Alzheimer's Foundation of America |
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Hospital Stays May Be Hazardous for People with Alzheimer's Disease
Hospitalizations could put a person with Alzheimer's disease on a fast track toward further cognitive decline, placement in a nursing home and even death, especially if they develop delirium, a state of excess confusion and mood changes, a new study has found.
The Harvard Medical School researchers found that 25 percent of the hospitalized individuals in their study developed delirium, with one in eight of them having at least one adverse outcome, including death, institutionalization or mental decline.
The study involved 771 individuals aged 65 or older with Alzheimer's disease who were living at home over the course of 15 years.
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'Lost and...Found' Report Highlights Strategies to Address Missing Incidents Among People with Dementia
At a time when news reports of missing persons with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia continue to make headlines almost daily, the Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA) is encouraging law enforcement agencies nationwide to both learn about available methods to assist in the return of individuals with dementia who become lost, and to help educate the public about steps they can take to safeguard loved ones.
AFA outlines these strategies in a new report released today, entitled "Lost and...Found. A Review of Available Methods and Technologies to Aid Law Enforcement in Locating Missing Adults with Dementia." It was funded by Project Lifesaver International, a nonprofit organization based in Chesapeake, VA, through a grant from the United States Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance.
The report also sheds enormous light on missing incidents, giving law enforcement and caregivers a full understanding of its scope as one of the most common, burdensome, costly and life-threatening behaviors of Alzheimer's disease, as well as a major source of caregiver burnout and placement of people with dementia in long-term care facilities.
Download the full report here. |
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Women Shouldering the Burden of Alzheimer's Disease
The day-to-day demands of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's disease have an increasingly profound effect on the personal and work lives of women, who provide unpaid care for loved ones with the disease living at home, according to a new report released by the Working Mother Research Institute.
Among the 1,200 current and former caregivers surveyed, most of whom were caring for parents, about three-quarters said they felt capable of being the primary caregiver. However, 49 percent noted they feel overwhelmed and 36 percent report depression.
Caregiving responsibilities have also impacted their own attitudes toward diagnosis of the disease: 84 percent said they would want to be diagnosed early and 51 percent wish their loved ones had been diagnosed sooner.
Financially, the respondents said they are not saving for retirement and are spending several thousand dollars a year out-of-pocket on caregiving expenses. More than half of the caregivers said they had to adjust their work schedules, and 39 percent passed up promotions to accommodate caregiving.
Read more... |
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Senate Appropriates Committee Acts on Fiscal Year 2013
Health-Related Funding
 The United States Senate Committee on Appropriations last week approved a modest $100 million increase in the budget of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for fiscal year (FY) 2013.
The committee did not allocate funding to any disease specific research programs, including Alzheimer's disease. In February, the Obama Administration pledged an additional $80 million for Alzheimer's disease research and caregiving. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), chair of the Senate Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee that allots NIH funding, took issue with the increase since the Administration's proposal takes the allocation out of the Prevention and Public Health Fund, which was championed by the Senator.
The Senate appropriations bill for the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies provides $40 million for the Cures Acceleration Network, four times its current budget; $10 million in a new program to prevent elderly falls; $4 million for Alzheimer Disease Demonstration Grants to States; $153 million in the National Family Caregiving Support Program; $4.9 million for Lifespan Respite Care; and $10 million in a new elderly fall prevention program.
The House has yet to act on their funding bill for Health and Human Services and NIH programs. |
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News to Use
- The National Council on Aging (NCOA) recently kicked off a new initiative to help protect older adults from influenza this upcoming flu season. The educational program, Flu + You, aims to educate older adults and their caregivers about the seriousness of influenza, the importance of annual influenza immunization, and available vaccine options. NCOA is also offering a free toolkit for organizations to share with older adults.
- The Administration for Community Living (ACL) will host a Webinar on Wednesday, June 27 at 2:00 p.m. (ET) on Managed Long-Term Services and Supports: Engaging in the Stakeholder Process, as part of its series on the Affordable Care Act, and its impact on older adults, people with disabilities and the aging and disability networks.
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News Updates
- Alzheimer's risk gene may have more effect on women. A new study conducted among a group of healthy people with a median age of 70 demonstrated that more women than men who possess a copy of ApoE4, a common gene variant and risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, both exhibited changes in brain activity and had higher levels of the protein tau that are associated with Alzheimer's disease. Read more...
- Study tests a novel vaccine for people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. In investigating a potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease, an early-stage study found that injections of CAD 106 - a highly targeted therapy that specifically triggers the body's defense system and creates protective antibodies against beta-amyloid, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease - had a favorable safety profile in terms of side effects and an acceptable antibody response in the majority of participants. Read more...
- New group of proteins identified in Alzheimer's disease. Scientists have found a new group of proteins that build up in neurons in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease and to a lesser extent in people without cognitive impairment. The RNA-binding proteins TIA-1 and TTP, were found to bind to tau protein, a hallmark of the disease, while another, G3BP, was found in neurons without an accumulation of tau. Researchers said the study suggests that quantified levels of these proteins can aid in new approaches to diagnose and predict the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Read more...
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June 21, 2012
Volume 5 Issue 13
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Save the Dates!
 November 9-11, 2012Weekend of Prayer
November 13, 2012
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The Legacy Society
AFA's Legacy Society offers special recognition to individuals who have included AFA in their wills or estate plans.
Support AFA Monthly
Donors can now make recurring monthly donations to AFA, which will be automatically deducted from your credit card each month. You may cancel at any time. |
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Join Us!
Join us on Inspire
AFA's Support Community connects individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, and their families, friends and caregivers to provide support and improve quality of life.
 
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