Breaking Barriers: Enhancing Quality of Life in Dementia Care with Nicole Ruggiano, PhD, MSW, FGSA, conference, September 30, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm, Jasper Civic Center. Free, in-person training designed for caregivers, professionals, and community champions who support individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias. For more information, contact Monica Houston at 205-659-4002.
South Highland Center Director Alison Walker holds an annual gourmet food fundraiser to support ACA’s annual Walk to Remember. Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama provides over $50,000 each year to the South Highland Adult Care Center to assist client families with program fees. This fall, Alison is offering her full menu of favorite goodies – two delicious soups by the quart, blueberry scones by the dozen, pimiento cheese by the half-pint, and famous Priester’s pecans by the pound. Order through Monday, October 13; pick up on Wednesday, October 29, 3:00–5:00 p.m. in the circle drive of South Highland Presbyterian Church, on Highland Avenue. Contact Alison Walker at 205-933-2232 or bit.ly/4nFEaAJ
Celebrating Happy Day, November 8! Join us for ACA’s annual Walking to Remember event, 300 Office Park Drive. Registration begins at 9 am and the Walk get underway at 10 am. Bring families and friends to help raise money for ACA’s service programs. Walkers donating a minimum of $50 receive a short sleeved t-shirt. Walkers raising a minimum of $75 receive a long sleeved shirt. Walker donating a minimum of $100 receiver a shirt of their choice and special gift (while supplies last). Music, food, fun and a vintage car show. https://alzca.org/walking/
Support Group Meetings:
- ACA’s support group with Miller & Vance, Tuesday, September 30, 11:00 – noon CT. There Call (205) 871-7970 ormpiggott@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 Robin Montgomery, robin.montgomery@westal.org.
- M4A’s Caregiver Support Group, 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month, 10 – 11:30 am, Montevallo. Contact Robyn James,rjames@m4a.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
- Eastaboga, 2nd Tuesday, 6:00 pm. Contact Julie Slaglejslagle@lakesidehospice.org
- Trussville, 3rd Tuesday, 6:00 pm. Contact Julie Slaglejslagle@lakesidehospice.org
- Covenant Presbyterian Church, first Wednesday of the month, 10 am, church parlor, Contact Kristian Hatley at Khatley@covpress.com.
- M4A virtual support group, 3rd Wednesdays 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.
- AFTD support group, second Tuesday of the month. Amber Guy: 251-281-5344.
- Holy Apostles Church, Hoover, 2nd and 4th Thursdays 10:30-noon, contact Michele Elrod: Michelerelrod@att.net.
- St. Mark’s UMC, Vestavia Hills, Fridays at 1 pm. Contact Donna Baird: (205)717-9880.
Alzheimer’s News:
Watch the deeply moving 34 minute episode of BrainStorm by UsAgainstAlzheimer’s, with Emma Heming Willis as she shares her intimate journey as a caregiver to her husband Bruce Willis, who lives with frontotemporal dementia. The conversation covers the progression from early warning signs to diagnosis and the complex decisions required in caregiving – including the heartbreaking but necessary choice to have Bruce live separately to better serve both his needs and their children’s wellbeing. Her transformation of personal tragedy into advocacy through her book “The Unexpected Journey” demonstrates how caregivers can find purpose and meaning while navigating one of life’s most challenging experiences. https://www.usagainstalzheimers.org/brainstorm/unexpected-journey-emma-heming-willis-caregiving-bruce-willis
By the time symptoms of Alzheimer’s begin creating problems, the disease has been unfolding in the brain for years. Microscopic amyloid-beta plaques have accumulated between neurons, and later threads of neurofibrillary tau proteins have tangled themselves into tight knots inside brain cells. The two abnormalities — first described in 1906 by the German physician Alois Alzheimer — have become the twin hallmarks of the disease. For decades, researchers at Harvard and other institutions have chased the question: If amyloid is a key component, could clearing it out stop or even reverse Alzheimer’s? The results are somewhat unclear. In trials, FDA-approved drugs that target amyloid plaques slow cognitive decline by about 30 percent but do not halt or reverse the disease. Many have the plaques but never display symptoms. But new technologies — artificial intelligence that may be able to identify new genetic determinants of the disease, blood tests for proteins in the brain, and real-time brain monitoring that reveals how individual neurons die — are finding new ways to understand and possibly help treat Alzheimer’s. It’s an urgent pursuit. We are in the midst of the silver tsunami. If we are not able to change the course of the disease from a medical perspective, then our only real treatment is physical and palliative care of older adults. Read more on Alzheimer’s research at Harvard: https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2025/09/making-real-gains-in-war-on-alzheimers/
At the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), a momentous thing is happening. Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) is delighted to announce that dementia has been formally included in the Political Declaration of the Fourth High-Level Meeting of the UN General Assembly on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases and the promotion of mental health and well-being. This inclusion represents a pivotal shift: dementia, projected to become the third leading cause of death worldwide by 2040, will now be acknowledged as a major public health and NCD (noncommunicable diseases) priority. An important moment that reflects the voices of millions of families, advocates, and organizations across every region who have been calling for action. This achievement follows two years of sustained advocacy by ADI, engaging with all UN Member States and key global stakeholders to secure dementia’s rightful place in the declaration. ADI issued a statement saying “With this declaration, we must take this moment to unite the dementia and NCD community to hold governments accountable for addressing dementia as a leading cause of mortality and morbidity globally and take action to ensure it has a tangible impact to those living with dementia. Dementia shares so many risk factors with other leading NCDs, and with research showing that up to 45% of dementia cases could be delayed or even prevented, inclusion in this declaration brings us a big step forward, to better integrated health messaging. At the heart of this must be our drive to reduce the hugely concerning future prevalence forecasts.” https://www.alzint.org/news-events/news/un-member-states-recognise-dementia-as-a-leading-ncd/
Physical frailty is strongly associated with an increased dementia risk in older adults, and according to researchers, the link may be causal. In an analysis of nearly half a million UK Biobank participants, researchers found that frail adults had almost a three-fold increased risk of developing dementia compared to their nonfrail peers, while those with prefrailty had a 50% increased dementia risk. We’ve known that frailty is associated with a higher risk of dementia, but this study provides evidence that frailty may be an actual cause of dementia. In 2021, about 57 million people around the world were diagnosed with dementia, but that estimate is projected to rise to 153 million by 2050. Current dementia treatments have limited effectiveness, so early identification and a deeper understanding of dementia risk factors are imperative. Frailty is a syndrome marked by reduced physiological reserve and greater vulnerability to stressors. Whether frailty contributes directly to dementia — and which biological or neurological mechanisms may be involved — remains unclearhttps://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/frailty-and-dementia-causal-link-2025a1000p6h
World Frontotemporal Degeneration (FTD) Awareness Week: September 21–27. This year’s campaign asks an important question: “What if it’s FTD?” The goal is to raise awareness of the unique symptoms of frontotemporal degeneration (FTD) and how it differs from other forms of dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s disease. Unlike Alzheimer’s, FTD often begins with changes in behavior, personality and language—rather than memory loss. It also presents distinct challenges, including a younger age of onset, increased burden on care partners and the impact of genetic transmission within families. FTD Awareness Week is a powerful reminder of the many types of dementia affecting individuals and families every day.https://www.theaftd.org/world-ftd-awareness-week-2025/
Riding a bike is associated with a 19% lower risk of all-cause dementia and a 22% lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease, compared with taking nonactive travel modes such as a car, bus or train, found a study that assessed nearly 480,000 participants from Great Britain. Physical activity has long been associated with lower dementia risk in multiple studies, so much so that the 2024 Lancet Commission identified it as one of 14 factors responsible for preventing or delaying approximately 45% of dementia cases.https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/20/health/cycling-lower-dementia-risk-study-wellness
United Airlines has become the first U.S. airline to adopt the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program. Starting Spring 2025, individuals with non visible disabilities — including Alzheimer’s — can use sunflower lanyards, pins, or wristbands to discreetly signal that they may need extra assistance, patience, or understanding when traveling. A symbol for non-visible disabilities