Don’t miss PBS’ powerful documentary ‘Alzheimer’s: Every Minute Counts’ on the national threat posed by Alzheimer’s disease. The documentary illuminates the social and economic consequences for the country unless a medical breakthrough is discovered. ‘Alzheimer’s: Every Minute Counts’ premieres Wednesday, 1/25 at 10/9c
Watch Alzheimer’s: Every Minute Counts here: http://www.pbs.org/video/2365872329/
This article comes to us from NPR (National Public Radio out of the US). It talks about how recent research into Alzheimer’s prevention and treatment and the decades of research before haven’t yielded the positive results we have all been hoping for. But, that there are still people working hard in this field and searching for new possibilities based on the unsuccessful results so far.
It’s not the most positive read, but it does show how there are many hypotheses for how and why Alzheimer’s disease develops and progresses and even more hypotheses for potential treatment.
Whether it’s antibiotics, probiotics or vaccines, the list of potential Alzheimer’s treatments being considered goes on.
“The bottom line is we need to take more shots on goal,” says Isaacson. “The next frontier is recognizing that there probably isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach, and that using targeted therapies based on a person’s own biology and genetics will bring the most benefit. The future of Alzheimer’s therapeutics is in precision medicine.”
This article comes to us from Unforgettable.org. Check them out for plenty of tips, ideas, and interesting articles related to memory and dementia:
If a loved one has dementia you might be worried about how they’ll cope during the festive season. Read our simple guide to help you make Christmas as enjoyable as possible – for everyone.
Taking a, ‘let’s see what happens’ approach to the festive season isn’t going to work when you’re caring for someone with dementia. Spontaneous visits can be stressful so make sure to contact anyone who usually drops by (and who your loved one will definitely want to see) and organise dates and times in advance.
It’s not too late to change a plan you may have agreed to initially but which you’re now worried about. For example, if you’re dreading an overnight stay with Aunty Alice because you know your loved one won’t sleep and could become very unsettled, trust your instinct, confront it now and either cancel the trip or agree to a shorter visit which can be done in a day.
Today’s post comes from the Alzheimer’s Prevention Registry.
Caregiving can bring great rewards, but they come beside profound challenges. Continue reading
The RemoAge project will tackle the challenge of supporting people with dementia and other frail older people to age at home in remote and sparsely populated areas of the northern periphery of Europe. Long distances and limited resources are two challenges to overcome.
Tested and evaluated service packages will meet this challenge. The service packages will include methods to support the elderly with health and social care needs, flexibility to individual needs and an increased level of remote support.
Expected results are improved access to personalized services in direct support in daily life, support to family carers and health personnel, but also increased involvement of the community.
Target groups:
– Frail older people, including people with dementia, in remote communities
– Family carers and family members of the frail older people
– Community members
– Health and social care professionals
The target groups will be involved throughout the project in a participatory process from the identification of needs, the adaptation of services and the evaluation of services. A main focus of the project is to develop and implement person centred services that are by definition services adapted to the individual needs of the frail older person and their family.
Source: Project
…antipsychotic medication given to elderly people with dementia it should be at the lowest possible dose for the shortest possible time and always after all other avenues have been tried and have failed.
A poignant and important article on the use of antipsychotic medications in treating people with dementia – please read and share!
This seems like an apt article to share today, this 2016 election day in the US. It touches on an issues that isn’t discussed too often, even among people who dedicate their lives to understanding, preventing, and treating dementia.
Dementia and voting.
This article and video discuss Rob and Margaret and their process of navigating voting after Rob’s diagnosis of moderate Alzheimer’s disease 2 years ago. Read the full article and watch the video at: https://www.statnews.com/2016/11/07/alzheimers-voting-dementia/
In practice, whether they cast a vote often gets left to the discretion of a caregiver. Many geriatricians and ethicists who study the issue say there’s one key question to determine whether someone with Alzheimer’s should vote: Can they express their choice? It doesn’t matter if they’re confused about what day it is. Or whether they can physically fill out the ballot. What matters is that they’re able to state, write, point at, or otherwise cogently indicate who they want to vote for. And for many people with dementia, especially in the early and middle stages of the disease, that’s entirely doable.
I have mixed feelings on this. Of course, there is no cognitive testing for someone to be allowed to vote. There is no IQ testing. You have to be 18 and registered. This also includes people with developmental (and other) disabilities.
In general, I would agree with the above quote, that as long as they can express their preference, they should retain their right to vote. We may not always agree with people’s reasons, but if they can clearly express their decision, they should be encouraged to exercise it. What is especially touching in the story about Rob and Margaret, above, is that Rob had a lifelong, active interest in politics and seemed to understand the issues and his (perhaps formerly expressed) opinions on them when Margaret explained them. It really would be a disservice to take away his right to vote.
However, it gets trickier when the person has been declared legally incompetent, such as when someone else takes over managing the finances, and health and legal decisions. At this point, it is very reasonable to think that the person with dementia can no longer understand complex topics and use their reasoning skills to arrive at a decision which is based on cognitive thought. And I also think that by this point, the care partner will know that and not put the person with dementia in the stressful position of trying to navigate voting anyway.
Here’s what Alzheimer’s Society has to say:
Question: Can a person with dementia vote in the UK general and local elections.
Answer: Yes, a person with dementia can vote regardless of their capacity.
It is clearly stated in the Electoral Commission’s guidance for Electoral Registration Officers that mental health conditions do not constitute a legal incapacity to vote, so a person would not be stopped from voting at the polling station.
However, it is important to note that the guidelines also state that the decision as to whether and how to vote at an election must be made by the elector themselves, and not by a carer or a person making decisions on behalf of the elector.
I also found a 2011 research article which looked at the capacity to vote in older adults and people with dementia. They conducted their research with people diagnosed with dementia and people of the same age with no presence of dementia. Categories they rated were: understanding of the nature of the vote, understanding of the effect of the vote, vote choice, comparative reasoning, consequential reasoning, and appreciation. They found:
We observe that patients with dementia understand the nature and effect of the vote (53% and 44%, respectively), and appreciate its consequences (66.2%) but do not do as well when it is time to make a voting choice (25%) and to consequential reasoning (35.3%)…The criteria of understanding and appreciation are easier for the patients, but not those of vote choice and reasoning. Cognitive deterioration, but not age, influences the capacity to vote.
What are your thoughts on this issue? Please share them in the comments!
The study indicates people dealing with aphasia, whether it be from Alzheimer’s, dementia, a stroke or some other neurological issue, can benefit from a telehealth platform that enables them to stay at home and connect with trained specialists, no matter where they’re located.
Video link with specialists helps dementia patients improve communication skills
Source: Study: Telehealth Helps Dementia Patients Recover ‘Lost’ Words
Doctor Dementia and the Dementia Adventure 