Thank you to everyone who helped fill and deliver July 4th Care Baskets to many on our service programs! Your support provided these families with all the fixings for a cookout and a box fan to help them stay cool this summer. It’s not too late to donate: https://alzca.org/july4/
M4A’s Alabama CARES Caregiver Support Program and the Elder Justice Center are hosting a new Caregiver Support Group on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month, starting July 9, 10 – 11:30 am, Elder Justice Center, 4804 Highway 25, Montevallo. Contact Robyn James, rjames@m4a.org.
Join Founders Place and St. Luke’s Episcopal Church July 15, 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.
ACA’s 12th annual Glow for a Cure night golf tournament, July 26th, Highland Park Golf Course, There are a limited number of teams still available, and this event has sold out every year. The tournament is presented by our Junior Board and supports the Lindy Harrell Pre-doctoral Scholars Program in Alzheimer’s Research at UAB. ACA has funded 7 student researchers since 2019. https://alzca.org/glow/
Contenu is hosting a retreat that focuses on health and wellness activities for the person with a serious illness and their caregiver, August 24, New Water Farms, Dadeville, 8 am – 4:30 pm. This retreat will focus on health and wellness activities for the person with a serious illness, and their caregivers, with the aim of giving attendees a space to refresh, recharge, and relax. Com. e and enjoy a day of health and wellness. Activities will include sessions like movement and mindfulness, fruit farming, and taking a boat ride. The cost is $50. Contenu Retreat
Support Group Meetings:
- ACA’s support group with Miller & Vance, Tuesday, July 2, 11 – noon CT. Call (205) 871-7970 or mpiggott@alzca.org. Join us on zoom:https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85247427423
- CJFS CARES, Mondays at 3 pm, contact Pam Leonard, pam@cjfsbham.org.
- St Lukes Episcopal Church on Tuesdays at 10:15. Contact Betsy Smith (smith35213@gmail.com) or Janis Cole (janiscarole3@aol.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@gmail.com.
- 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
- Leeds, 1st Tuesday, 6:30 pm. Contact Julie Slagle jslagle@lakesidehospice.org
- Pell City, 2nd Tuesday, 2:30 pm. Contact Julie Slagle, jslagle@lakesidehospice.org
- M4A virtual support group, 3rd Wednesday’s 2:00 – 3:00 pm. Contact Chalane Mims, cmims@m4a.org.
- Trinity United Methodist Church, every Thursday at 2:30 pm, contact Ernie at 205-370-0032 or email ewillis@trinitybirmimgham.com.
- Asbury United Methodist Church 1st and 3rd Thursdays at 1:00, contact Maggie Dunaway at mdunaway@asburyonline.org.
- AFTD support group, second Tuesday of the month. Amber Guy: 251-281-5344.
- Discovery United Methodist Church, Hoover, the first and third Thursday of each month. Peggy Harrison: pharrison@discoveryumc.org.
- St. Mark’s UMC, Vestavia Hills, Fridays at 1 pm. Contact Donna Baird: (205)717-9880.
July Webinars from Alabama Lifespan Respite: https://alabamarespite.org/events2/
Alzheimer’s News:
June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month and a new survey from Parade and Cleveland Clinic shows 36% of people under 50 and nearly one-fourth of individuals aged 50-64 said they have experienced memory or brain health issues but were too afraid to seek help. While women overall showed higher concern than men that they may develop Alzheimer’s disease or dementia (57% for women vs. 50% for men), they didn’t seem to know that they are at an increased risk. Nearly half of women surveyed (48%) believe both men and women are equally likely to get Alzheimer’s or dementia and 28% said they had no idea if gender played a role. In addition, only 15% of women talk to their doctors about ways to optimize their brain health. This is concerning because an estimated six million Americans live with Alzheimer’s, and nearly two-thirds of those diagnosed are women. Still, awareness has grown among women that hormonal issues and menopause can influence the risk of brain health issues. Encouragingly, most respondents say they do at least one activity to keep their brain healthy, with exercise (68%) and eat healthfully (64%) the top two actions taken. Women say they are more likely than men to do “brain games” (57% vs. 47%) as well as socialize with others (54% vs. 44%) to boost brain health. The survey also revealed a surprising level of concern among young people, with one in 10 saying they think about developing a brain health issue daily, more often than any other age group. https://newsroom.clevelandclinic.org/2024/06/12/awareness-of-brain-health-is-growing-but-many-are-too-afraid-to-seek-help-paradecleveland-clinic-survey-finds?mc_cid=b894088191&mc_eid=9411ff17b8
To recognize June as Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month, the National Institute on Aging announced the launch of the Alzheimers.govVirtual Assistant. Visitors to Alzheimers.gov can get connected to the answers they need on a range of topics, such as the signs of dementia, planning after a diagnosis, finding care and local services, and more. The virtual assistant is available 24/7. Click on the chat icon in the lower right corner on Alzheimers.gov to give it a try today: https://www.alzheimers.gov/?utm_source=nia-eblast&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=alzgov-20240625
DailyCaring offers 16 Ways to Adapt 4th of July Activities for Seniors: https://dailycaring.com/fantastic-4th-of-july-activities-for-seniors/?utm_source=DailyCaring&utm_campaign=baf97b4714-dc_email_2024-06-26&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_57c250b62e-baf97b4714-123515277
Greg O’Brien, an award-winning investigative reporter, was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s at the age of 59. Greg’s documentary, Have You Heard About Greg, won the prestigious Los Angeles Press Club Television Emmy award, competing against 2,300 entries. Greg is committed to starting open and honest conversations about this killer disease. Watch the powerful hour- long documentary: https://www.pbs.org/video/have-you-heard-about-greg-a-journey-through-alzheimers-gsq6qi/
Who’s more important when it comes to Alzheimer’s risk: your mother or your father? A new study suggests that having a mother who had Alzheimer’s disease may increase your risk more than having a father with the illness. The study found that people who had a mother with Alzheimer’s disease tended to have higher levels of beta-amyloid in the brain than those who had a father with the disease. The buildup of beta-amyloid, a toxic protein that clumps together to form plaques in the brain, is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s. Having high levels of the protein is associated with an increased risk of the disease. https://www.alzinfo.org/articles/diagnosis/which-parent-contributes-more-to-your-alzheimers-risk/
Adults older than 50 years who report experiencing persistently high levels of loneliness have a 56% increased risk for stroke, a new study showed. The increased stroke risk did not apply to individuals who reported experiencing situational loneliness, a finding that investigators believe bolsters the hypothesis that chronic loneliness is driving the association. It is important to routinely assess loneliness, as the consequences may be worse if unidentified and/or ignored. Exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, loneliness is at an all-time high. A 2023 Surgeon General’s report highlighted the fact that loneliness and social isolation are linked to significant and chronic health consequences. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/chronic-loneliness-tied-increased-stroke-risk-2024a1000bsa?ecd=wnl_dne1_240626_MSCPEDIT_etid6625289&uac=407526BK&impID=6625289
In 2022, the US Department of Defense (DOD) launched its Warfighter Brain Health Initiative with the aim of “optimizing service member brain health and countering traumatic brain injuries.” In April 2024, the Blast Overpressure Safety Act was introduced in the Senate to require the Defense Department to enact better blast screening, tracking, prevention, and treatment. The DOD initiated 26 blast overpressure studies. New data suggested that repeated blast exposure may impair the brain’s waste clearance system leading to biomarker changes indicative of preclinical Alzheimer’s disease (AD) 20 years earlier than typical. A higher index of suspicion for dementia or AD may be warranted in patients with a history of blast exposure or subconcussive brain injury who present with cognitive issues. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/new-clues-how-blast-exposure-may-lead-alzheimers-disease-2024a1000bne?ecd=wnl_dne3_240625_MSCPEDIT_etid6622550&uac=407526BK&impID=6622550
Certain medications that are used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) are associated with a reduced risk for dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), the second most common neurodegenerative type of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease. Investigators found older men taking alpha-1 blockers terazosin, doxazosin, or alfuzosin (Tz/Dz/Az) were 40% less likely to develop DLB than those taking tamsulosin and 37% less likely than men taking the 5-alpha reductase inhibitors (5ARI) finasteride and dutasteride. These results are exciting because right now there are no drugs to prevent or treat dementia with Lewy bodies. If we can determine that an existing drug can offer protection against this debilitating disease, that has the potential to greatly reduce its effects. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/prostate-meds-tied-reduced-risk-lewy-body-dementia-2024a1000c02?ecd=wnl_dne4_240628_MSCPEDIT_etid6631101&uac=407526BK&impID=6631101
More than 2,300 heat-related deaths were recorded in the U.S. last year, the most in 45 years. That number could increase in the summer of 2024, as millions will face record temperatures. People with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia may not comprehend the danger from heat or when they’re getting too hot. Caregivers can decrease their loved ones’ risk of dehydration and heatstroke by anticipating needs and adjusting accordingly. Tips to stay safe during a heat wave:
- Hydration – Adequate hydration is essential for regulating body temperature. Sweating and releasing heat through the skin are the human body’s natural cooling systems. Those systems can be overridden in extreme heat, however, causing dehydration. Drinking water helps prevent heat stroke, but convincing someone with Alzheimer’s disease of its importance can be a challenge. You might pour cold water into a glass pitcher and infuse it with slices of fruit or thinly sliced cucumber. Pour two glasses and share a moment, drinking together.
- Serve foods with a high water content. Cucumbers, strawberries, watermelon, and citrus are excellent sources of hydration. Grapes are also good. Refrigerate veggies and fruits to make them more appealing on a hot day. Hydrating desserts like gelatin, puddings, and sorbets can help as well. Again, think fruit-based.
- One attractive way to hydrate is to have Popsicles or any frozen juice on a stick. It brings out the kid in all of us while it also helps when it’s hot.
- Some medications can affect how the body regulates temperature. Speak with your loved one’s primary healthcare provider to learn if their medicines increase the risk of heat-related conditions.