are carrying.

Listen to Ambiguous Loss: ageofaging.org/episodes/ambiguous-loss

The Age of Aging is made possible by the Michael Naidoff Communications Hub fund and Rothkoff Law Group.

03/30/2026

Looking for a meaningful, creative day to connect, move, and try something new?

Join NeuroArts Day, a free event featuring interactive workshops in movement, music, visual arts, and poetry, along with a chance to meet representatives from local adaptive arts programs.

Whether you are living with a neurologic illness or injury, caring for a loved one, or working in healthcare or the arts, there is a place for you here. No experience is needed, only an open mind.

📅 Saturday, May 2, 2026
🕙 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
📍 Jordan Center for Medical Education, 5th floor of the Perelman Center, 3400 Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19104
🍽️ Lunch provided

Space is limited, so please register for each person attending.

Learn more at: phillyneuroartsnetwork.com/neuroarts-day

03/26/2026

“I will never get over what happened to my dad.”

In the newest episode of The Age of Aging, Dr. Cindy Weinstein reflects on her father’s Alzheimer’s disease, the long arc of grief that followed, and the role language played in helping her make sense of both.

Listen to Ambiguous Loss: ageofaging.org/episodes/ambiguous-loss

The Age of Aging is made possible by the Michael Naidoff Communications Hub fund and Rothkoff Law Group.