November 2012 Newsletter

Posted on November 28, 2012 by Editor

 

November is National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month

In the United States, the month of November is distinguished as National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month.  Throughout the month, advocates raise awareness, families honor loved ones who lost the battle to the disease, sponsors hope to raise additional funds, and some families might mark milestones as they care for those living with the condition.  November is the time to focus on Alzheimer’s so that we can move towards a cure, writes Derek Jones, a … Read the rest »

October 2012 Newsletter

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Editor

 

Nov. 13 is National Memory Screening Day, free screenings offered

The public can take advantage of free memory screenings on Nov. 13 at hundreds of sites across the United States and around the world.  The screenings are offered to promote early detection and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and related illnesses.  Participants should follow up with their own physicians if the screenings identify any potential problems.  The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) and a variety of healthcare organizations serve as … Read the rest »

September 2012 Newsletter

Posted on October 1, 2012 by Editor

Approaching and greeting loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease

Friends come and go, but loved ones stay true forever.  Or at least that is the hope for families with a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease.  Gary Joseph LeBlanc believes some family members and friends stop visiting loved ones with Alzheimer’s because of a lack of knowledge about how to approach someone living with the disease.  LeBlanc, the author of a weekly column called “Common Sense Caregiving,” writes that not … Read the rest »

August 2012 Newsletter

Posted on August 27, 2012 by Editor

After support group ends, attendees form their own group

For caregivers and their loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease, support groups provide much needed information, a place to air their burdens, and companionship with people in a similar situation.  After their eight-month class on memory loss, five couples and two single women did not want their camaraderie to end, reporter Dominique Fong wrote for The Oregonian.  One couple, Dave and Hallie Caswell, said their love and care for their fellow … Read the rest »

July 2012 Newsletter

Posted on July 31, 2012 by Editor

Bad behavior of Alzheimer’s patients is a sign of unmet needs

In the first part of a multi-part post, Angela Lunde breaks down the negative behaviors displayed by some patients with Alzheimer’s disease.  Her mantra is “Blame the disease, not the person,” but she says we should not simply dismiss or blame the behaviors on the dementia.  Lunde, the chief writer for the Mayo Clinic’s Alzheimer’s blog and a dementia education specialist in the education core of Mayo Clinic’s Alzheimer’s … Read the rest »

June 2012 Newsletter

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Editor

Instead of striving to be perfect, aim for becoming the best caregiver

The notion that families take care of their own may inspire some caregivers of patients with Alzheimer’s disease toward burnout.  While a caregiver believes that they know their loved one the best, they may not ask for any assistance and attempt to become the perfect caregiver.  Gary Joseph LeBlanc says there is no such thing as a perfect caregiver.  LeBlanc, who writes a weekly column called “Common … Read the rest »

May 2012 Newsletter

Posted on June 15, 2012 by Editor

Living with Alzheimer’s and talking about it

Kathy explains her Alzheimer’s diagnosis this way: Now I am caught in the tension between remembering and forgetting.  Kathy is a 62-year-old registered nurse who is doing what she can to hold onto her life.  Angela Carella, a reporter for The Advocate, a Stamford, Conn. newspaper, describes Kathy as a fighter.  Kathy, who wants to keep her last name private because not everyone knows of her diagnosis, has already defeated cancer and … Read the rest »

April 2012 News

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Editor

Writer laments that his mom no longer knows who he is

It is so surprising, but it is almost inevitable.  Chuck Gomez wrote that he would never forget the moment when he realized his mother no longer knew who he was.  Gomez, a playwright and former Emmy Award-winning television news journalist, called that event a devastating reality.  While he knows it is bound to happen to every child of a parent with Alzheimer’s, he could not believe that it was … Read the rest »

February 2012 News

Posted on February 29, 2012 by Editor

White House proposes a funding increase for Alzheimer’s research

The lack of necessary funding to conduct research to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease is generally cited as one of the triggers for the impending Alzheimer’s epidemic. Earlier this month, the Department of Health and Human Services announced that the Obama Administration requested a $156 million increase in funding for Alzheimer’s research over the next two years. Alan Silverleib, a reporter for CNN, writes that the funding will support basic … Read the rest »

January 2012 News

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Editor

First goal of national Alzheimer’s plan is to develop a treatment by 2025

The first goal listed for the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA) is to prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer’s disease by 2025.  That goal is one of five, but it has attracted the most attention because those who work in the field of Alzheimer’s research do not believe they will find a cure in the near future.  Congress authorized NAPA in late 2010 and President Obama signed the … Read the rest »