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Welcome to Freedom Eldercare
Greetings!
Keeping abreast of what is happening in the home care, home health care, aging and eldercare world will create a more informed and helpful network. Freedom Eldercare brings you this newsletter in the spirit of cooperation and education.
In this month's newsletter, we explore several interesting new findings on Parkinson's and Alzheimer's as well as new statistics comparing the cost of hospital care versus home care. Following are excerpts of the recent studies. We hope you will find them informative and useful! |
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Research on Parkinson's Orgins Could Lead to Strategies for Preventing the Disease or Stopping its Progression
A new study at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York led by Ana Maria Cuervo, M.D., Ph.D., shows that a chemical interaction that blocks cells' ability to break down damaged proteins may trigger development of Parkinson's disease (PD).
The findings help explain why dopamine-producing neurons are lost in PD while other cells are spared. A reaction between the nerve-signaling chemical dopamine and a protein called alpha-synuclein leads to the problem. Dopamine changes alpha-synuclein in a way that causes it to get stuck in the membranes surrounding the cells' recycling centers - enzyme-filled structures called lysosomes. This results in a cellular "traffic jam" that prevents alpha-synuclein and other molecules from entering the lysosomes and being broken down. As a result, neurons become more vulnerable to stress. This may cause the degeneration of dopamine-producing neurons, leading to the tremors and other symptoms of PD.
It is not yet clear why certain people are vulnerable to PD while others are not. With more research, these strategies might eventually lead to improved treatments for PD.
The research was funded in part by National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Udall Center grants and by the National Institute on Aging. It appears in the February 2008 issue of The Journal of Clinical Investigation |
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Music Assists Parkinson's Patients Regain Better Movement
Music is becoming healing in a variety of settings. Click here for an interesting short video on how doctors are researching music therapy to help Parkinson's disease patients cope with movement problems. |
| Interesting Statistics on Costs Comparing Home Care with Hospital and Facility Care
Home health care costs patients $125 per visit on average, compared with about $5,000 a day for hospitalization and $535 a day for a skilled nursing facility, according to the National Association for Home Care & Hospice based in Washington, D.C.
According to the Alliance for Aging Research, proper geriatric care could reduce hospital, nursing home and home care costs by at least 10 percent a year, saving $267 billion in 2020. The aging population in America is estimated to double from 36 million today to nearly 72 million by 2030.
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Educational Short Films on Alzheimer's Disease
A Quick Look at Alzheimer's, a series of four animated short pocket films, run only two to three minutes each, and are available for anyone at anytime, and are universally accessible -- playable on iPods, cell phones, PDAs, laptops and DVD players. They are available for download from here and here. |
| Supporting Thought for Positive Outcomes for Alzheimer's Patients
Marwan Sabbagh, a geriatric neurologist and founder of Sun Health Research Institute's Cleo Roberts Center for Clinical Research in Sun City, Arizona, expects Alzheimer's to become a chronic, treatable disease similar to diabetes rather than the terminal condition it is now. Drugs that are in development could slow patients' declines and make their final years worth living, he says. He discusses his reasoning in The Alzheimer's Answer: Reduce Your Risk and Keep Your Brain Healthy (Wiley, 2008, $24.95 hardcover).
"I see seniors in our brain- and body-donation program at the research institute who are sharp and active to the very end of their days," he reported in a phone interview published in the Arizona Republic on March 13, 2008. "They're 85, 90, and 95,100 even, and they're sharp as all get-out."
Chances for such a future depend on early identification of the disease, he says, and new blood tests, genetic analyses and other screenings to assess risks should make that easier.
With an Alzheimer's cure still elusive, preventive measures today may help reduce incidence of the disease or delay its onset. The outcome may not be as positive for everyone, he knows, but his and other experts' research gives him hope that it can be in the near future.
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A New Test Helps Determine Alzheimer's Risk
A South Philadelphia company is getting ready to launch a genetic testing service that will let healthy people determine their risk of developing late-onset Alzheimer's disease.
Smart Genetics, a 2-year-old company based at the old Philadelphia Naval Yard, expects to begin offering the risk-assessment service for the progressive and fatal brain disease very soon. Information on the test can be found here.
Everyone has some risk of developing late onset Alzheimer's disease. The lifetime risk for the general population is 10-15%. This means that approximately 15 out of 100 people will develop this condition by age 85.
Alzheimer's disease is a progressive and fatal brain disorder. Alzheimer's disease destroys brain cells, causing problems with memory, thinking and behavior. Memory is often affected early and gradually deteriorates, affecting the ability to perform normal daily activities. The course the disease takes and the time from diagnosis to death varies from person to person. It can be as little as 3 years or it may be as long as 10 years or more.
There are currently about 5 million cases of Alzheimer's disease in the United States and the risk of developing the disease doubles every 5 years for those over the age of 65. One in ten people over the age of 65 are affected. At this rate, by the year 2050 up to 14 million Americans could be affected.
MIRAGE: The Multi-Institutional Research in Alzheimer's Genetic Epidemiology (MIRAGE) study has been funded by the National Institute of Aging (NIA) since 1990 and has demonstrated that genetic factors play a major role in the development of Alzheimer's disease. Its research has identified the APOE ε4 allele as the strongest genetic risk factor. MIRAGE continues to evaluate genetic and non-genetic risk factors for Alzheimer's disease. Currently, it is exploring whether risk factors for vascular disease also serve as contributing risk factors for Alzheimer's disease.
Findings to Date:
- APOE ε4 is the strongest identifiable risk factor for developing Alzheimer's disease
- Depression in early life is a risk factor for developing Alzheimer's disease
- Statin medications may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease
- Ethnicity may play a role in susceptibility to Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's Mirror™ provides a personalized risk assessment of a person's chance of developing Alzheimer's disease and the education to understand how to manage that risk. Individuals who understand their risk for Alzheimer's disease can use the knowledge to take important, practical steps to shape their futures, including:
- Emotionally planning for the possibility of developing Alzheimer's disease
- Talking to loved ones about the possibility of developing Alzheimer's disease
- Making long-term financial and health care planning decisions
- Making healthy lifestyle changes
- Staying up-to-date with the latest studies and developments in Alzheimer's treatment and prevention
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April - Parkinson's Awareness Month
For more ideas on ways to research and make wise choices, we recommend the following resources:
National Parkinson Foundation
Includes daily updates to their blog and library as well as valuable offers from companies that provide solutions for those living with Parkinson's disease.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Provides information on neurological diseases such as Parkinson's, recent discoveries and information on signing up for clinical research trials.
The Parkinson's Disease Foundation (PDF) is a leading national presence in Parkinson's disease research, education and public advocacy. They are working for the nearly one million people in the US living with Parkinson's by funding promising scientific research and supporting people with Parkinson's, their families and caregivers through educational programs and support services.
Patients Like Me Parkinson's Disease Community
Community for those dealing with Parkinson's Disease. Patients share their treatments and outcomes to help others connect who have similar conditions.
WebMD
While researchers chase a cure, patients wonder what will help now. Getting moving is one answer. Watch this short video about how exercise can help Parkinson's patients. The site also includes information from diagnosis to day-to-day care.
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