Today is National Caregivers Day! The third Friday of February is an annual day to pay tribute and thank caregivers in the community, whether they are paid professionals or family caregivers taking care of loved ones. Caregivers are amazing!
In-person and zoom Support Groups:
- ACA’s Coffee Talk with Miller & Vance, Tuesday, February 22, 11 – noon CT. Call (205) 871-7970 or mpiggott@alzca.org. Join us on zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86450491838
- Pell City group, February 22, at 6:30. Going forward this group will meet on the first Thursdays of the month at 6:30; and the third Tuesday’s of the month at 6:30. Contact Bit Thomaston, ethomason50@gmail.com
- CJFS CARES, Mondays at 3 pm, contact Pam Leonard, pam@cjfsbham.org.
- Founders Place at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Tuesday’s at 10 am, contact Susan Logan, susanlogan65@gmail.com
- West Alabama Area Agency on Aging, Caregiver Support Group, Tuesdays, contact Nikki Poe, nikki.poe@westal.org.
- The Oaks on Parkwood, 4th Tuesday’s, 10:00 am, Contact: Karen Glover, karenrglover@bellsouth.net.
- CJFS CARES, Tuesdays, 7:00 pm, contact Pam Leonard, pam@cjfsbham.org.
- United Way Area Agency on Aging of Jefferson County, 3rd Tuesday of each month 11:30-12:30, contact Valarie Lawson, vlawson@uwaaa.org
- M4A, 2nd Thursday’s, noon – 1 pm. Contact Crystal Whitehead, cwhitehead@m4a.org
- M4A, 3rd Wednesday’s 2:00 – 3:00 pm. Contact Crystal Whitehead, cwhitehead@m4a.org
- Asbury United Methodist Church 1st and 3rd Thursdays at 1:00, contact Maggie Dunaway at mdunaway@asburyonline.org.
February Webinars from Alabama Lifespan Respite (https://alabamarespite.org/events2/):
- The Art of Grace, February 19, 10 am
- Bi Polar Disorder and Caregiving, February 20, 6 pm
- BREAK, February 25, 10 am
- Managing Depression as a Caregiver, February 26, 10 am
- Mental Illness and Caregiving, February 27, 6 pm
Alzheimer’s News:
Validation therapy is a holistic therapy that focuses on empathy and provides means for people with dementia to communicate. In this 39 minute video Tuscaloosa neurologist, Daniel C. Potts, founder and President of Cognitive Dynamics Foundation, interviews the iconic founder of the Validation Method, Naomi Feil. https://youtu.be/L3utAKRl3Qc
Have something you would like to share about identifying and preventing all forms of elder abuse and neglect in long-term care settings? Complete This 10 minute questionnaire from the National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center and the National Center on Elder Abuse.
Glucose is one of the brain’s main sources of fuel, providing energy for our body’s cells. But the brain’s ability to metabolize glucose becomes impaired in Alzheimer’s. In fact, scientists know that one of the earliest signs of the disease is characterized by decreased consumption of glucose in the brain. Being Patient spoke with Benjamin Bikman, professor of cell biology and physiology at Brigham Young University, about the complex processes of our metabolism, and how metabolic health plays a role in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. Ben Bikman: Understanding Metabolism For Better Brain Health – Being Patient
Healthy older adults have more knowledge than their younger counterparts, but they tend to form associations with older, often irrelevant memories in something scientists refer to as “reduced cognitive control.” While older and younger adults’ memories contain similar target features, the older adults’ memories contain more nontarget features and, thus, are cluttered with excessive information. In older adults, an ongoing situation cues prior memories and can interfere with the retrieval of target information as well as other memory-dependent cognitive functions. Earlier memories seem to carry more importance when it comes to decision-making in older adults. Although memory response times may be slowed by the clutter, evidence suggests that older adults show preserved, and at times enhanced, creativity in problem-solving as a function of enriched memories. Knowledge and Memories Can Clutter Old Brains (medscape.com)
It’s not a coincidence that a person’s mood may drop along with the temperature in winter and early spring. The days are shorter and the weather is colder, which can make it difficult to concentrate or enjoy one’s regular activities. Research shows that the season’s negative impacts are especially true for individuals with dementia. Dementia Caregivers: 5 Musts for Cold Winter Weather – Being Patient
It’s important to spend meaningful time with a family member or friend who has Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia.Participating together in activities your loved one enjoys can help improve their quality of life and manage behavior changes that may come with the disease, such as sleep problems, aggression and agitation. Activities To Do With a Family Member or Friend Who Has Alzheimer’s Disease | National Institute on Aging (nih.gov)
Should You Take Probiotics for Brain Health? Looking at existing studies, scientists say evidence doesn’t support using probiotics to boost brain health — no matter what their labels claim. Should You Take Probiotics for Brain Health? – Being Patient
UsAgainstAlzheimer’s warns against the CMC’s proposed plan that effectively would deny Medicare coverage for an entire class of Alzheimer’s treatments stating, “it is inhumane to deny patients who meet the label criteria the choice of whether to use this or other future, FDA-approved drugs in the class”. https://www.usagainstalzheimers.org/press/usagainstalzheimers-urges-cms-revise-plan-would-deny-medicare-coverage-fda-approved
Support ACA by using AmazonSmile! Designate Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama and Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible purchases. smile.amazon.com