Leaders Convene to Discuss Framework for National Alzheimer's Plan

 

The Advisory Council on Alzheimer's Research, Care and Services, established by the National Alzheimer's Project Act (NAPA), held a two-day meeting earlier this week to review the goals and strategies contained in a draft framework for a comprehensive national plan to address Alzheimer's disease.

   Much discussion centered on the major goal in the draft that calls for finding an effective treatment for Alzheimer's disease by 2025. Some council members urged an acceleration of that goal to 2020. Others questioned the reality of finding a cure in such a relatively short period of time and suggested prioritizing areas of research.         

   There was a consensus, however, on the need for accountability and measurable goals as the plan gets implemented.

   In a statement following the meeting, Eric J. Hall, founding president and CEO of the Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA) and a member of the Advisory Council, said, in part, "We are at a pivotal juncture to alter the course of Alzheimer's disease, and we must act aggressively yet realistically in order to carry the momentum forward.

   "Since fiscal concerns and the growth of the Alzheimer's population cannot go unnoticed, it is critical that we design this plan with incremental, fundable and attainable goals, which include substantially increasing our scientific knowledge surrounding the disease; preventing, delaying and slowing progression of symptoms; researching and implementing best practices of care; providing much-needed support services for families; and ultimately obtaining the cure we are all waiting for,"  he said.  

   As the process toward a national plan moves forward, the advisory council will accept comments on the framework until February 8.  It expects to release a draft plan the third week of February and a final plan in late spring. 

    AFA is soliciting comments to supplement its report "No Time to Waste," which provided recommendations for a national plan. To weigh in on the draft framework, contact AFA at info@alzfdn.org or submit comments directly to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) at NAPA@hhs.gov.

Directly addressing the major-and life-threatening-issue of wandering among individuals with Alzheimer's disease,  AFA and Breadcrumb LLC today announced the rollout of a state-of-the-art locator device and caregiver-friendly monitoring system designed specifically for the dementia population and aimed at immediately and precisely pinpointing a person's whereabouts.

   The partners are scheduled to launch the Breadcrumb BC300 GPS Locating Device (QVC Item #V31691) on QVC January 20 at 1 p.m. (ET). It will be the first Alzheimer's-specific product offered through the leading multimedia retailer. The system is complete with an adapter, charging station, USB cable, rechargeable batteries, attachment bands, and an instructional DVD.

   In addition, the BC300 will be available on AFA's e-store at www.alzfdn.org and directly from Breadcrumb at www.breadcrumbgps.com.

   As one of the smallest, most-lightweight and highly affordable tracking devices on the market, the BC300 is strapped comfortably around a person's ankle with a heavy-duty band. Designed with the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease in mind, including memory loss, confusion and other cognitive loss, the device is not dependent on the user's activation.

   Utilizing a global positioning system (GPS) and cellular technology that receives signals from satellites, the device continuously maps a person's precise location and provides a "breadcrumb trail" of the exact route. Caregivers can access the wearer's real-time whereabouts around-the-clock on a Google map via an Internet-connected computer and/or smartphones.    

    The BC300 system works by setting up a virtual fence, or geofence, around a person's residence and/or other locations, such as a relative's home or an adult day center, and sends an alert when the wearer leaves that zone.

    Experienced operators at Breadcrumb's customer care center monitor the system 24/7 and will alert up to five designated caregivers or others via phone, e-mail or text when a person has become lost.  Local authorities will be notified when necessary.

Survey Reveals Caregivers' Stress Levels Exceed General Population's

 

Family caregivers report significantly higher levels of stress than the general population, according to the latest annual "Stress in America" survey released this month by the American Psychological Association, Washington, DC.

    While older adults typically have lower stress levels, older adults who are caregivers report more stress and poorer health than non-caregiving peers.

    The survey also found that caregivers, compared to the general public, believe they are doing a poor job of managing and preventing their stress, and report physical and non-physical symptoms of stress. In addition, they have higher levels of high cholesterol and high blood pressure, suffer from depression, and are overweight.

    Caregivers reported performing a minimum of 40 hours per week of care for a loved one, most often a parent. 

 

The reported number of deaths caused by Alzheimer's disease rose in 2010 by 3.3 percent while the rates for five other leading causeS of death fell during the same period, according to the newly-released annual report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

   Alzheimer's disease remains the sixth leading cause of death, behind the top killers-heart disease and cancer.

   The report's lead author suggested that the increase in deaths from Alzheimer's disease, to 25 fatalities per 100,000 people, may be due to changes in terminology on death certificates that now classify the cause of death as Alzheimer's disease rather than a more generic dementia term.

   The leading causes of death that dropped in 2010 were stroke, chronic lower respiratory diseases, accidents, flu/pneumonia and blood infections. Like Alzheimer's disease, death rates also increased for other ailments such as kidney disease, chronic liver disease and Parkinson's disease.  

• Cognitive abilities may fade as early as age 45...New research shows that cognitive decline in areas such as memory, reasoning, and recalling animal names and words beginning with "S" may appear as young as age 45-earlier than originally thought. Older people had a faster decline. The study of more than 7,000 people aged 45 to 70 found that men aged 45 to 49 had a 3.6 percent decline in mental reasoning and men aged 65 to 70 had a 9.6 percent decline, while women had a  3.6 percent decline and 7.4 percent decline, respectively, over a 10-year period. The authors suggested that the mental decline in people at the younger end of the spectrum reinforces the importance of healthy lifestyles. Read More...   
• Exercise may be vital for people with a genetic risk factor...A recent study found that individuals with the APOE-4 gene, a well-known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, may be at greater risk of developing Alzheimer's disease when they live a sedentary lifestyle. Those participants who engaged in more physical activity had lower deposits of amyloid protein in their brains. Participants, who were 45 to 88, were classified as either low or high exercisers based on exercise guidelines of the American Heart Association. Read More... 
• Memantine study finds no impact on individuals with Down's syndrome...According to a recent study, memantine, a drug commonly used to treat individuals with Alzheimer's disease, is not effective in the treatment of individuals aged 40 and older with Down's syndrome who also have dementia. The participants, with or without dementia, were given memantine or a placebo. All of the groups experienced equal cognitive decline and equally serious adverse side effects over the one-year period. The researchers concluded, "Therapies that are effective for Alzheimer's disease are not necessarily effective in this group of patients." 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 

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