Dementia 103: Enter Their World, October 3, 10:00 am, at Canterbury United Methodist Church. Local author and physician Renee Harmon will lead activities and a discussion about this foundational principle of providing care to persons living with any form of dementia. For more information, contact Valerie Boyd: Valerie.boyd@canbterburyumc.org.
Dementia 102: How to Connect With Persons Living With Dementia , October 5, 1:00 pm, at Asbury United Methodist Church, with local author and physician Renee Harmon. For more information, contact Maggie Dunaway: Maggie.dunaway@asburybham.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:
- ACA’s support group with Miller & Vance, Tuesday, September 26, 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.
- 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.
- Asbury United Methodist Church 1st and 3rd Thursdays at 1:00, contact Maggie Dunaway at mdunaway@asburyonline.org.
- The Church at Chelsea Park, Wilsonville 1st Thursday of the month. Contact Brooklyn White, brooklyn@parkinsonalabama.org
September/October Webinars from Alabama Lifespan Respite: https://alabamarespite.org/events2/
Alzheimer’s News:
Alzheimer’s Disease International released World Alzheimer Report 2023 Reducing Dementia Risk: Never too early, never too late in celebration of World Alzheimer’s Day, September 21, 2023. The report examines both modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors. Read the latest research with fascinating case studies and beautiful imagery, demonstrating how dementia risk reduction expresses itself in concrete ways all over the world, with articles from South Africa, Kenya, Pakistan, Singapore, Japan, Uruguay, Colombia, and the United Kingdom. Download your free copy: https://www.alzint.org/resource/world-alzheimer-report-2023
What is happening in our brains when we hear a song that is meaningful to us? There is growing scientific interest in music’s effects on the brain and body as we age. Read these fascinating articles from the NIA about the use of music to actually make older adults feel better and improve their health: https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/could-musical-medicine-influence-healthy-aging
- Can music revive learning and memory function among older adults with memory impairments?
- How can listening to or creating music affect overall health and wellness?
- Can music reduce patient delirium among intensive care unit patients?
The hormone, irisin, named for the goddess Iris who was the messenger of the gods in Greek mythology, was discovered in 2012. The hormone, produced by the muscles when we exercise, jump-starts a cascade of chemical reactions that promote energy metabolism throughout the body. Irisin is also present in the brain. Scientists have found that levels of the hormone were especially high in the brains of people who were free of dementia when they died. But irisin was barely detectable in the brains of people who had died with Alzheimer’s disease. The findings add to growing evidence that boosting levels of irisin with exercise may play a key role in promoting brain health and protecting against dementia. Scientists continue to study the hormone’s effects on the brain, including testing pharmaceutical forms of irisin as a treatment for dementia in animal models and, eventually, people, especially those who have lost the ability to exercise. Exercise also promotes bone and muscle strength and thereby lowering the risk of falls. Falls are a leading cause of death and disability. A home exercise program can provide a cost-effective solution for improving the physical frailty that often arises in those with Alzheimer’s disease. Getting regular exercise can lead to modest improvements in day-to-day activities like getting dressed, walking and eating. Any improvements in these activities can allow people with Alzheimer’s to remain at home longer and delay the need to enter a nursing home. https://www.alzinfo.org/articles/treatment/could-an-exercise-pill-one-day-protect-against-alzheimers/
The brain is the body’s most cholesterol-rich organ. A newly published scientific statement from the American Heart Association (AHA) focuses on the impact of aggressive low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) lowering on the risk for dementia and hemorrhagic stroke. The 39-page AHA scientific statement, titled “Aggressive LDL-C Lowering and the Brain: Impact on Risk for Dementia and Hemorrhagic Stroke,” concludes the preponderance of evidence does not support the conclusion that aggressive cholesterol-lowering is associated with cognitive impairment or hemorrhagic stroke. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/996569?src=FYE
Read Teepa Snow’s Positive Approach to Care on how to handle feelings of anger and frustration when caring for a person living with dementia. In the direct moment or situation, try these tips:
- Acknowledge the individual and the situation. When they express anger or frustration, try to first acknowledge their frustration and repeat back to them what they told you. Instead of arguing back with them, this shows the person that there is no need to get angrier while also validating and neutralizing the feelings of anger.
- Take a moment to gather your composure and thoughts. Reflect on the communication and its topic before responding to someone experiencing feelings of anger. It is very easy to have an immediate emotional response to what a person has said without thinking much about your own words or tone.Try to take a moment to reflect on what they’ve said and to gather your own thoughts and composure before replying.
- Try saying I’m sorry. The phrase I’m sorry can be very beneficial for you to create a connection with the person experiencing feelings of anger.
Outside of the immediate moment:
- Talk things through with someone. We’ve all heard the phrase, You need to love yourself before you can love someone else. This is also true when providing care for someone else. The only way you’re able to help others is to first help yourself, and to have your own feelings and emotions balanced. Consider a support group.
- Utilize your resources. If you find yourself in any situation where feelings of anger are involved, it could be time to reach out for help or to learn some new skills. Ask yourself, What can I do to be better?
In a care partner role, it is necessary to fully learn and understand the proper and most effective methods of care and communication. It can be very challenging for care partners to handle feelings of anger and frustration when caring for a person living with brain change. Remember to acknowledge those feelings, gather your composure, use effective language like I’m sorry, and utilize your own outside support and resources. https://teepasnow.com/blog/5-ways-to-handle-feelings-of-anger-and-frustration-as-a-dementia-care-partner//
A new report shows that good dental health is linked to better brain health. Researchers found that gum disease and tooth loss were associated with shrinking in the hippocampus, a part of the brain critical for memory and learning and one of the first areas to be damaged by Alzheimer’s disease. The small study builds on earlier evidence that gum disease is tied to an increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. The researchers found that people with mild gum disease who had fewer healthy teeth had more shrinkage in the left hippocampus. The increase in the rate of brain shrinkage with the loss of one tooth, on average, was equivalent to nearly one year of brain aging. For people with severe gum disease, tooth loss did not correlate with brain shrinkage. But having severe gum disease, despite keeping one’s teeth, wobbly as they may be, was associated with brain shrinkage equivalent to 1.3 years of brain aging. https://www.alzinfo.org/articles/prevention/good-dental-care-tied-to-better-brain-health/
Elon Musk’s brain-implant startup, Neuralink, said it has received approval from an independent review board to begin recruiting patients for its first human trial. The company is seeking people with paralysis to test its experimental device in a six-year study. Neuralink is one of several companies developing a brain-computer interface (BCI) that can collect and analyze brain signals. But its billionaire executive’s bombastic promotion of the company, including promises to develop an all-encompassing brain computer to help humans keep up with artificial intelligence, has attracted skepticism and raised ethical concerns among neuroscientists and other experts. Last year, the Food and Drug Administration denied the company’s request to fast-track human trials, but in May approved Neuralink for an investigational device exemption (IDE) that allows a device to be used for clinical studies. The agency has not disclosed how its initial concerns were resolved. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/sep/19/elon-musk-neuralink-human-trials-brain-implant#:~:text=Elon%20Musk’s%20Neuralink%20approved%20to%20recruit%20humans%20for%20brain%2Dimplant%20trial,-Company%20is%20seeking&text=Elon%20Musk’s%20brain%2Dimplant%20startup,for%20its%20first%20human%20trial
Many families struggle to convince seniors to take medication that’s absolutely necessary for their health conditions. DailyCaring offer 6 ways to convince seniors to take medication:
- Focus on critical medications. In caregiving, it’s important to pick your battles.
- Have the doctor explain the importance. In some cases, your older adult doesn’t understand or won’t believe that there are serious consequences to not taking medication.
- Check for unpleasant side effects. Sometimes your older adult may be refusing to take medicine because side effects are making them feel ill – dizzy, nauseated, upset stomach.
- Change the flavor or formula. Some medications tastes awful or gets stuck in the throat.
If the medicine is literally hard to swallow, check with the doctor and pharmacy to find out if there’s a way to change the flavor or format to make it easier to swallow.
- Keep a positive attitude. Convincing someone to take their medication is a big challenge that might cause you to subconsciously tense up or feel negatively. To help remedy this take a few minutes to breathe deeply, get into a calm state of mind, and focus on being as kind and patient as possible.
https://dailycaring.com/convince-seniors-to-take-medication-6-tips/
Interested in volunteering for research on Alzheimer’s disease, 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. https://www.alzheimers.gov/clinical-trials?utm_source=nia-eblast&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=clinicaltrials-20230918
Lecanemab (Lequembi, Esai), an amyloid beta–directed antibody therapy, is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). But exactly how the drug clears amyloid-beta wasn’t clear. Now new research suggests the drug, which was approved by the FDA in January, targets a particular molecular cascade, the plasma contact system, which drives amyloid-beta toxicity. Investigators tested the effectiveness of various forms of amyloid-beta in activating the plasma contact system and found that amyloid-beta protofibrils, known to be the most toxic form of amyloid-beta, promoted the activation of this molecular cascade and that lecanemab inhibited pathway activation. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/996516?src=FYE