Alzheimer's Foundation of America
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New Report: Alzheimer's Care Delivery Projects Could Produce Significant Cost Savings
 In an effort to advance some of the goals in the "National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease," the Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA) last week released a report that quantifies several of the plan's care delivery provisions--and finds that implementation of a handful of projects will provide significant cost savings of more than $110 billion during a 10-year period, while promoting better health outcomes for individuals with Alzheimer's disease and improving quality of life for their caregivers. AFA selected several action steps in the national plan, including medical homes, coordinated care delivery, hospital safety, and effective care transitions for people with Alzheimer's disease, and performed a cost-benefit analysis of their application as model projects specifically for people affected by Alzheimer's disease. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the historic plan in May 2012 and updates it annually. "Currently, costs of providing care for individuals with Alzheimer's disease are astronomical and unsustainable," said Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., AFA's chief executive officer. "Advancing care coordination and caregiver training and supports will provide real cost savings while yielding more comprehensive care for people with Alzheimer's disease and family caregivers. Now it's time for policymakers to deliver." |
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Government Releases 2014 Update to National Alzheimer's Plan
HHS last week reported on progress toward goals in the "National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease" and introduced new action steps to update the historic plan.
Among the progress updates were: the identification of 11 Alzheimer's-risk genes that provide new insights about disease pathways and possible drug targets; an almost 14 percent reduction of the inappropriate use of antipsychotics among long-stay nursing home residents with dementia; and funding to states for development of dementia-capable long-term services and supports systems.
New action steps in the "2014 Update" include: filling service gaps in dementia-capable systems by expanding the availability of specialized services and supports to target previously underserved populations and soliciting stakeholder input on meaningful outcomes to drive quality measurement.
HHS presented the 2014 update at the meeting last week of the Advisory Council on Alzheimer's Research, Care and Services, which is advising on the plan's development and implantation. The next advisory council meeting is scheduled for July 21.
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Alzheimer's Foundation Awards College Scholarships in Annual Competition
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Laura McCarter, at age 6, with her grandfather, John McCarter.
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AFA recently awarded 10 scholarships, totaling $12,000, to high school seniors in its annual Teens for Alzheimer's Awareness college scholarship competition. The winners' essays demonstrated how their relationships with people with Alzheimer's disease have shaped their personal lives.
Laura McCarter, 17, of Newark, Del., captured the $5,000 top scholarship with her thoughtful essay that toggled between cherished childhood memories and the realities of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's disease. She relied on her grandfather's recurring question, "Would you like a hard candy?" to paint a picture of love, strength and patience.
Morgan Olson, 18, of Schenectady, N.Y., and Hannah Chute, 18, of Marion, Iowa, were named first and second runners-up, respectively. For the first time, AFA also awarded seven honorable mention scholarships of $500 each.
Click here to read all the winning essays. |
News to Use
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Eldercare Workforce Alliance Releases Older Americans Month Toolkit - In recognition of Older Americans Month, the Eldercare Workforce Alliance (EWA), a coalition of 30 organizations, this week released a toolkit for journalists and other stakeholders. EWA developed the kit with resources from its member organizations, including AFA; it includes educational materials, information about programs, and personal stories--all related to the aging population and the workforce caring for them.
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Webinar: Taking Inventory of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's Diseases - On May 15, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research will host a webinar, to discuss research into the similarities and differences between Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases as well as treatments that may "cross diagnostic lines" to treat both populations. The webinar takes place from 1-2 p.m. EDT. Click here to register.
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Teleconference: The National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes - On May 20, from 1:30-3 p.m. EDT, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will host a teleconference to share updates on the National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes. The teleconference is targeted to consumer and advocacy groups, nursing home providers, surveyor community, prescribers, professional associations, and other interested stakeholders. Click here to register.
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News Updates
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Alzheimer's Disease Variant May Go Unrecognized - New research suggests that a variation of Alzheimer's disease--known as hippocampal sparing Alzheimer's disease--is often misdiagnosed and improperly treated. Unlike traditional Alzheimer's disease, this atypical form mostly affects males, occurs at a young age, and typically progresses faster; in addition, the symptoms include angry outbursts and other uncharacteristic behavior--but many of the individuals have near-normal memory. The researchers said the variant made up 11 percent of the 1,821 Alzheimer's-confirmed brains that they examined, leading them to suggest it may be present in as many as 600,000 Americans. Read more...
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Study Findings Shed Light on Dementia and Nonagenarians - Researchers from the University of California Irvine have unveiled the findings of their "90+ Study," which has examined approximately 1,400 people aged 90 and older every six months since 2003. Among the major findings: more than 40 percent of this group, known as the oldest-old, have dementia, and about half of them do not have sufficient neuropathology in their brain to explain their cognitive loss. Further, people 90 and older with an APOE2 gene are less likely to have clinical Alzheimer's dementia, but are much more likely to have Alzheimer's neuropathology in their brains. Read more...
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May 8, 2014
Volume 7 Issue 11
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Phoebe Ministries
Allentown, Pa.
Phoebe Ministries, a non-profit organization based in Allentown, Pa., has achieved AFA's "Excellence in Care" distinction for all of its specialized memory care programs at seven senior adult continuum of care communities throughout Pennsylvania. This marks the first time an organization has applied for and attained system-wide fulfillment of AFA's national standards for dementia care settings.
"We pursued the EIC designation as a way to validate the quality services we provide to individuals with dementia and as a valuable opportunity to benefit from the expertise provided by AFA through the survey process," said Kelly O'Shea Carney, Ph.D., CMC, executive director of the Phoebe Center for Excellence in Dementia Care.
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Musicians perform at Jamzilla IV.
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Adam Hannis and Andi Thatcher
Maysville, N.Y.
A group of musicians from the Leatherstocking region of New York recently hosted Jamzilla IV, an annual music "jam" session, and designated proceeds from the fundraising event to AFA for the second consecutive year.
The event's creators, Adam Hannis and Andi Thatcher, were looking for an opportunity for some good friends to get together, play music and have fun. The duo chose AFA as the beneficiary since they both have experienced Alzheimer's disease in their families.
"One of the saddest things I've ever had to deal with was watching my grandfather deteriorate because of Alzheimer's disease," said Hannis, whose grandfather passed away five years ago.
This year's event resulted in a gifts and pledges of more than $3,500.
June 5: Leave a Lasting Mark
New York, N.Y.
Legendary New York City music venue, The Bitter End, will host a Motown-themed night of live performances to benefit AFA as part of its "Leave a Lasting Mark" concert series.
For more information call Josie Di Chiara at 866-232-8484, x112, or jdichiara@alzfdn.org
September 12: "5 Boroughs Concepts in Care" Conference
New York, N.Y.
AFA's third "5 Boroughs Concepts in Care" conference will be held on September 12 at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel in New York City.
For information about sponsorships or exhibiting, call 866-232-8484 or click here.
November 18: National Memory Screening Day
AFA's annual event, National Memory Screening Day, will be held on November 18. On this day, sites across the country will offer free, confidential memory screenings as well as educational materials. Click here to register as a site.
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Click here to learn the different ways you can give to AFA.
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