Alzheimer’s Resource Page

RESOURCES

There is an endless amount of information on the internet and in publication concerning every aspect of dementia and the elderly.  Here are a few we recommend.

“Deciding on Care for Elderly Parents in Declining Health,” Lesley Alderman, New York Times, March 12, 2010.   http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/13/health/13patient

AARP “Caring for Parents” online series, www.aarp.org/families/caregiving/

National Planning Council Long Term Care  http://www.longtermcarelink.net/eldercare.htm

Veterans Administration, Washington, D.C.  www.va.gov

National Council on Aging, Washington, D.C.  www.ncoa.org/

Children of Aging Parents, Levittown, PA 1-800-227-7294, www.caps4caregivers.org/

Caring For Parents: The Complete Family Guide by AARP Staff.  http://www.amazon.com/Caring-Your-Parents-Complete-Family/dp/140275857X

The Complete Eldercare Planner: Where to Start, What to Ask, and How to Find Help by Joy Loverde
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Eldercare-Planner-Where-Questions/dp/0786882298

HOUSING

Eldercare :Locator, 1-800-677-1166,  www.eldercare.gov

“Housing Problems and Options for the Elderly,” AgeWorks study, University of Southern California.  www.ageworks.com/

DOCUMENTARY ON ALZHEIMER’S

This is a moving and profound documentary on Alzheimer’s.  It premiered on public television stations in 2007 to rave reviews.  We have shown it several times to our own caregivers.  You can order the DVD off the Memory Bridge website.

http://www.thereisabridge.com/

Current Research Concerning Dementia in 2010

  • Researchers are realizing early detection is imperative.  By the time symptoms appear? The brain is badly damaged with 30%-60% of nerve cells gone.
  • Brain plaques begin to occur years before symptoms-these changes can be measured by looking at spinal tap fluid.  Within 10 years we expect to have an office procedure where patients get a spinal tap and disease is revealed well before any symptoms.
  • The Mediterranean-style diet (rich in vegetables, fruits, fish and legumes w/moderate alcohol consumption) has been shown to reduce risk of dementia.
  • Curcumin, a yellow curry spice from India, is a potent anti-inflammatory shown to be effective in the prevention of Alzheimer’s.
  • The health of your brain is closely tied to the health of your heart.  High blood pressure, cholesterol and obesity conclusively confer greater risk to cognitive decline
  • Respite care is imperative for caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s. One study showed a FOUR fold increase in an immune system protein which is linked to impaired immune response. Only the stress of care giving correlated with the marked increase.
  • Effect of sleep deprivation or poor sleep on memory and learning cannot be overemphasized.
  • Napping improves memory.  Napping allows short term information stored in hippo-campus to move to the prefrontal cortex where long term memories are stored. This process makes room for new learning.