ACA will join Renee Harmon at a booth to promote Alzheimer’s awareness at the Pepper Place Farmer’s Market, Saturday, October 16, from 7 – noon. Stop by and see us!
Webinar, You and Your Brain: A Conversation About Menopause, October 18th. Experts take a frank look at this often confusing and misunderstood transition in a woman’s life. Register for free
Support ACA President, Doug Demedicis’s, “Shoot for A Cure”, Friday, October 22, noon, at the Red Gym in Trussville. The 8th annual event raises money in memory of Doug’s sister, Dale Evans. Doug is going to attempt 25 free throws, supporters can pledge any amount per shot. Doug has never made less than 21 out of 25 shots and has raised $50,000 to date! Spectators are encouraged to try their own free throw – Doug will make a donation in honor of all baskets made by friends and family. https://alzca.org/donate-now/
Greatest Hits fundraiser, October 28, the South Highland Center is selling soups, pimento cheese and scones to raise money for their Walk team. Your order can be picked up at the church from 3- 5:30.
Webinar: The Role of Creative Arts Therapy and Engagement in FTD Care, October 28, 3 pm CT.https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/3995491533215467275?utm_source=AFTD+Audience+2021&utm_campaign=d64b273e61-EMAIL_
Walking to Remember: ACA’s Annual Walk, Saturday, November 6, 10 am, 300 Office Park Drive. Food, fun and entertainment. Walkers raising a minimum of $50 receive a Walk t-shirt. All the Money raised stays in Alabama to support Alabama families!https://alzca.org/walking/
Alabama Respite Webinars, register at alabamarespite.org:
- Stages of Caregiving Part 3, Oct. 19, 1 pm
- Having Trouble Accepting Help?, Oct. 23, 10 am
- Stages of Caregiving Part 4, Oct. 25, 10 am
- Maintaining Your Identity as a Family Caregiver, Oct. 30 10 am
In-person and zoom Support Groups:
- ACA’s Coffee Talk with Miller & Vance, Tuesday, October 19, 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.
- 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.
- 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:
- A new poll by UsAgainstAlzheimer’s A-LIST® shows people are woefully uninformed about Alzheimer’s and brain health in general, despite a desire to learn more. Specifically:
- 63% get their Alzheimer’s brain health information from internet searches
- 47% get information from health care providers
- 92% are speaking to their doctor after an Alzheimer’s or related dementia diagnosis; of those, only 26% received information to take home
Many Americans clearly take brain health seriously. In fact, 81% say they are doing things in their day-to-day life to take care of brain health. But more than a quarter (28%) of respondents are unsure what works and what is a gimmick. https://www.usagainstalzheimers.org/press/new-poll-majority-americans-dangerously-uninformed-about-alzheimers-risk
New wearable tech is being designed to detect depression with more than twice the accuracy of your average human psychiatrist — and prompt users to make lifestyle changes that boost their mental health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found this year that more than 40% of Americans are experiencing symptoms of an anxiety or depressive disorder. This equates to about 136 million individuals with a condition. Compact, portable, affordable, and accurate wearable devices and smart devices, such as the Apple Watch and the Philips Wearable biosensor, are emerging as ways to screen, monitor, and even formulate personalized treatments for depression. Such devices detect vital signs such as your voice, neural activity, heart rate, and the way you move, which offer surprisingly important clues to your mental health. Your Phone Knows You’re Depressed—Here’s What to Do About It – Being Patient
Risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and susceptibility to severe COVID-19 share a common genetic mechanism involved in the immune response to viruses, investigators report. The findings could lead to new treatment targets to slow progression and severity of both diseases. Investigators found that a single genetic variant in the oligoadenylate synthetase 1 (OAS1) gene increases the risk for AD and that related variants in the same gene increase the likelihood of severe COVID-19 outcomes. ‘Fascinating’ Link Between Alzheimer’s and COVID-19 (medscape.com)
A new AARP study estimates that family caregivers typically spend $7,242 (or 26 percent of their income, on average) per year on out-of-pocket costs. To cover the extra expense, many family caregivers have to pare back their own spending. They often save less for retirement, and many have dipped into personal or retirement savings. While the majority of family caregivers are women, more and more men are also experiencing the financial burden of caregiving. Of the 48 million Americans who are family caregivers, nearly 40 percent, or 19 million, currently are men. Growing Pressures Face Unpaid Family Caregivers (asaging.org)
It has long been assumed that a person’s general cognitive ability declines as they grow older. But new research challenges this widely-held assumption, showing that some brain functions may actually get better with aging. The study, published in Nature Human Behaviour, found that older adults were more efficient in shifting their attention to a certain location (orienting), as well as inhibiting distractions and focusing on the task at hand (executive control) than younger adults. Better With Age: Some Cognitive Functions Appear to Improve—Not Decline—Over Time – Being Patient
Treatment with either gantenerumab or solanezumab, two monoclonal antibodies, did not slow down cognitive decline in people who have a type of early-onset dementia called dominantly inherited Alzheimer’s disease (DIAD), according to a recent study. However, gantenerumab did reduce some biomarkers of the disease. The study, which was funded in part by NIA, was published in Nature Medicine on June 21. Study tests two drug treatments for early-onset Alzheimer’s disease | National Institute on Aging (nih.gov)
The foundation of a healthy diet is a vibrant rainbow of fruits and vegetables, like rosy red strawberries, dark green spinach leaves, or sunny yellow peppers. Their colors often come from flavonoids, powerful plant chemicals (phytochemicals) that appear to contribute to many aspects of health. And now a large Harvard study published online in Neurology in July suggests that flavonoids may also play a role in protecting cognition. The top 10 fruits and vegetables in the study most associated with beneficial cognitive effects, listed from strongest to weakest, were: Brussels sprouts, strawberries, cauliflower, raw spinach, yams/sweet potatoes, blueberries, yellow/orange winter squash, cooked spinach, cooked carrots, peaches/apricots/plums; cantaloupe. Can flavonoids help fend off forgetfulness? – Harvard Health
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