Alzheimers/Dementia « Aging Issues

Articles, Publications and Resources
re: Alzheimer's and Dementia

Resources & Organizations Related to Alzheimer's and Dementia

• Agingcare.com
  An online community that connects people caring for elderly parents to other caregivers, personalized information and local resources. The web site includes a page dedicated to Alzheimer's and dementia, with information on Alzheimer's symptoms, how to handle dementia-fueled outbursts, explaining Alzheimer's to children and more.  
• Aging Life Care Association
  Aging Life Care™, also known as geriatric care management, is a holistic, client-centered approach to caring for older adults or others facing ongoing health challenges. Working with families, the expertise of Aging Life Care Professionals provides the answers at a time of uncertainty.
• Alzheimer's Association
  A national nonprofit group that works for Alzheimer's care, support and research.
• Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia: Learn More, Get Help  – 11/2/11
  Two news videos regarding life factors linked to the development of Alzheimer's or dementia and what actions may help to reduce your risk factors. The second video explores the relationship between diabetes and dementia.  Other resources from this ABC News website page are linked below.
• Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral (ADEAR) Center
  Part of the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the primary federal agency for medical research. In addition to general information about Alzheimer's disease, the site provides lists of treatment centers, medical literature on Alzheimer's and information on clinical trials.
• Alzheimer's Disease International
  An umbrella group for Alzheimer's organizations in 71 countries.
• Alzheimer's Caregiver Institute
  You do not have a choice about Alzheimer’s disease but you do have a choice about how you respond to the challenges the disease presents. When it comes to how one can manage quality of life, for both the caregiver and the one afflicted with the disease, there are a lot of choices.
• Alzheimer Resource Center
  A non profit organization located in Orlando dedicated to providing education and support services for those families (and professionals) who care for people with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.  
• Best Practice Caregiving
  A free online database of proven dementia programs for family caregivers. It offers a searchable, interactive, national database of vetted, effective programs that offer much-needed information and support. The database is an invaluable tool for healthcare and community-based organizations, as well as funders and policy makers to discover and share high quality programs for caregivers.
• Dementia Today
  Posts scientific news and personal views on Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
• Ethnic Elders Care
  A site designed specifically for people who are or will be caregivers to ethnic elders with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders.
• Family Caregiver Alliance
  A nonprofit organization that offers national, state and local programs in information, education, services, research and advocacy to support and sustain those who care for loved ones with chronic, disabling conditions.
• Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation
  The world's largest research team leading the battle against Alzheimer's.
• Leeza's Place
  A program of the Leeza Gibbon's Memory Foundation. An intimate and safe setting where caregivers and those diagnosed with any memory disorder can gather to prepare themselves for the challenging journey ahead.
• MedicAlert + Alzheimer's Association Safe Return (Alz.org)
  A 24-hour nationwide emergency response service for individuals with Alzheimer’s or a related dementia who wander or have a medical emergency. We provide 24-hour, nationwide assistance, no matter when or where the person is reported missing.
• National Association of Area Agencies on Aging
  Aggregates information for all 650 AAAs around the country.
• National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys
  A nonprofit association whose members are attorneys in the private and public sectors, bar organizations, judges, law professors and students, who deal with legal issues affecting the elderly and disabled.
• This Caring Home
  Provides tips and tools to enhance home safety for persons with Alzheimer's and other types of dementia

Articles About Alzheimers and Dementia:

• 10 Mindful Ways to Care for One With Dementia (Huffington Post – 11/15/10)
  Whether a family member or a professional caring for a person with dementia, whether at the beginning, middle or the end of what can be a very long journey, you may appreciate the following dementia care tips. 
• A 1-Hour Walk, 3 Times a Week, Has Benefits for Dementia (5/24/17)
  Exercise may bolster the brain function and thinking skills of people with dementia, according to a new report. The study’s findings suggest that walking a few times per week might alter the trajectory of the disease and improve the physical well-being of people who develop a common form of age-related memory loss that otherwise has few treatments. 
• A Test for the Early Detection of Alzheimer’s Disease (6/19/14)
  The test was developed over five years by a team led by Dr. Douglas W. Scharre, a neurologist at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Known as the Self-Administered Gerocognitive Examination, or SAGE, the four-page test can be completed in about 10 to 15 minutes by patients at home, or while in the waiting room at the doctor’s office.
• Alzheimer's Behind the Wheel: A Medical Test to Determine if People with the Disease Should be Driving (Scientific American – 2/9/09)
  Giving Alzheimer's patients a battery of cognitive tests may help predict whether it's safe for them (and us) to get behind the wheel, according to a new study.  
• Alzheimer’s Patients Keep the Spark Alive by Sharing Stories (8/8/16)
  An unusual eight-week storytelling workshop at Northwestern University that is helping to keep the spark of love alive in couples coping with the challenges of encroaching dementia.
• An Ancient Cure for Alzheimer’s? (7/14/17) 
  Now some scientists believe that the focus on amyloid plaques might have been a mistake. Instead of looking at what goes wrong, they’re trying to understand what goes right.
• Antipsychotic Drugs Double Risk Of Death Among Alzheimer's Patients (Science Daily – 1/11/09)
  New research into the effects of antipsychotic drugs commonly prescribed to Alzheimer’s patients concludes that the medication nearly doubles risk of death over three years. 
• Ask Well: Is Dementia the Same as Alzheimer’s Disease? (8/16/16)
  Dementia is a general term for a set of symptoms that includes severe memory loss, a significant decline in reasoning and severely impaired communication skills; it most commonly strikes elderly people and used to be referred to as “senility.” Alzheimer’s disease is a specific illness that is the most common cause of dementia.
• Assessing Pain in Loved Ones With Dementia
  Persistent pain is common among older persons, who are more likely to suffer from problems such as arthritis and other chronic conditions. The person with dementia often has trouble communicating his or her feelings or thoughts—and this can mean the inability to tell you if a physical problem, such as pain, exists.
• Bearing the Financial Burden of Alzheimer's (9/29/16)
  Caring for a person with Alzheimer's can be costly. There are various options available depending on the person's marital status, age, and net worth. Families should enlist an elder-care lawyer to map out a strategy.
• Brain Study Indicates Why Some Memories Persist (NPR – 1/29/09)
  A new study appears to explain why people with Alzheimer's disease often remember events from the distant past — but not things that happened recently.
• Brooke Astor's Lasting Legacy (NY Times – 10/7/09)
  Remember the Astor trial? The ongoing case raised questions about whether noted philanthropist Brooke Astor, diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, understood what she was doing when she changed her will in 2004, diverting millions that had long been promised to charities to her son, Anthony Marshall.
• Coping With Alzheimer’s, Together and Apart (NY Times)
• Dementia Patients – They Never Forget How You Made Them Feel (Alzheimer's Reading Room) 
  Dementia patients might not be able to tell you how they feel, but if you pay close attention you will learn by their behavior how they are feeling.
• Diagnosing Alzheimer's: How Alzheimer's is diagnosed (Mayo Clinic)
  To diagnose Alzheimer's dementia, doctors conduct tests to assess memory impairment and other thinking skills, judge functional abilities, and identify behavior changes. They also perform a series of tests to rule out other possible causes of impairment.
• Is Laughter Yoga the Best Medicine for Dementia? (AARP – 12/1/10)
  It may help Alzheimer's patients and their caregivers. Do we laugh because we're happy? Or are we happy because we laugh? Every week, yoga instructor Erika Ruiz volunteers at an Easter Seals center in Miami to exercise with 50 people diagnosed with dementia and their caregivers.
  Patti's Comment: Our dear friend, Sandy Mall, is a Certified Laughter Yoga instructor and we do it at the office!
• Finding Alzheimer's Before a Mind Fails (New York Times – Dec. 26, 2007) An ambitious new scientific effort to find ways to detect Alzheimer’s disease at the earliest possible moment. 
• For Your Brain’s Sake, Keep Moving (10/4/17)
  Because we can never have enough reasons to keep exercising, a new study with mice finds that physical activity not only increases the number of new neurons in the brain, it also subtly changes the shape and workings of these cells in ways that might have implications for memory and even delaying the onset of dementia.
• Guidance on Inappropriate Use of Antipsychotics: Older Adults and People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Community Settings (SAMHSA)
  This Guidance reviews non-pharmacologic behavioral approaches and strategies to avoid and reduce prescribing of antipsychotics whenever possible for older adults with dementia and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• Guidelines Proposed for Early Detection of Alzheimer's Disease (Lamson & Cutner – 7/26/10)
  For the first time in 25 years experts in Alzheimer’s disease have proposed new guidelines regarding the criteria used for diagnosing the disease. The new guidelines would allow special tests that use brain scans, biomarkers and other new technologies to clinically diagnose the disease even before any symptoms appear. These tests would replace the way Alzheimer’s is currently diagnosed, which is based solely on the detection of symptoms.
• Keeping Those With Alzheimer's Engaged (New York Times – 3/12/09)
  The Museum of Modern Art has started the MoMA Alzheimer’s Project, an initiative to help other museums and professional caregivers develop their own programs for people living with dementia and Alzheimer’s.
• May Someone With Dementia Sign a Will? (Elder Law Answers – 7/22/12)Millions of people are affected by dementia, and unfortunately many of them do not have all their estate planning affairs in order before the symptoms start. If you or a loved one has dementia, it may not be too late to sign a will or other documents, but certain criteria must be met to ensure that the signer is mentally competent.  
• Medicaid's Role for People with Dementia (10/19/15)
  Most people with dementia have Medicare, but due to high out-of-pocket costs and lack of long-term services and supports (LTSS) coverage, low-income people with disabilities resulting from dementia may need Medicaid to fill in the coverage gaps.
• New Enzyme to Fight Alzheimer’s Disease Identified (Science Daily – 9/17/12)
  An enzyme that could represent a powerful new tool for combating Alzheimer’s disease has been discovered by researchers at Mayo Clinic in Florida. The enzyme — known as BACE2 — destroys beta-amyloid, a toxic protein fragment that litters the brains of patients who have the disease.
• Moving Toward a Cure While Addressing Care (Huffington Post – 8/3/12)
  Our nation is on the move: moving toward a cure, while addressing care for families affected by Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in May released the first-ever "National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease." This historic report was the product of bipartisan legislation, rare in this Congress, which established an advisory council composed of government and private leaders, and which mandated a national strategy on Alzheimer's disease that would be updated annually.
• Needs of Alzheimer Population Addressed in Healthcare Reform Legislation (Alzheimer's Assn.)
  While the Association did not endorse any specific healthcare reform legislation, the Association did work to ensure that all bills under consideration contained the strongest provisions possible to address the particular challenges and concerns of the more than 5 million Americans with Alzheimer’s. Several provisions in the final measure would deliver substantial benefits to those with Alzheimer’s and other dementias and to their caregivers.
• Nutrient Cocktail Helps Improve Brain Function in Those With Early-stage Alzheimer's
  During clinical trials, a three-nutrient cocktail of B vitamins, phosopholipids and antioxidants was found to promote the growth of certain brain synapse connections that typically erode during the early stages of Alzheimer's, according to the MIT report.
• O'Connor, Gingrich, Satcher Discuss Alzheimer's (NPR – 3/25/09)
  Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and former Surgeon General David Satcher discuss efforts to combat Alzheimer's disease. They're on a task force studying the disease, which may overwhelm the U.S. health care system as baby boomers age.
• O'Connor's Husband, Afflicted with Alzheimer's, Has New Love (ABA Journal – Nov. 13, 2007)
  Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor visits her husband at a Phoenix Alzheimer’s facility even though he no longer remembers her and has fallen in love with another woman. 
• Personality Change May Be Early Sign of Dementia, Experts Say (7/24/16)
  “Most people think of Alzheimer’s as primarily a memory disorder, but we do know from years of research that it also can start as a behavioral issue.”
• Poor Sense of Smell May Signal Impending Dementia (10/3/2017)
  A poor sense of smell may indicate an increased risk for dementia, a new study has found.
• Practice Guideline for Treatment of Alzheimer's and Other Dementias (APA)
  Developed by psychiatrists who are in active clinical practice.  
• Preparing Your Home for a Loved One with Alzheimer’s: A Caregiver’s Guide (9/25/16)
  Alzheimer’s disease has unique symptoms and traits, so it’s likely that your home will need some modifications in order to create the best environment for your loved one. This guide will cover all the adjustments you should consider making room by room, with tips on creating both the safest surroundings and the most secure environment.   
• Prevent Wandering in Dementia by Understanding Its Common Causes (4/29/18)
  Alzheimer’s disease, in its middle stages, can present some very challenging behaviors for the individual and loved ones. One of those challenging behaviors is wandering. Up to 60 percent of individuals with dementia will wander at some time during their disease.
• Prolonged Sleep May Be Early Warning Sign of Dementia (2/22/17)
  Older adults who started sleeping more than nine hours a night — but had not previously slept so much — were at more than double the risk of developing dementia a decade later than those who slept nine hours or less, researchers report.
• Social interaction improves dementia care (7/19/17)
  A UK trial has shown just one social hour a week in dementia care improves lives and saves money.
• The Benefits of Cooking with Alzheimer’s: A Caregiver’s Guide 
  Comprehensive guide encompassing the cognitive, emotional, and other health-related benefits of cooking for people with Alzheimer’s disease, how to create a safe environment for cooking and baking, ways caregivers can assist to make the activity enjoyable, and addressing eating challenges that may arise among individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
• The Changes of Aging (Discover Magazine – 2/12/10)
  If you ask people over 60 what they dread most, dementia is almost always in the top three on their list of health concerns. After all, it is memory that makes us who we are; without it we are forever trapped in the moment, with no window on the past or the future.
• The Expensive Cost of Caring for Alzheimer's Patients (Newsday – 10/8/09)
  The costs of long-term care for Alzheimer's patients can easily deplete even the deepest bank account. Because the disease lasts so long – anywhere from two to 20 years, depending on the stage at diagnosis – and because the type of care needed often falls beyond the scope of government health care programs, families find themselves scrambling to find the money needed to maintain care for their loved one.
• The High Price of Caring for a Loved One with Alzheimer's (NPR – 2/29/12)
  Caring for a family member with the personality-draining disease can take a hefty financial and emotional toll. Nearly 15 million people fall into the role of unpaid caregiver for those sick with dementia, according to the Alzheimer's Association. Add it all up, and it comes to about 17 billion hours of unpaid care valued at $202 billion in 2010 alone. 
• The Man Who Wasn’t There: What Exactly Is Alzheimer’s Disease?
  Author Anil Ananthaswamy explores how different conditions, from Alzheimer’s to out-of-body experiences, affect the concept of the Self.
• The Nun Study
  Like some 4 million Americans, Sister Ada (not her real name) is suffering from Alzheimer's disease; as the years go by, she'll gradually lose her memory, her personality and finally all cognitive function. 
• To Reduce the Risk of Alzheimer’s, Eat Fish (2/10/16)
  Eating seafood is linked to a reduced risk of dementia-associated brain changes in people who carry the ApoE4 gene variation, which increases the risk for Alzheimer’s disease.  
• Top 10 Warning Signs
  Look for these Top 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimers and dementia
• Walking May Delay Alzheimer's Decline (McKnight's – 1/3/11)
  A new study finds that walking five miles per week can stall the decline of cognitive function among seniors who are already experiencing mild forms of dementia.  This level of activity can even help ward off symptoms of cognitive decline in otherwise healthy people, according to research presented at the recent annual meeting of Radiological Society of North America. 
• What Is Alzheimer’s Disease? (4/30/16)
  There are still a lot of unknowns about the disease, which afflicts more than five million Americans. Here are answers to some common questions. 
• What It's Like To Live With Early-Stage Alzheimer's (On Point – 12/27/17)
  We look at how one woman prepares for the full onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
• When the Mind Falters, is Sex a Choice? (Washington Post – 9/09)
  Some organic brain changes of old age are characterized by increasingly sexualized behavior. The disability rights community has grappled with issues of consent and intimacy. But issues relating to sex in old age, whether consensual intimacy, or sexual assault, or the nettlesome netherworld in between, receive scant attention.
• Will Alzheimer's Be Tomorrow's Top Long Term Care Insurance Claim? (Emax Health)
  Every 72 seconds someone in the United States develops Alzheimer's and an estimated 5.1 million Americans suffer from the disease.
• Zen and the Art of Coping with Alzheimer's (New York Times – April 4, 2008)
  The number of alzheimer's patients is expected to increase dramatically in coming years, straining the health care system.

Publications About Alzheimers and Dementia:

• 2018 NADRC: Handbook for Helping People Living Alone with Dementia Who Have No Known Support (September 2018) (Word)
  The Handbook for Helping People Living Alone with Dementia Who Have No Known Support provides practical guidance as well as tools for helping a person living alone who does not have informal supports, including people with dementia who have a caregiver that cannot provide support. The handbook includes practical strategies for identifying people who are living alone without support, assessing risk, building trust, identifying family and friends willing to help, determining decision-making capacity, options for helping the person maintain their independence, and the basics of guardianship or conservatorship.
• Adult Guardianship Jurisdiction (Alzheimer's Assn.)
  Due to the impact of dementia on a person’s ability to make decisions and in the absence of other advanced directives, people with Alzheimer’s disease may need the assistance of a guardian.
• Alzheimer's, Dementia & Driving (Hartford)
  This is a booklet on Alzheimer's disease and dementia, and how such degenerative diseases affect older person's ability to drive. Also includes a "contract" for the elderly person to complete with his/her family on driving.
• Caregiver Guide: Tips for Caregivers of People with Alzheimer's Disease (National Institute on Aging)
  Caring for a person with Alzheimer’s disease at home is a difficult task and can become overwhelming at times.  Here you'll find many helpful articles, booklets and resources.
• Medical Treatment of Dementia Patients at the End of Life: Can the Law Accommodate the Personal Identity and Welfare Problems?
  Legal approaches to decision-making in the area of the medical care of incompetent persons are generally based on respect for the patient’s autonomy, or protection of her welfare, or some combination of the two. Advance decision-making and the substituted judgment test are the two examples of autonomy-based legal approaches to incompetent individuals. If the incompetent individual was previously competent, her earlier autonomous decisions regarding medical treatment can be projected into the future once she becomes incompetent.
• National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease (U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services)
  On January 4, 2011, President Obama signed into law the National Alzheimer's Project Act (NAPA). This is the first National Plan and is designed to address the major challenges presented by Alzheimer's disease.
• Rapid Cognitive Improvement in Alzheimer's Disease (Journal of Neuroinflammation – Jan. 9, 2008)
  This report details rapid cognitive improvement, beginning within minutes, using this same anti-TNF treatment modality, in a patient with late-onset Alzheimer's disease.