Alzheimer's Foundation of America |
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AFA Releases Recommendations to Update National Alzheimer's Plan
 The Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA) yesterday released a report that includes more than three dozen recommendations to build upon the current goals of the federal government's historic national Alzheimer's plan.
Noting that "more needs to be done" to tackle the escalating incidence of Alzheimer's disease, AFA's new report, entitled "Time to Build," measures the national plan's progress to date, as well as offers additional recommendations related to research, clinical care, and long-term services and supports.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the "National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease" in May 2012, and is expected to update the plan annually with input from the public-private Advisory Council on Research, Care and Services, of which AFA's president and CEO, Eric J. Hall, is a member. The council will meet on January 14 to suggest changes to the plan, and HHS is expected to release an amended version in April.
AFA's recommendations include a focus on helping to ease the financial burden on families, such as urging the expansion of publicly-funded "participant-directed" programs that would allow participants to hire family members as paid caregivers. AFA also suggests federal tax credits for primary family caregivers; income tax deductions for out-of-pocket costs for long-term care services; incentives for employers to adopt family-friendly policies; and qualifying all people with Alzheimer's disease - regardless of age - for Medicare benefits and Administration of Aging programs.
"Our nation has the opportunity to dig even deeper to fill remaining gaps," said Hall, the report's author.
To read the complete "Time to Build" report, click here. The next advisory council meeting will be webcast live on January 14 from 9.00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET at http://www.hhs.gov/live. |
Survey: Care for Depression, Anxiety Fall Below Standards for Older Americans
 A majority of Americans 65 and older being treated for depression, anxiety or other mental health disorders are not receiving care that meets evidence-based standards and improves outcomes, according to survey findings recently released by the John A. Hartford Foundation. What's more, an alarming number are not aware of other health issues associated with depression, including doubling the risk of dementia and heart disease.
The survey found that 46 percent of people receiving treatment for depression said their provider had not followed up within a few weeks to check on their progress; and others reported their doctor did not discuss how long the treatment would take (40 percent); possible medication side effects (38 percent) or different treatment options (33 percent) -- all key elements of the standard for treating such disorders.
The majority of respondents said their healthcare provider has not asked about their mood in the past 12 months, and felt that their doctor should have a professional on staff to help people with mental health issues like depression and anxiety. Among the 1,300 respondents, 16 percent said they have been treated for a mental health issue since turning 65.
For more information on depression and dementia, click here. |
New Report Highlights Critical Role of Family Caregivers in Transitional Care
 A new report released by the National Center on Caregiving at the Family Caregiver Alliance sheds a critical light on the important, but often overlooked role of family caregivers when people with disabilities transition from one healthcare setting to another, especially from a hospital to home or care facility.
It found that many family caregivers are not actively included in the discharge and transitional care planning for loved ones with disabilities even though they are the primary points of contact upon hospital discharge. Furthermore, they receive inadequate support and training from healthcare professionals during the discharge process for challenging care tasks, including managing medications or performing complex medical procedures. This results in negative outcomes for the recovering older adult, such as hospital readmissions, medication errors and lack of access to community resources.
The report outlines recommendations related to practice, research, quality improvement and public policy that would help family caregivers play a greater role in transitional care.
The report can be found here. |
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News to Use
- AFA, Senior Helpers and the American Society on Aging present a free Webinar on January 8 at 2:00 p.m. (ET) featuring dementia care expert Teepa Snow. Snow will speak about "Learning to Live Life After the Diagnosis - What's Working and What's Not, and What to Do About It!" Continuing education credit is available. For more information and to pre-register, click here.
- Join AFA for a free monthly teleconference, Care Connection, on Thursday, January 10 from 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. (ET). Guest speaker Patricia E. Kefalas Dudek, principal, Patricia E. Kefalas Dudek & Associates, Farmington Hills, MI, will speak on "Getting Things in Order: Guardianship and Power of Attorney Issues." Healthcare professionals earn continuing education credit toward renewal in AFA's Dementia Care Professionals of America. For more information, click here. Toll-free: 877-232-2992; Guest identification number: 271004#.
- The Administration for Community Living is hosting a conference call on January 10 from 3:00 p.m. - 4:15 p.m. (ET) to discuss the research and translation of evidence-based interventions for people with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, and their caregivers. The call will be presented by Katie Maslow, MSW, author of a new white paper, "Translating Innovation to Impact," released by The Alliance for Aging Research, Administration of Aging and MetLife Foundation. Registration is required; space is limited. The call will also be recorded and posted here.
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News Updates
- Vitamin D and Calcium Combination Does Not Protect Older Women From Dementia... A new study shows that a low, daily dose of both vitamin D and calcium was ineffective in guarding women against dementia. In a study of more than 4,000 women with an average age of 71 and no cognitive problems at onset, researchers found that women who took the treatment or a placebo for an average of eight years developed cognitive problems at the same rate. Read more...
- Feeling Lonely Linked to Dementia... Older adults aged 65 to 86 who "feel lonely"--versus just "being alone"--were twice more likely to develop dementia in later life, according to a new study of 2,000 people in Amsterdam. Read more...
- Companies to Collaborate on Drug Development and Diagnosis.... Merck & Co., a pharmaceutical company, announced that it is collaborating with General Electric Co.'s healthcare unit to advance the treatment and diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Merck is testing an experimental drug, known as MK-8931, which is designed to target beta amyloid -- the hallmark protein implicated in Alzheimer's disease. GE Healthcare will provide an imaging agent, Flutemetamol, in the clinical trials to help detect beta amyloid in brains and help researchers identify people who may benefit from the treatment. Read more...
- Childhood Hunger Linked to Slower Cognitive Decline... A new study of Chicago residents with an average age of 75 has found that African-Americans who sometimes went hungry as children have a slower cognitive decline when compared to ethnic peers who rarely or never went without food. Researchers found no link between childhood hunger or other adversity and cognitive deficits in the Caucasian participants. Read more...
- Single People More Likely to Skip Alzheimer's Clinical Trials... An analysis of the role of caregivers in Alzheimer's disease clinical trials reveals that people with the brain disorder who do not have a spouse are represented less in trials than individuals with a spouse (67 percent). Since as much as 90 percent of people with Alzheimer's disease are single, researchers are missing out on enrolling a huge segment of the population. Moreover, the researchers found that participants who had a non-spouse study partner--such as an adult child--were 70 percent more likely to drop out of studies. Read more...
- Caregivers Influence Decision for People With Dementia to Stop Driving... A new study of 240 people with dementia in Austria has found that nearly 94 percent of them stopped driving mainly because their caregivers considered the risk unacceptable. The mean age of participants was 74, and those who gave up the keys were mostly older, women, and had more severe dementia. The study also found that a third of the people diagnosed with dementia were still driving. Read more...
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January 4, 2013
Volume 6 Issue 1
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Sign the Stop Alzheimer's Petition!
Speak out now against Alzheimer's disease. Together we can become a chorus of voices echoing through the halls of Washington, DC, speaking for those who are in the shadows.
The "Understanding Dementia Care Tour," co-sponsored by AFA and Senior Helpers and featuring dementia care expert Teepa Snow, continues on the road in January. Seminars for healthcare professionals and/or family caregivers will be held in Dallas and Austin, TX; Cherry Hill, NJ; Louisville, KY; and Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale, FL. For details and to register, visit www.teepasnowtour.org. |
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The Legacy SocietyAFA'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 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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