Alzheimer's Foundation of America |
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NAPA Advisory Council Recommends More Goals for Updated Alzheimer's Plan
 The Advisory Council on Alzheimer's Research, Care and Services met on January 14 to discuss the progress on research, clinical services and long-term care services included in the historic "National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease," and to consider recommendations to the revised plan set to be released in April.
Non-federal members unanimously passed numerous recommendations for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to consider including in the updated plan. The recommendations that mirror those made by the Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA) in its latest report on the national plan, "Time to Build," include: HHS, in partnership with experts from the research community and industry, should take steps to accelerate public access to new therapeutic interventions by compressing the current average timeline from targeting treatments to safety and regulatory review; and the government should launch a nationwide public awareness campaign specifically to promote early detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.
The advisory council also urged the HHS to develop a unified curriculum for primary care practitioners to gain knowledge and skills related to Alzheimer's disease and care, and require that physicians' diagnosis process include engaging individuals and family in advance care planning (health, legal, estate and financial). In addition, it calls on Congress to adequately fund Administration of Aging caregiver programs in order to meet existing and growing needs, and along with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), redesign Medicare coverage and providers' reimbursement to encourage appropriate diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and to provide planning to diagnosed individuals and their caregivers.
To read more about the advisory council's recommendations, click here. |
Government Funds New Studies for Innovative Therapies
 The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will be funding four new studies focusing on better understanding Alzheimer's disease and developing innovative treatments to the tune of $11 million in fiscal year 2013 and as much as $55 million over five years, the National Institute on Aging, NIH's lead institute, announced this week.
According to the NIH, the trials are critical to accomplishing the goal of preventing and effectively treating Alzheimer's disease by 2025, as set forth in the National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease released by the U.S. Health and Human Services in May 2012.
The studies are part of the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study (ADCS), an NIH-created national consortium of academic medical centers and clinics.
Two of the studies will hone in on people in the early stages of the disease: one will test the effectiveness of a drug that clears amyloid plaques in pre-symptomatic people, and another will explore whether supervised aerobic exercise can influence cognitive decline or brain pathology in people with mild cognitive impairment. A third trial will investigate the effectiveness of prazosin, a generic drug for high blood pressure, in treating disruptive agitation -- a common symptom of Alzheimer's disease. And the fourth study will test advanced ways to track Alzheimer's-related proteins in cerebrospinal fluid and blood plasma when developing potential drug therapies. |
Alzheimer's Foundation Offers Annual College Scholarship
 In an effort to highlight teens' experiences with Alzheimer's disease, AFA is encouraging college-bound students to apply for its 6th annual AFA Teens for Alzheimer's Awareness College Scholarship. The competition is part of AFA's award-winning AFA Teens division, which is designed to educate and raise awareness among teens about the brain disorder.
AFA will award $5,000 to the winner, and $500 and $250 to the first and second runners-up, respectively, for first-year tuition. The application deadline is February 15, 2013.
As part of the application process, students must write a 1,200 to 1,500 word essay that gives thoughtful consideration to "the impact Alzheimer's disease has on their own lives and what they learned about themselves, their family and/or their community in coping with the disease."
Last year, AFA received nearly 1,800 applications. Grace Kearney of Baltimore took the top prize with an essay that described the challenges she watched healthcare professionals face in treating people with Alzheimer's disease as well as the insights she gained while interning at a geriatric clinic. As a result of her experience, Kearney, now a student at Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA, plans to become a geriatric physician. |
New care ADvantage Magazine Offers Tips on Fighting the Flu
 As news outlets continue to report on the flu epidemic sweeping the country, the latest issue of care ADvantage, AFA's quarterly publication for caregivers, outlines what caregivers need to know when the flu strikes someone with dementia. Elderly people, especially those living with chronic illnesses, are at increased risk of developing complications from the flu.
The winter 2013 issue also peers inside the world of brain donations and lays out how people can contribute their brains -- both diseased and healthy -- to science; and Alzheimer's cafés, a growing trend that offers social events for people with Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers.
The magazine also features a heartfelt guest column by Mark Shriver, son of the late Sargent Shriver, founder of the Peace Corps -- giving readers an honest moment of clarity when he learned to shift from being a "caregiver" to a "love giver."
To read the latest issue and sign up for a free subscription, visit www.afacareadvantage.org.
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News to Use
- The National Council on Aging will host a one-hour Webinar entitled "Answering the FAQs about Medicare" to address enrollment, coverage, financial assistance and other issues. Register here for the Webinar on January 22 at 3:00 p.m. (ET) and here for the Webinar on January 25 at 2:00 p.m. (ET).
- 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 Louisville, KY; and Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale, FL. For details and to register, visit www.teepasnowtour.org.
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News Updates
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Positive Caregiving Environment May Help Slow Dementia Progression...People with dementia had a slower rate of cognitive and functional decline if their caregivers utilized positive coping strategies, which might include taking a problem-solving approach, seeking greater social support, and counting blessings, according to a six-year study of 226 people with dementia and their caregivers in Utah. Read more... -
Vaccine Clears Amyloid in Mice with Alzheimer's Disease...A new study conducted on mice opens doors to what could be a potential vaccine for Alzheimer's disease. Canadian researchers and the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline found that the mice's amyloid plaques -- the proteins associated with the disease -- were reduced by 80 percent and the mice's cognitive function significantly improved after they were injected with a molecule that stimulates the brain's immune system to eliminate amyloid. Read more... - Previous Brain Injuries in Older Adults Raise Risk of Re-Injury...People aged 65 or older who previously suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) with loss of consciousness face double the risk for re-injury if the first injury occurred before 25, but a four-fold risk if the first TBI happened after 55. The good news: TBI was not linked to a higher chance of developing dementia. Read more...
- Blood Pressure Medication May Reduce Risk of Dementia...In an autopsy study of the brains of more than 770 elderly Japanese-American men taking medication for high blood pressure, researchers found that those who were taking a specific drug called beta blockers were less likely to have changes in the brain that could lead to dementia. The study also found that those who were taking beta blockers alone or in combination with other blood pressure medications had less shrinkage in their brains. High blood pressure is a known risk factor of dementia. Read more...
- Link Between Concussions and Dementia Becomes Complex...A new study evaluating the thinking and memory skills and brain pathology of 34 former professional football players with and without a history of concussions concluded that cognitive deficits, depression and brain lesions were more common among the athletes than the healthy control group. Read more...
- Being Bilingual Has Mental Health Benefits...Speaking two languages since childhood can offset age-related cognitive decline, according to a new study. Researchers evaluated adults between ages 60 and 68 on perceptual tasks -- sorting shapes and colors -- as well as performed neuroimaging studies, and found that those who were bilingual performed better and their brains did not have to work as hard as monolingual seniors. Read more...
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January 17, 2013
Volume 6 Issue 2
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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.
February 14, 2013
Teleconference for Family & Professional Caregivers
"Identifying and Managing Fall Risks in People With Alzheimer's Disease."
1:00 p.m. (ET)
Guest Speaker: Rein Tideiksaar Ph.D., PA-C, president, FallPrevent, LLC, Blackwood, NJ, and author of "Implementing a Best Practices Fall Prevention Program."
For more info, click here. |
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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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