Alzheimer's Disease

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  • Mild Memory Problems May Be More Common in Men

    MedicineNet Alzheimer's General
    26 Jan 2012 | 1:00 am
    Title: Mild Memory Problems May Be More Common in MenCategory: Health NewsCreated: 1/26/2012 11:01:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 1/26/2012

  • Babyloid: New Robotic Baby Designed to Comfort Nursing Home Residents

    About.com Alzheimers Disease
    26 Jan 2012 | 3:10 am
    A new robotic baby invention called a Babyloid was recently developed in Japan to "interact" with nursing home residents. The goal is to help alleviate depression in nursing home residents, perhaps by providing something for them to care for and nurture....Read Full Post

  • A Farewell story

    Alzheimer's Reading Room
    Bob DeMarco
    28 Jan 2012 | 6:36 am
    'I will never get her off my mind' Alzheimer's Reading Room I read about Hans and Gloria Gosch on the Reading Eagle in a wonderful, heart warming story written by Mike Urbin. There were many sentences and quotes in this story that just stuck out and resonated to me. I think many, maybe most, Alzheimer's caregivers will find bits of themselves while reading about Hans and his feelings. I hope you will take the time to read the story, and then come back here and give us your reaction in the Add New Comment box below this article. You won't be wasting your time. Subscribe to the Alzheimer's…

  • New Pathology Criteria Published: Alzheimer’s Without Dementia?

    Alzforum News
    26 Jan 2012 | 11:00 pm
    Researchers published new U.S. guidelines for the neuropathologic assessment of Alzheimer’s disease last November—the first revision in 14 years...

  • A place to say goodbye, or hello

    "Had a Dad" Alzheimer's Blog
    GBP })i({
    17 Jan 2012 | 12:28 pm
    I was stuck at a red light the other day, right next to a cemetery, and several of the graves had little American flags on them.  I started to wonder if my dad was eligible for a flag.  He got a medical discharge out of the Air Force.  I know he wasn't in long enough to get any benefits.  Does a flag count as a benefit? But it's a moot question, cuz my dad doesn't have a grave. I guess when I decided to cremate him I wasn't thinking about that.  When I worked around the corner from the cemetery where my grandpa is buried, I used to get a spicy chicken sandwich from…
 
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    About.com Alzheimers Disease

  • Babyloid: New Robotic Baby Designed to Comfort Nursing Home Residents

    26 Jan 2012 | 3:10 am
    A new robotic baby invention called a Babyloid was recently developed in Japan to "interact" with nursing home residents. The goal is to help alleviate depression in nursing home residents, perhaps by providing something for them to care for and nurture....Read Full Post

  • Mental Exercise in Early & Middle Years = Reduced Brain Plaques Later in Life

    25 Jan 2012 | 2:34 am
    Think you're too young to try to prevent Alzheimer's disease? Think again. The latest research published in the Archives of Neurology journal concludes (as have other studies) that brain exercise is an important tool in reducing your risk of Alzheimer's. But this time, researchers looked at the level of mental exercise in early and middle life as self-reported by 65 participants with an average age of 76. They found that individuals who reported an active cognitive lifestyle (defined by reading, writing and playing games) in their early and middle years displayed fewer beta-amyloid deposits…

  • Potential Alzheimer's Drug Dimebon Fails in Clinical Trials

    22 Jan 2012 | 11:39 am
    Dimebon, a drug that has been in phase three of clinical trials for treatment of Alzheimer's disease, has recently been discontinued after studies concluded it was ineffective. Dimebon is a drug that was first used in Russia decades ago as an antihistamine, and in the last few years has undergone testing to treat the symptoms of Alzheimer's in the United States. Dimebon was never sold or marketed in the United States....Read Full Post

  • US Dept. Health & Human Services Releases National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease

    14 Jan 2012 | 9:02 am
    This week, the United States' Department of Health & Human Services released its Draft Framework for the National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease. This is the nation's first comprehensive plan to target Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Development of this plan is part of the National Alzheimer's Project Act- a long overdue project, in my opinion....Read Full Post

  • Address Book Becomes Tool for Conversation In Dementia

    8 Jan 2012 | 8:06 am
    Today's Dear Abby newspaper column contains a letter from one of her readers that I want to share with you. A woman from Kansas wrote in to Dear Abby to share that visiting her mother-in-law, who was in a nursing home with dementia, was difficult because she didn't know what to talk about with her. Maybe you've been in those shoes?...Read Full Post
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    Alzheimer's Reading Room

  • A Farewell story

    Bob DeMarco
    28 Jan 2012 | 6:36 am
    'I will never get her off my mind' Alzheimer's Reading Room I read about Hans and Gloria Gosch on the Reading Eagle in a wonderful, heart warming story written by Mike Urbin. There were many sentences and quotes in this story that just stuck out and resonated to me. I think many, maybe most, Alzheimer's caregivers will find bits of themselves while reading about Hans and his feelings. I hope you will take the time to read the story, and then come back here and give us your reaction in the Add New Comment box below this article. You won't be wasting your time. Subscribe to the Alzheimer's…

  • Are We Near a Tipping Point in Alzheimer's Disease Research?

    Bob DeMarco
    27 Jan 2012 | 1:32 pm
    By 2015 to 2020, somewhere in there, there's a tipping point where our healthcare system will collapse under Alzheimer's alone. There is no tipping point right now for saying we have a drug that will prevent this disease. Alzheimer's Reading Room Rudy Tanzi The first drugs that we tried didn't do it. There were those who then cried, "You're doing the wrong thing." They wanted to throw out the baby with the bathwater: "You got the wrong target. See, you're chasing the wrong ghost here." No, the drugs were bad. The amyloid is the target. You don't throw amyloid away. Dr. Rudolph Tanzi is a…

  • The Best Alzheimer's Caregiver Tool of Them All, Harvey

    Bob DeMarco
    27 Jan 2012 | 9:57 am
    If you hired someone to care for a person living with dementia you would probably need to give them some instruction or maybe even training. To turn your parrot into an effective Alzheimer's caregiver you might need to work with him (or her) for a while. By Bob DeMarco Alzheimer's Reading Room Yesterday, I published, Dotty Stars in Breakfast with Harvey, in the video Dotty talks and sings with Harvey, the Alzheimer's caregiving repeat parrot. As a result of the article, I received quite a few questions and comments. Here is the first thing I want to say. Some caregivers see our Dotty, Parrot,…

  • New Criteria Announced for Assessing Alzheimer’s Disease Neuropathology

    Bob DeMarco
    26 Jan 2012 | 10:25 pm
    Under the previous guidelines, a postmortem pathology assessment was typically conducted in the brains of people diagnosed with clinical symptoms of dementia, and then only to determine whether Alzheimer’s pathology was an underlying cause of the dementia. Alzheimer's Reading Room The new criteria no longer require a dementia diagnosis while the person was living, as studies suggest that Alzheimer’s develops years before it becomes clinically evident and research has revealed that the brains of even cognitively normal people may have Alzheimer’s related brain changes. The new pathology…

  • Dotty Stars in Breakfast with Harvey

    Bob DeMarco
    26 Jan 2012 | 1:32 pm
    Dotty is 95 years old and has Alzheimer's disease, Harvey is our Alzheimer's caregiver assistant. Alzheimer's Reading Room Harvey is very good at getting information out of Dotty. For example, she might tell him she has a "splitting headache". Most Alzheimer's patients are not very good at communicating this kind of information. Best of all, Harvey is Dotty's good friend, and keeps her entertained for several hours each day. You are welcome to comment in the Add New Comment box below. Feel free to share or embed. Subscribe to the Alzheimer's Reading Room Email: More Insight and Advice for…
 
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    "Had a Dad" Alzheimer's Blog

  • A place to say goodbye, or hello

    GBP })i({
    17 Jan 2012 | 12:28 pm
    I was stuck at a red light the other day, right next to a cemetery, and several of the graves had little American flags on them.  I started to wonder if my dad was eligible for a flag.  He got a medical discharge out of the Air Force.  I know he wasn't in long enough to get any benefits.  Does a flag count as a benefit? But it's a moot question, cuz my dad doesn't have a grave. I guess when I decided to cremate him I wasn't thinking about that.  When I worked around the corner from the cemetery where my grandpa is buried, I used to get a spicy chicken sandwich from…

  • The Last Time

    GBP })i({
    19 Dec 2011 | 1:34 pm
    This morning I was thinking about two different friends of mine, both facing losing their moms to cancer.  At least they get this holiday season with their moms, and they know it's the last one, is the direction my thoughts went, and I started composing some sort of holiday blog post in the back of my mind. And when I got home from driving and musing, and logged onto Facebook, I saw to my dismay that one friend's mom had succumbed to her cancer only 2 weeks after her diagnosis.  Last year was their last holiday together and they didn't know it.  Her mom was healthy and fine in…

  • "Still Alice" book review

    GBP })i({
    9 Oct 2011 | 9:12 am
    I read Still Alice last night.  For those of you not familiar with it, it's a novel written from the perspective of a 50-year old woman with early onset Alzheimer's. I was expecting something more like Flowers for Algernon, especially as the title character starts off with a PhD and as a tenured teacher at Harvard.  If I was writing such a novel (and I still might), I'd do it that way.  If you haven't read Flowers for Algernon, it's a story about a mouse named Algernon who is made incredibly smart, and then a human named Charlie who goes from basically mentally retarded to…

  • Walk to End Alzheimer's pics

    GBP })i({
    2 Oct 2011 | 12:25 pm
    The Walk to End Alzheimer's was this morning, at Lighthouse Park in New Haven, which is on the beach and has an indoor carousel. i The four flowers from my team.  The colors got confused somehow, my friend's shouldn't have been yellow which is caretaker but they told us yellow was supporter.  My hubby with his Alzheimer's shirt on. My mom with her Alzheimer's shirt on. I found this cool rock on the beach with a cross on it.  I'm not Catholic but my dad was so I kept it. Me with some of our flowers. Part of the Memory Garden.  Blue was for people who had Alzheimer's.

  • In the paper again, for this weekend's Walk to End Alzheimer's

    GBP })i({
    30 Sep 2011 | 7:01 pm
    I was interviewed yesterday about the Alzheimer's walk this weekend. Last weekend, I had another tag sale (mostly books and jewelry supplies) and raised another $120 (miserable rainy weather) for my team, adding to the $200 or so donated through Facebook friends. OCR article text Daughter raises funds for Alzheimer’s work By Russell Blair, Record-Journal staff WALLINGFORD Roberta Piedmont managed to raise more than $1,000 on her own this year for Alzheimer’s research. What if more people pitched in to help eradicate the disease, she wonders. “I had a friend tell me ‘with enough…
 
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    alzheimers-disease « WordPress.com Tag Feed

  • U.S. Wants Effective Alzheimer's Treatment By 2025

    ktvtdeborah
    17 Jan 2012 | 12:48 pm
    WASHINGTON (AP) – The government is setting what it calls an ambitious goal for Alzheimer’s disease: Development of effective ways to treat and prevent the mind-destroying illness by 2025. The Obama administration is developing the first National Alzheimer’s Plan to find better treatments for the disease and offer better day-to-day care for those afflicted. A newly released draft of the overall goals for that plan sets the 2025 deadline, but doesn’t provide details of how to fund the necessary research to meet that target date. Today’s treatments only temporarily…

  • The medications for Alzheimer’s

    Dementia SOS
    17 Jan 2012 | 11:49 am
    Over the past two decades, the FDA has approved four primary medications to treat the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease: Aricept (the trade name for donepezil), Exelon (rivastigmine), Razadyne (glantamine) and Namenda (memantine).  The first three of these drugs are called cholinesterase inhibitors whereas Namenda is an orally active NMDA receptor antagonist – it blocks excess glutamate in brain cells. In 1993, a drug called Cognex (tacrine) became the first FDA approved medication to treat memory problems in Alzheimer’s disease.  But this medication developed controversy over its…

  • Men Plan...and God Laughs

    Flood & Masiuk, LLC
    17 Jan 2012 | 9:48 am
    So goes an old Yiddish saying. All of us have plans.  We make plans on how we spend our days and our money.  In fact, there is some truth to the notion that it is irresponsible not to plan. However, sometimes the “best laid plans of mice and men” get knocked aside because “life” happens. A case in point: On Saturday, my wife and I woke up with a whole list of plans that we were going to accomplish that day.  We’d have breakfast, then we’d take down our Christmas tree, put away the decorations, clean the living room, run some errands, and maybe see a movie.  But, guess what?

  • The Mediterranean Diet Health Benefits Revisited

    Dr.Vee
    17 Jan 2012 | 9:09 am
    Photograph courtesy of epSos.de A recent study evaluated six different clinical trials involving 2650 overweight and obese patients around the world.  The Mediterranean Diet was found to be more effective in reducing weight, body mass index, blood pressure, fasting sugar and total cholesterol than a low fat diet.   The Mediterranean Diet is known as a moderate fat diet, because a higher percentage of calories comes from fat than in a standard heart healthy diet where less than 30% of calories are from fat. However, the secret of the Mediterranean diet is not the percentage of fat but…

  • More on The Talk: Medication Management

    Care Alternatives
    17 Jan 2012 | 8:58 am
    Do you walk in to your parents home and see a stack of pill bottles on the counter or by the bed?  Does it concern you how they can keep track of all of those medicines?  It should.  49% of adult children said they were interested in learning more about their parents’ medication managment. You should assume that they are handling it since it seems logical that those in the kitchen are taken with food while others by the bed are taken at bedtime.  But to confirm that all is going well,  light humor may work best in figuring out exactly how your parents are handling all those…
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    Alzheimers Care Blog

  • Power Up Your Brain with Spices!

    Erin Whalen
    17 Jan 2012 | 4:15 pm
    By Nancy Emerson Lombardo, PhD, Guest Blogger, Creator of the Memory Preservation Nutrition®Program The more I learn about the nutritional content and value of herbs and spices, the more I am confirmed in placing them front and center in my Memory Preservation Nutrition® Program, which has been implemented at Senior Living Residences’ assisted living and Alzheimer’s care communities across Massachusetts. Not only have some spices been discovered to have specific value to help prevent cognitive decline, but most of them (all those studied to date!) have multiple health benefits ranging…

  • Memory Loss and Celebrating the Holidays

    Erin Whalen
    21 Dec 2011 | 1:11 pm
    Though the holidays can be full of cheer and traditional family celebrations, all this cherished fun and activity can actually be overwhelming for people with dementia. Even individuals with mild memory loss can experience confusion in large family groups. At our Compass Memory Support Assisted Living communities in the Boston area we deal with questions all the time from family members about how to help their loved ones feel comfortable and included in annual family events and celebrations. Here are some tips for making the best of the holidays for you and your loved ones: If your Mom or Dad…

  • Compass Memory Support: Reconnections December

    Erin Whalen
    15 Dec 2011 | 11:25 am
    Individuals with memory loss living in Senior Living Residences’ Compass Memory Support programs continue to be involved in life long learning through the Reconnections program. This month, the residents of the Compass Memory Support programs are engaged in the following courses: Pearl Harbor, Sacrifice and Strength: The surprise attack on Pearl Harbor early in the morning on December 7, 1941 prompted the United States to enter World War II. The event shocked the nation and turned domestic support towards war engagement. Learn about the many sacrifices made by Americans on this day and the…

  • Research: Music and Memory

    Erin Whalen
    4 Dec 2011 | 1:07 pm
    Embarking on a research study with the Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Center to look at the effects of music on memory and quality of life measures has been a major focus of the Compass Memory Support Program Directors for the past months. Beginning with planning meetings to determine the best course for the study, residents’ abilities and interests and the possibilities for the study design at each community and continuing with site visits, conference calls about specific research plans and trainings on implementing outcome measures, it has been an involved and enlightening time.

  • Compass Memory Support: Reconnections Presents

    Erin Whalen
    20 Nov 2011 | 11:21 am
    Individuals with memory loss living in Senior Living Residences’ Compass Memory Support programs continue to be involved in life long learning through the Reconnections program. This month, the residents of the Compass Memory Support programs are engaged in the following courses: Armed Forces: Being called to serve meant commitment and sacrifice for one’s country. Even though there is no longer a draft, men and women are still being called to serve for the causes of liberty and freedom. Let’s remember those who have gone before us and honor those who are devoting their lives in service…
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    KnowItAlz.com Blog

  • Strange Hotel

    3 Jan 2012 | 10:36 am
    From the Archives 2009: Dad had a pretty high fever while he was in the hospital and was having some mild hallucinations. For a bit, he thought he was in a nice hotel in New York City and was asking for room service. When the hospital's social worker came in, she asked if Dad had a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) order in place, and explained to him what that meant: Mr. Hatfield, if you should happen to die, would you want our staff to bring you back to life? She asked. What the in the hell kind of HOTEL IS THIS? He asked as he looked at me with complete wonderment. Full service. I replied with…

  • Strange Hotel

    3 Jan 2012 | 10:36 am
    From the Archives 2009: Dad had a pretty high fever while he was in the hospital and was having some mild hallucinations. For a bit, he thought he was in a nice hotel in New York City and was asking for room service. When the hospital's social worker came in, she asked if Dad had a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) order in place, and explained to him what that meant: Mr. Hatfield, if you should happen to die, would you want our staff to bring you back to life? She asked. What the in the hell kind of HOTEL IS THIS? He asked as he looked at me with complete wonderment. Full service. I replied with…

  • Best Year EVER

    28 Dec 2011 | 8:40 am
    From the Archives 2010: Dad and I were discussing the fact that today is New Year's Eve. I hope 2011 is a great year for us. I said. This past year has been the best one I can remember. said my Dad with a smile. Well, that's certainly the truth! May all of you have a stress free New Year!

  • Sticky Situation

    26 Dec 2011 | 4:28 am
    From the Archives 2007: Dad and I finally finished the last of the Christmas cards at 10:30 last night. There was only one minor problem. When I asked Dad to put the postage stamps on the cards, I did not think to tell them that He did not have to lick the stamps anymore because they are are all self-adhesive now. If I had been able to jump up and get to my camera in time, next year's card would have a picture of Dad with a Snowman stamp stuck to his lip! Happy Holidays!

  • Best Christmas Present EVER

    24 Dec 2011 | 2:28 am
    From the archives: Christmas 2010: My sister and brother-in-law are visiting from Atlanta and came over last night for an evening of pizza and board games and laughter. Dad felt great, and participated in most of the fun. Usually, when my sister visits, I have the pleasure of surprising Dad with the good news of her upcoming visit - every day leading up to the day she arrives. This morning when he woke up, I told him with great excitement that Nancy was here from Atlanta for Christmas and she would be over for lunch today to visit him! She was here last night, Kathy. He said as if I were the…
 
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    Minding Our Elders&reg

  • UK reporter chronicles dementia awareness course: calls it a “taste of hell”

    Carol Bradley Bursack
    28 Jan 2012 | 1:01 am
    The saying that we can’t really understand another person’s experience until we’ve “walked in their shoes,” has always felt right to me. Intelligent people can be educated to the brim and be able to give excellent “book” advice. However, it frequently takes someone who has endured an experience similar to ours in order to make us feel thoroughly understood. This is where real "hands on" advice differs from advice in the abstract. Read more about dementia sensitivity training: Find care agencies to help you care for your loved ones: Support a caregiver or jump start…

  • When an ill parent turns on the charm with the doctor

    Carol Bradley Bursack
    27 Jan 2012 | 1:01 am
     A friend of mine took her mother to the doctor because she suspected her mom was in the early stages of Alzheimer's. My friend sat dumbfounded as her mom charmed the socks off the doctor and seemed as sharp as she was ten years ago. The mother denied any health issues, especially those associated with memory. The doctor, too busy to run tests on someone who seemed "so good for her age," signed off of some prescriptions and sent them off. My friend felt like banging her head against the wall. Read more about how an ill parent can fool the doctor: Find care agencies to help you…

  • Adjusting to the new normal: when caregiving takes over your life

    Carol Bradley Bursack
    26 Jan 2012 | 1:01 am
    Most caregivers go into caregiving mode with full hearts and wonderful intentions. They rarely stop to think, "Hmm, this could go on for years. I'd better plan it out. If I move to part-time at work, have more child care and spend mornings caring for my parents' needs, it will be difficult, but possible. If I continue to work full time, I'll have more for retirement, but I can't do it all. I have to plan this out."  Read more about adjusting to a new normal after caregiving changes your life: Find care agencies to help you care for your loved ones: Support a…

  • How do we keep our elders safe and still maintain their sense of dignity?

    Carol Bradley Bursack
    25 Jan 2012 | 1:01 am
    How do we get elders to stop doing "handyman" tasks, doing yard work that should be hired out or even extensive kitchen work? Everyone needs a reason to get out of bed in the morning. If a person has no purpose in life, why go on living? For elders whose bodies – and sometimes minds – seem to betray them more each day, this becomes an issue. Read more about keeping our elders safe while preserving their dignity: Find care agencies to help you care for your loved ones: Support a caregiver or jump start discussion in support groups with real stories - for bulk orders e-mail…

  • When your parent repeats "I want to go home"

    Carol Bradley Bursack
    24 Jan 2012 | 1:01 am
    A tip, here, for people who still have their elder at home, but the elder still asks to "go home." Understand what the person wants and then try the same distraction or relearning technique. Some people go as far as taking the person in the car and driving around the block, then re-entering the house. This can work for awhile, but not likely that long. No matter what you do, you will hear it again: "I want to go home." The point here is that no matter what you do or say, likely you will continue to hear the plea to "go home." Read more about how to handle the…
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    Brought to My Senses

  • My story in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Family Caregivers

    Kathleen H. Wheeler
    15 Jan 2012 | 8:34 pm
    I just found out that one of my stories will be published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Family Caregivers: 101 Stories of Love, Sacrifice and Bonding, and I’m pretty excited about it! The book will be released in March and … Continue reading →

  • Draft Framework for the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease Released Today

    Kathleen H. Wheeler
    9 Jan 2012 | 8:21 pm
    Amen, the Draft Framework for the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease was released today, the long awaited results of the National Alzheimer’s Project Act passed a year ago! It appears to be a step in the right direction, and in … Continue reading →

  • RIP Bruce: Remembering A Special Alzheimer’s Victim

    Kathleen H. Wheeler
    20 Nov 2011 | 1:32 pm
    It was strange timing to learn of the passing of a fellow resident from the Alzheimer’s unit where my mother lived while I was attending the Memory Loss Conference a few weeks ago. I ran into the head nurse from … Continue reading →

  • Author Carolyn Brent on Aging Parents, Caregiving Issues, Family Relationships

    Kathleen H. Wheeler
    5 Nov 2011 | 6:30 am
    Today I have the great pleasure of being the host on Day 5 of the Virtual Blog Tour of author Carolyn A. Brent whose book Why Wait? The Baby Boomers’ Guide to Preparing Emotionally, Financially and Legally for a Parent’s … Continue reading →

  • November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month

    Kathleen H. Wheeler
    30 Oct 2011 | 5:00 pm
    Each year, November is dedicated as National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month. It is an especially significant time for me to reflect on how this disease has changed my life. Anyone who has witnessed a loved one struggle and eventually succumb … Continue reading →
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