Congressional Leaders Introduce Bill to Spur Drug Therapies for Chronic Conditions

 

United States Senators Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Susan Collins (R-ME) and Representatives Christopher Smith (R-NJ) and Edward Markey (D-MA) today introduced legislation seeking to spur and accelerate a cure or treatment for Alzheimer's disease and other high-cost chronic conditions by expediting the discovery of new therapies and speeding their development and review.

   Specifically, the Spending Reductions through Innovations in Therapies (SPRINT) Agenda Act of 2012 will:

• Support promising advanced research in Alzheimer's disease and other high-cost conditions focused on therapies most likely to improve health and reduce federal health care costs.
• Make targeted public investments in the most promising research through a partnership between the Department of Health and Human Services and non-governmental and non-profit venture entities with proven track records and expertise in developing and bringing therapies to market.
• Direct funding to goal-oriented and milestone-driven research initiatives.
• Streamline the Food and Drug Administration review process of therapies developed through the program to cut the length and cost of the pipeline.

   In a statement released today, Eric J. Hall, AFA's president and CEO, said that AFA proudly supports the SPRINT Act and applauds the bill's sponsors "for recognizing the dire need to expedite the discovery of promising, effective treatments for Alzheimer's disease and other costly chronic illnesses."

   Hall said the SPRINT Act offers "the promise of reduced healthcare costs to government and society, and, moreover, improved quality of life for Americans with chronic diseases and their caregivers."

   Further, AFA is calling on stakeholders to contact their respective members of Congress and urge them to co-sponsor the SPRINT Act.

Latest care ADvantage Magazine Puts Spotlight on Self-Care

With caregivers of loved ones with Alzheimer's disease at risk for health issues posed by burnout and isolation, the latest issue of care ADvantage magazine, published by AFA, features a special section on self-care that provides strategies for caregivers to absorb and run with.

   The series of articles by top experts includes suggestions on identifying sources of stress and developing an action plan as well as a caregiver wellness model with tips on how to achieve optimum wellness.

   To further assist caregivers, the winter 2012 issue of the quarterly publication also features a "kitchen-table" discussion on end-of-life care and an interview with Gary Small, M.D., a renowned expert on brain health whose new book, "Alzheimer's Prevention Program," just hit bookstores.

   To sign up for a free subscription, visit www.afacareadvantage.org.

Study Sheds New Light on Drivers with Dementia 

 

New research, exclusively released to caregivers in the winter 2012 issue of care ADvantage magazine, sheds some light on events leading to missing incidents among drivers with dementia-information that may help caregivers prevent these unpredictable, frightening and potentially life-threatening events.

   Researchers at the College of Nursing at University of South Florida, Tampa, found that more than 60 percent of drivers with dementia in their study went missing while on a routine, familiar--and caregiver-permitted--trip that they had successfully handled in the past, including driving to medical appointments, restaurants, shopping and friends and family.

   "This is in stark contrast to the stereotype of lost drivers being able to find hidden keys or leave while the caregiver is unaware," said the lead researcher, Meredeth Rowe, Ph.D. RN, professor and Lewis and Leona Hughes Endowed Chair in Nursing Science.

    Other activities that resulted in a missing incident included driving a route that was out of the ordinary or driving away from home while agitated.

   Also of significance, males being cared for by spouses versus other family members were more likely to have an incident. This finding may be related to the fact that males have been the predominant family driver in those drivers aged 70 or older, the authors suggested.

Hannah Schwartz, Contest Winner

Hannah Schwartz, 18, of Clarksville, TN has witnessed what she calls the kind of love that can only be expressed by a caregiver to a loved one with Alzheimer's disease, and she has captured that "enduring devotion" in the winning video for the AFA Teens Video Competition.

   AFA announced today that Schwartz is the grand prize winner of the annual contest and will receive a $500 award. The runners-up are Kaylin Saffee of Miami, and Maila Tafua of Laie, HI, who will each receive a $250 prize.

   Offered through the AFA Teens branch, the video competition, which has an annual deadline of December 1, is part of AFA's effort to provide a creative outlet for teenagers coping with Alzheimer's disease and to engage the younger generation in this important cause.  

   Schwartz's heartfelt two-minute video touches upon the love and devotion of a caregiver; it focuses on how her great-grandfather cared for her great-grandmother who had Alzheimer's disease for many years. The teen's win comes just one week after her great-grandmother passed away.

   "I wanted this video to portray the hope that a devoted caregiver can bring to a hopeless situation like Alzheimer's disease," said Schwartz, who has been home-schooled since second grade and plans to study nutrition in college.

   The winning videos are posted on www.afateens.org and YouTube. Click here to view them.

• Join leading Alzheimer's disease and caregiving groups for #TalkAlz, a monthly Twitter discussion designed for family and professional caregivers to weigh in on various issues and share relevant experiences. The one-hour Twitter chat occurs the second Tuesday of every month at 12 p.m. (ET). The next chat on February 14 will discuss technology solutions. To submit questions beforehand, send them on Twitter to @alzfdn; to participate, follow the hashtag #TalkAlz.
• The AFA support community on Inspire.com has reached more than 500 members! Join this lively peer discussion board on topics related to Alzheimer's disease, such as diagnosis, treatment, young-onset Alzheimer's disease and balancing caregiving responsibilities.
• Dementia care expert Teepa Snow will be the host of a three-part Webinar series over the next few months that will provide practical strategies for family and professional caregivers of people with dementia. The series is presented by AFA, Senior Helpers and the American Society on Aging. The first one-hour session entitled, "Dementia Care: The Right Care at the Right Time" will take place on February 16 at 2 p.m. (ET). Healthcare professionals can earn free CEUs. Click here to register.

• Decaffeinated coffee may aid memory function...Researchers found that mice whose diets were supplemented with decaffeinated coffee were better able to metabolize glucose and use it for cellular energy in the brain. Since people with Type 2 diabetes, a known risk factor for neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's disease, have lower glucose utilization, researchers indicated that the decaffeinated coffee preparation may prevent and treat cognitive decline caused by type 2 diabetes.  Read More...   
• Activity in early- and middle-life may reduce beta-amyloid deposits...Individuals who engaged in cognitive activities especially in early- and middle-life had fewer beta-amyloid deposits--a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease--in their brain. Scientists found that healthy older adults with the highest engagement levels had deposits similar to the youngest subjects in the study, while the healthy older adults with the lowest cognitive activity had amyloid buildup similar to study participants with Alzheimer's disease.  Read More... 
• Gender and education may impact brain health...According to a study of 1,450 people aged 70 to 89 who did not have cognitive impairment at the onset, males, versus females, and men and women who did not have any education beyond high school were more likely to develop mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Read More...        

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 

Call into Care Connection, a telephone support network, on February 9 at 1 p.m. (ET) to hear Eboni Green, R.N., Ph.D., executive director, Caregiver Support Services, Omaha, NE, speak about "Experiencing Grief."  

   The free teleconference is designed for family caregivers and healthcare professionals; members of AFA's Dementia Care Professionals of America (DCPA) can earn training credits toward renewal of their DCPA status.  

   Call (toll-free) 877-232-2992 and enter the guest identification number 271004#.  

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