The annual cost of healthcare due to brain disorders, including dementia, is "the number one economic challenge for European health care," according to a new report by the European Brain Council (EBC).  

     The report estimates that the tab for brain disorders is now $1 trillion (U.S.), more than double the number estimated in EBC's last report published in 2005 that looked at 12 brain disorders.

     The new report examines 19 brain disorders, such as dementia, depression, anxiety and insomnia, and covers 514 million people in 30 countries. It found that brain disorders affect an estimated one-third of the population in the European Union at a cost of approximately $2,000 per person to provide care.  

     Mood disorders are most costly, and dementia is a close second at $144.3 billion, due largely to direct non-medical costs such as social services and informal care.

   In 2010, direct healthcare costs of brain disorders for services such as doctors' visits, hospital care and medications made up 24 percent of the European Union's total healthcare expenditure. Indirect costs, such as lost productivity due to absence from the workforce or forced early retirement, add "considerably" to this, the report said.The cost of brain disorders was much higher than other chronic or long-term illnesses like heart disease or cancer.

     The EBC is a coordinating council formed by European organizations in neurology, neurosurgery, psychiatry, basic brain research (neuroscience), as well as patient organizations and industry.

Second Wind Dreams, a nonprofit organization in Marietta, GA that fulfills dreams for elders and individuals with dementia, recently granted two more big wishes, thanks to a $2,000 grant from AFA.

     In one case, an 86-year-old nursing home resident in Murray, KY who rarely gets to see her long-distance relatives has been granted her yearning for a family reunion. As part of her dream come true, 22 guests will gather at her favorite restaurant, Patti's 1880's, to be reunited with her after many years. Among them: some great grandchildren who she has only "met" in photographs.  

     The second dream involves a 91-year-old woman in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease from Vicksburg, MS. A longtime member of her church's Woman's Missionary Union (WMU) that has been making fleece throws for nursing home residents, her wish was to have the members craft throws to as many nursing home residents as they can who need them. In fulfilling this dream, a gift is being made to WMU so they can purchase materials to make the throws-and warm the elderly.

     Second Wind Dreams largely focuses on individuals living in eldercare communities or receiving any facet of long-term care such as hospice or home health. It provides volunteers and facilities that join the organization with a how-to manual, which includes everything from forms to specifics on how to weave a dream.

News to Use:

-The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is warning consumers that a new Web site is not a government Web site for the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan, a new health plan under the Affordable Health Care Act for people who have had trouble getting insurance due to a pre-existing condition. As such, CMS cautioned that the public should not submit any personal information requested by this site under the assumption that it is run by the government. Individuals interested in the new insurance program should visit www.pcip.gov or call 866-717-5826.

• Self-perception of health linked to risk of dementia in older adults...Individuals aged 65 and older who rated their own health as poor or fair were more likely to develop dementia than those who rated their own health as good after seven years of follow-up, according to a recent study of 8,000 participants, some of whom admitted memory complaints at onset. Individuals who deemed themselves in poor health were more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia in particular versus other types of dementia. Self-rated health better predicted dementia in participants without cognitive complaints and in those with functional disability. Read More...  
• Family history may play a role in Alzheimer's disease without risk gene...According to a recent study, a family history of Alzheimer's disease even without the APOE4 gene that has been linked to the brain disorder still contributes to brain changes associated with the disease. The study looked at 269 middle- to older-aged adults who did not have any form of cognitive impairment and did or did not have a family history of the disease. Those participants who had a family history of Alzheimer's disease had at least one parent who developed the disease before the age of 80. Read More...      

AFA and Senior Helpers are sponsoring a Webinar series this fall for family caregivers and healthcare professionals on "Moving Forward with Alzheimer's and Dementia" with Teepa Snow, a renowned dementia care expert. The series is presented by the American Society on Aging and offers one CEU for healthcare professionals.

 "Understanding the Different Forms of Dementia."

Monday, November 21, 2011

2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. (ET)

To register, click here, https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/490043742.

"Dementia and Caregiving: Focusing on the Person While Understanding the Progression"
Monday, December 19, 2011

2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. (ET)

To register, click here, https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/440140022.  

GET INVOLVED!

Take Part in AFA's November Events!  

National Commemorative Candle Lighting 2011

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Host a local ceremony and light "candles of care" to remember and honor those affected by this illness, and to educate the public.  

Please sign up at www.candlelighting.org 

National Memory Screening Day 2011

Tuesday, November 15, 2011  

Offer free, confidential memory screenings and distribute educational materials about memory concerns, successful aging and resources.  

Please sign up at www.nationalmemoryscreening.org 

AFA recently announced the formation of a Legacy Society, which offers special recognition to individuals who have included AFA in their wills or estate plans. Information about AFA's new Legacy Society is available at

www.alzfdn.org or by contacting AFA at 866.232.8484 

To obtain more information about AFA, visit us at www.alzfdn.org or call us toll-free at     866-AFA-8484.