Dorothy McDaniel’s Flower Market has selected ACA as their Charity in Bloom for July. Visit their website scroll down to Charity in Bloom for details on the bouquet they will create for ACA during July. 20% of the proceeds will benefit ACA’s Pre-Doctoral Scholars Program in Alzheimer’s disease at UAB. www.dorothymcdaniel.com
Alabama Lifespan Respite July Caregiver Training, www.alabamarespite.org:
- July 10, 10 am, The Compassionate Side of Caregiving
- July 15, 1 pm, Do You Know Someone Living with Alzheimer’s disease?
- July 17, 10 am, Caring for the Caregiver – Part I
- July 24, 10 am, Caring for the Caregiver – Part II
- July 27, 2 pm, B.R.E.A.K – Breath in. Relax. Enjoy life. Appreciate all. Know rest is vital.
Must Have Legal Document as You Age, Lunch and Learn at Dawson, July 15, 11:30 – 12:30, with Lynn Campisi, P.C. Reservations required, Contact Debbie Moss, 205-871-7324 or dmoss@dawsonchurch.org.
Little Professor bookstore in Homewood is hosting Renee Harmon and ACA for a Q & A session about dementia, Sunday, July 18, 2:00-4:00. Renee is a local physician and author of Surfing the Waves of Alzheimer. She also has a story in the newly released Chicken Soup for the Soul: Navigating Eldercare and Dementia. A portion of the registration fee will be donated to ACA. To sign up for the event go to:
https://littleprofessorhomewood.com/products/intimate-event-with-dr-renee-harmon-alzheimers-of-central-alabama
ACA’s Jr. Board will host Glow for a Cure, a nighttime golf tournament, Friday, July 30, at Highland Park Golf Course. There are a few spots left for teams or you can be a Hole Sponsor (contact vholder@alzca.org). Spectator tickets are $25 and include Taco Mama dinner, auction, and entertainment from the Maxx Groove band. All proceeds benefit ACA’s Pre-Doctoral Scholars Program in Alzheimer’s disease at UAB. See attached flyer.
In-person and zoom Support Groups:
- ACA’s Coffee Talk with Miller & Vance, Tuesday, July 13, 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
- Pell City, (in person)-1st Tuesday of each month, 11:00 am, Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church, Parish Hall, Cropwell. Contact Bit Thomaston, Ethomaston50@gmail.com
- West Alabama Area Agency on Aging, Caregiver Support Group, Tuesdays, contact Nikki Poe, nikki.poe@westal.org.
- CJFS CARES, Tuesdays, 7:00 pm, contact Pam Leonard, pam@cjfsbham.org.
- Leeds, (in person) 2nd Thursday of each month, 6:30 pm, St. Teresa of the Child Jesus Catholic Church, contact Bit Thomaston,ethomaston50@gmail.com
- 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:
Research has shown we will all outlive our driving ability by 6 to 10 years. Just as we plan for retirement from work and where we will live, transportation planning must be front and center. For those with dementia, it is universally recognized it is not a matter of “if” they will have to stop driving, but “when.” As the most complex of instrumental activities of living (IADLs), it should be recognized and addressed early in the planning process. Recent research suggests that deficits in driving performance may show the first evidence for dementia, even when typical neuropsychological tests are negative. Based on this research, practitioners should be addressing driving first, before other issues that are not in the domain of public safety. Plan for the Road Ahead: Driving and Dementia (asaging.org)
Research has found that long-term stress during early and mid-life is increasingly associated with cognitive decline and neurodegeneration. There is already evidence to suggest that chronic stress is a risk factor for the “sporadic” or late-onset subtype of Alzheimer’s disease. Chronic stress can impact the way immune cells in the brain function and increase inflammation. Genetic variants within that stress response can further affect the function of immune cells. Stress activates the HPA, which in turn regulates bodily levels of cortisol, a glucocorticoid stress hormone. Increased levels of cortisol are frequently observed in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. The hippocampus – a part of the brain involved in processing and forming memories – has numerous glucocorticoid receptors and is particularly sensitive to the effects of glucocorticoids. Chronic Stress, Genetics May Raise Alzheimer’s Risk (medscape.com)
Regulators approved an updated label for Biogen Inc.’s controversial Alzheimer’s disease drug Aduhelm, reining in what some doctors had said was an overly broad approval for patients who hadn’t been studied in clinical trials. Last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave Aduhelm a sweeping clearance for essentially all Alzheimer’s patients, not just for the early-stage sufferers of cognitive decline that Biogen and its Tokyo-based partner Eisai Co. Ltd. had focused on in studying the drug. The FDA decision to clarify the label was made after doctors and insurers expressed confusion over the intended population for treatment. The new wording could make it simpler to determine who should take the drug, and how to cover it. FDA Curbs Scope of Biogen Alzheimer’s Drug Weeks After Furor (msn.com)
BrainGuide by UsAgainstAlzheimer’s is a first-of-its-kind platform that empowers people with knowledge and resources to take the best next steps in managing their own or a loved one’s brain health. BrainGuide can help whether you’re interested in protecting your brain health, you’ve been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or Alzheimer’s, or you’re concerned about a family member. BrainGuide begins with an automated, confidential self-administered memory questionnaire, developed with input from memory experts, that can be taken on behalf of yourself or someone you care about. Once you complete the questionnaire, BrainGuide offers tailored education and resources to help you find the best next steps in your or a loved one’s brain health journey. BrainGuide does not provide a diagnosis. Take the first step in acting on your brain health today by visiting MyBrainGuide.org or calling 855-BRAIN-411.
Women are an understudied population when it comes to concussion, resulting in a lack of gender-specific treatment guidelines. Female athletes are more likely to sustain a concussion than their male counterparts. Research on length of recovery is mixed but overall supports that women take longer to recover than men. Women also perform worse on neurocognitive testing post-injury, which measures things like decision-making ability and processing. Emerging Research: Sports Concussions Affect Men and Women Differently – Being Patient
Interested in volunteering for research on Alzheimer’s, related dementias, and cognitive health? Learn about new and featured studies below or search for clinical trials and studies near you with the Alzheimers.gov Clinical Trials Finder.
Dementia is the umbrella term used to describe several diseases that cause changes in the brain that lead to memory loss, language and reasoning difficulties, ultimately disrupting everyday functioning. Meanwhile, Alzheimer’s disease is one kind of dementia—and the most common. Studies show older people with Alzheimer’s often have one or two other kinds of dementia as well, a condition known as “mixed dementia”. Dementia vs. Alzheimer’s: Differences and Myths – Forbes Health
Alzheimer’s Foundation of America offers free daily virtual activities and therapeutic programming for care partners and older adults. www.alzfdn.org.