Join us for Ales & Tails, at Cahaba Brewery, Saturday, March 26, noon – 5. Help ACA’s Jr. Board raise money for the Lindy Harrell Pre-Doctoral Scholars Program in Alzheimer’s research at UAB. Crawfish plates with all the fixings are $25. Help us get the word out!! Here’s the link for images for social media and sponsorship info: https://alzca.org/ales-materials/
Webinar Global-US Brain Trust Quarterly Dialogue Series: Prevention and Early Detection in Alzheimer’s Disease,March 9, 11 – noon CT, Global-US Brain Trust Quarterly Dialogue: Prevention and Early Detection in Alzheimer’s Disease (google.com)
AFA’s March Care Connection Webinar, March 10, noon: Medicaid planning, trusts, assets, and rights while residing in facilities.Alzheimer’s Foundation of America | Care Connection Webinars (alzfdn.org)
Free, confidential Memory Screening, March 15, 9 – noon, Ensley Park & Recreation. Contact Dee Haywood, 205-960-8282.
March 17, Dementia Caregiver Lunch & Learn, 10:30 – 1:45, All Saints Episcopal Church, $10, scholarships are available. Presenter: Amanda Bulgarelli, COO of Teepa Snow’s Positive Approach to Care. Sponsored by Founders Place Respite at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama and All Saints Episcopal Church. RSVP by March 10: https://saintlukes.shelbynextchms.com/external/form/8005a662-0fee-4dd5-9b54-00617fa3b647
In-person and zoom Support Groups:
- ACA’s Coffee Talk with Miller & Vance, Tuesday, March 8, 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.
March Webinars from Alabama Lifespan Respite (https://alabamarespite.org/events2/):
- What’s Behind the Smile, March 5, 10 am
- The Power of Laughter, March 6, 6:30 pm
- The Compassionate Side of Caregiving, March 12, 10 am
- Communicating Difficult Feelings, March 13, 6 pm
- Caregiver & Agency resource Exchange, March,18, 10 am
- Taking Care of Yourself as a Caregiver, March 19, 10 am
- Maintaining Your Identity as a Caregiver, March 20, 6 pm
- End of Life Issues, March 25, 10 am
- Recognizing Caregiver Burnout, March 26, 10 am
- De-Stressing, March 27, 6 pm
- BREAK, March 29, 10 am
Alzheimer’s News:
Hitching onto medications that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hasn’t approved can be dangerous to your health. Unsubstantiated claims that certain treatments can clear the brain of Alzheimer’s disease are harmful on multiple levels. The claims cause false hope and may prevent someone already suffering from the illness from seeking help. Signs of dementia can appear many years before a person seeks treatment, and sometimes the changes are noticeable only to the patient. Hoping to avoid dementia, that person might take self-help drugs, rubs, or pantry items touted by so-called experts. Self-help remedies may or may not hurt you, but they won’t help, and you can’t expect a placebo effect. Don’t Fall for Fake Alzheimer’s Remedies – Alzheimer’s News Today (alzheimersnewstoday.com
Years spent caring for a dog or cat may help mitigate cognitive decline among older adults, new research suggests. In a large study of Medicare beneficiaries, pet owners had slower cognitive decline over 6 years than their peers who did not care for a pet. Can Caring for a Pet Protect the Aging Brain? (medscape.com)
Mental disorders in early life are associated with a significantly increased risk of dementia in later years. Results of a large, longitudinal, population-based study show that individuals hospitalized for a mental health disorder had a fourfold increased relative risk (RR) for developing dementia compared to those who were not hospitalized with a mental illness.
In addition, those with dementia plus a mental disorder developed dementia almost 6 years earlier than those without a mental illness. The findings were consistent among men and women, in patients with early- and late-onset dementia, in those with Alzheimer’s and non-Alzheimer’s dementia, and across all mental health disorders — and remained so after accounting for preexisting physical illness and socioeconomic factors. Mental Illness Tied to Increased Dementia Risk (medscape.com)
A biomarker blood test called AlzoSure Predict that can help to identify people with mild cognitive impairment who are likely progress to Alzheimer’s disease — years before symptoms are evident — has been approved for use in the European Union (EU) and the U.K., its marketer, Diadem, announced. Blood Test of Alzheimer’s Risk in Mild Dementia Patients OK’d in Europe – Alzheimer’s News Today (alzheimersnewstoday.com)
Earlier menopause appears to be associated with a higher risk of dementia, and earlier onset of dementia, compared with menopause at normal age or later, according to a large study. Being aware of this increased risk can help women practice strategies to prevent dementia and to work with their physicians to closely monitor their cognitive status as they age. Early Menopause Tied to Early Dementia Risk (medscape.com)
If you scrape your knee or break a bone, new cells repair the damage before you even know it. Other organs in the body are even better at regrowing themselves. The cells lining the gut regenerate every 4 to 4 days. In contrast, the brain has a limited capacity to regenerate and repair itself. Scientists discovered dividing cells in the brain, however the rate of formation for new neuronal cells decreases with age. If brain cells are dying over the course of Alzheimer’s disease, could stimulating the production of new cells solve the problem? Neurogenesis: Helping the Brain Grow New Cells in Alzheimer’s – Being Patient
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