Join a support group:
- March 10 & 24, 11 – 12:30, 300 Office Park Drive, Suite 225
- March 24, 6:30 – 8, Trussville First Baptist Church.
ACES: Active Caregiver Empowerment Tools, March 3 & 10, 10 – 11:30, Brookdale University Park. See attached flyer. For more information contact Leanne Messer at kmesser@brookdale.com or 209-613-0688.
Stress Busting Program for Family Caregivers, 9:30 – 11 am, for 9 weeks starting March 2, at Caring Days in Tuscaloosa. Contact Nikki Poe at nikki.poe@westal.org.
Rojo is hosting a % of sales event to raise money for ACA’s Jr. Board and research, Tuesday, March 10, 5 – midnight. Rojo is a vibrant gathering place serving Latin & American dishes. 2921 Highland Ave, Birmingham.
Ales for Alzheimer’s Saturday, March 21, at Avondale Brewery. The Jr. Board’s major spring fundraiser is a family friendly event featuring beer, food, music, a raffle and auction. All proceeds benefit ACA’s Pre Doctoral Scholars Program in Alzheimer’s Research at UAB.
The UAB School of Nursing is offering a conference, “Strategies for Preventing & Managing Difficult Dementia Behaviors”, with Rita Jablonski, PhD, CRNP, FGSA, FAAN, Friday, March 27, 8:30 – 3:30. See Flyer
ACA Lunch & Learn, March 31, with Christy Baynes, President and Lead Geriatric Care Manager of LifeCare for Seniors. Her presentation, “Help, I’ve Fallen & I Can’t Get Up”, will offer solutions for difficult caregiving situations. Longleaf Liberty Park, 11:30 – 1. Lunch is free but reservations are required, mpiggott@alzca.org or 205-871-7970.
News to know:
Too often we misinterpret behaviors and emotions of people with dementia as symptoms of the disease, overlooking their genuine experiences.Being Patient spoke with Dr. Steven Sabat about managing behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. “What people often refer to as signs and symptoms of dementia can also be thought of, from the perspective of someone who is diagnosed with dementia, as signs of distress. If suddenly you couldn’t tie your shoes or sign your name after a lifetime of doing it, you might start getting upset about that or even depressed about it. So that’s not really a symptom of dementia as much as it is a very appropriate reaction to a loss of something that matters to you.” Click below to listen to his interview:
Dr. Steven Sabat, neuropsychologist and Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Georgetown University
A February 21, 2020 UsAgainstAlzheimer’s blog post by journalist and author Greg O’Brien used the 2020 Super Bowl Google commercial to reflect on the emotion and essence of remembering. He relayed the story of his grandfather’s Alzheimer’s disease and the impact it had on him.“Weeks before his death, Grandma on her loving morning rounds was astonished one day to see Daddy George sitting up in his hospital bed. He spoke for the first time in months, and said in muted tones that he was aware of all she had done for him; he thanked her, and told her that he loved her. It was a last expression of love from the soul—testimony that those suffering from dementia and other mental handicaps still observe and can retain memories far longer than one might imagine.”
B. Smith, Model and Restaurateur, Dies From Alzheimer’s at Age 70. Discover more here
As we near Super Tuesday, you can see interviews with the Public Policy Director of the Youth Movement Against Alzheimer’s and many of the democratic nominees. She asked about their plans to address dementia and whether these plans include a focus on younger generations. You can watch the cellphone footage here: Watch the video
A February 26, 2020 Being Patient article focused on the link between obesity, aging and Alzheimer’s disease. A new study found that obesity is akin to premature aging based on its link to a plethora of diseases, including AD and cognitive decline.
A February 25, 2020 Kaiser Health News article reported that the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) declined to endorse cognitive screening for older adults, citing insufficient scientific evidence. The task force’s stance is controversial, given how poorly the health care system serves seniors with memory and thinking problems. Physicians routinely overlook cognitive impairment and dementia in older patients, failing to recognize these conditions at least 50% of the time, according to several studies.
World Economic Forum will partner over the next year with the Global CEO Initiative (CEOi) to form a Coalition to accelerate treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease. The creation of this new coordinated multi-stakeholder global initiative is why many believe 2020 will be a turning point year in the history that will be written about the eradication of Alzheimer’s. Read more here: A World Dementia Council blog post
Early-onset dementia and Alzheimer’s disease jumped 200% among commercially insured Americans between the ages of 30 and 64 over a recent five-year period, a new analysis of Blue Cross and Blue Shield health insurer claims shows. Read A February 27, 2020 Forbes article
Essay contest for teens: Hilarity for Charity is sponsoring Humans of Dementia: An Intergenerational Storytelling Contest with support from AARP, Generations United, Memory Well, and Associated Collegiate Press and National Scholastic Press Association. To be eligible, the writer must be currently enrolled in high school or college in the U.S. or Canada and the story must feature someone currently living with or who has passed away from Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia. Learn more on the Humans of Dementia submission webpage. The deadline is March 13. Humans of Dementia: An Intergenerational Storytelling Contest with support from AARP, Generations United, Memory Well, and Associated Collegiate Press and National Scholastic Press Association
Did you know? Planet Fundraiser is an app that lets you give back to non-profits, schools, and groups simply by taking a picture of receipts from merchants you already shop at. You shop and participating merchants donate to the charity of your choice.