Alzheimer's of Central Alabama

Serving people with Alzheimer’s, caregivers and professionals in central Alabama through education, caregiver services and research grants.

ACA’s Weekly Email October 6, 2023

The Virtual Dementia Tour (VDT) will be offered at Bluff Park United Methodist Church, October 19, 9 am – 3 pm.  VDT is a ground-breaking method of building a greater understanding of dementia through the use patented sensory tools.  Contact Billy Rainy to register for a time slot: adultministry@bpumc.org.    

Webinar:  Grief, Loss, and Hope:  Helping Families Living with FTD, October 19, 3 – 4 pm.https://www.theaftd.org/webinar-registration-hcp-edu/?

The Day Place is hosting Lunch & Learn events, October 20 and 27, 11:00 am -12:30 pm. The Day Place in Gardendale is a weekday respite program for people living with dementia or memory disorders.  Meet the staff, take a tour and enjoy lunch.  835 Odum Road, Suite 101, Gardendale, 205-285-9245.

Chili Cook Off to benefit Alzheimer’a of Central Alabama at Truewood by Merrill, October 24,  3 pm.  $25 to enter the competition.  Tasting is free.  1851 Data Drive, 35244. 205-982-7000.

Join us under the big top for Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama’s Walking to Remember, Saturday, November 4.  Registration starts at 9 and the Walk gets underway at 10 am.  Walkers, present, raising a minimum of $50 receive a t-shirt.  Walkers, present, raising a minimum of $75 receive a long-sleeved t-shirt.  Walkers, present, raising a minimum of $100 receive a t-shirt and cap.  300 Office Park Drive.  Join us for food, fun and fellowship!  https://alzca.org/

AFTD support group will not meet the second Tuesday in October.  The next meeting is Tuesday, November 14. Contact Amber Guy: 251-281-5344.

Support Group Meetings:

October Webinars from Alabama Lifespan Respite: https://alabamarespite.org/events2/

Alzheimer’s News:

When cognitive and behavioral changes interfere with an individual’s functional independence, that person is considered to have dementia. However, when cognitive and behavioral changes don’t interfere with an individual’s independence, yet still negatively affect relationships and workplace performance, they are referred to as mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and mild behavioral impairment (MBI), respectively.  MCI and MBI can occur together, but in one-third of people who develop Alzheimer’s dementia, the behavioral symptoms come before cognitive decline.  Spotting these behavioral changes, which emerge in later life (ages 50 and over) and represent a persistent change from longstanding patterns, can be helpful for implementing preventive treatments before more severe symptoms arise. There are five primary behaviors we can look for in friends and family who are over the age of 50 that might warrant further attention:  apathy; affective dysregulation; lack of impulse control; social inappropriateness; abnormal perceptions and thoughts.  https://www.beingpatient.com/early-signs-dementia-5-behavior-changes-to-look-for-after-50/

On May 3, 2023, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory raising an alarm about what he called an “epidemic of loneliness” in the United States.  Studies have linked loneliness to heart disease, stroke, dementia, and premature death. And now, according to a new study, loneliness may be linked to Parkinson’s disease.  The study examines data from just under 500,000 individuals in the UK.  Lonely people, in this dataset, were younger, more likely to be female, less likely to have a college degree, in worse physical health, and engaged in more high-risk health behaviors like smoking.  The authors adjusted for all of these factors and found that, on the relative scale, lonely people were still about 20%-30% more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/996961?ecd=wnl_dne4_231004_MSCPEDIT_etid5919866&uac=407526BK&impID=5919866

The Alabama Dept. of Public Health completes a State Health Assessment every 5 years.  Their mission is to promote, protect, and improve Alabama’s health and provide the people of the state with the highest quality service possible.  To reach this goal, ADPH would like to hear from its residents! Share your voice by participating in the 2023 Community Health Issues Survey.  The survey takes less than 10 minutes to complets:

English Survey: https://universityofalabama.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_293KnSP5xVbki1g

Spanish Survey: https://universityofalabama.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6XaeFiFv0hJ8KUe

Drugs to treat psychosis are often prescribed to ease agitation and aggression in people with Alzheimer’s disease. But the powerful medications carry potentially serious, even fatal, side effects.  A new report, reviewed records of 6,684 men and women aged 65 and older who were receiving home health care in New York state.  Those with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia were more than twice as likely to be using antipsychotic drugs than their peers of similar age who did not have dementia.  The most prescribed antipsychotic drug was quetiapine (which goes by the brand name Seroquel). Other common antipsychotics include haloperidol (Haldol), olanzapine (Zyprexa) and risperidone (Risperdal). All these drugs significantly increase the risk of stroke, sudden cardiac arrest, falls, head injuries and early death. The Food and Drug Administration has required since 2008 that all these drugs carry a black box warning on medication packages warning doctors about the potentially fatal risks. Previous studies have shown that these drugs are commonly prescribed to Alzheimer’s patients living in nursing homes, where shouting, hitting and other aggressive behaviors can make day-to-day care difficult. However, this study showed that they are also commonly prescribed to those with Alzheimer’s who live at home at rates higher than previously thought. Massage, touch therapy, exercise, music therapy and other non-drug treatments can be effective ways to reduce aggression and agitation in people with Alzheimer’s disease. Sometimes antipsychotic drugs are appropriate. But the use of these drugs should be restricted to the most severe symptoms, such as severe aggression, agitation or psychosis, and risks and benefits must be carefully weighed, experts say.  https://www.alzinfo.org/articles/treatment/antipsychotic-drugs-may-be-overused-in-the-home/

DailyCaring recommends Incontinence Protectors for Furniture and Cars to Make Cleanup Easy: https://dailycaring.com/incontinence-protection-for-furniture-and-cars-makes-cleanup-easy/

Diabetes mellitus is a well-recognized risk factor for dementia. In prospective studies, diabetes confers a greater than 80% increase in risk for all-cause dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, and greater than 180% increase in risk for vascular dementia. One in seven adults in the United States are estimated to have diabetes, and more than 90% of them have type 2 diabetes (T2D). With an aging population and increasing obesity, the incidence and prevalence of T2D is expected to continue to increase worldwide.  Insulin resistance, which is a metabolic hallmark of T2D, has been postulated as a pathophysiologic connection between diabetes and dementia.  Despite the observed connections between diabetes and dementia, none of the available diabetes medications have been repurposed to prevent or treat cognitive decline in dementia. Researchers explore whether clinical practice should tailor individualized diabetes pharmacotherapy to reduce risk for dementia.https://www.medscape.com/s/viewarticle/995504?src=FYE

It is normal to feel down now and then, but if these feelings persist, you may have depression. For some older adults, sadness is not the main symptom of depression. Symptoms may also include: persistent anxious or “empty” moods; decreased energy or fatigue; eating more or less than usual, often with unplanned weight gain or loss; loss of interest in activities once enjoyed.  If symptoms last longer than two weeks, don’t ignore the warning signs. Talk to a doctor, as these symptoms could be signs of depression or another health condition. Learn more about the signs and symptoms of depression from the National Institute on Aging: https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/depression-and-older-adults?utm_source=nia-eblast&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=healthyaging-20231002#signs.

 

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