In-person and zoom Support Groups:
· ACA’s Coffee Talk with Miller & Vance, Tuesday, January 11, 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.
Alzheimer’s News:
Make a New Year’s Resolution to join a support group! ACA’s group gets together on zoom every Tuesday at 11 am. Care partnering with someone living with dementia can be a very challenging endeavor and support groups are an excellent way to form emotional connections, share experiences, gain knowledge, and find additional resources – and you can even participate from the comfort of your own home. 5 Reasons to Try a Support Group – Even If You Don’t Want To – Positive Approach to Care (teepasnow.com)
A new study from Florida Atlantic University found that a furry, interactive robotic pet improved mood and boosted cognition among people with Alzheimer’s disease who were attending an adult day care center. The study underscores the critical importance that pets can play in improving our daily lives. A Toy Pet May Ease Anxiety in People With Alzheimer’s | Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation (alzinfo.org) Visit ACA’s website to see one reaction to a robotic cat. https://youtu.be/-KllBmjBYvc. ACA has pets available upon request, mpiggott@alzca.org
On January 4, 2011, the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA) (Public Law 111-375) was signed into law. The National Plan was updated for the ninth time on December 27, 2021. https://aspe.hhs.gov/reports/national-plan-2021-update
The update added a sixth goal:
- Prevent and Effectively Treat Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias by 2025.
- Enhance Care Quality and Efficiency.
- Expand Supports for People with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias and their Families.
- Enhance Public Awareness and Engagement.
- Track Progress and Drive Improvement.
- 2021 Update: Accelerate Action to Promote Healthy Aging and Reduce Risk Factors for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias.
The number of individuals over 40 with dementia will nearly triple worldwide and double in the United States by 2050 unless steps are taken to address risk factors, new research suggests. Results from a study of 195 countries and territories estimates that by 2050, 153 million people are expected to have dementia worldwide — up from 57 million in 2019. In the United States, the number is expected to increase 100%, from an estimated 5.3 million in 2019 to 10.5 million in 2050. The increase is largely driven by population growth and population aging, but researchers note that expanding access to education and addressing risk factors such as obesity, high blood sugar, and smoking could blunt the rise in cases. Estimation of the global prevalence of dementia in 2019 and forecasted prevalence in 2050: an analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 – The Lancet Public Health
Even though men in midlife have more cardiovascular (CV) conditions and risk factors than women of the same age, women are more affected by these conditions in terms of cognitive decline, new research suggests. Analyses of almost 1400 participants in the population-based Mayo Clinic Study of Aging showed that diabetes, dyslipidemia, and coronary heart disease all had stronger associations with global cognitive decline in women than in men. Midlife CV Conditions Tied to Greater Cognitive Decline in Women (medscape.com)
Lecanemab, an investigational antibody, has been granted a fast track designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which may help speed up its development for the treatment of early Alzheimer’s disease. The antibody, developed jointly by Biogen and Eisai, is designed to bind to the protein amyloid-beta. This potentially allows the immune system to clear the protein before it forms the toxic clumps that drive the death of nerve cells (neurons) in the brains of those with Alzheimer’s. Lecanemab for Early Alzheimer’s Granted FDA’s Fast Track Status (alzheimersnewstoday.com)
Rita Jablonski, PhD, CRNP, FAAN, FGSA is a nurse practitioner, researcher, tenured professor, and former family caregiver. Her research and practice involve all aspects of dementia management; she is best known for non-drug strategies to address dementia-related behaviors. Watch her videos demonstrating approaches for handling care refusals and other related dementia behaviors:
Would you take a supplement — for example, brain health supplement Neuriva Plus — that claims to boosts your brain function? It is available in the grocery store and vouched for by a neuroscientist. Mayim Bialik, new Jeopardy co-host, and actress known for her role in Big Bang Theory personally vouches for it. But the company behind the supplement, Reckitt Benckiser, settled a lawsuit in April that prohibits them from claiming their product’s stated benefits are “backed by science.” Reckitt Benckiser is now in the mandated process of removing all “clinically proven” and “science proved” language on product labeling and ancillary marketing, and changing it to “clinically tested” and “science-tested” or other similar — and softer — language. Does Neuriva Plus Work? A Settled Lawsuit Now Bars Its Makers From Claiming Scientific Proof – Being Patient
The UsAgainstAlzheimer’s A-LIST® is an online community of 10,000 people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, current and former caregivers, and those interested in brain health. Since 2016, UsAgainstAlzheimer’s A-LIST® has given voice to “What Matters Most” for people living with dementia, caregivers and those concerned about their brain health. Read what they have learned over the past 5 years.
a-list_pulse_december_2021 04.pdf (usagainstalzheimers.org)
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