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Mead Johnson, Maker of Enfamil, Loses Multi-Million Dollar False Advertising Case Against Store-Bran

2010-01-27T19:27:00.002-05:00

This is a sponsored guest post written by a Press Release on behalf of PBM Products. Post powered by Sponzai.

GORDONSVILLE, VA., December 2 , 2009—PBM Products, LLC, a leading infant formula company that supplies store-brand infant formulas to Walmart, Sam's Club, Target, Kroger, Walgreens, and other retailers, has received a favorable jury verdict and a $13.5 million damages award in its false advertising lawsuit against Mead Johnson & Co., the operating subsidiary of Mead Johnson Nutrition Company (NYSE: MJN) (“Mead Johnson”), the makers of the national-brand Enfamil® LIPIL® Infant Formula. Mead Johnson is 83 percent-owned by Bristol-Myers Squibb.

PBM’s lawsuit claimed that Mead Johnson engaged in false and misleading campaigns against PBM’s competing store-brand of infant formulas, suggesting they do not provide the same nutrition as Mead Johnson’s brands. PBM’s store-brand infant formulas cost up to 50 percent less than Enfamil® LIPIL®. The $13.5 million in damages awarded by the jury in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia is one of the largest damages awards ever for a false advertising case.

“This decision by a jury of the people confirms that Mead Johnson’s ads have been false in suggesting that there is a nutritional difference between our store-brand formula products and their products, when in fact the only major difference is price,” said PBM CEO Paul B. Manning. “Despite Mead Johnson’s scare tactics, parents are assured that PBM’s formula products are as high quality and nutritious as Mead Johnson’s.”

U.S. District Court Judge James R. Spencer issued his written rulings yesterday following the November 10^th jury verdict. Judge Spencer’s written rulings permanently enjoined Mead Johnson from making any false statements concerning PBM's infant formula, including the claims Mead Johnson previously made in Enfamil advertising that "It may be tempting to try a less expensive store brand, but only Enfamil LIPIL is clinically proven to improve brain and eye development," and "there are plenty of other ways to save on baby expenses without cutting back on nutrition." The Court also ordered Mead Johnson to retrieve from the public domain all advertising or promotional materials containing these or any other false claims about PBM's store brand infant formula.

The details of the decision and the complaint are posted online in full at:

· http://www.pbmproducts.com/docs/Order_Laches.pdf

· http://www.pbmproducts.com/docs/PBM_Complaint_MJ_III_LIPIL.pdf

The nutritional supplements under examination in the case are two fats, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and ARA (arachidonic acid), which Mead Johnson calls “LIPIL®” solely for marketing purposes and touts as promoting infant brain and eye development. PBM’s claim focused on Mead Johnson’s direct mailing to more than 1.6 million parents of an alarming blurry picture of a child’s cartoon duck next to a clear picture of the same image which suggested that anything other than the Enfamil LIPIL® blend of ingredients is inferior and will result in poor eye and brain development. Other parts of the false advertising campaign consist of statements that only Enfamil LIPIL has been proven to confer visual and mental benefits on infants, and store-brand formulas are a “cut-back in nutrition” compared to Enfamil.

PBM successfully argued that these advertisements were false and misleading especially since PBM store- brand infant formulas have the same nutrients at the same levels as Enfamil. PBM infant formulas are formulated to contain DHA and ARA, and are sourced from the same supplier in amounts which equal or exceed the DHA and ARA in Mead Johnson’s Enfamil LIPIL®.

This decision marks the third time PBM Products has sued Mead Johnson for false advertising claims. On the prior occasions Mead Johnson admitted that it made false claims about PBM’s products. It is also the first false advertising case to focus on the issue of DHA and ARA nutritional ingredients in formula, which were introduced into the market in 2003 and have become a staple in recent years by many brands as key components for infant development.

“This jury verdict should send a significant and clear message to Mead Johnson about the way it conducts marketing and advertising for its brands,” said Manning. “This lawsuit also demonstrates our complete commitment to defending our products and the valuable brands of our retail partners.”

“As a parent and supporter of children’s medical research, I take a personal responsibility in assuring our customers that the products we produce are healthy and nutritionally equivalent to brand names like Enfamil® LIPIL®. It is important, especially now, for parents to know that there are lower priced yet highly nutritious store-brand formulas that will provide the same benefit to their children as any national brand name formula product,” Manning added.

The U.S. infant formula market is estimated at $3.4 billion and the global market is estimated at $7.9 billion.

All of PBM’s formulas, and for that matter all of U.S. infant formulas, are subject to the exacting standards of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), pursuant to the Infant Formula Act of 1980. This legislation vested FDA with the authority to ensure that all infant formula products sold in the United States provide the necessary levels of identified nutrients required for the growth of healthy babies. For more information, visit this FDA link.

PBM Products was represented by the law firm Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP. Partners from the firm’s advertising practice, Harold P. Weinberger and Jonathan M. Wagner in New York, led the team.

About PBM

PBM is privately owned and based in Gordonsville, VA. PBM companies specialize in manufacturing, distributing, and marketing consumer food, nutritional, and pharmaceutical products. For more information, visit www.pbmproducts.com.

Enfamil® LIPIL® are registered trademarks of Mead Johnson & Co.

Celebrate Veteran's Day with a person who has dementia

2009-11-06T19:54:00.000-05:00

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PRLog

Dementia,including Alzheimer disease, affects about 1 in 13 seniors,many of them veterans. As you remember our war heroes on Veteran's Day,think about what you can do for them.They did so much for us

PRLog (Press Release) – Nov 03, 2008 – Veterans who suffer from various forms of dementia, including Alzheimer disease, often have very specific care needs. It is important that these veterans are cared for by people who understand their condition and have the appropriate instruction and skills.

Therefore encourage family members of veterans to gain the training they need to care for their loved one with dementia.

All people, including those with memory loss, need human contact. They need to be hugged. They need to hear your voice. They may not know you but as long as you know who they are, that's all that matters.

Talk to them about their service to our country. Often they will share stories with you because their time in the service made a huge impression on them

Tell them how........read all of support dementia veterans this Veteran's Day

For those in nursing homes and other institutions, make sure veterans with dementia are visited often.

Family caregivers, faith and waiting

2009-11-02T20:34:00.000-05:00

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Sharon Brothers MSW

Support, ideas and tips to make caregiving easier and to help families find the joy in caregiving

Three years ago, on a dark, late fall night, I sat in the parking lot of the ballet school waiting for my 14 year old daughter to emerge.

My phone rang, and I heard news that would change my family's life.

"Your parents have been in an accident," the voice said. "You need to drive to the trauma center to meet the ambulance with your mother."

"Where's my father?" I asked.

"He's been taken to another hospital. You can call there and get more information."

With that, our lives changed. I was thrown into the whirlwind of planning my father's funeral, while trying to visit my mother as often as possible in critical care. We hosted visiting relatives, and tried to sort out tasks with siblings, all the while keeping everyone on speaking terms.

Every time I tell this story I hear similar stories from families who experienced the phone call that changed their lives.

Families whose loved one had a car accident, a heart attack, a stroke, or diagnosis of a terminal disease.

Families who got the news they never wanted to hear about the death of a young son or daughter serving overseas.

One thing I remember about those early days was the difficulty of waiting.

We waited, that night, in a "family counseling room," my husband, daughter and I, for nearly 4 hours while the doctors tried to stabilize my mother enough for us to see her.

Then we waited, often hours at a time, for her to go through the numerous surgeries that would fix one bone after another in the weeks that followed.

We waited for a doctor to explain to us what to expect next, or a social worker to find out what resources might be available to help her.

Those moments of not knowing, of waiting for tests results or news of survival from another surgery, are some of the hardest moments of all. When we have the facts we can make a plan and start taking action.

How do we cope with the minutes, hours and sometimes days of not knowing?

This is, perhaps, time when our faith must take over. It is the time that we look deep inside and know that, whatever happens, we will face it somehow. We will find the strength to make a plan, to take a step, to continue going. Our family, our friends, our church and our beliefs will help us handle whatever is going to happen.

It's easy to look back and think how very precious and fragile the gift of life is, but perhaps the most precious and fragile thing is the inner strength we must uncover so that when the phone rings, late on a dark, fall night, we can face the voice - and the challenge - on the other end.

Best Designs for Comfortable Eating Part 3

2009-10-28T20:31:00.000-04:00

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Alzheimer's and Dementia Weekly

Transcript

The LOW ASSIST objects are all about color-contrasts. In this comparison image, the left plate is a color which contrasts the food. People need to be able to locate the food in order to pick it up.

This logic follows through to the cup, allowing people to easily locate handle and rim.

The MEDIUM ASSIST pieces address dexterity. It can become quite difficult to pick food up.

This plate offers an overhang to help push the food onto the spoon.

This cup challenges the need to provide two handles, avoiding it resembling a baby-cup, as shown earlier. The easiest grip to offer is that of putting your hand around the entire cup. The grip is thus insulated with neoprene to facilitate the drinking of hot liquids.

In this comparison image, the left plate is a color which contrasts the food. People need to be able to locate the food in order to pick it up.

The HIGH ASSIST range is aimed at creating a set of tools for assisting residents who can no longer feed themselves.

They are designed to be light and easy for carers to hold, which encourages them to bring the food into the sensory range of the residents, so they can see and smell what they are eating.

Another area that we have been looking at is the table. When used in a common area, it should be set 30 minutes in advance of mealtimes to encourage anticipation and appetite.

Use objects and patterns which are synonymous with dining to reinforce what activity is about to take place.

We have also made the underside flat, for wheelchair access. Existing tables like this one, which have support structures underneath, make it difficult for residents to get close to the food.

This means they have to lift the food over their laps, leading to spillages. This, in turn, could lead to having to wear rather stigmatizing bibs.

Finally, we have been looking at hanging additional lighting directly over tables, some older people needing three-times as much light as that of a younger person.

The light toggles through three light-levels by passing one's hand closely underneath, the idea being that a carer can tune each table-light to the residents' need, without having to run around to locate dimmer switches.

I have talked about eating, but we are only half-way through what we are planning. Next year, I will be joined by another designer, Nick Reisenbury and together we will be looking at activities and bedrooms. The results will join our findings in eating and culminate in design-guidelines this time next year.

go to Best Designs for Comfortable Eating for the video

Best Designs for Comfortable Eating Part 2

2009-10-27T20:22:00.000-04:00

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Alzheimer's and Dementia Weekly

Transcript

Esthetics matter because people can't help but judge the identity of a person through the objects they surround themselves with.

By creating a coherent table service, we can reduce the stigma attached to using assistive products.

In order to design a range that will help the widest amount of residents possible, I looked at disabilities which are common to aging, such as arthritis and visual acuity.

This area includes cataract, the yellowing of the lens with age, or the loss of depth-of-perception, which is common to Alzheimer's.

We then combined these findings with the degenerative nature of dementia to create three distinct groups that we felt could benefit from assistive tableware.

In this comparison image, the left plate is a color which contrasts the food. People need to be able to locate the food in order to pick it up.

LOW ASSIST is for people who can eat competently but may have sight problems.

MEDIUM ASSIST is for people beginning to lose their skills.

HIGH ASSIST is for those who can no longer feed themselves

go to Best Designs for Comfortable Eating for the video

Best Designs for Comfortable Eating

2009-10-26T20:18:00.000-04:00

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Alzheimer's and Dementia Weekly

Transcript

This year, I have been working with BUPA (British Healthcare) to improve the quality of eating for elder people with dementia in care.

Although dementia is not limited to older people, the chances of getting a form of dementia increase with age. Recent figures suggest that as much as one in three people over the age of 65 will be affected in their lifetime.

There are currently an estimated 700,00 people in the United Kingdom with dementia, over a third of which live in care homes.

In a recent interview with the Alzheimer's Society, Barbara Pointon said that the brain controls absolutely everything that we do, think and say. When that master computer goes wrong, it cannot be mended. The whole body starts to disintegrate.

In care homes across the country, you will find some of the most extraordinary people who daily have to overcome high levels of mental disability, physical disability and dependency.

This year, with the help of BUPA, we have humbly entered the world of care to understand it more deeply and see what role design can play.

I adopted an immersive research method which included background reading, interviews with residents, interviews with carers, and observation. I also attended carer training.

A resident remarked to me last week, "I may be an invalid, but I do not want to be treated as one."

It has been our aspiration to improve the lives of older people with dementia in care, and use design even in the smallest way to help them live at the highest level of their ability.

The focus this year has been on eating in particular, that is, assistive technologies. Today, I am going to briefly talk about some of the prototypes completed and that you will be able to see on this website.

There are plenty of assistive technologies on the market, but few have been specifically designed for the care environment.

This means they have some basic failings. They don't stack, they age badly, or they make the food look un-appetizing.

As a result, they don't fit in a commercial kitchen, people don't buy them, or if they do, they get frustrated and throw them out because they are not doing their job.

The negative side of this is that residents are not getting the tools they need to retain their eating skills for longer.

So I have adapted some of the tried-and-tested features already on the market and looked at how they could be used to improve existing tableware.

go to Best Designs for Comfortable Eating for the video

When to Stop Treatment for Advanced Dementia Patients

2009-10-24T19:46:00.000-04:00

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eHow

Deciding when your loved one with dementia is ready to die is difficult. Letting go is a challenge. Understanding what advanced dementia is and preparing for it go a long way in dealing with this hard process. Grieving for your loss is necessary and will bring meaning, healing and wholeness back into your life.

Advanced Dementia
In the last stage of dementia, people lose the ability to react to their surroundings, the power to speak and at the very end the ability to move. Often those affected are unable to understand the meaning of words and the ability to speak except for occasional words that make no sense. These folks need assistance with eating and may not have the ability to recognize or swallow food. They cannot control their bowels or bladder. People with advanced dementia lose the ability to sit without support. They cannot smile or hold up their head. Their reflexes become abnormal and their muscles grow stiff. They may be in pain but cannot express it.

Prepare Early
There are many things you can do to prepare for the time to stop treatment. When your loved one still has the capacity to make his wishes known, make sure he picks the person to make health care decisions when he can't. In other words, execute a health care proxy. Second, be certain he makes known the kind of medical treatment he wants or does not want. Third, get all finances in order, seeking financial and legal advice while your loved one is able to participate in the process. Doing these things makes everything easier.

Care Options
If you are choosing to care for the person with advanced dementia at home, understand that the process is going to become increasingly difficult, Physical needs and the 24-hour care requirements of the final stages of caring often prompts outside help. If, as a caregiver, you want to keep your loved one at home, make sure you have the stamina, space and support from others to do so. You may choose to place your loved on in a skilled nursing facility. You can be there as many hours a day as you want. You have the option to take a break if you need to. You can still direct the care of your loved one without the physical burden to yourself. Many resources are available to help you with placement and service options. Contact your local area Alzheimer's Association for help.

Manage Pain
Managing pain and discomfort necessitates daily observance and re-evaluation of not-so-obvious nonverbal indicators. Especially after a dramatic decline, you may choose to discontinue all other medical interventions and focus on soothing and calming care for the discomfort and symptoms related to dying. Small behavioral changes often indicate unmet needs. Keeping a journal may help you keep track of this. The soothing comfort of massage, touch, music, pleasant smells and your loving voice can also reduce pain. Try different techniques and watch your loved one's response.

Hospice Care
Hospice care concentrates on the management of pain and the comfort of your loved one at the end of life. Hospice is available anywhere, including a nursing home. Hospice offers family support during and after the dying process. Stop hospice care at any time if you so choose.

Family Issues
Your family may have difficulty,,,,read all of When to Stop Treatment for Advanced Dementia Patients

How to Care for Elders With Senile Dementia

2009-10-23T16:28:00.000-04:00

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eHow

Senile dementia, an incurable brain disease, affects thinking, memory, communication and behavior. Because of the brain changes associated with senile dementia, caring for these elders presents many challenges. Achieve success with knowledge, patience, planning and flexibility.

1Learn all you can about senile dementia and the elder with senile dementia as well.

Step 2Establish a routine because those with senile dementia respond best if you do things in the same time frame everyday. Because each elder with dementia is different, the time for doing everyday tasks is different. Observation determines the most successful way to establish a schedule.

Step 3Keep potentially dangerous and fragile objects out of a dementia sufferer's reach.

Step 4Console the elder with senile dementia by helping him cope with day-to-day challenges of not remembering things.

Step 5Develop a positive attitude by having a support system so when the task of care giving is overwhelming, you have people who will help out.

Step 6Join a local support group or become a member of an online group.

Step 7Learn how to communicate, by breaking down tasks into small steps and speaking in short simple sentences. If you have to repeat something, say it the same way or simpler.

Step 8Manage problem behaviors by careful observation of triggers for the unwanted behaviors. Do not take aggression against you personally. It is the disease talking, not the elder with senile dementia.

Step 9Provide healthy meals and snacks. Allow the elder the opportunity to help in planning and preparing simple meals and snacks. Keep things simple. For many this is a meaningful activity.

Step 10Engage those with senile dementia in.....read all of
How to Care for Elders With Senile Dementia

Family caregiving brings joy with support

2009-10-22T14:52:00.001-04:00

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Sharon brothers MSW

I've been a part of a neighborhood book group for several years now. We meet once a month, rotating homes, and spend a few minutes chatting about our lives, families and work before plunging into what usually turns out to be a rousing discussion of our month's book.

All of the members are women roughly similar to me in age and life situation. Most of us are mothers or grandmothers; most of us can readily identify with the life of the family caregiver.

Last evening as we discussed John Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath," we shared stories from our parents and grandparents of the hardships of the depression. Many stories brought tears to our eyes, as we talked of parents recently lost, or parents we're currently caring for in one way or another.

One thing we each acknowledged was the life changing experience of being a caregiver for our parents. We talked of how hard it is at first, how the role-change is awkward and unwelcome initially. We shared how, in the end, the rewards of caregiving can far exceed the challenges.

The shift in roles from child to adult, from care recipient to care provider requires each of us to find our way through sometimes challenging, unknown territory. As we support each other, sharing our stories and offering support and encouragement, the way seems less overwhelming and just a little easier to bear. Knowing we're not alone makes all the difference in navigating our way to a place where we find joy and reward in the role of caregiving.

Progress towards Alzheimer's vaccine: Israeli researcher

2009-10-21T12:44:00.000-04:00

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The Gazette

JERUSALEM - An Israeli researcher working on a vaccine to combat Alzheimer's disease said on Monday he had made important progress following tests on gene-altered laboratory mice.

"We have been able to stimulate an immune response and forecast the effects in inoculated mice carrying human genes," Alon Monsonego, who works with British and US researchers, told AFP.

"It is an important development" that could help find vaccines which could be used for individuals with a predisposition to Alzheimer's, the University of Beersheva researcher said.

Monsonego added that "inoculated mice were able to reduce plaques of beta-peptides, as well as inflammations and neuronal damage associated with the disease."

Monsonego's work which is aimed at finding a vaccine capable of reinforcing the immune system were published in the specialised Journal of Immunology.

A report on Monday by the Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI), which groups Alzheimer associations around the world, predicted that cases of the disease and other forms of dementia are expected to soar in the next few decades, due largely to a spike in cases in developing countries.

Just under 36 million people will be living with dementia in 2010, an increase of around 12 million on how many suffered some form of dementia in 2005, the report said.

How Long Can a Person Live With Alzheimer's?

2009-10-20T10:22:00.000-04:00

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eHow

After a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, a person lives from three to 20 years. Many factors influence how long he will live. Knowing the life expectancy of someone with Alzhemer's is valuable information for helping him and his family. Quality of life is key

Age of Diagnosis
Life expectancy with Alzheimer's depends a lot on the age of the person when it is first diagnosed, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have found. The older the person is at the time of diagnosis, the less time she will survive on average..

Gender
Seattle's Group Health Cooperative and University of Washington researchers have found that following a diagnosis of Alzheimer's, women tend to live longer than men, surviving about six years compared with mens' four years. But this difference between the sexes is less noteworthy as people age.
Severity of Symptoms
Other diseases and conditions shorten the life of a person with Alzheimer's. Poor survival is noted in those who have diabetes or congestive heart failure. Another health problem that lowers life expectancy is trouble walking and a history of falls.

Drs. Kenneth Covinsky and Kristine Yaffe of the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the University of California, San Francisco, say that someone who receives a diagnosis of Alzheimer's through specialized memory tests will likely have a longer life because these tests pick up changes in memory long before noticeable symptoms appear.

Catastophic Event
Many with Alzheimer's are able to function because they have a routine and know what to expect every day. When something happens to seriously change this, the result can be devatating to the Alzheimer's sufferer. An example: Someone falls and breaks a hip, arm or other bone requiring surgery or rehabilitation.

Surgery of any kind is difficult for a number of reasons.The person with Alzheimer's is in a strange environment, which can cause panic and uncertainty. Anesthesia is difficult because it takes Alzheimer's patients longer to recover from its effects. Sometimes they do not recover at all.

Rehabilitation is difficult too, because people with Alzheimer's have trouble learning new things. If they suddenly cannot get up alone or have to use a walker, they may forget and further injure themselves. They may become combative because they do not understand what is going on. Often they do not remember the initial fall no matter how often you remind them of it.

Quality of Life
It is not only how long people with Alzheimer's live, but how comfortable and happy they are in daily life. Here are some questions to ask about people with Alzheimer's. Do they.......read all of How Long Can a Person Live With Alzheimer's?

Sleep Problems & Alzheimer's Type Dementia

2009-10-19T08:14:00.001-04:00

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eHow

Inability to get a good night sleep and resulting daytime drowsiness is displayed in many older adults, especially those with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia. Sleep problems contribute to physical deterioration and mood problems. Caregivers of those with Alzheimer's disease have difficulty getting a good night's rest because of the patient's wandering, getting out of bed repeatedly and talking in bed.
A program of stimulating daytime activity for those with Alzheimer's disease and education for their caregivers may be helpful in controlling sleep problems. Prescribing sleep medicines is an option, too.

Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease, a brain disorder, is the most common form of dementia. Dementia, a general term for memory loss, difficulty learning and behavior changes, seriously interferes with daily life including problems sleeping. Many people with Alzheimer's disease exhibit changes in their patterns of sleep. Scientists do not completely understand why this occurs.

Normal Aging Sleep Changes
As we age our sleep changes. Sleep quality, quantity and type of sleep change. Older people have more trouble falling asleep and sleep for a shorter period of time. The time you are in deep sleep decreases, as well, as you age.
Sleep changes in Alzheimer's disease
Many people with Alzheimer's disease wake up more often and stay awake longer during the night. Brain wave studies display decreases in both dreaming and non-dreaming stages of sleep. Those who cannot sleep may wander, be unable to lie still or call out, which disrupts the sleep of their caregivers.
Daytime napping is common because of Alzheimer's medications. Because of napping during the day, night time sleep diminishes. Persons with Alzheimer's disease often become restless or agitated in the late afternoon or early evening. This is called "sundowning." As Alzheimer's disease progresses, these individuals spend more time in bed sleeping during the day and less time sleeping at night

Treatment Without Medication
There are some simple lifestyle changes that can help a person with Alzheimer's sleep better at night, according to a study called Nighttime Insomnia Treatment and Education for Alzheimer's Disease: A Randomized, Controlled Trial, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society in May, 2005. Learning about good sleep habits, the benefits of moderate exercise and spending time in the sun helped those with Alzheimer's disease, this study reports.
Caregivers should encourage loved ones with Alzheimer's disease to go to bed at the same time every night. By observing a person with dementia, a good bedtime is discovered.
Finding triggers that awaken patients at night are identified. These problems include snoring by a bed partner, playful pets, or traffic noise, just to name a few. After learning what the triggers are, steps to eliminate these problems should be taken.
Eliminate daytime napping. Keep those with Alzheimer's disease mentally and physically active during the day. Adult day care programs help a great deal.
Remember to go outside with the person with Alzheimer's disease. Have him sit in a sunny room while watching television or other sitting activities. Some have suggested using a light box if there is not enough sun naturally
At night, make sure the room is dark. Keep heavy shades on the window to block early morning sunlight.

Treatment With Medication
In some cases, non-drug therapies do not work or the sleep changes are accompanied by difficult nighttime behaviors. Experts feel that.....read all about Sleep Problems & Alzheimer's Type Dementia

Quality of Life (part 5)

2009-10-18T06:48:00.000-04:00

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Alzheimer's Society
Alzheimer's Care
Ethical Guidelines

What can be done to enhance the quality of life of people who provide care?
Strategies to enhance the caregiver's quality of life include:

Learning about Alzheimer's disease, understanding how it progresses and learning how to communicate with people with the disease.
Talking to close friends about one's needs, the needs of the person being cared for and where the two sets of needs conflict.
Finding ongoing support from groups or from one-on-one relationships.
Taking regular breaks from caregiving, for a few hours, days or weeks, and finding activities that help one get away from caregiving responsibilities and tasks.
Recognizing the signs of stress and developing ways to deal with them.
Taking satisfaction in the work one is doing to provide quality care.
Learning to ask for and accept help.
Making sure the doctor knows that one is caring for someone with Alzheimer's disease, to ensure that one's health is monitored and appropriate treatments obtained.
Becoming aware of one's own feelings and reaction to stress. Taking care of one's needs throughout the course of the disease.
Planning for changes, recognizing that there may be difficult decisions ahead.
Acknowledging the need for companionship and physical intimacy. Relationships with family and friends should be fostered as much as possible.
Listing the negative and positive aspects of caregiving, and seeking help from others to increase the positives and decrease the negatives.
Learning about available community resources by contacting the local Alzheimer Society.
In closing...
The quality of life of the person with Alzheimer's disease must be a central focus of care. It is vital that those providing care respond to that person's needs, wishes and values. The ultimate goal of care must be to provide a sense of well-being for that person.

At the same time, it must be recognized that the quality of life of the caregiver can be as important as that of the person with Alzheimer's disease. When conflicts arise, communication, information, self-awareness, support and understanding can help caregivers find solutions to ensure that their own quality of life does not become a casualty of the disease.

Resources:

From the Alzheimer Society of Canada:

Are You Caring for Someone with Alzheimer Disease? Remember to Take Care of Yourself Too!
Guidelines for Care
Other:

The Best Friends Approach to Alzheimer's Care. Virginia Bell and David Troxel, Health Professions Press, Baltimore, MD, 1997.
Dementia Reconsidered: The Person Comes First (Rethinking Ageing). Tom Kitwood, Open University Press, 1997.

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Quality of Life (part 4)

2009-10-17T04:43:00.000-04:00

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Alzheimer's Society
Alzheimer's Care
Ethical Guidelines

What can be done to enhance the quality of life of people with Alzheimer's disease?
People with Alzheimer's disease are individuals and need to be treated with respect, integrity, compassion, dignity, and with concern for their privacy and safety. People with mild to moderate symptoms may need support in finding opportunities to enhance their quality of life. As the disease progresses, preserving the quality of life of the person with the disease will require the provision of appropriate social and physical environments.

Some key elements to consider include:

Learning about Alzheimer's disease, understanding how it progresses, and knowing how to communicate with the person with the disease; for instance, learning how a particular person's facial expressions convey emotions such as joy and fear.
Consulting the person to learn more about particular likes, dislikes and opinions; and, when the person is unable to communicate this, talking to someone close to the person who can.
Knowing the person and being aware of people, activities and things that are known to give pleasure to the person.
Providing the necessary support to preserve as much independence as possible.
Building on the person's strengths and abilities, and encouraging a sense of feeling useful and valued.
Giving the person opportunities to make choices.
Ensuring that the person's overall health is monitored and assessed, and that appropriate treatments are given. A diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease does not automatically prevent the presence of other health concerns and diseases. Failure to treat other illnesses can worsen the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.
Providing living space that is safe, familiar and provides a sense of security, while allowing the person to maintain remaining abilities.
Respecting the need for companionship, including physical intimacy. Relationships with family and friends should be fostered as much as possible.
Providing care that responds to each person's needs and focuses on abilities rather than losses.
Acknowledging and recognizing that the person's interests may change over time rather than trying to impose former values and expectations.
Ensuring that all who provide care for people with Alzheimer's disease recognize that people with the disease are to be valued and should be treated as individuals.
Recognizing that all actions and behaviours of people with the disease are meaningful and reflect a desire to communicate something.
Recognizing that the quality of life of the person with the disease is closely linked to the quality of life of the caregiver. As the disease progresses, the connection between the two becomes stronger.
What can be done to enhance the quality of life of people who provide care?
Strategies to enhance the caregiver's quality of life include:
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Quality of Life (part 3)

2009-10-16T02:37:00.000-04:00

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Alzheimer's Society
Alzheimer's Care
Ethical Guidelines

For health-care professionals:

Lack of understanding, training and human resources: Some health-care professionals who provide care for people with Alzheimer's disease lack an understanding of the issues relating to quality of life in Alzheimer's disease. Consequently, they fail to implement preferred care strategies. Long-term care facilities may also lack appropriate educational, human and financial resources to provide quality care for people with Alzheimer's disease.

Preferred choices
Quality of life for people with Alzheimer's disease
All those who participate in the lives of people with Alzheimer's disease should know or learn that, despite changes and loss of abilities, people with Alzheimer's disease are able to find pleasure and experience satisfaction. The disease does not remove a person's ability to appreciate, respond to and experience feelings such as anger, fear, joy, love or sadness. Recognizing an individual's abilities, interests and life-long skills helps to maintain and enhance that person's quality of life.

Quality of life for family members and caregivers
Family members and caregivers must strike a balance between their own quality of life and the quality of life of the person they are caring for. If they are unable to do so, then those close to them should help them recognize this need for balance. If a balance is not struck, the quality of life of both the caregiver and the person with the disease might suffer.

Care strategies for health-care professionals
Health-care professionals who provide care to people with Alzheimer's disease must recognize that they play a role in influencing the quality of life of both the person with Alzheimer's disease and the caregiver. Professionals should try to devise care strategies that enhance the quality of life for both.

What can be done to enhance the quality of life of people with Alzheimer's disease?
People with Alzheimer's disease are individuals and need to be treated with respect, integrity, compassion, dignity, and with concern for their privacy and safety. People with mild to moderate symptoms may need support in finding opportunities to enhance their quality of life. As the disease progresses, preserving the quality of life of the person with the disease will require the provision of appropriate social and physical environments.

Some key elements to consider include:

Learning about......read more about quality of life and come back for more information

Quality of Life (part 2)

2009-10-15T22:31:00.000-04:00

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Alzheimer's Society
Alzheimer's Care
Ethical Guidelines

For family members and caregivers:

Determining someone else's quality of life: Determining how another person would define quality of life is not easy, but it is extremely important. It is vital to avoid imposing one's own personal values and interpretation of quality of life on someone else. The abilities and interests of someone with Alzheimer's disease will change over time. However, every effort should be made, especially as the disease progresses, to provide an optimum quality of life for the person.

Effects of caregiving: Many caregivers derive a sense of satisfaction and growth from caregiving but may have difficulty balancing their own needs and those of the person with the disease. The tasks and responsibilities of caring for someone with Alzheimer's disease can have positive and negative effects on the quality of life of family members and caregivers. The degree to which their quality of life is affected may be influenced by:

the nature (parent, spouse, friend, lover) and strength of the relationship between the person with Alzheimer's disease and the caregiver;
the personalities of the person with Alzheimer's disease and the caregiver, and the ability of each to adapt to changes caused by the disease;
the psychological, physical, spiritual and financial resources of the caregiver;
other day-to-day roles and expectations, such as being an employee, parent, business person, volunteer;
the caregiver's location and place of residence, in relation to that of the person with Alzheimer's disease;
the opinions, views and demands of people outside the caregiving relationship;
a health-care system that seems to be placing more responsibilities on caregivers while providing less and less support.
Young children in a caregiver's family may find their own quality of life affected, as they may need support and attention that the caregiver is unable to give.

For health-care professionals:

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How Long Do Most Patients Live in the Severe Alzheimer's Wing?

2009-10-14T22:53:00.000-04:00

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eHow

Many people with late-stage Alzheimer's disease live in the severe Alzheimer's wing of a long-term care facility. They live there from several weeks to several years, depending on the reasons for their decline to this stage of the disease. Maintaining dignity and comfort for them is key.

Severe Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease, a brain disorder, robs people of their memory, thinking skills and normal behavior. People with severe Alzheimer's disease lose the ability to respond to their surroundings. Often they don't recognize what is being said to them or how to say things to other people. They need help eating and using the bathroom. Eventually they cannot swallow and have no control of their bladder or bowels. Many lose the ability to walk by themselves. In time, sitting is difficult without support. Their reflexes become abnormal, and their muscles grow rigid.

Preventing Skin Breakdown
Because people with severe Alzheimer's disease often become bedridden or chair-bound, their lack of movement causes skin breakdown and rigid joints. Staff on the severe Alzheimer's wing relieve body pressure by changing their position every two hours and providing them with special cushions and pillows.

Eating and Drinking
People with severe Alzheimer's disease often develop trouble swallowing, which can lead to pneumonia and even death. Staff on a severe Alzheimer's wing have to be alert for this.

Hospice Care
A person with severe Alzheimer's disease requires 24-hour care. Many caregivers choose hospice. A hospice facility provides, care, comfort and support services for people with terminal illnesses and their families. People with severe Alzheimer's symptoms qualify for hospice benefits under Medicare if a doctor determines that they have less than six months to live. Contact a local hospice group for more information.

End of Life
Try to make sure.....read all of Live in the Severe Alzheimer's Wing

Quality of Life (part 1)

2009-10-13T22:23:00.000-04:00

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Alzheimer's Society
Alzheimer's Care
Ethical Guidelines

Background
For each person, the definition of quality of life is different and deeply personal. One person may define quality of life as enjoying the beauty of a sunset. Another person may describe it as sharing a holiday celebration with family; worshipping at a church, synagogue or mosque; playing a game of bridge; washing a car; listening to music or solving a crossword puzzle. Each person has a unique standard of what has value and what gives quality to life.

In defining quality of life, many different factors may be considered, such as:

the ability to think, make decisions and have control in one's daily life;
physical and mental health;
living arrangements;
social relationships;
religious beliefs and spirituality;
cultural values;
a sense of community;
financial and economic circumstances.

The issues
For people with Alzheimer's disease:

Influencing one's own quality of life: As Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia progresses, a person will lose many of the abilities considered important to quality of life. Some people think that quality of life is lost once a person is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Others feel that quality of life can be maintained well into the disease process.

People with mild to moderate symptoms of Alzheimer's disease usually know what gives them pleasure and contributes to their sense of well-being. They may seek help to adapt to changing abilities and participate in meaningful activities. However, if the person can no longer communicate or make choices and decisions, then caregivers, family members or health-care providers will need to make them.

For family members and caregivers:

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Reduce the risk of falling (part 2)

2009-10-12T20:10:00.000-04:00

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San Diego Union Tribune
R.J. Ignelzi

IMPAIRED VISION. Age-related vision diseases such as cataracts or glaucoma can alter depth perception, peripheral vision and susceptibility to glare, which increase the risk of falls.
Prevention tips:
Have regular checkups by an ophthalmologist.
Use color and contrast to define balance-aiding objects in the home, such as grab bars and handrails.
Clean eyeglasses often.

MEDICATIONS. Sedatives, antidepressants and antipsychotic drugs can contribute to falls by reducing mental alertness, worsening balance and gait.
Prevention tips:
Know the common side effects of all medications taken.
Talk with your doctor about how to reduce your chances of falling by using the lowest effective dosage, regularly assessing the need for continued medication and using a walking aid while taking some medications.
Limit alcohol consumption when taking medications.

ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS. At least one-third of all falls involve common hazards in the home.
Prevention tips:
Repair cracks or gaps in sidewalks and driveways.
Install adequate lighting by doorways and along walkways leading to doors.
Avoid throw rugs.
Maintain night lights or motion-sensitive lighting throughout the home.
Install grab bars on walls around the tub and beside the toilet.
Add nonskid mats or appliqués to bathtub or shower stall. Add a bath or shower seat.
Avoid using floor polish or wax to reduce slick surfaces.
Use television remote controls and cordless phones to minimize having to rush to get the phone or getting up to change channels.
Spread out large furniture so you can easily move around it.
Adjust the height of the bed to make it easy to get in and out of.
Install tightly fastened handrails running the entire length and along both sides of stairs. Apply brightly colored tape to the face of steps to make them more visible.

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Reduce the risk of falling (part 1)

2009-10-11T18:48:00.000-04:00

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San Diego Union Tribune
R.J. Ignelzi

When a senior citizen falls, the impact is more than the pain and impairment of a broken hip or head injury. For many aging adults, a fall could mean the beginning of the end of independence.
“Falls are the leading cause of death from injury among older adults. But even if falls aren't fatal, they're life-changing for this age group,” says Pam Smith, director for San Diego County Aging and Independence Services.
Falls are reported by one-third of all people 65 and older every year. Two-thirds of those who fall will fall again within six months. About 50 percent of the elderly who sustain a fall-related injury will be discharged to a nursing home rather than return home.
“Falls aren't inevitable as you age. People need to know that falls are preventable,” Smith says. “There are many things (seniors) and caregivers can do to minimize the risk of falls and improve safety. This can be life-saving stuff.”
Here's a look at the five key risk factors of falls among older adults and how to prevent them.

OSTEOPOROSIS. A decrease in bone density makes bones more prone to fractures. Brittle bones not only break after a fall, but can also break when stressed and in turn cause a fall.
Prevention tips:
Eat or drink sufficient calcium.
Get enough vitamin D to enhance the absorption of calcium.
Do weight-bearing exercise regularly.

LACK OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. Failure to exercise can result in poor muscle tone, decreased strength and loss of bone mass, all of which contribute to falls.
Prevention tips:
Walk, swim or do other exercise at least every other day to increase muscle strength and improve balance.
Practice gentle stretching or yoga with a class or DVD.
Wear proper-fitting, supportive shoes with low heels or rubber soles.

more tips tomorrow

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Caregiver's Guide to Understanding Dementia Behaviors

2009-10-10T16:55:00.000-04:00

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Family Caregiver Alliance

Caring for a loved one with dementia poses many challenges for families and caregivers. People with dementia from conditions such as Alzheimer’s and related diseases have a progressive brain disorder that makes it more and more difficult for them to remember things, think clearly, communicate with others, or take care of themselves. In addition, dementia can cause mood swings and even change a person’s personality and behavior. This Fact Sheet provides some practical strategies for dealing with the troubling behavior problems and communication difficulties often encountered when caring for a person with dementia.

Ten Tips for Communicating with a Person with Dementia
We aren’t born knowing how to communicate with a person with dementia—but we can learn. Improving your communication skills will help make caregiv-ing less stressful and will likely improve the quality of your relationship with your loved one. Good communication skills will also enhance your ability to handle the difficult behavior you may encounter as you care for a person with a dementing illness.

1. Set a positive mood for interaction. Your attitude and body language communicate your feelings and thoughts stronger than your words. Set a positive mood by speaking to your loved one in a pleasant and respectful manner. Use facial expressions, tone of voice and physical touch to help convey your message and show your feelings of affection.

2. Get the person’s attention. Limit distractions and noise—turn off the radio or TV, close the curtains or shut the door, or move to quieter sur-roundings. Before speaking, make sure you have her attention; address her by name, identify yourself by name and relation, and use nonver-bal cues and touch to help keep her focused. If she is seated, get down to her level and maintain eye contact.

3. State your message clearly. Use simple words and sentences. Speak slowly, distinctly and in a reassuring tone. Refrain from raising your voice higher or louder; instead, pitch your voice lower. If she doesn’t understand the first time, use the same wording to repeat your message or ques-tion. If she still doesn’t understand, wait a few minutes and rephrase the question. Use the names of people and places instead of pronouns or abbreviations.

4. Ask simple, answerable questions. Ask one question at a time; those with yes or no answers work best. Refrain from asking open-ended ques-tions or giving too many choices. For example, ask, “Would you like to wear your white shirt or your blue shirt?” Better still, show her the choices—visual prompts and cues also help clar-ify your question and can guide her response.

5. Listen with your ears, eyes and heart. Be patient in waiting for your loved one’s reply. If she is struggling for an answer, it’s okay to suggest words. Watch for nonverbal cues and body language, and respond appropriately. Always strive to listen for the meaning and feelings that underlie the words.

6. Break down activities into a series of steps. This makes many tasks much more manageable. You can encourage your loved one to do what he can, gently remind him of steps he tends to forget, and assist with steps he’s no longer able to accomplish on his own. Using visual cues, such as showing him with your hand where to place the dinner plate, can be very helpful.

7. When the going gets tough, distract and redirect. When your loved one becomes upset, try changing the subject or the environment. For example, ask him for help or suggest going for a walk. It is important to connect with the person on a feeling level, before you redirect. You might say, “I see you’re feeling sad—I’m sorry you’re upset. Let’s go get something to eat.”

8. Respond with affection and reassurance. People with dementia often feel confused, anxious and unsure of themselves. Further, they often get reality confused and may recall things that never really occurred. Avoid trying to convince them they are wrong. Stay focused on the feelings they are demonstrating (which are real) and respond with verbal and physical expressions of comfort, support and reassurance. Sometimes holding hands, touching, hugging and praise will get the person to respond when all else fails.

9. Remember the good old days. Remembering the past is often a soothing and affirming activity. Many people with dementia may not remember what happened 45 minutes ago, but they can clearly recall their lives 45 years earlier. Therefore, avoid asking questions that rely on short-term memory, such as asking the person what they had for lunch. Instead, try asking general questions about the person’s distant past—this information is more likely to be retained.

10. Maintain your sense of humor. Use humor whenever possible, though not at the person's expense. People with dementia tend to retain their social skills and are usually delighted to laugh along with you.

Possible new Alzheimer's therapy studied

2009-10-09T12:07:00.000-04:00

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UPI.com

DALLAS, (UPI) -- U.S. scientists have found the harmful effects of the beta-amyloid protein associated with Alzheimer's disease might be mitigated with another brain protein.

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center scientists said their findings from an animal study suggest a new therapy tactic against Alzheimer's.

Beta-amyloid is found in the brain and, when functioning properly, suppresses nerve activity involved with memory and learning, thereby keeping nerve cells from becoming "overexcited" when they receive stimulating signals from neighboring cells. People with Alzheimer's disease, however, accumulate too much beta-amyloid, resulting in nerve cells become less responsive.

But the scientists found applying another brain protein, called Reelin, to brain slices from mice prevents excess beta-amyloid from completely silencing nerves.

"If we can identify a mechanism to keep the nerve cells functioning strongly, that might provide a way to fight Alzheimer's disease," said Professor Joachim Herz, the study's senior author.

The research is detailed in the early online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Homewatch CareGivers ‘We Care for Veterans’ Program Provides 20 Hours of Free Care to Veterans and their Families

2009-10-08T19:35:00.000-04:00

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Business Wire

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--To honor the service and sacrifice of U.S. military personnel, Homewatch CareGivers ), the largest and most experienced international franchise providerof home care, is offering up to 20 hours of free in-home care to disabled or injured U.S. military veterans of any conflict — from World War II and Korea to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq — through its “We Care for Veterans” program.

“We know that thousands of returning veterans depend on family members as caregivers. Often these family members are responsible for childcare and elder care as well,” said Leann Reynolds, president, Homewatch CareGivers. “We hope our donation of home care can directly help meet the veteran’s care needs and support family caregivers by giving them a respite to recharge and care for themselves or by providing additional support services for their loved one.”

Official reports from the U.S. Department of Defense indicate more than 31,000 military personnel have been wounded in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. Veterans care and support organizations estimate nearly 20,000 these injured and disabled veterans depend on others for daily care. Service members or a family member can sign up for the “We Care for Veterans” program by visiting www.homewatchcaregivers.com to access program details or by calling toll free 1-800-777-9770. The program is available to one veteran per location and is issued on a first come, first serve basis. Care can be secured for any purpose that falls within Homewatch CareGivers’ existing service offering. Applicants must sign up for “We Care for Veterans” by November 30, 2009.

Information on this program at Homewatch CareGivers,

Coffee Does Little to Protect the Aging Brain

2009-10-07T16:29:00.000-04:00

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ABC News

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Sorry coffee lovers -- downing a few cups of coffee throughout the day may spark alertness, but it's unlikely to protect the aging brain from mental decline or dementia, according to researchers from Finland.

Some studies have suggested that coffee has a protective effect on brain function in old age, while others have not shown this association.

One of the latest studies on the topic, which appears in the September issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found no association between coffee consumption and declining cognition or dementia scores in either men or women.

Dr. Venla S. Laitala, at the University of Helsinki, and colleagues assessed the coffee drinking habits, as well as other social, demographic, and health data, of a large population of twin pairs who were 50 years old on average.

At this point in time, 75 percent of the men and 83 percent of the women drank more than 3 cups of coffee a day. Only 4 of men and about 1 percent of women reported no daily coffee consumption.

When the group was just over 74 years on average, the investigators conducted telephone interviews in 2,606 of the study participants (48 percent women) to specifically screen for declining cognition and dementia.

They found that each year of increasing age was associated with declines in thinking abilities, regardless of gender.

However, in this study, middle-age coffee consumption was not protective against "cognitive decline or preventive against dementia," Laitala told Reuters Health in an email correspondence.

As expected, heart disease, diabetes and dissatisfaction with life were significantly associated with lower cognitive performance, the researchers report.

Therefore, Laitala's team suggests further investigations concentrate on the role heart disease, diabetes, and life satisfaction play in altered and age-related thinking and analytic abilities.

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Helping families keep helping

2009-10-06T19:04:00.004-04:00

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Sharon Brothers MSW

She's been sleeping on the couch for over a year now. Her mother is in her bedroom, and her brother, who helps care for her mom, is in her guest room.

I asked her how she does it, and she says simply, "This is my mama. She wants to be with us, and we want to be with her."

At the same time, she works full time and sleeps poorly these days.

I worry a lot about her.

I worry that one day the lack of sleep will combine with an especially tough work day, and then her mom will be just a little more difficult that evening.

I worry that my friend will snap - like I might do, in the same situation. Like more than half a million caregivers each year snap and do something they'd never dream of doing.

They become abusers of an elderly person. And despite what we read and hear about on the news, more often than not, it's a family member who is the abuser, not a paid caregiver.

You can see how it could happen. Deprive someone of sleep, demand tasks of her that she was never trained to do, and anyone of us could reach a breaking point.

But what if we provide her with easy-to-access help in caregiving, and with some support in tasks at home?

"Just a little help would make a world of difference," my friend says, as I tell her about training available to her online. "I want to do what my mama would want, as long as I possibly can."

Club eases the pain of dementia

2009-10-05T17:56:00.000-04:00

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BBC News

The families of people with dementia often do not get the support they need until a crisis occurs.

That is the conclusion of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, an ethics think-tank.

I went to meet a group of carers at a community centre in east London.

The Monday Club are, on the face of it, a jolly group.

Card games are being played - and Harry Brown has brought along some apples from his garden.

The weekly group is run by the Alzheimer's Society and supported by the local council in Redbridge.

It provides solace, companionship and fun for dementia sufferers and their carers.

Difficult circumstances

These are strong people, often coping with very difficult daily circumstances.

Gerald Hale, who was a fireman for 35 years, is joining in the sing-song. He attends the group along with his wife of 62 years, Pat.

He is now 84, smartly dressed and was diagnosed with dementia about a year ago.

Mr Hale told me: "The main thing is not knowing or remembering anything. Your life is very limited.

"I dread to think about the future."

The illness is further along for the family of Gunvor Lasocki.

They are familiar with the ethical dilemmas mentioned in the new report - such as, when is it acceptable not to tell the truth?

Daughter Gillian has spent the past three years looking after her 86-year-old mother, whose parents died some time ago.

She said: "My mother gets inconsolable if anyone tells her they're dead. She asks about them nearly every day.

"We decided we had to lie to her, because what's the point in upsetting her?

"I hit on the idea of telling her they're on holiday. She's quite happy because she thinks they'll be back soon."

Continue to come

Some members of the Monday Club were caring for partners or family who have since died.

They are still included in the activities - and are an important source of support for the more recent members.

Coral Kathro runs the club for the Alzheimer's Society.

She said: "People come here and they are totally accepted - whatever their disabilities or problems.

"They become part of a family of concerned friends."

The Nuffield Council on Bioethics is also concerned about difficult practical decisions that families face - such as, when should the sufferer give up their privacy?

In need of help

Peter Pettigrew brings his wife Mary to the Monday club.

He is proud that he has done all the cooking, cleaning and personal care during her seven years of illness.

But he sometimes feels isolated and it is a strain - his eyes well up as he talks to me.

However, Mary will not tolerate having a stranger to help.

He said: "When she came out of hospital, they sent someone to change her in the morning and put her to bed at night.

"But she wouldn't have that, so it only lasted a couple of days.

"She likes her privacy still. She won't have anyone else in the house. So I'm just there on my own."

The UK's health departments are trying to develop policies that will respond effectively to dementia as the number of cases grows.

However, the authors of the Nuffield report point out that Gordon Brown's newly proposed Care Service for England would help people only in the later stages.

The report says people with dementia can still have a reasonable life.

Getting to that point seems to still be a case of "work in progress".

Dr. Laura helping out Caregivers Sailathon

2009-10-04T17:39:00.000-04:00

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VeturaCountyStar

By Stan Whisenhunt

The annual Caregivers Sailathon, which raises money to help frail, home-bound seniors, is getting a huge boost from best-selling author and nationally known radio personality Dr. Laura Schlessinger.

Dr. Laura will be “competing” in the Sailathon on Sunday, Oct. 11, in Perfect, a J-100 and she has already garnered more than $8,000 in pledges. Skippers and crew try to sail as many laps as they can and get supporters to pledge amounts per lap.

Schlessinger, a noted yachtswoman, says she will try to sail more laps than any other participant and hopes to break the record for laps held by Bill Gibb’s 52-foot catamaran, Afterburner.

This Sailathon is being hosted by Pierpont Bay Yacht Club, which will hold a skippers’ meeting at 9 a.m. Coffee and donuts will be served.

Action will start at noon of the Ventura Pier and participants will have two hours to see how many laps they can sail. Skippers, crews and volunteers will then gather at 3 p.m. at PBYC for awards, prizes and chili/chowder dinner and cornbread.

Last year, Alan Ferentz raised the most donations. Ventura Isle Marina had the most participants. Gibbs sailed the most laps for a multihull and Brian Shaw for monohulls.

Schlessinger, who has been promoting the event on her Web site and on her radio program, last sailed locally when she won PBYC’s Milt Ingram Trophy Race. Her crew will include Taylor and Cody Schlub from PBYC, “who have been racing with me since the Milt Ingram Race when I met them,” she said. “They are wonderful, wonderful boys.”

It is already assured a record amount will be raised for the Caregivers on Oct. 11. Last year’s event raised $7,500.

Skippers who would like to register in advance can do so by calling Caregivers at 658-8530 or by going online to http://www.vccaregivers.org.

Some Fun and Stimulating Dementia Activities

2009-10-03T15:03:00.000-04:00

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Nursing Home Activities Resource

Dementia activities should focus on enjoyment rather than achievement. A caregiver would want these dementia activities to reduce boredom but not to over stimulate either.

Laughter is always the best medicine. Though the patient may not always understand your humor, they can appreciate a good tease, a little nonsense and some clowning around.

Movement is very important for many dementia patients, as they can become prone to sit for long periods in one place doing seated activities like board games and crosswords. Walks outside or mild exercises, either seated or standing, can help to get the blood moving again and ward off boredom and a sense of isolation if they've been without much group activity.

With Alzheimer's and dementia activities care should be taken to eliminate expected outcomes and focus primarily on the activity itself. Cognitive dysfunction makes remembering game rules, sequences and strategies very difficult, if not impossible in later stages of the diseases. Slower paced activities involving simple repetition can prove most effective. Sometimes it is just a fidgeting type of activity that can best keep these seniors occupied.

2009-10-02T18:03:00.001-04:00

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ABC Online

Researchers have developed a computer system that reminds patients about their daily appointments.

The computer-generated face known as MANA can talk, recognise faces and turn itself on when someone enters a room.

MANA, or Memory Appointment and Navigation Agent, is designed for older people with early onset dementia, who have trouble remembering even basic things.

Flinders University Professor David Powers says carers can use the internet to enter appointments into the system.

"Doctors appointments, maybe information about how to get there, what bus to take, when it comes, what bus stop, reminders about taking pills, which pills to take in the morning, have you taken them yet," he said.

Kylee Nash from Alzheimer's Australia says the technology eases the pressure on carers.

"There are times when their loved one will need to be technically alone, so the MANA will be able to help, to help provide that type of reassurance and security," she said.

A trial of the system will begin in the next few months.

A touching video about Alzheimer's

2009-10-02T18:00:00.000-04:00

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Here are more interesting dementia brain boosting activities

Brian Willie

I Know."

I'm a bit overwhelmed to be quite honest. It was just released
and it's already quickly sweeping the internet and has had thousands of views!

Emails and comments have been pouring in. I'm so pleased that it has already
touched so many people.

You can watch it here:

Short Alzheimer's video

Movies are meant to move you, and to make you think. This is a very
special project for me. So often caregivers forget to take care of
themselves.

You may feel hopeless watching the man or woman you
know changing before your eyes. But just always keep in mind that
they are still the person you love and will always live on through
you.

Please watch and if you like what you see, I would appreciate it if you pass it on
to families, friends and co-workers.

What is Elder Mediation?

2009-10-01T18:19:00.000-04:00

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Georgia Daniels

Eldercare mediation is a growing field that will increase in prominence as the number of elders increases. As parents age, conflicts can erupt between parents and their children over living situations, driving, or the need for more help with daily activities. In addition, conflicts may spring up between siblings about their parents' aging, such as when it is time for more in-home care, assisted living, or which sibling is responsible for what aspects of a parent's care. Mediation can also address more complex issues, such as estate planning and inheritance or healthcare choices, and may be used to develop alternatives to conservatorship. Mediation offers an opportunity to explore options and develop the best plan possible for the elder and family.

Usually, the elder's adult children or friends are quite clear that "something needs to be done." How this "something" can be accomplished is less clear, and can generate heated disagreement among those concerned. In addition, the spouse of the elder may be committed to maintaining the appearance that nothing is wrong.

Family members who are locked in ongoing conflicts may be unaware of elder mediation and its benefits. An example may help:

Example—Without Mediation: Daughter Darcy files a petition to be appointed the conservator of her father Hank's person and property. Her stepmother, Monica, insists that everything is just fine in their home, and is extremely angry with Darcy for interfering. Monica feels that Darcy is publicly declaring that Monica's caregiving is inadequate. The rhetoric escalates, and bitter litigation ensues. The judge ultimately appoints a third party (non-relative) as conservator of Hank's person and property. The conservator moves Hank into an assisted living facility, and Monica moves with him. The litigation causes a permanent rupture between Darcy and her father.

Example—With Mediation: Darcy contacts a mediator, and then calls Hank, Monica, and her sister Bella, to explain that she has some concerns which she would like to discuss. The mediator meets with all parties in a joint session, and they agree on ground rules. Each party takes a turn to air his or her concerns. The mediator helps them to identify what they really need for a successful outcome. Monica is reassured that the daughters are not trying to separate her from her husband; she learns that the daughters are worried that the caregiving burden on Monica is overwhelming her. Monica admits that she is struggling to care for the two of them, and her own blood pressure is soaring. She starts crying. With the mediator's help, they agree that Bella will contact a home care agency, to request someone to help a few hours per day with cleaning, shopping, cooking, driving, and dispensing medication. They agree to meet in a month to see how the new plan is working. The parties all feel that their concerns have been heard, respected, and addressed. The parties have a plan to continue working together for additional solutions if it turns out that more than a few hours per day of assistance is required. Unnecessary litigation is avoided.

Convening the Elder Mediation

The first step, and sometimes the most challenging one, is convening the mediation. This means ensuring that all necessary parties are invited to participate and are informed about the nature and content of the mediation. Frequently, either the mediator or mediator's staff will contact the potential parties for an intake interview and to confirm attendance. When mild to moderate dementia may be an issue, the elder's capacity to mediate should be considered and handled with sensitivity. An elder may be more comfortable having a trusted representative present to give voice to his or her concerns. It is also important to establish that participation in mediation is truly voluntary.

Benefits of Elder Mediation

The benefits of elder mediation include improved communication among family members, avoidance of unnecessary litigation, respect for the elder's dignity, and imaginative problem-solving. The plans and agreements which form the end product of the mediation are made by those who are directly affected by the situation. Parties usually report greater satisfaction with the outcome of mediation than with decisions imposed by a court. Finally, practice with conflict resolution techniques during mediation may allow the parties to resolve future conflicts without assistance.

Stages of Elder Mediation

Elder mediation takes place in a variety of settings, from senior service agencies, to elders' homes, to offices of private mediators. Where mediation is available from senior service agencies, the scope of mediation may be limited to a defined range of issues. The potential scope of private mediations can include a broad range of complex, multi-party issues.

The number of mediation sessions required may vary considerably. Sometimes, one meeting of two or three hours with all parties present is sufficient. In other cases, there may be several meetings over a period of weeks. Occasionally, out-of-state parties may participate by telephone or video conference.

When the mediation begins, the mediator typically explains the process to be followed, seeks input on proposed ground rules, and confirms that participation is voluntary.

Next, each party tells his or her story without interruption. The mediator may ask clarifying questions and summarize what has been shared. Frequently, the speakers feel that their perspectives are finally being heard by others in the family. Feeling heard and having their concerns validated can be an empowering experience for the participants.

After summarizing the various perspectives, the mediator identifies the issues, and may sort them into positions (wants) and interests (needs). The mediator notes areas of agreement and disagreement, and may start building an agreement by working with one small issue at a time.

Once the issues are identified, the parties brainstorm possible solutions, ranging from fanciful to practical. The mediator encourages imaginative responses as well as tried-and-true options.

The next step is to evaluate the potential options to see which ones might actually work, by asking questions such as "Can you live with this?" or "Would this meet your need for ___?" The mediator assists by rephrasing options and offering reality checks. Probably, some areas of agreement will emerge. The mediator continues to refine responses to the disagreements, looking for ways to bridge the gaps.

Finally, the parties come to a mutually agreeable solution, or perhaps even a graded series of results—first A, then B, C, and finally D. Usually the mediator prepares a written agreement to be signed by all parties.

As with any process-oriented endeavor, no two elder mediations will proceed in exactly the same way. Whether the topic is an elder's independence and continued ability to drive, planning for end-of-life health-care decisions, or anything in between, each mediation is as unique as its participants.

Reprinted with permission of www.mediate.com.

Personal approach to dementia caring

2009-09-30T20:06:00.000-04:00

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Courier

BY MEG RAYNER

CARERS are being urged to take a personalised approach when dealing with dementia clients.
At a seminar for carers in Ballarat last week, Alzheimer's Australia education specialist John Price said it wimportant to build community awareness about the disease, which is on the rise.

"There will be a 400 per cent rise in the number of dementia cases by 2050," he said.

"It's very different for people, say, with heart disease who can take a tablet every day. People with dementia need carers.

"It's all about improving understanding to give them a better quality of life."

The Dementia Revisited seminar was held at the Queen Elizabeth Centre on Thursday afternoon and attracted about 20 carers to listen to Mr Price speak.

Dementia Awareness Week featured a number of events around the state.

Alzheimer's Australia chief executive officer Lynette Moore said it was important Victorians took the time to learn about this chronic health condition.

"While there is currently no cure for dementia, scientific research shows that it may be possible to reduce your risk of developing dementia or delay the onset," she said.

Compassionate Allowances(part 5)

2009-09-29T17:11:00.000-04:00

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Social Security Online

DI 23022.030 Identifying and Receipting Quick Disability Determination (QDD) and Compassionate Allowance (CAL) Cases

20 CFR § 404.1619 Quick Disability Determination process

20 CFR § 416.1019 Quick Disability Determination process

A. Electronic identification
1. Electronic Disability Collect System (EDCS)
When transferring a case in EDCS, the Predictive Model (PM) software determines whether the case qualifies for processing as a QDD and/or CAL case. The field office (FO) receives one of the following on-screen message boxes in EDCS:

“This case has been marked as a Quick Disability Determination case. Full non-medical development required.”, or

“This case has been marked as a Compassionate Allowance case. Full non-medical development required.”, or

“This case has been marked as a Quick Disability Determination and Compassionate Allowance case. Full non-medical development required.”

The FO must select OK to close the message box to proceed with the transfer.

NOTE: Cases that are fully-paper (all claims in the case are EDCS exclusions) are not considered for QDD/CAL. At least one of the claims must be established in EDCS for the PM to consider the case for QDD and/or CAL. The official folder may be a Certified Electronic Folder (CEF) or a paper Modular Disability Folder (MDF).

If the disability determination services (DDS) identifies CAL criteria for a fully paper claim, the DDS and FO will follow normal expedited claim procedures, such as those used for TERI cases.

If a fully electronic CAL case requires conversion to the paper process, the case must be removed from CAL processing (see DI 23022.055) and select the “other” block. Type in “conversion from electronic to paper” as the reason.

2. DDS case processing systems
All QDD and CAL cases have an associated Electronic Folder Interface (EFI) download. The EFI download contains a data element that identifies the case as QDD and/or CAL. (Until each DDS legacy system receives the appropriate upgrades, only the current QDD indicator will be visible in the DDS download.)

The DDS case processing system recognizes the QDD/CAL indicator on EFI, propagates it to the DDS case processing system screens, and uses it for special processing logic.

NOTE: Until each DDS legacy system receives the appropriate upgrades, all CAL cases are identified in the download through the QDD data element. In addition to the data element, a special message is generated in the legacy system to alert the user that CAL is involved. The message notification states: “Case has been identified as a Compassionate Allowance because of the following condition(s): .” The adjudicator will need to check eView to determine if QDD is also applicable.

B. Visual identification
The EDCS Routing Form displays “QUICK DISABILITY DETERMINATION: YES” and/or “COMPASSIONATE ALLOWANCE: YES” in large letters at the top of the page.

The QDD and CAL indicators display as separate header(s) on all eView screens, regardless of whether the case was screened by the PM or manually added. The CAL indicator allows the user to access the Compassionate Allowance page in order to view or manually add, remove, or reinstate a CAL action. If the screen shows “QDD: Y” and/or “CAL: Y”, the case is currently a QDD and/or CAL case. If the screen shows “QDD: N” and/or “CAL: N”, the case is not currently a QDD and/or CAL case. In some instances, the “QDD: N” and “CAL: Y” will appear which means it is designated as a CAL only case and vice versa.

The DDS case processing system displays a QDD or CAL indicator (if the system has the proper systems enhancements).

C. DDS identifies CAL after receipt of claim
While a QDD indicator cannot be manually added to a case, for CAL, the DDS, Office of Quality Performance (OQP), and Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR) have the capability to manually add cases to CAL processing. If an alleged or existing condition or illness that would allow CAL processing is identified, refer to DI 23022.055 for processing instructions.

D. Automatic EFI “Accept Jurisdiction” of QDD/CAL cases: receipt date
To ensure that QDD/CAL cases are processed expeditiously, the DDS case processing systems automate the “Accept Jurisdiction” EFI transaction (0123) for QDD/CAL cases.

The DDS case processing system Download/Receipt Queue indicates whether a claim has been marked for QDD and/or CAL processing. (If the state legacy system has not received the appropriate upgrades, QDD and CAL are identified ONLY as QDD. A special message notification is sent in the download to identify a case as CAL. The message states: “Case has been identified as a Compassionate Allowance because of the following condition(s): .” The adjudicator will need to check eView to determine if QDD is also applicable.)

The system also indicates whether an image of the signed SSA-827 (Authorization to Disclose Information to the Social Security Administration (SSA)) is stored in the Document Management Architecture (DMA). The DDS should monitor the download/receipt queue to expeditiously receipt and assign any newly transferred QDD and/or CAL claims.

The recommended 20-day time period for QDD cases starts when the DDS accepts jurisdiction of the case.

The time period for CAL cases is not limited to the 20-day processing time period; however, expedited processing procedures remain in effect for CAL cases. A case is not removed from CAL solely because evidence is not received or a favorable determination is not made within a certain time period.

The DDS accepts jurisdiction, receipts, and assigns the claim to a QDD/CAL adjudicator the same day that it posts to the Download/Receipt queue, if at all possible.

The DDS must resolve by close of business (COB) any conditions that would cause them not to receipt the claim. For example, if the claim was transferred to the wrong DDS, it should be rejected back to the FO.

NOTE: Do not automatically reject jurisdiction of cases that do not have an SSA-827 in DMA. The original document is mailed to the DDS (or destroyed, depending on local procedures) by the FO, so the FO no longer has an SSA-827 in the office to fax. Discuss any cases with a missing SSA-827 with FO management, using local procedures, before rejecting jurisdiction.

The DDS case processing system propagates the date that the DDS accepted jurisdiction of the case to the State Receipt Date (SRD) field on the NDDSS DREC mask. The SRD field cannot be modified by the DDS.

If a QDD/CAL claim is still on the Download/Receipt Queue by COB of the day it was posted to the Download/Receipt Queue (or the next business day for cases transferred on non-business days), the DDS case processing system automatically generates the “Accept Jurisdiction” EFI transaction (0123). The DDS must receipt and assign these cases expeditiously because the receipt date is the date of the system generated Accept Jurisdiction transaction.

For additional information about DDS case receipt, see DI 81020.015, Electronic Claim Receipt Process.

Compassionate Allowances(part 4)

2009-09-28T12:50:00.001-04:00

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Social Security Online

Code of Federal Regulations

§404.1603 Basic responsibilities for us and the State.

(a) General. We will work with the State to provide and maintain an effective system for processing claims of those who apply for and who are receiving benefits under the disability program. We will provide program standards, leadership, and oversight. We do not intend to become involved in the State's ongoing management of the program except as is necessary and in accordance with these regulations. The State will comply with our regulations and other written guidelines.

(b) Our responsibilities. We will:

(1) Periodically review the regulations and other written guidelines to determine whether they insure effective and uniform administration of the disability program. To the extent feasible, we will consult with and take into consideration the experience of the States in issuing regulations and guidelines necessary to insure effective and uniform administration of the disability program;

(2) Provide training materials or in some instances conduct or specify training, see §404.1622;

(3) Provide funds to the State agency for the necessary cost of performing the disability determination function, see §404.1626;

(4) Monitor and evaluate the performance of the State agency under the established standards, see §§404.1644 and 404.1645; and

(5) Maintain liaison with the medical profession nationally and with national organizations and agencies whose interests or activities may affect the disability program.

(c) Responsibilities of the State. The State will:

(1) Provide management needed to insure that the State agency carries out the disability determination function so that disability determinations are made accurately and promptly;

(2) Provide an organizational structure, adequate facilities, qualified personnel, medical consultant services, designated quick disability determination examiners (§§404.1619 and 404.1620(c)), and a quality assurance function (§§404.1620 through 404.1624);

(3) Furnish reports and records relating to the administration of the disability program (§404.1625);

(4) Submit budgets (§404.1626);

(5) Cooperate with audits (§404.1627);

(6) Insure that all applicants for and recipients of disability benefits are treated equally and courteously;

(7) Be responsible for property used for disability program purposes (§404.1628);

(8) Take part in the research and demonstration projects (§404.1629);

(9) Coordinate with other agencies (§404.1630);

(10) Safeguard the records created by the State in performing the disability determination function (§404.1631);

(11) Comply with other provisions of the Federal law and regulations that apply to the State in performing the disability determination function;

(12) Comply with other written guidelines (§404.1633);

(13) Maintain liaison with the medical profession and organizations that may facilitate performing the disability determination function; and

(14) Assist us in other ways that we determine may promote the objectives of effective and uniform administration.

Compassionate Allowances(part 3)

2009-09-27T12:40:00.002-04:00

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Social Security Online

DI 23022.015 Compassionate Allowance (CAL)–DDS Instructions

The CAL initiative is designed to quickly identify diseases and other medical conditions that invariably qualify under the Listing of Impairments based on minimal, but sufficient, objective medical information. If the condition does not meet these strict criteria, it will not be designated as a CAL case.

All CAL-identified conditions are entered into the Predictive Model (PM) and are selected for CAL processing based solely on the claimant’s allegations listed on the SSA-3368 (Disability Report—Adult) or SSA-3820—(Disability Report—Child).

Like Quick Disability Determinations (QDD), CAL cases will receive expedited processing within the context of the existing disability determination process.

CAL cases are similar to Terminal Illness (TERI) claims, although not all CAL cases involve terminal illness. For example, a person with a spinal cord injury could qualify as a compassionate allowance – even if he or she is expected to live for many years.

DI 23022.017 Compassionate Allowance (CAL) and Quick Disability Determination (QDD): Similarities and Differences
Process CAL cases in the same manner as QDD cases. Review QDD procedures in this subchapter before processing a CAL case.

Similarities include:

Most CAL cases are identified by the Predictive Model (PM) upon Electronic Disability Collect System (EDCS) transfer to the disability determination services (DDS) at the initial classification, initial adjudicative level. CAL and QDD do not apply to Continuing Disability Review (CDR) classification cases.

CAL cases are processed in the DDS by adjudicators who meet the qualifications set forth in DI 23022.020.

Expedited processing applies to all CAL-identified cases.

CAL cases can be removed from the CAL process; however, the reasons for taking such action on a CAL case are very limited, as described in DI 23022.055B.

In certain circumstances, cases removed from the CAL process can be reinstated, as described in DI 23022.055C. This link (http://ssahost.ba.ssa.gov/ecal/Index.aspx ) will take you to the Office of Disability Programs (ODP) Compassionate Allowance website that provides more information on CAL and houses the Impairment Summaries.

Cases determined to be CAL could also meet the criteria for QDD and would be designated both QDD and CAL. For example, the case could meet the scoring criteria for QDD and also have an allegation of a CAL condition.

If the PM identifies a case as both QDD and CAL, the case can be removed from QDD yet maintain its CAL status, and vice versa.

Differences include:

The PM criteria for CAL are simpler than the criteria for QDD. A CAL case is identified solely when a claimant alleges having a disease or other medical condition that matches a disease or condition loaded in the PM (by name, synonym and abbreviation). No scoring or threshold criteria are necessary for CAL selection. For example, a case must have a high enough score from the PM to be considered a QDD. For CAL, all the PM needs to see is the allegation of a condition on the CAL list.

Designated employees in the DDS, the Office of Quality Performance (OQP), and the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR) can manually add a CAL indicator to a case, which is not an available function in QDD process. Similar to QDD, designated employees can remove and reinstate a case from the CAL process. (See DI 23022.055). FO employees cannot add, reinstate or remove CAL cases.

NOTE: The field office (FO) workload management information (WMI) listings do not capture these manual additions, reinstatements or removals. For CAL cases that are not already identified as QDD, the FO is automatically notified when a case has been added, removed or reinstated from the CAL process, via the EDCS action items on electronic claims. FOs regularly monitor EDCS action lists to identify any case where a CAL indicator has been set after transfer so that full non-medical development of the case can be initiated.

Unlike QDD, there are very few reasons for removing a case from CAL processing (DI 23022.055). Most significant is that, unlike QDD, a CAL case can be processed to a denial determination.

If a case is identified as CAL, continue to follow expedited QDD processing guidelines even if the DDS removes the case from QDD processing (e.g., if a case cannot be completed in the QDD timeframes or if the claimant moves, these are not reasons to remove a case from the CAL process).

There is a Compassionate Allowance page which can be accessed by selecting a hypertext link labeled [CAL] in the top right hand frame of the Electronic Folder (EF) in eView. The CAL link will display [CAL: Y] or [CAL: N.]

CAL cases can be identified at Initial, Reconsideration, Hearing and Appeals Council adjudicative levels.

Compassionate Allowances(part 2)

2009-09-26T08:00:00.001-04:00

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Social Security Online
List of Conditions
1 Acute Leukemia
2 Adrenal Cancer - with distant metastases or inoperable, unresectable or recurrent
3 Alexander Disease (ALX) - Neonatal and Infantile
4 Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
5 Anaplastic Adrenal Cancer - with distant metastases or inoperable, unresectable or recurrent
6 Astrocytoma - Grade III and IV
7 Bladder Cancer - with distant metastases or inoperable or unresectable
8 Bone Cancer - with distant metastases or inoperable or unresectable
9 Breast Cancer - with distant metastases or inoperable or unresectable
10 Canavan Disease (CD)
11 Cerebro Oculo Facio Skeletal (COFS) Syndrome
12 Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) - Blast Phase
13 Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) - Adult
14 Ependymoblastoma (Child Brain Tumor)
15 Esophageal Cancer
16 Farber's Disease (FD) - Infantile
17 Friedreichs Ataxia (FRDA)
18 Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), Picks Disease -Type A - Adult
19 Gallbladder Cancer
20 Gaucher Disease (GD) - Type 2
21 Glioblastoma Multiforme (Brain Tumor)
22 Head and Neck Cancers - with distant metastasis or inoperable or uresectable
23 Infantile Neuroaxonal Dystrophy (INAD)
24 Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC)
25 Kidney Cancer - inoperable or unresectable
26 Krabbe Disease (KD) - Infantile
27 Large Intestine Cancer - with distant metastasis or inoperable, unresectable or recurrent
28 Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome (LNS)
29 Liver Cancer
30 Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL)
31 Metachromatic Leukodystrophy (MLD) - Late Infantile
32 Niemann-Pick Disease (NPD) - Type A
33 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer - with metastases to or beyond the hilar nodes or inoperable, unresectable or recurrent
34 Ornithine Transcarbamylase (OTC) Deficiency
35 Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) - Type II
36 Ovarian Cancer - with distant metastases or inoperable or unresectable
37 Pancreatic Cancer
38 Peritoneal Mesothelioma
39 Pleural Mesothelioma
40 Pompe Disease - Infantile
41 Rett (RTT) Syndrome
42 Salivary Tumors
43 Sandhoff Disease
44 Small Cell Cancer (of the Large Intestine, Ovary, Prostate, or Uterus)
45 Small Cell Lung Cancer
46 Small Intestine Cancer - with distant metastases or inoperable, unresectable or recurrent
47 Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) - Types 0 And 1
48 Stomach Cancer - with distant metastases or inoperable, unresectable or recurrent
49 Thyroid Cancer
50 Ureter Cancer - with distant metastases or inoperable, unresectable or recurrent

Compassionate Allowances

2009-09-24T17:53:00.001-04:00

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Social Security Online

Social Security has an obligation to provide benefits quickly to applicants whose medical conditions are so serious that their conditions obviously meet disability standards.
Compassionate allowances are a way of quickly identifying diseases and other medical conditions that invariably qualify under the Listing of Impairments based on minimal objective medical information. Compassionate allowances allow Social Security to quickly target the most obviously disabled individuals for allowances based on objective medical information that we can obtain quickly.

Commissioner Astrue has held four Compassionate Allowance public outreach hearings. The hearings were on rare diseases, cancers, traumatic brain injury (TBI) and stroke, and early-onset Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. The Commissioner will hold the fifth public outreach hearing on schizophrenia in November 2009. The hearing will take place in San Francisco, California.

The initial list of Compassionate Allowance conditions was developed as a result of information received at public outreach hearings, public comment on an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, comments received from the Social Security and Disability Determination Service communities, and the counsel of medical and scientific experts. Also, we considered which conditions are most likely to meet our current definition of disability.

A modest 50 conditions were selected for the initiative's rollout. The list which follows will expand over time.

Paying for Alzheimer's Care

2009-09-23T05:33:00.002-04:00

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Brian Willie

Free gift for you

Because you have been interested in paying for Alzheimer's care, here is a free gift for you.

As a caregiver you need inspiration so here is free inspirational wallpaper

Caring for Mom or Dad from a distance

2009-09-22T05:18:00.004-04:00

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Sharon Brothers MSW

Long Distance Caregiving: Advice for the 'Sandwich Generation'

Caregivers of America

Today’s struggling economy and the population’s increasing life expectancy have placed huge demands on caregivers of the elderly. The primary demographic for senior caregiving is the so-called “sandwich generation” – the adult children of seniors who are, in many cases, retirees themselves. The sandwich generation has been tasked not only with caring for their nuclear families but also with taking responsibility for their aging parents. Most feel stretched thin at best and often left wondering how they can alleviate the growing burden of caring for their parents.

Today’s children, too, are often unable to provide the kind of round-the-clock attention they would like to give their aging parents. Families have become increasingly dispersed. Gone are the days when children live in the city or town or even the state which they were born.

Sometimes, children are forced into the heartbreaking position of having to send their parents to a nursing home or a similar community-based health care facility when they require skilled medical care on a daily basis. And some seniors who are still capable of living moderately independent lives are sometimes thrust into uncomfortable and undignified position of having all of their freedoms stripped away simply because no one is available to assist them with simple chores and personal care, or to monitor their daily intake of medications. In these cases, this course of action may be unnecessary by taking some early preventive actions.

So, if you live far away from your loved ones who need some assistance but don’t require skilled medical care, how do you handle caregiving in a long-distance relationship? The following plan will allow you to create a working guide to making assessments, developing care plans and formalizing them into an agreement that will help ease the complication factors of long-distance caregiving.

STEP 1: ASSESSMENT
The first step to conduct is your own assessment in a quiet unobtrusive manner. This can be done via telephone. But it is important to involve those who are physically present with your loved one, such as a friend, church member or someone who regularly sees your loved one and can help you understand his or her needs.
Open the lines of communication.
Ask without being patronizing.
Pay attention and listen.
Poll others.

When you have a concern, it may be tempting to rush to intercede. But it’s better to avoid taking over. Try to come up with a plan together. That way, your loved one will feel as though he or she is making decisions with your help.

STEP 2: DEVELOP A CARE PLAN
The end goal of a care plan is to permit your loved one to age successfully in the home – meaning, there needs to be a plan to address the individual needs of the aging family member. Try to assure that the solutions are really needed, not a struggle for agreement or acquiescence. List the needs for support and additional care that you believe are needed and that others have observed. These will generally fall into the following areas:
Housekeeping – Note what seems to be slipping around the house and move this to the top of the list.
Social and safety needs – transportation, companionship and daily telephone checks. Ask what makes your loved one happy socially.
Nutrition – meal planning, cooking, and meal delivery. Have your loved one make a list of favorite meals. Involvement in the process will go a long way toward making your loved one more receptive.
Health care – nursing, social work, physical and rehabilitative therapy, and medication monitoring. If there are pre-existing conditions, arrange for help to come in or make it as simple as taking a daily stroll.
Personal care – assistance with personal hygiene, medical equipment, dressing, bathing and exercise.

Once you have identified the specific care needs, decide who can devote necessary time and attention to provide support – whether paid help or a family member or members. One of the most important decisions associated with developing a long-distance care plan is considering who will be able to handle the responsibility. Get specific commitments, which need to include, as appropriate, a statement of who, what, when, where, and how.

To relieve some stress, try to spread out the responsibilities. This is especially important when coordinating long-distance caregiving. Then make a list of specific help needed for each task. Try to plan a schedule so tasks are fairly evenly distributed over the week.

In some cases, you may want to consider seeking other forms of support, such as nutrition or preventive health services, and caregiver support services. Keep in mind that many outside services are funded in part through the Older Americans Act and administered by the U.S. Administration on Aging.

STEP 3: CREATE A CAREGIVER AGREEMENT
Setting up a formal caregiver agreement is vital for the protection of all parties involved and is even more important in long-distance caregiving arrangements. Agreements need to be extensively documented and must stand up as arm’s length contracts. Family members involved in the process need to be sensitive to how arrangement might affect relationships among family members. Here are some tips on setting up these necessary agreements:
· Carefully define care needs. At this point in the process, an assessment has already taken place. Take this assessment and clearly outline the specific duties and responsibilities the caregiver will be required to provide. It immediately defines the caregiver role and helps families avoid communication problems later. Keep in mind that agreements need to anticipate future changes, depending on health and environment of your loved one.
· Put the plan in writing. The care plan is the set of instructions for the caregiver to follow when assisting your loved one with the activities of daily living. It includes instructions on personal care, exercise, meal preparation and household activities that you created in Step 2. Putting the instructions in writing should alleviate any questions and help you manage the process from a distance.
· Make a financial plan. Conduct a financial assessment based on current and future resources. Properly developed caregiving agreements enable compensation payments that do not adversely affect Medicaid eligibility. The payments can also reduce the assets subject to estate taxation of the person receiving the care.
· Put the contract in writing. Whether it involves family members, a friend or hired helper, the contract must be in writing. Include a medical report with specific medical services needed from a doctor. To protect everyone involved, the family should use an attorney to help with the agreement.

Remember: The care plan is an ever-changing document. You will need to evaluate and modify the plan, based on feedback from your loved one, your own assessment or a professional caregiver’s observations. It is especially important in a long-distance caregiving situation to check in frequently with all parties involved and adjust the agreement, based on changing needs.

While the aging loved one in your life is likely to prefer the idea of staying in his or her own home, as a long-distance caregiver, there are many considerations and worries that go along with this decision. Use the tips provided to get started and know that long-distance caregiving can be a successful option for many with the right planning, communication and cooperation

Celebrate World Alzheimer's Day

2009-09-20T18:13:00.002-04:00

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here are more interesting dementia brain boosting activities

Healthnews-stat.com

Author Susan Berg says "It is everyone’s duty to embrace this day because there is no time to lose when fighting the battle of preventing this terrible disease." Here are some simple things you can do

What do you know about Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias?

How can you decrease your chances of getting these disease?

How can you help someone with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia?

This year’s theme is 'Diagnosing Dementia: See It Sooner'
Yes, there is an urgency for all to learn about these diseases and do what they can to prevent them in themselves. Also legislators need to contacted so more funds can be allocated for research. World Alzheimer’s day, on Sept 21, is the perfect time to do this.

Approximately 5.3 million people in the United States already have Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia. The number will continue to grow as the baby boomers reach the age of retirement.

What can you do right now to lessen your chances of getting these diseases?

1. Stop smoking! There is nothing positive about smoking. Studies have shown that smoking not only raises your chances of developing dementia, but it also increases your chances of getting other diseases.

2. Eat a healthy diet. Research suggests that the Mediterranean diet staves off the onset of dementia

3. Keep mentally active. Again studies have shown this, to be a way to delay the onset of dementia.

4. Keep physically active. Research indicates that moderate exercise at least a half an hour three times a week is another way to keep dementia from affecting you.

How can you help others?

Donate to the Alzheimer’s Association. Give your time and/ or money. Help with special events. Organize fund raisers.

Susan Berg has written a book called, Adorable Photographs of Our Baby, for those with dementia, their caregivers, and interested professionals.
She is donating money to the Alzheimer’s Association for each book she sells. She is passionate about educating others on these diseases. Visit her blog at http://dementiaviews.blogspot.com.

You or someone you know could develop symptoms tomorrow. The cost of caring for those with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia is expensive monetarily, physically, emotionally, and psychologically.

So please acknowledge World Alzheimer’s Day, this Monday, September 21st

Four ways to celebrate the High Holidays with those who have dementia

2009-09-17T05:12:00.003-04:00

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here are more interesting dementia brain boosting activities

Healthnews-stat.com

5770 marks the beginning of another year. 5.3 million Americans have dementia. A good number of them are Jewish. What can you do to make someone with dementia feel good this Rosh Hashanah?

How celebrating this holy day helps uplift their spirit and yours

Here are some suggestions

Pray with them.

Most folks with dementia have strong ties to their religion. Even those with advanced dementia may spontaneously recite portions of a prayer service that was part of their past.
The problem may be to find a service that is appropriate. The traditional service is long and crowded.
Here are a few suggestions
*Go at the beginning or end of the service. That is when the least amount of congregants is in attendance.
*Contact some assisted living or nursing homes in the area. Many of them have short simple services highlighting the important prayers. This is a win, win situation. You can see what a place is like, and most often, activity directors love having visitors attend group activities. It makes all involved feel good. If this is not possible, have a short service at home. If you explain the situation to the Rabbi, he or she will let you borrow or buy a prayer book. He may even drop by for a visit. Alternatively, you can find some prayers online. Make sure to include some songs in your service or just sing the songs throughout the holiday. A good song might be: Shalom Aleichem

Carry on a family tradition

All families have something special they do during the high holidays. Of course, most families go to a synagogue. What about after that? Maybe you went to Aunt Betty’s. Aunt Betty may no longer be around, but you can recreate the atmosphere that was there. Invite one or two understanding friends to help you with this. The memories of visiting Aunt Betty will be there

Related to this is talking about past experiences on Rosh Hashanah or other holidays.

Discuss what happened at Aunt Betty’s. Regale a story about a funny experience that took place at Aunt Betty’s.
Do not ask: Do you remember?, but rather, just tell the story and let your loved one with dementia add comments. Talk about family members both past and present. You might say: "When Uncle Harry shook the table, he made us all laugh". Tell some jokes and laugh some more. Laughter is the best medicine

Eat a traditional meal or foods together

This activity can wake up the taste buds of a dementia person. Before the holiday, discuss the recipes. Talk about different ingredients you need. Prepare a simple recipe together. Plan the meal. Ask: What should we eat first?etc.
Have him or her help set the table or fold the napkins.
You can talk about favorite family foods. Then make sure you have some of these favorites during the actual meal.

No matter what you do the goal is to make your loved one with dementia, feel good. Do not be a stickler for the rules. Reward good tries. If you feel a need to go to a traditional service, hire someone or have a friend go with you. If the service is too much for the dementia person, the friend can take him for a walk or take him home. Often congregants feel a need to take a break from the service whether they have dementia or not.

With some planning, this Rosh Hashanah, 5770, can be a good one for you and your loved one with dementia

Alzheimer's ideas
Alzheimer's ideas page 5

Smart Medication Management Can Promote Compassionate Caregiving

2009-09-15T17:38:00.004-04:00

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here are more interesting dementia brain boosting activities

Sharon Brothers MSW

Are you a family caregiver?

View a FREE training module, Becoming a Caregiver

invited Katie Huffstetler from the company Senior Living Communities to share an innovation her company is implementing to help with the challenge of medication management. Here's her guest article:

It's hard to move out of a family home into an assisted living community. If that community feels like home, however, that move can be just a little easier.

The company I work for recently announced a new initiative designed to reduce drug error rates and enhance residents' quality of life by taking the med-cart out of medication management. In our communities, assisted-living residents will enjoy an in-suite, secure cabinet that houses their pre-packaged medication. Each pouch has a bar-code that nurses will scan into a community-wide computer system, recording when the medication is given and ensuring accurate dosage practices. With caregivers inputting information electronically, transcription errors are virtually eliminated.

For caregivers that means one thing ... peace of mind. The added bonus of a decrease in institutional scheduling means residents can dictate when they would like to take their medication, just as they would if they were living independently. Although they will continue to take their medications as prescribed by their physician, residents will not be on a rigid, operational timeframe. Morning medication can be taken before or after their first cup of coffee, according to their individual preferences.

Did you know recent statistics estimate more than 25 percent of assisted living residents enter facilities as a result of poor medication management?

New technology gives us a tool to help people avoid this need, by better managing their medication at home. In our independent living retirement communities we've partnered with Concept Medical Technologies to provide MedAssure to the residents living there. MedAssure is a counter-top computer capable of storing and dispensing pouch-packaged medication at a scheduled time. Residents or caregivers program alerts into MedAssure and the computer notifies its user when it is time to take their medication. The machine continues to prompt users to take their medication until the correct pouch is removed.

MedAssure is also capable of sending text or e-mail messages to residents, family members or caregivers if they prefer a text reminder instead of an audible alarm. The computer gives caregivers a sense of safety without compromising Mom and Dad's independence or their health.

These improvements are broad in scope, but it's the little successes that mean the most when you're a caregiver. The industry as a whole faces huge challenges when it comes to implementing operational changes that make residents feel at-home in their surroundings, but if we can agree to think like caregivers, we'll understand that it's not so much about efficiency or productivity as it is about putting a smile on the face of someone we love. For more information about Senior Living Communities, visit our Web site at www.senior-living-communities.com.

How can enrollment in a hospice program help in late stage Alzheimer's?

2009-09-14T05:26:00.002-04:00

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here are more interesting dementia brain boosting activities

American Hospice Foundation

Unfortunately, patients with end-stage Alzheimer’s disease often receive burdensome medical interventions of questionable benefit and suffer from inadequately controlled symptoms. One study showed that, although end-stage Alzheimer’s patients have four to five times the mortality rate after pneumonia or hip fracture of those without dementia, they receive the same amount of painful procedures, including daily needle sticks for blood work, placement of intravenous catheters, and painful injections of medicines. In this same study, Alzheimer’s patients were more likely to undergo placement of catheters into the bladder and placement of feeding tubes through the nose or surgically through the abdomen than patients who were not demented. In spite of the fact that tube feeding has not been shown to prevent aspiration (contents of mouth or stomach go into the lung), prolong survival, reduce infections, improve functioning, or increase patient comfort, persons with advanced Alzheimer’s disease undergo placement of feeding tubes at alarming rates. Tube-fed patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementing illnesses typically die within a year, have increased lung infections, and show increased agitation requiring more use of physical restraints and sedation, which in turn results in more instances of painful skin breakdown.

Hospice and palliative care can help address these issues for patients and their families.

Hospice care typically addresses directly what studies have shown patients with serious illnesses want (Singer et al, JAMA 1999; 281(2), 163-168):

Pain and symptom control
Avoid inappropriate prolongation of the dying process
Achieve a sense of control
Relieve burdens on family
Strengthen relationships with loved ones
Hospice care also addresses what family members and caregivers want (Tolle et al, Oregon Report Card 1999; www.ohsu.edu/ethics):

Loved one’s wishes honored
Inclusion in decision processes
Support/assistance at home
Practical help (transportation, medicines, equipment)
Personal care needs (bathing, feeding, toileting)
Honest information
24/7 access
To be listened to
Privacy
To be remembered and contacted after the death
Hospices stress excellent management of pain and other distressing symptoms; use an interdisciplinary care team comprised of a physician, nurse, social worker, nurse’s aide, chaplain, and volunteer, to comprehensively address all sources of suffering; and develop an individualized care plan focused on the needs of the patient and family rather than on the disease.

When should I call hospice for my loved one with Alzheimer’s disease?

When your loved one can no longer care for him or herself and has lost the ability to walk independently, especially if you are feeling stressed from caregiving, ask hospice to evaluate your loved one for admission. Particularly when your loved one has begun having choking episodes, is losing weight, or has had fever and infections, it is likely time to ask hospice for help.

Celebrating Grandparents Day and Dementia

2009-09-10T05:17:00.003-04:00

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here are more interesting dementia brain boosting activities

Healthnews-stat.com

Folks with dementia love children, especially babies. Take advantage of Grandparent’s day to allow these two groups of people to connect. Kids make most people smile especially those with dementia

Over 5.3 million Americans have dementia. Most of them are grandparents. Folks with dementia love children, especially babies. Take advantage of Grandparent’s day to allow these two groups of people to connect. Kids make most people smile especially those with dementia

Even though Grandparent’s day is Sept 13, extend it to Grandparent’s week if you are dealing with someone who has dementia. If too many grand kids visit at once, the excitement and confusion might be too much for a dementia person. Have the grandchildren visit one or two at a time. That way quality time is exchanged and the level of confusion is kept at a minimum.

Keep visits short. Discuss dementia with the children before the visit. There are many good books to assist you in helping a child to understand dementia. One such book is The Magic Tape Recorder by Joyce Simard. This is a thoughtful and well written book that explains the effects of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias to children in a light and entertaining way. If the youngsters are familiar with the disease, the time spent together will be more meaningful for all.

What should you do during the visit?
There are many activities that both the dementia person and children enjoy.
*Look at family pictures and recall the stories that go with them. Of course, you would have told the child that he may hear the same story several times. If you do not have old family photos or have not organized them yet, use this book, Adorable Photographs of Our Baby-Meaningful, Mind Stimulating Activities and More for the Memory Challenged, their Loved Ones and Involved Professionals, by Susan Berg. It not only has cute conversation stimulating baby pictures, but activity ideas related to the photos are suggested.
*Sing familiar songs together. Patriotic songs are ideal because most people, young and old, know them. Some good songs are: America, America the Beautiful, and God Bless America
*Watch a portion of a classic musical movie. Do not try to watch too long because the dementia person or child may lose interest. Movie suggestions are: any Shirley Temple movie, Judy Garland movies including, The Wizard of Oz, and The Sound of Music.
*Have a snack or meal together. Everyone loves ice cream.
*Make an old family favorite recipe together. Then eat it
*Go for a ride. Because gasoline prices are high and attention spans are short, a short trip is best.

So this Grandparents day, September 13, include a loved one with dementia and a grandchild in a lovely experience for both.

alzheimers ideas

Formula for Caregiver Success: The 51% Rule

2009-09-08T17:19:00.003-04:00

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here are more interesting dementia articles and activities,

Expert Click

Caregiving Without Regrets: 3 Steps to Avoid Burnout and Manage Disappointment, Guilt, and Anger

Most people caring for loved ones—family caregivers—would love to know where to buy that magic caregiver cape," says Vicki Rackner, former surgeon and founder of The Caregiver Club. "They would always do and say the perfect things. I believe that if caregivers are the kinds of people they want to be 51% of the time, love will take them to 100%"

Rackner suggests that if caregivers hit 51% every day, they're doing a good job. Or at least good enough!

Vicki Rackner MD is a former surgeon and founder of The Caregiver Club. She works with people caring for aging parents who want to manage stress, minimize guilt and avoid burnout…even when it's impossibly overwhelming. Sign up for her free teleseminar, "How to respond to a parent in pain" on the web site www.thecaregiverclub.com.

How You Can Get The Most Popular Dementia Caregiver Training Programs for Just $1...

2009-09-07T07:52:00.004-04:00

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here are more interesting dementia articles and activities,

Brian Willie

You only have until noon today to sign up

You're about to get all this for just one measly little buck...

"Ultimate Alzheimer's Care Rescue Program Module 1-Estate and Life Planning" Retail $197 INCLUDED

"Audio Interview: "Secrets of Finding The Top Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities" Retail $49 INCLUDED

"My Coping Caregiver Video Series" Retail $49 INCLUDED

"Powerful Ways To Sharpen Your Memory" Retail $27 INCLUDED

-----------------

Total Value $322

ALL Four Trainings (INSTANT ACCESS!)

Just $1

Dementia Caregiver Training Program

Dear Alzheimer's Family Member,

As an extra, unadvertised bonus for watching my video "The Difference Between Medicare and Medicaid" this week, I want to give you INSTANT ACCESS to four of my most popular training programs that will teach you:

Estate and Life Planning: Critical Steps To Take Now. This over 1 hour audio is the first of 6 modules in my hugely popular (and sold out) "Ultimate Alzheimer's Care Rescue Program" training series. You get the entire audio recording plus full written transcripts. You'll learn everything you need to know now including how to avoid expensive guardianships when your loved one loses capacity PLUS 3 critical documents everyone must have and MUCH more! I'll give you dozens of things you can put to use today, but this one tip on guardianships alone could save you $5,000-10,000 in attorney fees.

One of my most popular audio interviews with a top nursing home and assisted living expert, Pat Dismukes "Secrets of Finding The Top Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities." Includes full written transcripts of this nearly 60 minute interview with Pat!

My "Coping Caregiver Video Series" Get instant access to 3 "Coping Caregiver" videos. You'll learn "How to Cope With Elderly Parents Moving In," plus "The Job Description of the Hospice Worker" and "Coping With Negative Emotions As Caregivers."

My crticial series "Powerful Ways To Sharpen Your Memory." You'll learn how to dramatically increase your memory. This is one of the keys to warding off Alzheimer's.
These training programs are jam-packed with content, and best of all it's the type of information that you can apply in just a short time and start seeing real results!

Because as you'll soon see, when you go through one of my training programs you enter...

"The No Theory Zone"

What do I mean by "The No Theory Zone"?

Well it's simple. A lot of training programs talk about stuff that used to work (or worse) should work (but maybe doesn't).

My tips, tricks and trainings however, are backed up by real-world experience from my practice and my actual clients.

When I tell you for instance exactly why you should avoid adding a loved one as a joint owner on a bank account or which 3 documents can protect you for years to come, it's not theory, it's because I've used them countless times and they WORK!

And when I tell you why gifting (giving money or property away) can destroy your chances of ever receiving government benefits you may so badly need (and what you can do about it) it's because I've encountered it over and over and IT WORKS!

And when I tell you all about why use of living trusts for Alzheimer's families are usually totally inappropriate and useless and what to do instead it's because IT WORKS!

And when I tell you about one little step you can take today to start planning to find a top nursing home or assisted living facility (even on a budget), it's because IT WORKS!
So in other words, when I tell you something works...IT WORKS...and it can save you countless hours of frustration, spinning your wheels, and save you ALOT of heartache and money!

Here's a closer look at the money and time saving training courses you're about to receive:

Course Descriptions:

In-home caregivers

2009-09-05T14:48:00.005-04:00

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here are more interesting dementia articles and activities,

AZ Central

In-home caregivers

Roles and duties of non-medical home health workers:

What services do they provide?

Non-medical assistance. Responsibilities include basic tasks such as running errands, medication reminders, grocery shopping, light housekeeping and companionship, plus personal care such as dressing, bathing and grooming.

Are there any services they cannot provide?

Private-duty caregivers are not allowed to perform any medical tasks, including administering medication.

How often do they come?

As little or as much as the client wants. Some workers are in a home as little as four or eight hours a week; others provide round-the-clock care.

How much does it cost?

The average in Arizona ranges from $19 to $38 per hour, depending on the level of service and whether the company is Medicare/Medicaid certified.

Does insurance cover care?

It depends. Some people are covered under their long-term care policies. Others pay out of pocket. Seniors who meet certain income requirements and need a nursing-home level of care may qualify for coverage under the Arizona Long Term Care System (ALTCS), which is the state's Medicaid program.

Sources: Genworth Financial, Republic research

Reliable caregiving

If you are interested in hiring an in-home caregiver, here are some questions to ask:

• How long has your agency been in business?

• Do you perform criminal background checks, drug screening and reference checks on your caregivers?

• What other training does my caregiver have? Does he or she know CPR or how to perform first aid?

• How do you match caregivers with prospective clients and families?

• How are emergencies handled after normal business hours?

• How do you monitor your caregivers' services? Does your agency make regular visits to a client's home?

• Does the agency manage all payroll issues? Do you adhere to state and federal guidelines for employment practices, including withholding taxes, providing workers' compensation and other benefits?

• Are your caregivers bonded and insured?

Other tips:

• Check......Read all the in-home caregiver tips

5 ways to ease caregiver stress

2009-09-04T18:01:00.003-04:00

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here are more interesting dementia articles and activities,

AZ Central

Leslie Wright

Psychology Professor David Coon advises caregivers, or anyone under chronic stress, to work to control their reactions to aggravating situations. Here are five of the key tips he gives caregivers to keep it together while tending to someone with dementia or Alzheimer's disease:

Take the signal breath

1 Take the "signal breath." Choose a relaxing word, such as "peace" or "calm." Take four deep breaths and mouth the word when you exhale. Breathing well reduces blood pressure. Coon uses this technique while driving or doing any stressful task. Manage behavior

2 Try to find the reason for a specific behavior. Triggers, such as a noise, a time of day, or the presence of another person, can set off a behavior, such as agitation. If you can find the trigger, you can distract or calm the patient. If you can't, try to control your reaction to the behavior.

Keep a log of incidents and look for patterns.Stop negative thinking

3 Be aware of your negative thought patterns. Coon calls this "hamster-head." Negative thinking goes around and around to no purpose, like a hamster wheel in your head. Challenge yourself when you start thinking in catastrophic terms about your situation. Be aware of your feelings.Communicate with others

4 Asking for help is difficult, but not impossible. Give neighbors tasks if they ask. Contact family members and negotiate for time if they resist helping. Call service agencies that can help.

Assert yourself. Avoid your own isolation. Keep pleasure in your life

5 Develop a list of pleasant events that will give you a lift. Start small and keep it simple: spend time looking at family photos, walking in the park, listening to music. Find something you can do every day to keep joy in your life and do it.....Read more about 5 ways to ease caregiver stress

Celebrating life at the end

2009-09-03T05:48:00.002-04:00

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here are more interesting dementia articles and activities,

Sharon Brothers MSW

Phones ringing at 1:00 in the morning never bring good news.

This weekend, our family experienced that 1 am phone call bringing news of the death of my husband's mother. It wasn't unexpected; in fact, it was a blessed relief for the entire family who had watched her growing increasingly weak and less responsive day by day over the past several weeks.

Early on, she would grasp our hands and say, "You know that I don't want to linger. I just want to go quickly." Initially we'd encourage her to hang on and fight, but, as time passed, it was clear that lingering wasn't adding to the quality of her life. We begin to spend the time we could with her laughing whenever possible, talking about her many grandchildren and their adventures, and sharing life with her. Sometimes we'd simply sit and hold hands with her while we watched the news or one of her favorite shows together.

Until the last day, she'd usually grasp our hand with both of hers and hold on tight. Even when she couldn't talk, she'd look in our eyes and communicate that she valued the time we spent with her.

On the last day, she no longer had the spark of life in her eyes, even though she continued to breath. She couldn't speak; perhaps she could hear us and feel our touch, but we couldn't see a sign of her spirit left in her body. We took our turns crying with her and each other; it was clear that we had lost her.

So when the phone call came, it was a blessed relief to know it was finally over for her physical body, too.

We were lucky to have all our children home this weekend. We had a chance to talk a bit about how we handle the death of loved ones, both personally and as a society. I instructed my eldest daughter to make sure I was cremated and put in a lime-green urn (she and I have a running joke about lime green being my favorite color), but mostly we talked about how right it is to mourn while at the same time recognizing that death is a part of each of our life journey.

My mother in law lived a good long life, just two weeks shy of her 91st birthday. This week as we gather with the large, close, extended family she left behind we will cry a little and laugh a lot as we remember - and celebrate - her life

View a FREE training module, Becoming a Caregiver

Senile Dementia Treatment

2009-09-01T17:50:00.004-04:00

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here are more interesting dementia articles and activities,

eHow

Dementia is a condition with many symptoms having to do with memory, thinking, learning, and perceiving. Many things cause dementia. Some conditions are reversible and are alleviated by treating the underlying cause. Some types of dementia are irreversible. The most common type of this dementia is Alzheimer's disease. The second most common type is vascular or multi-infarct dementia. Lewy body dementia and frontotemporal lobe dementia are also fairly common irreversible dementias. At the present time, treating the symptoms is the only option. Often, people with dementia exhibit problem behavior. Managing this is necessary because these people can be a danger to themselves or others. Without treating these symptoms, geriatric psychiatric facilities would be overloaded.
Many scientists, from all over the world, research new treatments for dementia. Treating dementia has come a long way, but there is still a long way to go before finding a cure.

Underlying Conditions
There are some conditions causing dementia that are treatable. These ailments include head injuries, chronic drug abuse, removable tumors, normal-pressure hydrocephalus, vitamin B12 and other vitamin deficiencies, malnutrition, hypothyroidism, and hypoglycemia. Treating these conditions will totally or at least partially cure the underlying dementia. The treatments vary depending on the root cause. Some treatments are as simple as eating a healthy diet. Having a complete physical exam by a knowledgeable doctor is the first step in treating senile dementia.
Some persons with dementia will never be the same because the dementia affecting them causes permanent changes in their brain.

Standard Treatment
Managing the symptoms of irreversible dementia is the standard treatment because there is no way of curing these dementias.
At this time, only three drugs are approved for treating the symptoms. They are donepezil (Aricept®), galantamine (Reminyl®), and rivastigmine (Exelon®). Recently there has been some success with patients using the Exelon patch.
Abnormal proteins and stiff arteries in the brain of those with dementia cause cell death. These drugs work in a similar fashion. They all prevent an enzyme known as acetylcholinesterase from breaking down acetylcholine in the brain. Increased levels of acetylcholine allow for more communication between the remaining nerve cells. Acetylcholine is a chemical messenger. The use of these drugs may temporarily improve or stabilize the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.
Some sufferers cannot tolerate the side effects of these drugs.

Sleep Changes
Those with dementia sleep differently. As we age, changes in sleep patterns occur. These, coupled with a decrease in the circadian cycle length and lack of awareness of the appropriate time to sleep, in those with dementia can affect nighttime sleep.
Managing the behavior of persons with dementia may help. Here are things that may work: restrict caffeine, stimulant medications, and daytime naps; exercise early in the day; keep their room cool and quiet during the night; and limit evening fluid intake.
If none of these suggestions work, certain sleep medications such as chloral hydrate, trazodone, or thioridazine may help.

Behavioral Symptoms
People with dementia may exhibit problem behavior for a number of reasons. Often these behaviors have psychotic features, including hallucinations and delusions. Treat these symptoms with behavior management, if possible.
Try to identify the trigger to the problem behavior. Sensing the start of a problem behavior is key because you are much more likely to stop it in the early phases. Avoid arguing, as the person with dementia will not likely believe what you are saying. Instead, refocus and redirect their attention.
If this does not work, then medication is the next option. Using drugs for convulsions, depression, and mood stabilization may be a good option.

Cognitive Retraining
A relatively new treatment for dementia is......read all of Senile Dementia Treatment

Why Alzheimer's and Other Dementia Caregivers Should Be Honored This Labor Day

2009-08-31T05:30:00.004-04:00

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here are more interesting dementia articles and activities,

Healthnews-stat.com

It is estimated that there are over 55 million caregivers, of people with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, worldwide. Learn what a hard job they have and why they deserve everyone's praise

According to the United States government Labor Day, celebrates the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of America. Alzheimer's and other dementia caregivers certainly meet these criteria.

The first reason to honor these caregivers is for the financial burden they incur when caring for a person with dementia. First the family has consulted an Elder law attorney to get all the finances in order. Most likely the caregiver had to cut back on the hours of paid employment. Despite using all the resources out there, all expenses for the care of a dementia person will not be covered. That means go without, or pay for necessary items out of pocket.

The second reason to pay tribute to ones caring for someone with dementia is their resourcefulness. Caregivers are good at coming up with unique strategies for managing and paying for the supervision of their loved one. They may get help from attending a support group in person or online. However, they are the ones ultimately responsible for a workable plan of care.

Third is recognizing that many perform physically demanding aspects of a dementia persons' care. Many do the bathing, feeding and toileting of their family member with dementia. These tasks are difficult because many with dementia are confused and combative.

Next, these caregivers should be honored for all the time they devote to all aspects of a dementia persons' life. As just mentioned, most caregivers are responsible for the physical aspects of care. But they also must engage their loved one in meaningful activities throughout the day and sometimes well into the night. Fortunately many take advantage of adult day care to ease the burden. Unfortunately some dementia folks refuse to participate in or have behaviors that preclude them from attending these worthwhile programs.

The fifth reason for honoring those caring for a dementia person is all the time they devote to this job. The caregiver is most likely responsible for everything from cleaning to cooking to shopping to yard work. The list seems endless. These tasks are even more difficult because while the caregiver is doing them, he must also keep the dementia person safe.

It has also been reported recently that caregivers take longer to fall asleep despite being exhausted and that caregivers of dementia spouses enjoy life less Not to mention one-quarter of spouses of those with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias are depressed
Also according to a report published by the National Alzheimer's Association, ten million caregivers provided....read all about honoring caregivers on Labor Day

Study gives Alzheimer’s patients hope

2009-08-29T08:42:00.001-04:00

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Posted by Beach Blogger

What worries Ann Massengill and George Stone most about getting older is Alzheimer’s disease. “To me, that’s the worst disease known to man– including cancer and heart problems,” he said. “You’re robbing someone of their entire life… their entire memory from when they were a child to an adult.” “Some days you’re not as sharp as other days, and that scares me,” Ann added. Ann is part of an Alzheimer’s study at St. Petersburg’s Meridien Research . She’s in the beginning stages. Meridien introduces George as her caregiver. “No, I’m her roommate,” he said. “I hate caregiver means that you’ve gone past the last stage that you’re right there at the end. I’m her roommate and we hang out together and do things together and if I can help her by giving her a pill fine.” Ann is trying a new medicine, a strong antihistamine not legalized in the United States. In Russia, it has shown signs of improving memory function. So she’s giving it a try to avoid what she fears most. “Not being able to do things, not be able to care for myself all those awful things that happen to you,” she said. “We are in the dark ages of brain research,” said Dr. Mildred Farmer, a lead researcher at Meridien who’s spent 20 years studying Alzheimer’s. Despite how far medical advances have come researching disease, she said Alzheimer’s continues to elude doctors and scientists. “The reality is that there was a lot of data but not a lot of information,” Dr. Farmer said. “We know a lot of pieces of the puzzle but the puzzle is not entirely put together yet.” At Meridien, they are working to find a cure, with patients like Ann to preserve memory function and perhaps more groundbreaking— focusing on a new treatment for more advanced patients. It centers on the presence of plaques of amyloid that build on the brain, and an investigational drug that scrubs the brain. It’s taken 15 years to get to human trials on patients with Alzheimer’s, but they are there. Current therapies treat only the symptoms of the disease. This would target the disease itself. “We’ll know the answer in a year or so, so we’re right on the cusp of determining whether the ameloid theory is going to work,” Dr. Farmer said. She said everyday they are pioneering, looking.......read all about this Study gives Alzheimer’s patients hope

A Fair Wage for Caregivers

2009-08-27T18:18:00.004-04:00

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

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New York Times

Change is too slow coming for the nation’s one million home care aides. In 2007, the Supreme Court unanimously upheld a 1975 federal labor regulation that defines home care aides as “companions.” That definition exempts home care employers — often for-profit agencies — from having to pay the federal minimum wage or time and a half for overtime.

In explaining their decision, the justices pointed out that the law gives the Labor Department, not the court, the power to change the regulation. Yet, more than two years later, the regulation still stands.

Last month, 15 senators sent a letter to Hilda Solis, President Obama’s labor secretary, urging her to eliminate the “companion” exemption. A month earlier, 37 House members sent a similar letter. But beyond a statement from Ms. Solis expressing concern and pledging to look into the matter, there has been no progress.

Not surprisingly, home care aides — who typically help to feed, dress and move their elderly and disabled clients, in addition to keeping house for them — remain among the most underpaid and overworked in the labor force. They usually manage to make above the nationwide minimum wage ($6.55 an hour now, rising to $7.25 an hour later this month), in large part because many states impose higher minimums than the feds.

Still, most make below $10 an hour. And they are routinely denied overtime pay. Federal rules do not demand it, and only 16 states and the District of Columbia require any extra pay for extra work. Lack of overtime pay is especially unjust in the home care field because extra long shifts, including overnight stays, are common.

Taxpayers ultimately make up for the low pay because many home care aides rely on food stamps and other public assistance. The public pays in other ways, too: turnover is high, undermining the quality of care and driving up overall costs.

The Labor Department got off to a slow start when Republican senators held up Ms. Solis’s confirmation, in part, to protest her support for unions. But further delay raises the danger that the plight of home care aides will get mired in the broader debate over health care costs.

Another danger is that industry opposition to better pay will gain renewed traction in today’s troubled economy. Some home care employers say that having to pay extra for overtime could drive them out of business. In states where varying degrees.....read all of A Fair Wage for Caregivers

A mean and hurtful Alzheimers parent

2009-08-26T05:35:00.005-04:00

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Caring.com

Katemom

My mom was diagnosed with alzheimer's several years ago and begun on medication. She did ok and the progression was slow.About a year and a half ago, she had other health concerns and we had to stop all medications. Last spring, she asked me and my family to move in with her. We sold our house and moved 2 teenagers, 2 cats and me and my husband into her home. She was willing to allow us to change the bedrooms for the kids, and make the living room into our bedroom so she could keep her master bedroom. She said whatever it took, she was afraid to stay alone anymore. She has never admited to her diagnosis, and adamantly denies it. Now that we have sold a lot of our possessions and moved in, she is very possessive. She won't give up things that haven't been used in 50 years, but we have to get rid of a lot. After moving in, she changed her mind about changing things. The kids rooms couldn't be changed, painted, pictures or posters hung, etc, without major arguements. Now, the only thing I hear is how their rooms arent clean and why don't i do something about it. I am so tired. Their rooms are fine, they are a little cluttered, but are clean. She won't give us closet space for storage so we still have things sitting around in our bedroom, because there is nowhere to put it. We've learned to just walk around it, and its really not that bad. Yet she complains about our rooom, too. We now lock it every day. She was always a neat freak, and spent my childhood cleaning all the time. My father is the one that spent time with me. I was a single mom for a long time and had to do things differently and I put my children before housework. We want to paint my 15 year old's room a different color than white, and hang pictures, but she won't allow it. The house is in my name, and whenever we try to do something, she says I just want her house, and her money, and she'll just find somewhere else to live and get out of my way. She always starts arguments in the morning before I have to leave for work and she starts crying. Then she tells my husband about it, then my 20 year old son, about how mean I am. She makes us feel like it is definetly her house, and we are here to serve her. I feel guilty when I get upset with her, but I can't help it. We moved here instead of moving her to us because this is the family home and the house was larger than ours, and more easily adaptable. She tells me how wonderful my brother is because he's always outside working at his house. Of course, he's the one who wanted me here, and his kids are grown and gone. I guess I am just really frustrated and tired of being the bad guy. She can be so hurtful in what she says to me, and when she tells her friends about how mean I am. We cook and clean for her, do her laundry, fix her medicines, take her to her doctors appointments, and to her hair salon every week. All I do in my free time, is take her or my 15 year old somewhere. I also work full time. When I get home, I am tired. She wants me to be perfect, but I am not. I am just feeling so alone right now. She used to be fun to be around, and now she's hateful all the time. You have to watch what you say, or she takes it wrong. I don't know what I am asking from this, but I just need someone to say they understand, and maybe I am not the only one who's parent is so mean to them. I do care what people say about me, and it really bothers me that they think I moved here to get her stuff. We don't talk about the alzheimers, so most of her friends don't know the real story.

Do you have any thoughts go to caring.com hurtful Alzheimers parent

Alzheimer's training programs for One Dollar

2009-08-24T18:00:00.003-04:00

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here are more interesting dementia articles and activities,

Paying for Alzheimer's Care
Brian Willie

FACT: Training #1 alone was part of my Ultimate Alzheimer's Care
Rescue Program which sold for up to $497 (and is not even available
at the moment because it's sold out).

FACT: When I released this course, it
sold out in 6 days.

FACT: Training #2 features the top expert in the country on how to
find the best nursing homes and assisted living facilities-even on
a budget and even with Medicaid.

You pay just $1 for these two training programs (plus 2 other great training programs)
and you get instant access to:

-The entire first module of my Ultimate Alzheimer's Care Rescue
Program (full audio, written transcripts and all!) Value: $197

-"Secrets of Finding the Best Nursing Homes and Assisted Living
Facilities." (full audio and written transcripts) Value: $49

- My "Coping Caregiver Video Series" Value: $49

- "Powerful Ways To Sharpen Your Memory" Value: $27

PLUS

-An entire month Free in my Alzheimer's Care Rescue Club

I'm basically giving it away. (Yeah - my
jaw dropped, too.)

Get yours here before I run out or come to my senses and pull the
page down:

Warmly,

-Brian Willie
Elder Law Attorney and Founder of Paying For Alzheimer's Care
P.S. - I'll be taking this page down soon so
get yours NOW while you still can! It's just $1.

P.P.S. How often are you able to get $322 worth of training for
only $1?

Family carers acting as ‘expert speakers’ on dementia care

2009-08-22T08:29:00.003-04:00

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here are more interesting dementia articles and activities,

NursingTimes.net

Family carers of people with dementia are acting as ‘expert speakers’ to help train healthcare professionals in dementia care.

Under a scheme run by the organisation Uniting Carers for dementia, family carers are sharing their experiences to help improve healthcare professionals’ knowledge and understanding of the condition.

As well as raising awareness of dementia, the scheme is designed to empower the family carers themselves, and give healthcare workers an insight into the difficulties family carers face.

‘Offering professionals the opportunity to learn from family carers can make a real difference to a residential home carer, social worker, nurse or doctor,’ said a spokesperson for Uniting Carers for dementia, part of the charity for dementia

‘It can lead to a real.......read more about Family carers acting as expert speakers on dementia

How to Care for a Dementia Patient

2009-08-20T19:11:00.003-04:00

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

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eHow

By kjones83

Caring for someone who suffers from dementia requires a lot of compassion, patience, and most of all, knowledge about this affliction. Whether you are a loved one or professional caregiver, these basic rules will help you.
And remember to always leave any real medical care to a professional.

Step 1 Remember that someone who suffers from dementia has good days and bad. At some points, they may be more responsive and alert. At other times, they may be withdrawn, angry or confused. Learn to recognize their state and respond accordingly.

Step 2 Be aware that many dementia patients tend to wander. If your loved one or patient often becomes restless and tries to wander, instead take them on a supervised walk. This often soothes their need to move around.

Step 3 If the patient or loved one does not know the accurate year, month or day of the week, do not correct them. This will only lead to further confusion. Instead, steer the conversation toward a more general but related topic. For instance, if the patient thinks it is 1942, ask "But how is the weather out today?"

Step 4 Familiar objects can often be a source of comfort to those with dementia. Keep these items around to help a dementia patient gain a sense of recognition when they are feeling confused.

For more dementia patient care tips

Caregiver Guilt

2009-08-19T17:38:00.003-04:00

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here are more interesting dementia articles and activities,

Sharon Brothers MSW

Are you looking for caregiver training?

Check out the Personal Care Aide Certification - a comprehensive training program for family, in-home and assisted living caregivers.

Paula Spencer, senior editor at Caring.com wrote a great article on caregiver guilt titled "Aging and Caring: The secret guilt of caregivers" which I highly recommend both to caregivers and to professionals trying to better understand the challenges of family caregivers.

Paula points out that caregiver guilt closely mirrors what she calls "mom guilt."

She's so right, in my experience. Talking with families about leaving mom or dad off at their new retirement community or assisted living home, many report feeling like "leaving my kid at kindergarten or preschool the first day of school." It's a feeling of anxious uncertainty, wondering if you've made the right decision; if he/she will be OK; if the people in charge will do the right thing.

I believe strongly that becoming a family caregiver doesn't mean we're now parenting our parents; rather, we're experiencing yet another role shift in our relationship as we have at various times throughout life. Still, the feelings of parenting seems pretty close to some of the guilt-feelings of caregiving. When your child (mom) is ill, should you just watch and see, or rush to the doctor? It always seems that whichever choice you make will inevitably be the wrong one...and more guilt rushes in.

Paula shares some great "rules of thumb" about handing guilt:

You can't ignore this pesky emotion, can't will it away. Guilt simply is. So straight off, don't think there's anything bad or wrong about your feeling it.

There's good guilt and bad guilt. Good guilt is the kind that causes us to examine our behavior and make a change, if necessary. If you feel guilty because, say, you were impatient with a parent with dementia, it's like a little poke reminding you to try a little harder next time because hey, patience really is a virtue. Unfortunately what eats most of us alive is bad guilt. Bad guilt has no constructive underbelly. Bad guilt makes you feel guilty about a situation that you can't help (your parent has to move into rehab, for example) or that is actually a positive for you (you're hiring home care because you can't do it all yourself)

Beware the oughts-shoulda-couldas. For caregivers, this refrain can sound like: "I ought to be able to handle this; I'm her daughter." Or, "I shouldn't feel so happy about going someplace without Dad." Or, "I could have handled that better." Things (and feelings) are what they are; stewing or denying wastes precious energy.

Guilt creeps in when we discount ourselves. Ironically, selfless people tend to feel proportionately more guilt. Because they work so hard aspiring to an ideal way of doing things for others, they tend to ignore the inconvenient reality that they have to look after themselves all the more. They may even forget that they, too, deserve extras and shortcuts. Or, when they finally get around to (by choice or force) having a Calgon bath or lunching out with friends, it feels as alien as it does great. That's a sign you probably need to follow your self care with more self care.

Guilt loves high standards. News flash: Nobody's perfect. No caregiver anticipates every fall or bedsore. Tempers boil. Germs sneak in. Bills slip through unpaid. Life happens, in other words, no matter how much you love the person or how much you feel you "owe" him or her. Aim to be a "B" caregiver instead of an A+ caregiver, and everybody's going to be happier.

No mom is an island. No caregiver, either. I think it's no coincidence that most of the "happy guilt" that creeps into a caregiver's mind follows having the load lightened by getting help. It's such a persistent canard that it's somehow a sign of weakness to ask for or find assistance, and from as many sources of help as you can locate or who will offer it.

When my kids were little I learned that, as a working mom with three little girls, guilt would be a part of my life. Somehow, just accepting that seems to make it a little less powerful, and maybe lets us get on with life and do what we need to do, in our very own personal style.

How to Cope with a Loved One with Dementia

2009-08-18T05:25:00.004-04:00

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here are more interesting dementia articles and activities,

eHow

By DLR Writer

When a loved one is diagnosed with Dementia it can be a frightening thing for both the loved one and for the rest of their family. People with dementia do not know that something is wrong with their minds and may just think that people are treating them differently. Dementia will in almost every case, turn into Alzheimer's, another devastating disease. I hope that by reading the following suggestions, that you will learn how to cope and help a loved living with this condition

Step 1 It is very important to educate yourself on how a person with dementia might act and react in certain situations. Being prepared to answer questions over and over again, reminding the person of what they just said, or helping them recall memories is a big part of dealing with a loved one with dementia.

Step 2 Dementia can cause your loved ones to become agitated, they will get upset, angry, frustrated and may even lash out physically. A change in surroundings can unravel them because they are easily confused and may see things as detrimental to them and not helpful. Staying calm in these situations is key, if you get upset, they will most likely get more frustrated and more upset. Let them do things their way, as long as they aren't in any danger, let them make the call, just be there for them.

Step 3 Some people with dementia will have trouble going to sleep, try helping them out by having them be aware of the time, bring up the time in conversation, or make a comment that it is late or that it's dark outside to trigger them. They will sometimes just get turned around and not realize that it is nighttime instead of daytime. Place a clock near their bed so they can see the time. Sometimes the dark can cause confusion, place a plug-in nightlight in their room so it's not completely dark.

Step 4 Dementia can also cause a person to wander; they become anxious and confused and are just trying to figure out where they are. Be sure if they are in a room that is locked. Placing an alarm on the door will help in alerting you if they leave their room. This may seem like you are keeping them prisoner, but remember that you are doing it as a safety precaution and because you love them.

Step 5 Dealing with a loved one who has dementia is extremely hard, but with a good support system and education, you can help your loved one lead a better life. Spend as much time as you can with them and maybe even join a support group to help you cope. Dementia doesn't get better, but by being there for your loved one and knowing how to deal with them can be the best medicine ever.

Determining will-writing competency

2009-08-17T05:41:00.003-04:00

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New Jersey Business News

by Karin Price Mueller
Friday August 14, 2009, 8:00 AM
Q: You answered a question last month about the transfer of a home from an elderly mother who has dementia to her caregiver child.

If the mother has dementia, how could she have the mental capacity to make such a gift?

When my mother wanted to change her will, the lawyer said no because he had concerns about her mental capacity and her doctor wouldn't say she was of sound mind.

My mother did write out the will in her own hand. How valid would such a will be if challenged by other family members?

-- Anonymous

A: That's a great question, and determining competency can be a confusing topic.

An elderly person could have dementia, but depending on the extent of the dementia, she might still have the competency to consummate a gift transfer, said Martin Shenkman, Paramus-based attorney and author of "Estate Planning for People with Chronic Illness or Disability."

''Someone can have dementia and suffer a stroke and still be competent to sign a will,'' Shenkman said. ''There are a number of different types of dementia and a stroke can have a wide possible range of impact.''

If someone is deemed incompetent, it's possible that she previously signed a durable power of attorney, which appoints an agent to make financial decisions, possibly including gifts, or a living trust with gift provisions, Shenkman said.

''If so, then the agent or trustee might have made the gift for her,'' he said. Your mom's handwritten will could be problematic.

''I am not sure what the lawyer intends to do with the read all of.......Determining will-writing competency

How Alzheimer's Families Can Immediately Stop Depleting Assets

2009-08-15T14:12:00.004-04:00

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paying for alzheimers care

Stop Depleting Assets, Draining Nest Eggs And Finally Gain Back Your Control

Brian Willie

If your family is dealing with Alzheimer’s you have more than enough to worry about. Let me help! As the mind and body of your loved one starts to shut down, they will need help-- especially when the need for long-term care is close at hand.

Sadly, the medical symptoms can’t be reversed at this time, BUT THE STRESS AND WORRY OVER THE COSTS, CAN!

We still don’t understand exactly how Alzheimer’s disease damages the brain, but we do know that it strikes gradually and ferociously. And, the financial strain put on families can be just as unkind.

I’m sure you’re more than aware how difficult this disease can be emotionally, physically and financially. It can literally make you feel helpless. The negative impact on your health, employment, income and financial security can cause you to experience high levels of stress and depression.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, almost 10 million Americans act as Alzheimer’s caregivers, providing some form of care to loved ones with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. Annually, this adds up to a staggering 8.4 billion hours of unpaid care. A contribution valued at $89 billion.

Yet ironically, with billions paid out in government benefits, close to 57% of Americans receive NO FINANCIAL SUPPORT from Medicare, Medicaid or any other government programs.

Financial support that your family is entitled to know about, apply for, and in many cases receive!

I know how hard this wretched disease is to deal with. Like you, I have watched someone special change before my eyes, and I understand how frustrating and overwhelming the disease can be.

I’ve experienced the stress of dealing with someone who seems deliberately difficult or who fails to recognize that something is even wrong…and how a life that was once filled with exuberance has been reduced to the heartache that they may now not recognize you. I know how hard it is to focus on anything else, let alone money.

But, eventually you will have to prepare for your loved one’s long-term care…and the literally shocking costs that you will face.

Find Comfort in Knowing Your
Financial Options

There are many ways to relieve the financial burden that occurs with Alzheimer’s disease. But getting assistance from read more of How Alzheimer's Families Can Immediately Stop Depleting Assets

How To Tell The Difference Between Medicare and Medicaid And Why It's Crucial To Understand

2009-08-14T05:14:00.003-04:00

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here are more interesting dementia articles and activities,

Paying for Alzheimer's Care

Brian Willie

Not knowing how government programs work and more importantly the mindset of the people who work for these programs can quite literally mean the difference between having your assited living facility, nursing home or at-home care paid for, or running out of money in less than 26 weeks, depleting your assets, and draining your nest egg.

Why?

Because of.........

These are the innocent mistakes people so frequently make that end up costing them thousands and in some cases hundreds of thousands of dollars. Why? Because they are forced to pay privately with their own funds, or borrow from their friends and families because they were either denied or told they must ride out stiff penalty periods--periods of ineligibility........Read all of The Difference Between Medicare and Medicaid

2009-08-13T05:33:00.002-04:00

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

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Aging Care.com

Carol Bradley Bursack

Covered in this article:
Dementia contributes to elder's fear of outside caregivers
Trying a new caregiver might alleviate elder's fear and abuse

When my uncle had in-home health care, he liked a couple of the caregivers, he thought one was okay, and barely tolerated two others. I wasn’t always there to witness his behavior, but I’d say that the caregivers he didn’t particularly like were not thrilled with him, either. Yet they did their job.

My neighbor, Joe, had a similar situation. He locked one caregiver out of his home, let another one in but was rude to her, and thoroughly enjoyed one young man because they could discuss golf. Quality of care wasn’t the issue. Joe resented anyone but me helping him, and the only reason he liked the guy was for talking about a shared sport.

Paid caregivers, hired by family members or even elders themselves, go into the elder’s home as nurses, assistants (CNAs) and custodial help (non-medical help such as shopping and light house keeping). Often their best efforts are frustrated by anger and actual abuse dished out by the elder they are there to care for.

I believe some of this abuse comes from fear. The presence of an outsider suggests to the elder that their family can’t (or doesn’t want) to take care of their needs. It also magnifies the extent of the elders’ care needs and makes them feel vulnerable. This fear, plus the denial of their actual need for care, can make them angry. If they are prone to lashing out when angry, then this person who represents the care they wish to deny becomes the target.

Family caregiving: when relationships add to the challenge

2009-08-11T17:10:00.002-04:00

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here are more interesting dementia articles and activities,

Sharon Brothers MSW

Are you a new family caregiver?

View a FREE training module Becoming a Caregiver

We've been discussing some of the most challenging aspects of family caregiving here among our team and we're convinced that the relationship shift is probably right at the top.

Shifting from spouse and equal partners to care provider and recipient must be incredibly difficult. I know from my own experience that shifting from autonomous parent-adult child relationship to one where the parent is dependent on the child for care is challenging and disconcerting.

What about when one sibling sees the parent as smiling, happy and capable (the face she presents to them) while another sees a despondent, helpless elder (the face presented to sibling #2).

Then there's the daughter that feels the need to resolve issues from childhood with a parent before it's too late; issues that bring up long-buried feelings of anger, pain and helplessness.

I remember Emma who, suffering with advanced dementia, needed physical reassurance almost continually throughout the day. She'd hug us frequently, hold our hands and, in general, give and accept physical affection. I didn't think much of it until one day her daughter came into my office and told me, "I don't remember my mother ever hugging me as a child. She simply did not do that - ever." It broke my heart to realize that this warm, loving woman had lived so many years of her life unable to give or receive affection from those closest to her.

As we're working on creating materials to train and support family caregivers we're curious: what's the biggest relationship challenge you've experienced in caregiving? How did you resolve this challenge - how did it affect the caregiving experience?

Cognitive Behavior Therapy Helps Older Adults with Anxiety Reduce Worry, Improve Mental Health

2009-08-10T05:23:00.005-04:00

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here are more interesting dementia articles and activities,

SeniorJournal.com

Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is common in late life, with prevalence up to 7.3 percent in the community

Older adults with generalized anxiety disorder who received cognitive behavior therapy had greater improvement on measures of worry, depression and mental health than patients who received usual care, according to a study in the April 8 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is common in late life, with prevalence up to 7.3 percent in the community and 11.2 percent in primary care. Late-life anxiety predicts increased physical disability, memory difficulties and decreased quality of life, according to background information in the article.

Late-life anxiety is usually treated with medication, but associated risks (e.g., falls, hip fractures, memory problems) with some drugs and patient fears of adverse effects limit their usefulness.

Two previous studies suggested benefits of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) in primary care for late-life GAD, but the studies were small and the conclusions were limited. Older adults most often seek treatment for GAD in primary care.

Melinda A. Stanley, Ph.D., of the Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, and colleagues conducted the first randomized clinical trial of CBT for late-life GAD in primary care to examine whether CBT would improve outcomes relative to enhanced usual care (EUC).

The trial included 134 older adults (average age, 67 years) in two primary care settings, with treatment provided for 3 months. Assessments were conducted at the beginning of the trial, posttreatment (3 months), and over 12 months of follow-up, with assessments at 6, 9, 12 and 15 months.

Patients were randomized to either
● CBT (70 participants), which included education and awareness, relaxation training, cognitive therapy, problem-solving skills training and behavioral sleep management; or
● EUC (64 participants), in which patients were telephoned biweekly during the first 3 months of the study by the same therapists to provide support and ensure patient safety. Therapists reminded patients to call project staff if symptoms worsened.

Levels of anxiety, worry, depression and physical/mental health quality of life were measured via various tests or surveys.

The researchers found that CBT, compared with EUC,...read all about Cognitive Behavior Therapy

Brain Exercises May Delay Dementia

2009-08-08T07:33:00.004-04:00

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US News&World Report

Reading, writing, other brain exercises put off memory decline of dementia.

By LiveScience Staff, LiveScience

Activities that keep the brain active, such as reading, writing and playing card games, may delay the precipitous memory declines that define dementia, a new study suggests.

Dementia is a decline in mental capabilities, especially memory and functioning, that can be caused by specific diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, as well as stroke and infections to the brain.

While genetics are suspected to play a role in dementia, more and more studies are showing that lifestyle factors might also influence the severity of the problems.

The new study, detailed in the Aug. 4 issue of the journal Neurology, involved 488 people age 75 to 85 who did not have dementia at the start of the study. They were followed for an average of five years; during that time 101 of the people developed dementia.

At the beginning of the study, people reported how often they participated in six leisure activities that engage the brain: reading, writing, doing crossword puzzles, playing board or card games, having group discussions, and playing music.

For each activity, daily participation was rated at seven points, several days a week was rated at four points, and weekly participation was rated at one point. The average score was seven points total for those who later developed dementia, meaning they took part in only one of the six activities each day, on average.

The researchers then looked at the point when memory loss started accelerating rapidly for the participants. They found that for every additional activity a person participated in, the onset of rapid memory loss was delayed by 0.18 years, or about 9 weeks.

"The point of accelerated decline was....read all of Brain Exercises May Delay Dementia

Web Site Helps Caregivers Navigate Medicare

2009-08-06T18:25:00.003-04:00

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Kaiser Health News

The Department of Health and Human Services has created a web site called "Ask Medicare" to help caregivers navigate the often confusing Medicare system. CNN reports on the experience of Kim Mickens, a caregiver who used the site to help her mother, who has Alzheimer's disease. "Medicare personnel helped her get some of the medical supplies she needed and also recommend a new Web site called Ask Medicare. Designed to give easy access to people taking care of elderly relatives, Ask Medicare provides information and links to services that are important to caregivers."

CNN reports that HHS says "at least 44 million Americans provide care for a chronically ill, disabled or elderly family member or friend. Of those family caregivers, 7 percent -- like Mickens -- provide 40 hours or more of care a week. The new Web site... is meant to be a navigational tool for caregivers -- for whom time is valuable -- that cuts through all the bureaucratic red tape. ... According to the Center on an Aging Society at Georgetown University, family caregivers provide approximately 80 percent of long-term care services in the United States"

See the topics at Caregivers Navigate Medicare

Don't parent your parents

2009-08-05T05:28:00.003-04:00

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Sharon Brothers MSW

Are you a new family caregiver?
View a FREE training module, Becoming a Caregiver.

Remember your teen years? Most of us cringe when we think of the relationship (or lack thereof) we had with our parents during those years. Some of us (not me, of course!) still have secrets from our folks about our adventures during those tumultuous years...secrets that, God willing, we'll take to our graves!

So why would we want to revert to a relationship with our own parents that echoes those years? Why has our culture assumed that as our roles shift in our later years - as they do throughout life - we're moving to a "role reversal?"

Our relationship with our parents is one of the strongest forces in our lives - from birth onward.

We're 100% dependent on them for our survival in the first years of live. As we mature and naturally progress through the stages of life, our dependency grows less and less, until we're fully independent adults.

Along the way, of course, the relationship is fraught with challenges. Not all parents are up to the task, either physically or emotionally. Relationships can be difficult or destructive instead of nurturing and loving.

Whether the parental relationship is one that is fundamentally healthy or not, many adults in their prime years are finding that the relationship shifts once again. From living independent, largely separate lives, they begin to become more closely intertwined as the child steps into caregiving or advising roles.

It is a shift in roles, but it isn't time to start "parenting" your parents.

It's a time to respect them as adults. Allow them to make their own decisions, even if those decisions are not what you'd prefer. To collaborate in making life-altering moves (like leaving a long time home and moving into a care environment) and decisions about care.

Certainly there are times when our parents are no longer able to make their own decisions because of cognitive declines, confusion or memory loss.

That brings yet another shift in the relationship - but one that still reflects the need to treat our parents as adults, not as children.

Adults with whom we have long relationships, often winding and complex.

Adults in whom we're willing to invest time, energy and passion they move into the latter phases of their lives.

Finding our path to this shift in roles is often difficult. It might include false starts and a need, from time to time, to reconsider our fundamental values in the process.

Let me suggest these values: dignity (respecting privacy, decision-making and adulthood); autonomy (the right to make informed, independent decisions about one's own life, health and circumstances); independence (as opposed to surrender of abilities and decisions); choice (the right to select what one wishes).

Clearly, when mental function is compromised by diseases such as Alzheimer's, some of these values may shift. The value of safety takes precedence over nearly everything else, but we're still shifting roles within the context of adults, not children.

I don't know about you, but I'd pretty much do whatever it takes to avoid going back to a relationship with my parents that feels like adolescence - theirs or mine. I have no interest in reversing the roles (even though imposing a curfew on them might be a little bit fun)!

What I'm interested in is learning how we travel through this next phase of life together, strengthening the relationship we have developed over the years so that it is richer, fuller and even more rewarding to us all.

Rebecca Colmer Speaks to Caregivers about Respite Care

2009-08-03T17:07:00.002-04:00

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bignews.biz

Rebecca Colmer is a Certified Senior Advisor (CSA) and a caregiving professional who developed MeAndMyCaregivers.com, a communications hub for everyone on the care giving team. Rebecca recently spoke at a meeting where adult caregivers get together to network, share ideas and offer support to one another.
The topic of discussion was respite care. “Respite services cover a wide range,” said Colmer. “They may include volunteer services, adult day care or even a care-receiver’s brief stay in a nursing home or assisted living facility. Respite care can also be provided by a private duty nurse, a family member or a friend to give the primary caregiver a break.”
Rebecca explained the importance of scheduling regular respite care to allow the primary caregiver to have time to him/herself. “It is important that the care-receiver and the care giver have some time away from each other. Without a break, the caregiver can develop stress overload or burnout.”
Rebecca covered the details of planning and topics to discuss with respite caregivers, including emergency procedures, medical needs, daily schedule and other special needs that the care receiver may have. “It is a good idea to have detailed instructions written out and ready for the respite caregiver,” said Rebecca. “Do not wait for an emergency to start answering questions; keep the information with the care-receiver’s other important documents.”
Rebecca Colmer is the creator of the Family Caregiver Organizer which includes a Respite Caregiver Checklist.

Memories Return from Depths of Advanced Alzheimer’s for Mice Given Neural Stem Cells

2009-08-01T16:18:00.005-04:00

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SeniorJournal.com

Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health

The stem cells secreted a protein causing new neurites, strengthening and increasing the number of connections between neurons -

It is one of those things you might wish for if given just one wish – the recovery of memory for those suffering with advanced Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists at UC Irvine say they have made it happen using neural stem cells with mice.

The mice, genetically engineered to have Alzheimer's, performed markedly better on memory tests a month after mouse neural stem cells were injected into their brains.

The stem cells secreted a protein that created more neural connections, improving cognitive function and raising hopes of a potential treatment for the leading cause of dementia that afflicts 5.3 million people in the U.S.

Essentially, the cells were producing fertilizer for the brain," said Frank LaFerla, director of UCI's Institute for Memory Impairments & Neurological Disorders, or UCI MIND, and co-author of the study, which appears online the week of July 20 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Lead author Mathew Blurton-Jones, LaFerla and colleagues worked with older mice predisposed to develop brains lesions called plaques and tangles that are the hallmarks of Alzheimer's.

To learn how the stem cells worked, the scientists examined the....read all of Memories Return from Depths of Advanced Alzheimer’s for Mice Given Neural Stem Cells

Eating Strawberries Boosts Brain Power

2009-07-31T12:38:00.002-04:00

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Latest Research Provides More Reasons to Eat America's Favorite Fruit

WATSONVILLE, Calif., July 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Strawberries are good for your brain, according to breaking news out of the 2009 Berry Health Symposium. Several of the latest studies, conducted by world-renowned researchers, consistently showed that strawberry consumption is a simple way to improve cognitive function.

For example, one study presented by researchers from the Chicago Healthy Aging Project (CHAP) showed that older adults who consume strawberries at least once per month have less cognitive decline. More specifically, women who consumed more than one serving of strawberries per month had a 16.2% slower rate of cognitive decline versus those who consumed less.

With increasing age, brain function diminishes. This has been conclusively shown in laboratory studies, by Drs. James Joseph and Barbara Shukitt-Hale of USDA Agricultural Research Service at Tufts University. Their latest research at the conference demonstrated that aging results in deficits in learning, memory and motor function, such as balance and walking speed - and concluded that strawberries and other berries improved both memory and motor function.

Berries Can Preserve Brain Function

Researchers from the 2009 Berry Health Symposium described how berries may be contributing to the preservation........read more about Eating Strawberries Boosts Brain Power

SENIOR SAVVY: No pattern to progression of Alzheimer's disease

2009-07-30T05:13:00.004-04:00

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Daily News Tribune

By Linda Sullivan and Debbie Gitner
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: My mother has Alzheimer's disease. Over the past few years the disease has progressed, but in the last three months I have seen a decline in my mother's ability to dress herself, care for herself and even feed herself. I find that my mother needs reminders to eat. She also has incontinence. Can Alzheimer's disease progress that rapidly?

A: Yes it can. Alzheimer's disease can progress rapidly or progress slowly. There is no pattern to the way the disease progresses. It is unpredictable. Alzheimer's disease affects the way someone is able to care for themselves and make decisions about themselves. As the disease progresses, changes occur such as what you are seeing; incontinence, more help with dressing and grooming, plus an increase in memory loss. The middle stage of Alzheimer's disease can affect a person's ability to walk, and cause them to repeat the same stories or ask the same questions, talk but not always make sense, fidget with things, argue about tasks like taking a shower or changing, and sometimes leave the house to look for their house. Some people have mood changes and become argumentative. They may bite or hit and push away caregivers or family. Other behaviors include thinking items are being stolen. They have poor decision-making skills and little safety awareness. It is also possible that now that your mother needs more care, you are seeing the changes that have been coming on slowly.

Q: My father has Parkinson's disease. It is becoming more difficult for him to care for himself, yet he is trying to stay as independent as possible. What should I be doing for him?

A: Parkinson's affects........read the answer and more No pattern to progression of Alzheimer's disease

Paying for Alzheimer's Care

2009-07-28T17:18:00.003-04:00

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Biian Willie

It's time to face the cold, hard, ugly truth:

We each suffer at the hands of others:

Those we love, those that anger or attack us...

Even at the hands of strangers.

None of us gets through life unscathed. But I
believe conflict empowers us.

In this new video from Chris Cade, he shows you
specifically how to explore the challenges and
traumas you've endured... and transform those
stories into empowering vehicles for success and
empowerment.

Watch the Video Now!
Paying for Alzheimer's Care

Close Relationship With Caregivers Slows Alzheimer's

2009-07-27T05:32:00.005-04:00

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Alzheimer's and Dementia Weekly

A group of Utah State University researchers and colleagues at Johns Hopkins University, Duke University and Boston University have demonstrated that the rate of clinical progression of dementia may be slowed by a close relationship with one's caregiver. The findings will be published in the September 2009 issue of "The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences" by Oxford Journals

The research study "Caregiver Recipient Closeness and Symptom Progression in Alzheimer Disease. The Cache County Dementia Progression Study," started in 2002 and monitored 167 participants with Alzheimer's disease for three years. The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, measured the cognitive and functional status of the participants and the caregiver-reported relationship of the participants. It was found that higher levels of closeness to ones caregiver were significantly associated with a slower decline in both cognitive and functional domains, especially in persons with spouse caregivers.

USU Researchers involved in the study are Maria Norton, associate professor of family, consumer and human development and principal investigator for the Cache County Memory Study, the population wide project from which persons with dementia were identified; JoAnn Tschanz, associate professor of psychology and director of the Cache County Dementia Progression Study; and Kathy Piercy, associate professor of family, consumer and human development; and Chris Corcoran, associate professor of mathematics and statistics.

"This is the first study to demonstrate that, in addition to medications that help slow the progression of the disease, there are non-pharmacologic factors in the caregiving environment that may also help to extend functional abilities and quality of life for the person with dementia," Norton said. "Considering the aging of the 'Baby Boomer' generation, finding ways to reduce risk for development of dementia and slowing the rate of decline in affected individuals are urgent public health priorities."

The researchers will now focus on finding the kind of caregiver activities that may promote the longevity and quality of brain function for those suffering from dementia. The new focus may lead to interventions that will enhance the caregiving relationship and help slow the decline caused by Alzheimer's disease.

USU has collaborated with Duke University and Johns Hopkins University since 1994 when it began the Cache County Memory Study. The study is funded by the National Institute on Aging and has followed an initial cohort of more than 5,000 persons aged 65 and older to study the genetic and environmental factors that affect risk for development of Alzheimer's Disease and other dementias. Persons identified with dementia by the Cache County Memory Study are then monitored by the Cache County Dementia Progression Study.

The Cache County Memory Study follows individuals to the point of dementia onset to study what factors affect risk of developing the disease. The Dementia Progression Study is focused on what factors affect the rate of progression of the disease once....read all of how Caregivers Slows Alzheimer's

DASH Diet Combats Mental Decline

2009-07-25T15:09:00.005-04:00

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WebMD

Brain and Nervous System Health Center

Low-Fat, High-Fiber Diet Curbs Memory Loss

By Charlene Laino

WebMD Health News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD (

Vienna, Austria) -- The low-fat, high-fiber diet recommended for lowering blood pressure may help prevent memory loss and sharpen mental skills.

Known as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension ( DASH) diet, the plan emphasizes fruits and vegetables, nuts and legumes, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products. Sodium, sweets, and red meats are to be consumed sparingly.

In a new study, the greater a person’s adherence to the DASH diet, the slower the rate of mental decline, reports Heidi Wengreen, PhD, RD, assistant professor of nutrition at Utah State University in Logan, and colleagues.

It’s not surprising that the diet worked: The DASH eating plan has been proven to lower blood pressure, and high blood pressure is a known risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, says Ron Munger, PhD, a professor of nutrition at Utah State who also worked on the study.

“Over the years, researchers have tried to slow cognitive decline using single nutrients and supplements, with mixed results. [That’s because] the total diet is greater than the sum of its parts,” he tells WebMD.

Vegetables, Nuts, Whole Grains Help
The study involved 3,831 people 65 and older with no signs of dementia.

At the start of the study, they filled out a 142-item food questionnaire asking what they ate and how often they ate it. Based on their adherence to the components of the DASH diet, the participants were divided into five groups, or quintiles.

A standard test that measures overall cognitive function, including memory, attention span, and problem solving, was given at the outset and four other times over an 11-year period.

The researchers found that those in the highest quintile had the best cognitive functioning at the beginning of the study and the least decline in mental skills over time.

The best foods at curbing mental decline: vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, and nuts and legumes, Munger says.

The findings were presented at the Alzheimer’s Association 2009 International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease.

Not Easy to Follow
The DASH diet isn’t easy to follow, he acknowledges. It calls for a total of eight to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, for example, and “only about 25% of Americans eat even five servings a day,” Munger says.

“The good news is there’s lots of........read more about the
DASH Diet Combats Mental Decline

Spouse Has Dementia? You're at Risk, Too

2009-07-24T05:26:00.005-04:00

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WebMD

Alzheimer's Disease Health Center

Study Shows Husbands and Wives Who Are Caregivers Have Higher Risk of Dementia
By Charlene Laino
WebMD Health NewsReviewed by Louise Chang, MD (Vienna, Austria) -- A first-of-its-kind study suggests that spouses of people with dementia are at substantially increased risk of developing dementia themselves.

Researchers followed more than 1,200 couples for 10 years. They found that wives who cared for husbands with dementia were nearly four times more likely to develop dementia than wives of men who didn't have dementia.

Husband caregivers were almost 12 times more likely to develop dementia than husbands of women who were cognitively healthy, says researcher Maria Norton, PhD, associate professor of gerontology at Utah State University, Logan.

Dementia isn't contagious, of course. "But the amount of stress involved in caring for a spouse with dementia is tremendous," and stress is a known risk factor for dementia, says Ralph Nixon, MD, PhD, a psychiatrist and Alzheimer's disease expert at New York University and vice chairman of the Medical & Scientific Advisory Council at the Alzheimer's Association.

People who are stressed out are also less likely to eat a healthy diet and exercise, both of which are critical to brain health, he tells WebMD. Nixon was not involved with the research.

The study was presented at the Alzheimer's Association 2009 International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease.

Norton tells WebMD that "one might think the couples' shared environment could explain the findings. But we controlled for shared environment, education, and genetics, and ruled all those factors out."

Why are husband caregivers at so much greater risk of developing dementia than the wife caregivers?

Norton believes it's because older men tend to rely on their wives to keep up social ties with relatives and friends. "The social support system shrinks if the wife has dementia," she says.

Also, men often fail to go to the doctor without some nudging from their wives, Norton says. This places them at higher risk for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and other conditions that may raise the risk of dementia.

No matter how sick your spouse is, take care of your own health too, she advises.

Norton offers this advice for adult children of people with dementia:

Visit frequently and.......read all of Spouse Has Dementia? You're at Risk, Too

Lying To Alzheimer's Patients

2009-07-23T05:29:00.003-04:00

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Listen to this interview with Ron Bel Bruno, senior vice president and editorial director at HNW

NPR

For families caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's disease, communication can be emotionally exhausting.

If the family receives bad or disturbing news, is it ever compassionate to not tell the family member with Alzheimer's about it, or even to lie about it?

Lying To Alzheimer's Patients

Diets bad for teeth are also bad for the body

2009-07-21T17:45:00.004-04:00

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PhysOrg.com) -- Dental disease may be a wake-up call that your diet is harming your body.

"The five-alarm fire bell of a tooth ache is difficult to ignore," says Dr. Philippe P. Hujoel, professor of dental public health sciences at the University of Washington School of Dentistry. Beyond the immediate distress, dental pain may portend future medical problems. It may be a warning that the high-glycemic diet that led to dental problems in the short term may, in the long term, lead to potentially serious chronic diseases.

Hujoel reviewed the relationships between diet, dental disease, and chronic systemic illness in a report published July 1 in The Journal of Dental Research. He weighed two contradictory viewpoints on the role of dietary carbohydrates in health and disease. The debate surrounds fermentable carbohydates: foods that turn into simple sugars in the mouth. Fermentable carbohydrates are not just sweets like cookies, doughnuts, cake and candy. They also include bananas and several tropical fruits, sticky fruits like raisins and other dried fruits, and starchy foods like potatoes, refined wheat flour, yams, rice, pasta, pretzels, bread, and corn.

One viewpoint is that certain fermentable carbohydrates are beneficial to general health and that the harmful dental consequences of such a diet should be managed by the tools found in the oral hygiene section of drugstores. A contrasting viewpoint suggests that fermentable carbohydrates are bad for both dental and general health, and that both dental and general health need to be maintained by restricting fermentable carbohydrates.

The differing perspectives on the perceived role of dietary carbohydrates have resulted in opposing approaches to dental disease prevention, Hujoel notes, and have prompted debates in interpreting the link between dental diseases and such systemic diseases as obesity, diabetes, and some forms of cancer.

Over the past twenty years or so, Hujoel says, people have been advised to... read all about Diets bad for teeth are also bad for the body

Caregivers Will Benefit from Adult Day Care

2009-07-20T05:22:00.003-04:00

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gantdaily.com

Llam Jackson, Penn State University

UNIVERSITY PARK - Caring for an elderly family member can be stressful and can pose health threats to caregiver givers. Steven Zarit, professor and head, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Penn State, received a $3 million grant from the National Institute on Aging to study the effects of caregiving on familial caregivers. He will look at people who care for family members with dementia and how adult day care impacts the stress levels of all individuals involved.

People with dementia experience progressive memory loss, which can lead them to act out in ways that are not always easy to handle. They may try to leave the house, struggle with dressing, reject help and become agitated. This erratic behavior requires constant surveillance and any lapses in vigilance could lead to danger. Trained professionals are more prepared to deal with these types of behaviors and often experience less stress than family members.

"Using adult day care can reduce stress for family members by lifting the burden of responsibility from them for a few hours," said Zarit. "At the same time, day care provides stimulating activities that promote sleep and well-being in those being cared for."

Zarit will interview and collect saliva samples from caregivers on eight consecutive days to test both self-perceptions of stress and physiological stress. Because adult day care is typically used only three or four days a week, he will be able to assess how stress levels fluctuate when day care is used or not used.

"In many studies that test stress in individuals, the subjects might only have one day that they experience high stress," said Zarit. "In this experiment, though, participants will experience several days of high stress. This should give us a better understanding of the mechanism through which stress affects our health and it will be able to tell us what happens physiologically when someone reports having a good or bad day."

Through his research.......read all of how.......Caregivers Will Benefit from Adult Day Care whether their loved one has dementia or not

Little-known benefit can help vets, and spouses, with assisted living

2009-07-19T07:54:00.002-04:00

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Philly.com

By Saul Friedman

Newsday (MCT)

Here is some old but good news for veterans of modest means who were in service during wartime and need medical and nursing care.

On Dec. 19, 2006, then-Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson issued a press release "to inform wartime veterans and surviving spouses of deceased wartime veterans about an underused, special monthly pension benefit called 'Aid and Attendance.'"

The press release stated, "Although this is not a new program, not everyone is aware of his or her potential eligibility. The Aid and Attendance pension benefit may be available to wartime veterans and surviving spouses who have in-home care or who live in nursing homes or assisted-living facilities."

Eligible veterans need not have served overseas or in combat; they must have served during the period of a war: World War II, Dec. 7, 1941-Dec. 31, 1946; Korea, June 27, 1950-Jan. 31, 1955; Vietnam, Aug. 5, 1964-May 7, 1975; Persian Gulf War, Aug. 2, 1990 to a date not yet determined.

The press release got little notice, perhaps because Veterans Affairs wanted to save money. But it has surfaced among veterans and elder lawyers such as Frank L. Buquicchio of Islandia, who is accredited by the VA to give advice to and represent veterans.

The head of his law firm, Vincent Russo, said that, other than the press release, the VA had chosen not to publicize this benefit. But, he added, "It can be a lifesaver for veterans and their spouses because the additional monthly payment from the VA can make assisted living more affordable."

As word of the benefit got around, elder law firms throughout the country became.....read all about a benefit can help vets, and spouses, with assisted living

New Treatments for Alzheimer's on the Horizon

2009-07-17T16:06:00.005-04:00

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Forbes

might fight 'tangles' of disease

(HealthDay News) -- New interventions show promise against two different types of brain abnormalities, both of which are implicated in the development and progression of Alzheimer's disease.

A drug called Dimebon seems to improve cognitive function in both mice and humans but, new research reveals, it actually increases brain levels of beta amyloid, a protein long thought to be a leading culprit in the development of Alzheimer's disease.

Meanwhile, a vaccine has had some effect in reducing the number of tau protein tangles that are also associated with Alzheimer's.

Both studies were to be presented Wednesday at the Alzheimer's Association annual meeting, in Vienna.

Beta amyloid is the main "ingredient" in the amyloid protein plaques that are hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. Drug companies around the world are racing to find compounds that can reduce brain levels of beta amyloid.

The drug used in this study is dimebolin (Dimebon), described in the research abstract as a "retired Russian antihistamine."

Right now, researchers aren't sure what to do with the findings.

"This is a very surprising and unexpected result," said study author Dr. Samuel Gandy, associate director of the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. "Virtually every major pharmaceutical company and many academic labs are working on amyloid-lowering drugs, and along comes the most clinically promising drug ever [at least according to the data published in The Lancet last year], and it actually raises amyloid levels," Gandy said.

"This will definitely tell us something previously unsuspected about either a novel drug target or about amyloid metabolism," Gandy continued. "Unraveling this story will change how we think about Alzheimer's drugs, how we think about amyloid, or both."

It could be that Dimebon neutralizes then expels the excess amyloid from the brain, or that there is actually some benefit to having amyloid outside the neuron as opposed to inside (where it might be more toxic), Gandy postulated.

And it's entirely possible that beta amyloid is not the main culprit in Alzheimer's. "It's not clear that amyloid is what's toxic to the neurons and it may be that Dimebon is mobilizing the stuff to get it out of the system," said Dr. Gary Kennedy, director of geriatric psychiatry at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. "Amyloid may be a nasty traveling companion rather than the assassin."

There has been no hint yet that the elevation in beta amyloid levels produces undesirable side effects.

Pharmaceutical companies are working aggressively to move this drug towards a U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval, said Dr. Ralph Nixon, vice chair of the Alzheimer's Association Medical & Scientific Advisory Council.

"Especially if the drug is confirmed to be efficacious in Phase 3 trials, I think this will be a very strong tool to find clues as to what the basic cause of the disease is and some of the factors leading to the development of Alzheimer's," Nixon said. "Some of those factors may be independent of beta amyloid but it's too early to say that. But it certainly raises some interesting thinking about possible other factors that might be targetable as new drug therapies."

A second study found that a vaccine that targets the neurofibrillary "tau" tangles seen in Alzheimer's brains did actually reduce levels of the structure, at least in mice.

Until now, researchers haven't had much success with amyloid immunization or even with previous experiments with tau vaccines, which have caused brain inflammation in past research.

The Israeli researchers immunized mice who had been genetically engineered to develop neurofibrillary tangles with a combination of three phosphorylated-tau peptides, or shortened versions of the protein.

They saw about a 40 percent reduction in the number of tau tangles, with no evidence of brain inflammation.

"There's certainly a great deal of support for tau being very intimately involved with the disease and, although people kind of pit one against the other, I think, at the end of the day, they're going to be relatable through a common mechanism," Nixon said. "We may be beyond the point of thinking it's going to be either/or. It's going to be both and both potentially will be targetable sites."

In related research, scientists from the University of California at Los Angeles and Riverside, along with colleagues from the Human BioMolecular Research Institute, found that a form of.........read all of New Treatments for Alzheimer's

Researchers find possible environmental causes for Alzheimer's, diabetes

2009-07-16T05:13:00.006-04:00

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EurekSlert

Contact: Nancy Cawley Jean
njean@lifespan.org
Lifespan

Researchers find possible environmental causes for Alzheimer's, diabetes
Call for reducing nitrate levels in fertilizer and water, detoxifying food and water
Providence, RI – A new study by researchers at Rhode Island Hospital have found a substantial link between increased levels of nitrates in our environment and food with increased deaths from diseases, including Alzheimer's, diabetes mellitus and Parkinson's. The study was published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease (Volume 17:3 July 2009).

Led by Suzanne de la Monte, MD, MPH, of Rhode Island Hospital, researchers studied the trends in mortality rates due to diseases that are associated with aging, such as diabetes, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, diabetes and cerebrovascular disease, as well as HIV. They found strong parallels between age adjusted increases in death rate from Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and diabetes and the progressive increases in human exposure to nitrates, nitrites and nitrosamines through processed and preserved foods as well as fertilizers. Other diseases including HIV-AIDS, cerebrovascular disease, and leukemia did not exhibit those trends. De la Monte and the authors propose that the increase in exposure plays a critical role in the cause, development and effects of the pandemic of these insulin-resistant diseases.

De la Monte, who is also a professor of pathology and lab medicine at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, says, "We have become a 'nitrosamine generation.' In essence, we have moved to a diet that is rich in amines and nitrates, which lead to increased nitrosamine production. We receive increased exposure through the abundant use of nitrate-containing fertilizers for agriculture." She continues, "Not only do we consume them in processed foods, but they get into our food supply by leeching from the soil and contaminating water supplies used for crop irrigation, food processing and drinking."

Nitrites and nitrates belong to a class of chemical compounds that have been found to be harmful to humans and animals. More than 90 percent of these compounds that have been tested have been determined to be carcinogenic in various organs. They are found in many food products, including fried bacon, cured meats and cheese products as well as beer and water. Exposure also occurs through manufacturing and processing of rubber and latex products, as well as fertilizers, pesticides and cosmetics.

Nitrosamines are formed by a chemical reaction between nitrites or other proteins. Sodium nitrite is deliberately added to meat and fish to prevent toxin production; it is also used to preserve, color and flavor meats. Ground beef, cured meats and bacon in particular contain abundant amounts of amines due to their high protein content. Because of the significant levels of added nitrates and nitrites, nitrosamines are nearly always detectable in these foods. Nitrosamines are also easily generated under strong acid conditions, such as in the stomach, or at high temperatures associated with frying or flame broiling. Reducing sodium nitrite content reduces nitrosamine formation in foods.

Nitrosamines basically become highly reactive at the cellular level, which then alters gene expression and causes DNA damage. The researchers note that the role of nitrosamines has been well-studied, and their role as a carcinogen has been fully documented. The investigators propose that the cellular alterations that occur as a result of nitrosamine exposure are fundamentally similar to those that occur with aging, as well as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

De la Monte comments, "All of these diseases are associated with increased insulin resistance and DNA damage. Their prevalence rates have all increased radically over the past several decades and show no sign of plateau. Because there has been a relatively short time interval associated with the dramatic shift in disease incidence and prevalence rates, we believe this is due to.......read all of environmental causes for Alzheimer's, diabetes

Coping with Alzheimer's: Strategies for Caregivers

2009-07-15T08:17:00.004-04:00

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here are more interesting dementia articles and activities,

Bartersvillelive.com

When you are the caregiver for a family member or loved one with Alzheimer's, everyone relies on you. It takes strategy to cope.

So, the Alzheimer's Association of Oklahoma offers these suggestions to manage the challenges and be an effective caregiver:

1. Manage your stress level.
2. Accept changes as they occur.
3. Make legal and financial plans.
4. Be sure to give yourself credit for all you do, not guilt.

"You cannot be ten people at once or do everything all of the time. It's important for us to acknowledge we are doing a good job, we are doing the best we can," said Ruth Kolb Drew, MS, LPC, Senior Director of Programs at the Alzheimer's Association of Oklahoma. "If we can acknowledge that, then we can get help for all of the things that we need help with."

More help in paying for Alzheimer's care

Higher bone-lead levels associated with dementia

2009-07-13T18:23:00.003-04:00

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here are more interesting dementia articles and activities,

Environmental Health News

van Wijngaarden, E, JR Campbell and DA Cory-Slechta. 2009. Bone lead levels are associated with measures of memory impairment in older adults.
Synopsis by Kim Harley, Ph.D.

Older adults with higher amounts of lead in their bones exhibit greater memory impairment than adults with low lead levels.

In a study of men and women 55 to 67 years old, higher lead levels were associated with poorer performance on tasks used to assess memory deficits. Poor performance on these same tasks is frequently observed among adults with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Although other studies have found associations between lead exposure and cognitive deficits in older adults, this is the first study to link lead exposure with specific measures of memory impairment that are characteristic of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common form of dementia, the loss of memory serious enough to interfere with normal life. Alzheimer’s Disease affects more than 5 million Americans. The disease is characterized by impaired ability to learn new information or recall old information, as well as other alterations of thinking and behavior.

The causes of Alzheimer’s Disease are unknown. However, some studies suggest that environmental exposures may increase the risk of the disease.

In this study, the researchers measured lead levels in the bones of the shin and heel of 47 volunteers using X-ray fluorescence. Lead levels in bone reflect exposure over several years or even decades.

Individuals with higher bone lead level were...read all of Higher bone-lead levels associated with dementia

Tips for managing the financial cost of caregiving

2009-07-11T16:58:00.004-04:00

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here are more interesting dementia articles and activities,

curetoday.com

BY ELIZABETH WHITTINGTON

In Hard Times, caregivers learn the cost of cancer caregiving can be both expensive and surprising. Not only do caregivers and patients deal with lost wages, co-pays, and deductibles, but also the hidden costs, such as travel expenses, support services, and special meals, in addition to time spent on researching, coordinating appointments, and endless hours on the phone with insurance companies. Caregivers who don't live with the patient must also factor in time away from work or their own family, possible travel and lodging expenses, and paid help when they are away from the patient.

Here are a few financial tips to get caregivers over the hump:

1. Set up a free website, such as CaringBridge, Lotsa Helping Hands, Share The Care, and the Patient/Partner Project, for your support team (and have them invite their friends and family who can help!) to let them know when you need help with child care, transportation, meals, errands, and other services. Many times people want to help, but they don't know how to ask or what to do. Having a list of needs available to everyone will prevent 15 calorie-rich casseroles on your doorstep the first week.

2. Several organizations offer free or discounted rates for travel and lodging if a patient must travel for treatment. Corporate Angel Network offers free rides for patients traveling to treatment. Joe's House offers discounted hotel rooms, and the American Cancer Society's Hope Lodge offers free lodging for patients and caregivers.

3. Tap into services that help pay for cancer care, such as the Patient Advocate Foundation's Co-Pay Relief and various drug assistance programs.

4. It may take time, but it's worth keeping insurance statements, bills, and medical records organized. Follow a strategy to make sure you're getting the most out of your insurance plan.

5. Take advantage of tax exemptions for cancer expenses, including mileage and transportation costs associated with treatment.

6. It may take some searching online, but there are grants and services available through various local organizations that may help pay for child care, house cleaning, transportation, and other basic needs. Your local hospital and non-profit cancer organizations may also have information on these services.

7. Look into services and grants provided by see all of the tips for managing the financial cost of caregiving