ACA webinar, “Alzheimer’s Disease in the Headlines: Fact or Fiction?”, with Rita Jablonski, PhD, CRNP, FGSA, FAAN, Wednesday, July 22, 9:00 am. CEU’s available for nurses and social workers. Register in advance for this webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_bSAIJzfbR2GDLn7ypliVYg
ACA webinars are archived and available at https://alzca.org/educational-materials/
Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama (ACA) is providing emergency assistance continence care. ACA will provide 2 cases of continence products (with gloves and wipes if available), shipped to your home if you have a need for a loved one with dementia who requires continence care. Apply online at https://alzca.org/continence/ or call (205) 871-7970
Calendar:
The NIA 2020 Dementia Care, Caregiving, and Services summit virtual meeting series will offer online sessions July 21, and August 13. Visit the summit website to view the agenda, register, and learn more about how to connect during the series.
Alabama Respite presents an hour of virtual BINGO Wednesday, July 22, at 10 a.m. via Zoom. Join the fun with this virtual B.R.E.A.K. event. Play a live series of traditional BINGO and Caregiver BINGO games for great prizes! Participants must be able to print their BINGO cards (emailed after registration) at home to play. Registration is required by July 21 at bhuey@ucphuntsville.org.
Join the virtual Alzheimer’s Association International Conference® 2020 (AAIC®), July 27-31. It is an influential, international forum to advance dementia science.
M4A is offering free online training the first and third Wednesday of each month, from 10:00 am – 11:30. CEU’s offered. For more info: https://mailchi.mp/eea68af4b62f/scehhrgant-7873502?e=029e09a760
August 5: Resources & Help for Medicare Beneficiaries
August 19: Managing your Medication/SenioRx: Alabama’s Prescription Assistance Program
September 2: Medicare Coverage and Social Security
September 16: Documents and Property Arrangements to Prepare for Death & Disability
Memory Screening being offered digitally by AFA every Monday and Wednesday from 9 am to 3 pm CT. Screenings will be conducted one-on-one through secure videoconference in real-time. Make an appointment:
866-232-8484.
Visit AFA’s Facebook page to take part in fun online programs. Enjoy art, music and movement. Programs can be viewed any time during or after the event.
Zoom Support Groups available online:
ACA’s Coffee Talk with Miller & Vance, Tuesday, July 21, 11 – noon CST. Call (205) 871-7970 or mpiggott@alzca.org.
Join us on zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88250086658
- CJFS CARES, Mondays at 1:30 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
- Lakeside Hospice, 1st Tuesday of each month, 2:00 pm, contact Bit Thomaston, bthomaston@lakesidehospice.org
- West Alabama Area Agency on Aging, Caregiver Support Group, Tuesday’s, contact Nikki Poe, nikki.poe@westal.org.
- Lakeside Hospice, 2nd Thursday of each month, 6:30 pm, contact Bit Thomaston, bthomaston@lakesidehospice.org
- CJFS CARES, Thursdays, 7:30 pm,contact Pam Leonard, pam@cjfsbham.org.
Alzheimer’s News:
The National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA), signed into law in 2011, established a national goal to prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer’s disease by 2025. The NAPA Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Research, Care and Services is set to meet Monday, July 20, to consider updates to the national plan. Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama is one of nearly 100 organizations and experts representing a diverse set of health, equity and consumer perspectives who have joined in calling for enhanced efforts to reach this goal. Our statement to the Council seeks a national commitment to reducing dementia similar to efforts to reduce heart disease and other health challenges. To see the joint statement and a complete list of signatories to date, click here.
Pharmaceutical company, Biogen, has completed its application for the approval of the drug, aducanumab, with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). If approved, aducanumab would be a new treatment for early stage Alzheimer’s disease. It has been shown to slow the decline in some patients with early Alzheimer’s disease.
Biogen’s Michel Vounatsos said in a July 8, 2020 Biogen news release, “Alzheimer’s disease remains one of the greatest public health challenges of our time… The aducanumab BLA is the first filing for FDA approval of a treatment that addresses the clinical decline associated with this devastating condition, as well as the pathology of the disease.” George Vradenburg said in a A July 8, 2020 UsAgainstAlzheimer’s release, “if approved, this drug would enable people with early stage Alzheimer’s to live with a higher quality of life for a longer period of time. Approval also would accelerate drug development and stimulate further investment of therapies and treatments throughout the pipeline and would represent a real turning point in the efforts to stop Alzheimer’s disease.”
A July 14, 2020 Being Patient article looked at the link between the coronavirus and elevated numbers of deaths attributed to Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. This year, the related fatality rate is almost 20% higher than in recent years. People with dementia are disproportionately affected by COVID-19, with more than 40% of U.S. deaths in nursing homes. According to the article, “Indeed, some of these deaths are the direct result of a COVID-19 infection, but without a positive test, the death certificate may just list the neurodegenerative disease with which the patient had long been diagnosed. On the other hand, some deaths are not directly caused by a COVID-19 infection, but still the result of the perfect storm of dementia and the circumstances of a pandemic.”