Understanding the Person with Alzheimer’s Disease
Interview with Jane Mahakian, PhD
Dr. Jane Mahakian is a gerontologist who has worked and advocated for 30 years in the “realm of forgetfulness.” She is the author of “I Hear You: Talking and Listening to People with Alzheimer’s.” Dr. Mahakian is the founder of Alzheimer’s Care Armenia, a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that develops sustainable programs and services for people with Alzheimer’s disease in Armenia. In early 2024, ACA joined forces with AAMS. In 2021, Dr. Mahakian conceived the idea of utilizing a semi-autonomous robot named Robin the Robot with elders in a nursing home in Armenia to determine the efficacy of the robot as emotional support for older adults suffering from isolation and loneliness in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. Most recently, ACA launched the Brain Health Armenia Project’s early detection memory screening and Alzheimer’s disease training project in Armenia, which was funded by the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative. This project conducted early detection memory screenings with over 4,500 people countrywide. Dr. Mahakian spearheaded the development of Armenia’s National Dementia Plan in cooperation with the Ministry of Health in 2022, which was formalized by Armenia’s government in March 2023. Based on a care management model she developed, ACA has expanded the Brain Health Armenia Project to provide multidisciplinary in-home cognitive and palliative care for people with cognitive impairment, supported by the H. Hovnanian Family Foundation. ACA will expand their Memory Cafes for people with memory loss in the rural areas of the country.
Dr. Vicken Sepilian is a Reproductive Medicine specialist and is the founder and director of American Fertility Specialists Medical Group. He is double board-certified in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, as well as Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Sepilian has been an active member of the Armenian American Medical Society (AAMS) holding multiple leadership positions, including serving as the President from 2009 to 2013. Dr. Sepilian served as the Chairman of the 11th Armenian Medical World Congress and currently is the President of the Armenian Medical International Congress (AMIC), a nonprofit organization with chapters all over the world, with the aim of coordinating global efforts in improving healthcare in Armenia. Passionate about community education, in 2008, Dr. Sepilian launched the “Your Health” educational TV program aimed at sharing with the community the latest and most important healthcare topics. Since 2008, the show has been making house calls to tens of thousands of viewers helping educate them on preventative care and healthy lifestyles. In 2010, Dr. Sepilian, alongside other civic leaders and the former Mayor of the City of Glendale, co-founded the Glendale Health Festival. Dr. Sepilian worked closely with city and state officials and local hospitals to organize this large-scale event with the aim of improving the health of the community. Dr. Sepilian is a strong believer that success and wealth are measured by life’s experiences and human interactions and that true happiness and purpose are achieved by giving. Cherished memories include debates about life and death with Dr. Jack Kevorkian, delivering pens to students in villages in Sri Lanka and teaching chess to orphans in Nepal.
