WAM presents, You and Your Brain. Learn from renowned experts as they bring you the latest insights on aging and the brain, navigating a dementia diagnosis, and the future of brain health. Join this virtual series 15 & 22 at 11:00 CT. REGISTER HERE
Alabama Lifespan Respite is offering a 4 part series on the stages of Grief, starting Saturday, June 12 at 10:00 am. The Stages of Grief Part One (google.com)
AlzAuthors presents “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Dementia… But Were Afraid to Ask,” featuring 5 authors who have written about what it is like to live with dementia. It’s a virtual Q&A on Zoom, Tuesday, June 15th at 9:30 am CT. Reserve your spot in the program now!
To mark World Elder Abuse Day, M4A is hosting a webinar, “ Take a Stand for Elder Justice: Managing Someone Elses Money, Tuesday, June 15, 10 – 11:30 CT.
http://www.humanresourceoptions.com
Maria Shriver and Seth & Lauren Miller Rogen have teamed up to bring you an event you won’t want to miss— Brain It On: 2021, June 24, 10 CT. Join them as they hear from leading Alzheimer’s prevention experts and celebrity advocates during this free 90-minute virtual summit about the best ways to live a brain healthy life. Brain It On: 2021 | THE WOMEN’S ALZHEIMER’S MOVEMENT (thewomensalzheimersmovement.org)
In-person and zoom Support Groups:
· ACA’s Coffee Talk with Miller & Vance, Tuesday, June 15, 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 starting June 1)-1st Tuesday of each month, 2:00 pm, Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church, Parish Hall. Contact Bit Thomaston, Ethomaston50@gmail.com
· West Alabama Area Agency on Aging, Caregiver Support Group, Tuesdays, contact Nikki Poe, nikki.poe@westal.org.
· CJFS CARES, Tuesdays, 7:00 pm, contact Pam Leonard, pam@cjfsbham.org.
· Leeds, 2nd Thursday of each month, 6:30 pm, 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:
In a historic and controversial decision, the Food and Drug Administration approved a new medicine on June 7 that’s meant to slow the cognitive decline caused by Alzheimer’s, despite conflicting evidence about whether it’s truly effective. Developed by the companies Biogen and Eisai, the medicine — now known as Aduhelm — is the first new Alzheimer’s treatment approved in nearly 20 years.
Dr. David Geldmacher is a professor in UAB’s Department of Neurology and the co-director of the UAB Alzheimer’s Disease Center. He says this new treatment is an important step. “Our prior treatments treat the symptoms of the illness. They help the brain cells work better, but this is the first of the treatments that is believed to slow down the progression and remove some of the abnormal chemical accumulations in the brain that occur in Alzheimer’s disease. I’ve been involved in drug testing for Alzheimer’s disease for 28 years. This medication will provide important benefits for some people, but it leaves the door open for us to find better treatments and better therapies. That’s the focus of our ongoing research. This is not a door closing on the research process. This is a door opening to look at new ways of supplementing this medication’s effectiveness.” FDA approves innovative Alzheimer’s drug tested at UAB | Bham Now
Learn more about Aduhelm:
It’s a monumental day for science,” is what Rudolph Tanzi, PhD told Maria Shriver in an interview describing the FDA decision on June 7th to approve ADUHELM™.
FDA’s Decision to Approve New Treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease | FDA
A first-of-its-kind Alzheimer’s drug raises heavy questions around who will and won’t get it
Aduhelm (aducanumab) Approved for the Treatment of Alzheimers (makedementiayourbitch.com)
Two FDA Panel Members Resign Over Alzheimer’s Drug Approval (medscape.com)
AFTD Statement Regarding FDA Approval for Aducanumab (Aduhelm) (mailchi.mp)
Because aducanumab is for people in the early stages of the disease, it will be important for people to learn whether it is right for them. To help, UsAgainstAlzheimers is continuing to highlight their new BrainGuide™ platform, which empowers people with the knowledge and confidence to take the best next steps in managing their own or a loved one’s brain health.
People who have a parent or sibling with dementia are about 72 percent more likely to develop dementia themselves than are those who do not have a family connection to the disorder, but adopting healthy lifestyle behaviors seems to reduce that risk considerably, the study found. READ MORE
M4A (Middle Alabama Area Agency on Aging) has a new nonprofit organization, 4 ALL Foundation, to expand their M4A mission and services. 4 ALL Foundation is creating three Centers of Excellence: Center 4 Elder Justice & Advocacy; Center 4 Critical Needs; and the Training 4 Aging Center. They are pleased to share our brand new Training 4 Aging stand-alone website located at www.training4aging.org. M4A’s new virtual Dementia Friendly First Responder Training program housed on this website.
Very simple lifestyle changes, if practiced consistently, will support your brain health for a lifetime. One of those simple changes? Burying your nose in a book for at least 15 minutes per day. Learn more from mindbodygreen podcast.
Taking more steps each day, in short spurts or longer bouts, was associated with a longer life in women older than 60 years. The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes per week of moderate physical activity, 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity, or a combination of both as fitness guidelines for adults. Walking is a safe and easy way for many adults to follow these guidelines. Adding Daily Steps Linked to Longer Life (medscape.com)
According to a recent study, older adults who use Zoom and other digital social platforms to communicate with friends and family experience slower cognitive decline than to people who don’t. Learn more >
Hospice care is a wonderful service for older adults who could benefit from a focus on managing pain and symptoms for improved quality of life. The big myth about hospice care is that it’s only for people who are expected to pass away within days or weeks – which isn’t true. To find the best hospice to care for your older adult, DailyCaring shares important questions to ask: Choosing a Hospice Provider: Top Questions to Ask – DailyCaring
DailyCaring offers ideas for making Father’s Day special, including great gift ideas.
3 Research Opportunities
Researchers at the University of Alabama are developing a technology that will help families living with dementia learn more about local services in their community and help connect them to the services they need. They hope to learn more about your experiences as a caregiver in finding support and learning about dementia care. They also want to learn your perspectives on how a new web/smartphone technology could better support caregivers in Alabama. To be eligible to participate, you must (1) live in Alabama, and (2) be an unpaid caregiver (family or friend) of someone living with dementia in the community. Interviews can be scheduled at a time that is convenient for you and will take about 45-60 minutes and can be done over the phone or on zoom. Participants will receive a $35 gift card for their time. Contact: Dr. Nicole Ruggiano: (205) 348-4654 or nruggiano@ua.edu.
Dr. Carolyn Pickering’s research team in the UAB School of Nursing is conducting caregiver research to learn about how behavioral symptoms of dementia change day-to-day. They are recruiting people who provide help or assistance to a person with dementia. You must own an iphone. Family caregivers will be asked to report on symptoms they see throughout the day in brief surveys sent to an app on their iPhone.
· All study activities are done from home and participants will be compensated for their time. https://www.caregivingresearch.org/dailybehaviors or contact Wes Dismuke at wdismuke@uab.edu.
UsAgainstAlzheimers is studying agitation: The study involves a 1-hour phone interview for current caregivers of individuals with confirmed Alzheimer’s who experience agitation (such as emotional distress, moving around excessively, or verbal or physical aggression). Caregivers must be with the person they care for at least 2 hours a day/4 days a week. The person cared for must not live alone (although long term care is okay). $100 Amazon gift cards will be given as thanks to people who complete the interview. The information collected is anonymous and confidential. Contact Ginny Biggar at vbiggar@usagainstalzheimers.org.
Learn about other studies by clicking: search for clinical trials and studies