In-person and zoom Support Groups:
· ACA’s Coffee Talk with Miller & Vance, Tuesday, January 18, 11 – noon CT. Call (205) 871-7970 or mpiggott@alzca.org. Join us on zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86450491838
· 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
· Asbury United Methodist Church 1st and 3rd Thursdays at 1:00, contact Maggie Dunaway at mdunaway@asburyonline.org.
January Webinars from Alabama Lifespan Respite (https://alabamarespite.org/events2/):
- Managing Caregiver Resentment, January 17, 6 CT
- Caregiver & Agency Resource Exchange, January 21, 10 CT
- The Working Caregiver, January 22, 10 CT
- BREAK, January 27 10 CT
- Understanding Alzheimer’s, January 30, 6 CY
Alzheimer’s News:
Learn more setting good habits! The Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement talks with Jud Brewer MD PhD, a New York Times best-selling author and thought leader in the field of habit change and the “science of self-mastery”. Dr. Jud Brewer On Ensuring Success In Your New Year’s Resolutions (thewomensalzheimersmovement.org)
Reaction to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed decision to restrict coverage of the controversial and expensive Alzheimer’s disease (AD) drug aducanumab (Aduhelm) has been swift and polarized. On Tuesday, CMS announced a proposed plan to pay for aducanumab, a monoclonal antibody (mAB), and other FDA-approved drugs in the same class under its coverage with evidence development (CED) mechanism. This means the class would be covered for patients with Medicare only if they are enrolled in qualifying clinical trials. Opponents of the plan argue this approach discriminates against many patients with the disease, whereas backers view it as a move to protect patients from broad exposure to a medication with known risks and as-yet unproven clinical benefit. Outrage, Praise for CMS’ Proposed Aducanumab Payment Policy (medscape.com)
A new proposal in the U.S. that Medicare cover the cost of Aduhelm (aducanumab) only for people enrolled in qualifying clinical trials has been met with outrage from the Alzheimer’s Association, who called it “shocking discrimination against everyone with Alzheimer’s disease, especially those who are already disproportionately impacted by this fatal disease, including women, Blacks and Hispanics.” Outrage Over Medicare Draft to Cover Aduhelm Only for Alzheimers Trials (alzheimersnewstoday.com)
Read the quarterly newsletter from The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration on genetics and FTD: PinFTDcare_winter_2022.pdf (theaftd.org)
Vaccines are one of the greatest medical advances in history. This strategy is now being applied to the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s. We could be four years away from learning whether it works. At Least 9 Alzheimer’s Vaccines in Trials Right Now – Being Patient
Researchers looking to understand how exercise benefits brain health focused on immune system cells in the brain called microglia. These specialized cells act as a kind of hall monitor for the brain, looking for signs of infection and helping to clear debris or dying cells. In order to do their job, they must switch from a resting to an activated state. The researchers found that older men and women who remained the most active tended to have the healthiest microglia, especially in areas of the brain crucial for memory. How Exercise Helps Protect the Brain Against Alzheimer’s | Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation (alzinfo.org)
Interested in volunteering for research on Alzheimer’s, related dementias, and cognitive health? Find Clinical Trials (alzheimers.gov)
LTC residents, particularly those with reduced functional status, comorbidities, and abnormalities on routine laboratory tests, are at high risk for mortality after covid infection. Predictors of Mortality Among LTC Residents With SARS-CoV-2 (medscape.com)
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