Who will care for the caregivers?

“There are some 40 million Americans like my patient’s daughter. Every day, they help a parent, grandparent, relative or neighbor with basic needs: dressing, bathing, cooking, medications or transportation. Often, they do some or all of this while working, parenting, or both. And we — as doctors, employers, friends and extended family — aren’t doing enough to help them.”  ~Dhruv Khullar, M.D.      Read full article

After the diagnosis…

You’re worried. Your mom has shown increasing forgetfulness for months. She even got lost going to the grocery store she frequents. You hoped things would resolve themselves, but instead, they kept getting worse. You took her to the doctor, hoping the problem was due to a bad interaction of her many medicines or a treatable infection. Instead, you got the dreaded diagnosis: Alzheimer’s. Now what?    Read full article

Dementia Village coming to San Diego

A San Diego nonprofit is taking an unorthodox approach to help seniors cope with Alzheimer’s disease. It’s building a village for them to spend time during the day. It’s not residential. But the village is modeled on San Diego in the 1950s, complete with vintage cars, period music, payphones and shops from the pre-shopping mall, pre-Wal-Mart era. The nonprofit says research suggests this type of visual reminder might improve cognitive function and quality of life of Alzheimer’s patients over 65.   Read full article

Eating for good brain health

“Diet absolutely does play a role. The brain is like any other organ that is susceptible to (foods) that can protect against oxidation damage. … Think of oxidation like a fire getting started. These (good) foods act like little tiny fire extinguishers that help put out those fires that otherwise would cause damage leading to loss of brain function.” ~Liz Applegate, Professor, UC Davis    Read full article

Living with early stage Alzheimer’s

“These days my ministry is Alzheimer’s. I am so much happier now that I’ve accepted my diagnosis. There’s a stigma associated with memory-loss disorders and oftentimes people are afraid to ask for help; I believe my calling is to help reduce that shame. You don’t have to be embarrassed to have Alzheimer’s.”  ~Rev. Cynthia Huling Hummel, D.Min  Read full article