Alzheimer's of Central Alabama

Serving people with Alzheimer’s, caregivers and professionals in central Alabama through education, caregiver services and research grants.

ACA’s Weekly Email April 5, 2024

Thank you to everyone who supported ACA’s Easter Care Basket campaign.  24 baskets full of staples, meat and other goodies were delivered to family on ACA’s service programs.  One caregiver said, “Thank you for the Easter Food Gift Basket. With food prices being so high shopping can cause some anxiety. The items were truly needed and appreciated. We thank you for all that you do for caregivers.”

ACA will host the Garden Art Party, May 4 at Haven.  This incredible auction has raised money for ACA’s essential services for low-income families living with Alzheimer’s since 1997.  Donations for the auction are welcomed.  Purchase tickets here:  https://alzca.org/gap/

Join Founders Place and St. Luke’s Episcopal Church April 11, at 1:15, for a dementia-friendly communion service in the Chapel. All are invited. This is specially designed to be accessible, inclusive, and casual. There will be worship, reading of scripture, prayer, and communion. No RSVP needed. 3736 Montrose Road, 35213.

Support Group Meetings:

April Webinars from Alabama Lifespan Respite: https://alabamarespite.org/events2/

Alzheimer’s News:

April is National Stress Awareness Month.  Family caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s and related dementias are at greater risk for anxiety, depression, and poorer quality of life than caregivers of people with other conditions, and provide care for a longer duration of time, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  AFA offers these six stress reduction tips for family caregivers:

  • Be adaptable and positive. Your attitude influences stress levels for both you and the person you’re caring for. If you can “go with the flow,” and avoid fighting the current, that will help you both stay relaxed.
  • Deal with what you can control. Some things are totally out of your control. What is in your power to control is how you respond and react to these outside factors.
  • Set realistic goals and go slow. Everything cannot be resolved at once, nor does it need to be. Don’t hold yourself to unrealistic expectations. Prioritize, set practical goals, do your best to achieve them, and take things one day at a time.
  • Mind your health. Make it a priority to get sleep, eat right, drink plenty of water and find ways to be active. You cannot provide quality care to a loved one if you don’t take care of yourself.
  • Clear and refresh your mind. Exercise, yoga, meditating, listening to music or even taking a few deep breaths can all help relax the mind and reduce stress.
  • Share your feelings. Disconnecting from your support structure and staying bottled-up increases stress.  Whether it’s with a loved one, trusted friend or a professional, don’t be reluctant to talk about your stress, because that can actually help relieve it!

https://alzfdn.org/six-stress-reduction-tips-for-caregivers-during-national-stress-awareness-month-in-april/

A study from the University of California, Davis, found that couples coping with dementia can navigate the challenges with greater resilience and well-being by working together and supporting each other. The researchers found that while caretakers provide essential support to a loved one with Alzheimer’s, people in the earlier stages of Alzheimer’s can also play a vital role in helping to support their caretakers. Researchers found having a mutually beneficial relationship in early stages may help reduce caregiver burden and even slow the progression of dementia symptoms.  The study looked at 72 couples and found that to varying degrees, both caregivers and patients were able to provide mutual empathy and support. While caretakers performed many of the required day-to-day tasks, those with early Alzheimer’s could also help with practical tasks such as folding laundry, cooking and doing the dishes. The most common type of support that those with Alzheimer’s provided was emotional, including showing appreciation and care for their caregiving partner. The positive effects of empathy and support on emotional well-being, stress levels, communication and illness management can contribute to better overall health outcomes for individuals with dementia and, also, their caregivers. These results can be used to improve strategies for care by including patients in addition to caregivers.  Debunking the myth that dementia patients are only recipients of care is crucial.  Dementia patients know they’re declining, but it’s important for them to also know that they can still do a lot of things.  https://www.alzinfo.org/articles/caregiving/caregiving-is-a-two-way-street/

Ira Asherman is, with his wife Sandy, a co-founder of the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Resource Center of NYC. Here, he thinks back on six of the biggest questions that have emerged for him as he cares for Sandy, who is living with Alzheimer’s, listed in the order he and Sandy faced them.  https://www.beingpatient.com/6-alzheimers-caregiving-questions/?utm_source=Being+Patient+Newsletter&utm_campaign=38457d30eb-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_11_06_03_59_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_95b92454c1-38457d30eb-109213217

Although relatively rare, FTD is the top cause of dementia in patients younger than 60 years. Patients are usually diagnosed relatively late in the disease because they are young and because their symptoms may be mistaken for psychiatric disorders.  New research finds cognitive assessments administered via a smartphone app are a reliable and valid way to detect frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in high-risk individuals.  The study provides evidence that these remote assessments via the app may be useful for detecting early symptoms of the disease at a level that is on par, or perhaps slightly better, than in-person tests. People with FTD can experience both behavioral and motor symptoms.  It can be difficult for families to get to an academic center for in-clinic assessments, making remote assessments a huge need.https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/smartphone-app-detects-early-signs-frontotemporal-dementia-2024a10006ds?ecd=wnl_dne1_240405_MSCPEDIT_etid6423334&uac=407526BK&impID=6423334

Studies in preclinical mice models hint that familial Alzheimer’s disease (AD) may be transmissible via bone marrow transplant, but the researchers and outside experts caution against making the immediate leap to humans.  The researchers observed that adoptive transplantation of donor bone marrow stem cells harboring a mutant human amyloid precursor protein (APP) transgene into both APP-deficient and healthy wild-type mice resulted in the rapid development of AD pathologic hallmarks.   These pathologic features included compromised blood-brain barrier integrity, heightened cerebral vascular neoangiogenesis, elevated brain-associated beta-amyloid levels, and cognitive impairment.  https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/alzheimers-transmissible-stem-cell-transplantation-2024a10005x6

A large new study that looked at a nationally representative sample of American adults found that those who reported snoring or other symptoms of sleep apnea were about 50 percent more likely to report cognitive issues than their peers without sleep apnea symptoms.The findings add to growing evidence that sleep problems, including sleep apnea, raise the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia years down the road.  Millions of older people, especially those who are overweight, have sleep apnea, though many don’t even know they have it. It occurs when the soft tissues at the back of the mouth and throat relax too much during sleep, causing the airways to become blocked. People with the condition often snore loudly and can wake up hundreds of times during the night, leading to daytime grogginess and fuzzy thinking, though they typically do not remember waking during the night.  The study found participants who had sleep apnea symptoms had greater odds of having memory or thinking problems. Waking up multiple times during the night may impair the brain’s ability to clear out toxic proteins, which scientists believe may raise the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Spending less time in deep sleep may also impair the brain’s ability to consolidate memories. Another reason could be that apnea is associated with low blood oxygen levels, which would reduce oxygen supply to the brain. https://www.alzinfo.org/articles/diagnosis/dont-ignore-the-snore/

One Week left to participate!  The Alabama Department of Senior Services (ADSS), in partnership with the area agencies on aging want to hear from you. Every four years, ADSS completes a State Plan on Aging that acts as a blueprint of advocacy efforts and services to help meet the needs of senior adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers so they can live at home for as long as possible.  If you are a senior adult, person with a disability, caregiver, and/or someone who’s interested in people living at home and their communities for as long as possible, please complete the short anonymous Needs Assessment, by April 12.  https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=b13dvvy81EaRjX-yEOV4l8RCyObzOTREljif-c2_ESxUNkVNRUM1SEQ4Uzg0QTBOR1BLREU0RTFZUyQlQCN0PWcu

Researchers at UAB are conducting a study is to explore the role of psychological flexibility and self-compassion in the mental health of family caregivers of persons living with dementia. Insights gained from this survey will contribute to a better understanding of how to provide further support to family caregivers.  Any family caregivers of persons living with dementia are eligible to participate, and participants will receive $35 compensation (ClinCard) upon survey completion. Additional information regarding the study and compensation is available within the link, prior to beginning the survey.  https://uab.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1T7IMii6oUh23hI

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