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Alzheimer's

Updated 11 months ago (185 posts)

Diagnosis Details: No answer.

Caregiver
Delray Beach, FL
Patient Info: Female, 93, Diagnosed over 6 years ago

Did A Boca Raton Couple Murder Elly Lorey Who Suffered From Alzheimer's Disease?

As a General step regarding Alzheimer's by BobDeMarco


This story and trial are taking place about 7-10 miles from where I live--in Boca Raton, Florida. Is it murder, neglect, or just another day in the life of an Alzheimer's caregiver?

Here are some of the quotes and facts from the story which was written by Missy Diaz in the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Elly Lorey spent the last of her 89 years in a state of extreme mental decay, living in a locked, unventilated room where she smeared excrement on the walls and existed on a diet of honey buns and Ramen noodles, according to police reports. When she died, Lorey had withered to 80 pounds. Despite the signs of advanced Alzheimer's disease, she had received no medical care.
Elly lived with Kerstin (the daughter) and Toby Fenn in a four-bedroom, two-bath home in the Cimarron neighborhood west of Boca Raton.
Wondering what their defense lawyer had to say for the paper?
"If [the Fenns] committed a crime, so have thousands of people across the country who care for Alzheimer's patients at home," said attorney Michael Salnick, who with co-counsel Ian Goldstein represents Kerstin Fenn, 53, and Toby Fenn, 50.
What does the state have as evidence?
The state will present evidence that Lorey lived in a locked room, where wood lattice covered a sliding glass door leading to the outside and pizza-box tops were nailed over the room's air conditioning vents in an effort to keep the stench from spreading through the rest of the house. A maid cleaned the Fenn home but refused to enter Lorey's room, according to a Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office report.
Did her daughter and son-in-law do the best they could under difficult circumstances? Or did their actions constitute abuse and murder? It will be up to a Palm Beach County jury to decide.
A grand jury indicted the couple on charges of first-degree murder and aggravated abuse of the elderly. Lorey died of starvation and dehydration, according to the Palm Beach County medical examiner.
To read this story go here.

Your comments are welcome here, and you might want to comment at the Sun Sentinel site. I'll reserve my own comments for the moment. I'll revisit this story after the verdict.
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Bob DeMarco is an Alzheimer's caregiver and editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for advice and insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob taught at the University of Georgia, was an executive at Bear Stearns, the CEO of IP Group, and is a mentor. He has written more than 775 articles with more than 18,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

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@Alzheimer Sread 901

As a General step regarding Alzheimer's by BobDeMarco


Here are a few of the articles from my Twitter Feed @ALZHEIMERSREAD.

Is Family Caregiving Better Than Institutional Care?
Assuming the role of caregiver for a loved one can be challenging and with the amount of stress and aggravation that comes with the job, you would think that the caregiver would rather turn the loved one over to a nursing home or other organized care facility. However, the opposite it true!
To continue reading go here.

Oklahoma legislative task force addresses Alzheimer’s
Requirement that medical school students learn more about diagnosis of Alzheimer’s.
To continue reading go here.

 Finra bars 2 brokers for conning widows, Alzheimer’s victims and disabled
Among the victims were 15 widows, two Alzheimer’s victims and an individual with developmental disabilities.
To continue reading go here.

Aging: Moderate Drinking May Help the Brain
People over 60 who consume moderate amounts of alcohol have a reduced risk for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, according to a large review of studies.
To continue reading go here.
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Popular articles on the Alzheimer's Reading Room
A Caregiver's Guide to Alzheimer's Disease: 300 Tips for Making Life Easier
Bob DeMarco is an Alzheimer's caregiver and editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for advice and insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob taught at the University of Georgia, was an executive at Bear Stearns, the CEO of IP Group, and is a mentor. He has written more than 775 articles with more than 18,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

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The Search For A New Personal Care Physician Is Now In Progress

As a General step regarding Alzheimer's by BobDeMarco


Let me start by saying this--Thank you.

Thanks to each and everyone of you that took the time to comment on this website, on my Facebook Wall, and who sent me personal emails regarding the untimely death of our wonderful personal care physicians--Doctor Carlos Chiriboga.

Your kind words give me comfort, and importantly help empower me to move forward.

I already started the search for a new personal care physician. Unlike, last time, I actually know what I am doing this time.. Many of you know it took me 14 months, and 4 physicians to get it right last time around. I am now realizing how little I knew at the time.

I now realize, I was asking the wrong questions and looking in the wrong places.

Here are the dumbest questions I asked last time around.
  • Do you have patients in your practice that suffer from dementia?
  • Are you familiar with the treatments for Alzheimer's and dementia?
  • Can you give my mother the kind of care and treatment she is going to need?

I don't have all my questions ready for this time around, but I will by Wednesday when we interview--that is right interview--our first personal care physician.

Here are some of the things I intend to ask.
  • Where did you go to medical school?
  • How much time did you spend in medical school studying Alzheimer's and dementia?
  • Since medical school did you have follow-up training, or have you attended any seminars where you leaned more about Alzheimer's.
  • If I walked in here today and told you I suspected my mother was suffering from Alzheimer's what would you do?
  • Would you consider giving a person in the early stage of Alzheimer's a combination of Aricept and Namenda?
I have more questions prepared. But right now, I am interested in finding out what you would ask the doctor? Please use the comments box below this article. No direct emails on this one.

Sometime soon I am also going to tell you how I found the new candidates. You might be surprised to learn how I did it.
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Bob DeMarco is an Alzheimer's caregiver and editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for advice and insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob taught at the University of Georgia, was an executive at Bear Stearns, the CEO of IP Group, and is a mentor. He has written more than 775 articles with more than 18,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

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In Memory Of Doctor Carlos Chiriboga

As a General step regarding Alzheimer's by BobDeMarco


My name is Bob DeMarco, I am an Alzheimer's caregiver. My mother Dorothy, now 93 years old, suffers from Alzheimer's disease.

For those of you that have been here for a while, you know that I am adamant about the importance of finding a personal care physician that is fully familiar with Alzheimer's disease. In fact, I believe this is the most important decision you will ever make in a fight against Alzheimer's disease.

Sadly, our incredibly competent, loving, caring, personal care physician--Dr. Carlos Chiriboga--died last week.

Carlos Chiriboga was a young man. He is survived by his loving wife, and three young children ages 3-12 years old. Dr. Chiriboga died from a complication during surgery. His death was unexpected.
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It would be impossible for me to describe the feeling of sadness I am experiencing right now.

It has been difficult for me to come on the blog this week. Hard to read my email and make the necessary responses.

In the last year, I took my mother to see Dr. Chiriboga 27 times. You can imagine the number of problems that we were experiencing with my mother to go into his office that often.

Most of the time when I need to take my mother to the doctor, she goes kicking and screaming (my mother always says the same thing--I don't need a doctor, "I am a healthy old broad".)

Every time, every time, when we walked out of Dr. Chiriboga's office my mother walked out with a smile on here face, and in a very good mood. I often told Dr. Chiriboga that I wished I could bring her to his office every day.

As you all know, I read just about everything there is on Alzheimer's. During our 4 years with Dr. Chiriboga when I asked about this or that treatment he was right there with me every time.

When I wanted to try something that could be considered outside the box, Dr, Chiriboga would discuss the ramifications of the treatment with me. He never said No upfront. He did convince me on several occasions that the potential risks could outweigh the rewards. Then he would ask me what I wanted to do. You can probably guess the answer. Dr. Chiriboga had a very effective way of "disabusing" me of some of my wild ideas.

When I first read about the beneficial effects of Namenda in concert with Aricept, I immediately made an appointment to discuss this with Dr. Chiriboga. I didn't have to hand him the information, he was fully informed about the study before I got to him.

He did hesitate for a few seconds when I made my request for the Namenda. He then said, here is what we are going to do, and this is how we are going to do it. Why did he hesitate? I never asked. But, I suspect he was doing something that our healthcare company wouldn't like. It probably meant that he was going to need to do "paperwork" to justify the medication. This is how healthcare works in the real world.

If you read my article--Alzheimer's and the Thyroid, He Came Back to Life--you know that the specialists wanted to give a patient "electric shock therapy" in a final attempt to wake up his brain. Dr. Chiriboga after reveiwing all the test decided there could be an easier, more simple solution. The next day the man sat up and returned to his normal self--he came back to life.

When my mother was suffering from massive headaches, on the top of her head, for three straight weeks, I was at wits end with worry. Every morning my mother's blood pressure was sky high, and she had the headache. Dr. Chiriboga finally came up with a simple solution--0.1 of Clonidine HCL. Not only did it work, but it gave us an additional unexpected benefit--my mother now sleeps straight through the night. No getting up, no wandering around in the middle of the night. This was an "outside box" solution.

In September, I'll write about how we finally whipped incontinence after six years.

I'll also write about Dr. Chiriboga's special communication techniques.

It took me 14 months, and the firing of 3 personal care physicians, before I found Dr. Chiriboga. It was not easy to find him. It was more than worth the effort. I doubt that our experience with Alzheimer's would have gone as well as it has without Dr. Chiriboga. He made a remarkable impact on both my mother and me.

I'll think of Dr.Chiriboga often in the years ahead. I'll remember that he was both a remarkable doctor and a remarkable man. I know some day I'll reach the point where all my thoughts about him will be happy and positive.

Right now, I am sad.
Popular articles on the Alzheimer's Reading Room
Bob DeMarco is an Alzheimer's caregiver and editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for advice and insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob taught at the University of Georgia, was an executive at Bear Stearns, the CEO of IP Group, and is a mentor. He has written more than 775 articles with more than 18,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

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Could Namenda Be Used To Delay The Onset Of Dementia? (Video)

As a General step regarding Alzheimer's by BobDeMarco


This is interesting research. I believe Namenda in combination with Aricept works well for my mother. After viewing this video I found myself wondering, what if she had Namenda when she was in a very early stage or dementia or mild cognitive impairment?
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Bob DeMarco is an Alzheimer's caregiver and editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for advice and insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob taught at the University of Georgia, was an executive at Bear Stearns, the CEO of IP Group, and is a mentor. He has written more than 775 articles with more than 18,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

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Changes In Walking And Balance Can Be A Sign Of Alzheimer's And Dementia

As a General step regarding Alzheimer's by BobDeMarco


Prior to my mother's diagnosis of dementia she started scraping her feet on the ground, and started falling down. On one fall she broke her finger.

When my mother would fall, she could not get back up on her own. I now find myself wondering--how did she get up before I came to take care of her? I'll never know the answer to this question.

I am convinced that my decision to take her into a gym, and put her on a treadmill made a remarkable difference. My mother has not fallen a single time in the last 4 years. Not once.

I suppose when I talk about exercise and the very positive effect it has on my mother's over all well being--I make it sound like magic. It does seem magical to me the more I think about it.

I wish more people would try getting their older parents to walk on a treadmill five days a week. The benefits are remarkable.
"Walking difficulties and falls are major symptoms of people with white matter changes and a significant cause of illness and death in the elderly," said study author Dr. Hansjoerg Baezner, of the University of Heidelberg in Mannheim, Germany. "Exercise may have the potential to reduce the risk of these problems since exercise is associated with improved walking and balance."
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Walking Changes May Be Alzheimer's Sign 

Changes in the brain may make it harder for older people to keep their balance and move around well. A three-year study at the University of Florence took brain scans of 639 people and measured them in walking tests.

Those with severe changes to the white matter of their brains were twice as likely to score poorly on the physical tests. They were twice as likely as those with mild changes to have a history of falls.

"Walking difficulties and falls are major symptoms of people with white matter changes and a significant cause of illness and death in the elderly," said study author Dr. Hansjoerg Baezner, of the University of Heidelberg in Mannheim, Germany. "Exercise may have the potential to reduce the risk of these problems since exercise is associated with improved walking and balance."

He noted that limited mobility can hurt the chances of living independently and lead to more time in hospitals and nursing homes.

He also said that early detection of balance problems may lead to earlier detection of Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia. Source journal Neurology

Popular articles on the Alzheimer's Reading Room
A Caregiver's Guide to Alzheimer's Disease: 300 Tips for Making Life Easier
Bob DeMarco is an Alzheimer's caregiver and editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for advice and insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob taught at the University of Georgia, was an executive at Bear Stearns, the CEO of IP Group, and is a mentor. He has written more than 775 articles with more than 18,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

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Quote Of The Day August 26

As a General step regarding Alzheimer's by BobDeMarco


"If we can delay the onset of Alzheimer's by five years, by some estimates we can cut the incidence of Alzheimer's in half. If we can delay the disease by 10 years, we could almost eliminate it because people would die from other conditions first."--Stephen Rao, in the journal Neurology
To read this TIME article go here.
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Bob DeMarco is an Alzheimer's caregiver and editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for advice and insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob taught at the University of Georgia, was an executive at Bear Stearns, the CEO of IP Group, and is a mentor. He has written more than 775 articles with more than 18,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

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1,011 Thank You Notes

As a General step regarding Alzheimer's by BobDeMarco


Today the Alzheimer's Reading Room passed 1,000 subscribers for the first time.

If I could, I would write each and everyone of you a personal Thank You note.

To those of you that have emailed me with your kind words, Thank You.

To those of you who share a part of your life as a Caregiver with me, Thank You.

To those of you that take the time to comment, and teach me so much, Thank You.

Thank You for reading. Bob
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Popular articles on theAlzheimer's Reading Room
Bob DeMarco is an Alzheimer's caregiver and editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for advice and insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob taught at the University of Georgia, was an executive at Bear Stearns, the CEO of IP Group, and is a mentor. He has written more than 775 articles with more than 18,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

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Popular Articles At The Alzheimer's Reading Room

As a General step regarding Alzheimer's by BobDeMarco


Articles include information on: Testing Your Memory for Alzheimer's, Wandering, Aricept, Namenda, Dimebon, Dementia, Caregiving, Wii, Alzheimer's Facts and Figures, Walmart as a Caregiver Tool, and more.

Feel free to share these articles with friends, caregivers, support groups, associations, or on you blog/website.


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Bob DeMarco is an Alzheimer's caregiver and editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for advice and insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob taught at the University of Georgia, was an executive at Bear Stearns, the CEO of IP Group, and is a mentor. He has written more than 775 articles with more than 18,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

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Alzheimer's Wandering Why It Happens And What To Do

As a General step regarding Alzheimer's by BobDeMarco


I have a site on Twitter--ALZHEIMERSread. @ALZHEIMERSread I post every article that is written about Alzheimer's as they become available. If I did that here you would get dizzy reading them. My Twitter Feed contains 2492 Tweets (it will be higher by the time you get there). Today, the most frequently clicked-on article is about a man suffering from Alzheimer's that was found 230 miles from home--West Sussex dementia sufferer found hundreds of miles from home.Wandering is among the most unsettling and even terrifying behaviors people with Alzheimer's display. Often poorly clad, they leave...

This is a content summary. Please click on the headline to read the complete article. If you have tips or advice on wandering, please add them to the comments section below the article. Thanks. Bob

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Alzheimer's And Dementia The Simple Solution To Problems

As a General step regarding Alzheimer's by BobDeMarco


Sometimes it is best to find a simple solution to an ongoing problem.

Have a simple solution to a problem? Tell us about it in the comments box below this article. Or better yet, write an article for the Alzheimer's Reading Room.

Here are a few good examples.
A Simple Solution

I've been taking care of my husband, John, who has dementia. John constantly misplaces his wallet and gets upset when he can't find it. I've tried to convince him that he doesn't need to carry a wallet anymore because I'm taking care of the bills and expenses, but this doesn't satisfy him.

One day when John was getting quite agitated about his lost wallet and I couldn't find it anywhere, I came across an old wallet that had belonged to our son. I put a couple of dollars in the wallet and gave it to John -- and he was delighted.

I realized it wasn't that he needed his wallet, but that he needed a wallet. Having money in his pocket meant a lot to John, especially because he'd grown up poor. Now I keep extra wallets on hand for whenever his gets lost, and we're both much happier.
Advice and Insight into Alzheimer's disease
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A Memory Book

My dad has Alzheimer's and we've discovered how useful a memory book can be.

I've put family stories and pictures into a nice album. Sometimes we just sit and visit and look at the photos.

It's also been useful for visitors. If they don't know what to talk about with Dad, they can always pick up the memory book and share something he enjoys.
Nighttime Incontinence

I first realized that Mom needed help with her nighttime incontinence when I arrived at her apartment earlier than expected one morning. She was up and about but I noticed that the bedding was wet with urine.

What to do? In the short-term we got creative.

First I took the sheets and mattress pad off the bed and tossed them in the wash. The mattress wasn't wet, but we let it air out while we went out for breakfast.
We thought about what we could use to protect her mattress pad from getting wet again. Turns out she had a vinyl table cloth with a flannel backing that we could use. We could have used a shower curtain liner, covered with a flannel sheet, too.
When we re-made the bed I put the table cloth, flannel side up, on top of the mattress pad and beneath the bottom sheet. A little crinkly, but not too bad!
Later that week I went to a medical supply store near my house and bought two reusable "underpads" -- flat absorbent pads with a waterproof backing -- specifically designed to protect bed linen and chairs. They're soft and nicer to sleep on than the vinyl table cloth.

I also bought a package of disposable underpads in case both reusable ones were in the wash.
Adult Day Care

My mother had Parkinson's and my dad had Alzheimer's. Mom was taking care of Dad pretty well, but as her own disease progressed it got harder and harder. She needed some relief from caregiving, time to herself, and time to rest.

I found an adult day care center that Dad could go to a couple of times a week. This was very hard for him. He didn't like the change and resisted going there, which made things harder for Mom.

So Mom and I started putting notes in his pocket. The notes would tell him why he was at day care, when he'd be picked up to go home, and who would be picking him up. These notes were very reassuring to him, and with them Dad found it a lot easier to go to day care.
Source Oregon Health and Science University

Original content the Alzheimer's Reading Room

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Bob DeMarco is an Alzheimer's caregiver and editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for advice and insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob taught at the University of Georgia, was an executive at Bear Stearns, the CEO of IP Group, and is a mentor. He has written more than 700 articles with more than 18,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

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Is Alzheimer's Everywhere?

As a General step regarding Alzheimer's by BobDeMarco


My name is Bob DeMarco, I am an Alzheimer's caregiver. My mother Dorothy, now 93 years old, suffers from Alzheimer's.

Is Alzheimer's everywhere?

I don't get out much these days. But, I make an effort to take my mother out every Friday night. We always go to a place where we can easily interact with people. This is part of the effort to keep my mother socialized and in the "world".

Last night, we went to Vic and Angelo's in downtown Delray Beach, Florida. A really fantastic venue. If you click on the image to the left, you'll hear a nice rendition of a song you might recognize.

Usually I stand and my mother sits. Since I always have a smile on my face, people find it easy to approach and talk with me.

Last night, I had a conversation with a woman and a man that were waiting to go inside (we were eating on the outside). Sure enough, the woman told me about her mother who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's at 58. She was a little surprised to see me, and my 93 year old out and about.

Now to my point. We went to Vic and Angelo's three out of the last four Friday's. And, every time I met someone that was related to a sufferer of Alzheimer's.

Alzheimer's seems to be everywhere.
Advice and Insight into Alzheimer's disease
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100 Million Adults Touched by Alzheimer's

Touched by Alzheimer's

Examining the Impact of Alzheimer's Disease in America

More than half of Americans report that they have been touched by someone (living or deceased) who has Alzheimer's disease, and roughly a third of Americans are worried about getting Alzheimer's. The majority of Americans have a poor understanding of the fatal and progressive brain disease and the extent of its impact on individuals and society.

These are among the key findings of the HBO ALZHEIMER'S PROJECT/HARRIS INTERACTIVE CENSUS, a new survey that reveals the impact of Alzheimer's, what Americans think about the disease, and how it has affected them, their relatives and friends.

The survey found that:

  • 54% of the U.S. population, or more than 100 million people, has been touched in some way by Alzheimer's.
  • More than half (52%) of those surveyed reported knowing someone living with the disease or someone who had it, but is now deceased.
Source HBO and Harris Interactive

Original content the Alzheimer's Reading Room

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Bob DeMarco is an Alzheimer's caregiver and editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for advice and insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob taught at the University of Georgia, was an executive at Bear Stearns, the CEO of IP Group, and is a mentor. He has written more than 700 articles with more than 18,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

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Exercise For Cognition And Everyday Living For Seniors With Memory Complaints (Excel)

As a General step regarding Alzheimer's by BobDeMarco


I am writing about the clinical trial-- Exercise for Cognition and Everyday Living for Seniors With Memory Complaints (EXCEL) -- even though it is only available in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

The study caught my attention because they are testing an exercise program that is almost identical to what I decided to do with my mother when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's.
The researchers' proposed research aims to ascertain whether a six-month, twice-weekly aerobic training (AT) program and a six-month, twice-weekly resistance training (RT) program, compared with a six-month, twice-weekly stretch & relax (S & R; control) program, will significantly improve cognition and functional status in community-dwelling women with MCI aged 70 years and older.
In my mother's case we use the combination of aerobic exercise and resistance training (which turned into weight training). You might be surprised to learn that my mother hates the aerobic training, and loves the weight training. Go figure.

If you have been here a while then you know it is my very firm belief that exercise in a gym slowed the progression of Alzheimer's in my mother. So, I am excited to see some of my own theories tested (more or less).

Here are the two hypotheses being tested:
Primary Hypothesis:
At the end of six-month randomized trial, compared with the S & R program, both the AT and RT programs will significantly improve cognitive performance, as assessed by neuropsychological testing.

Secondary Hypotheses:
At the end of the six-month randomized trial, compared with the S & R program, participants of the AT and RT programs will:

Demonstrate evidence of cortical plasticity by fMRI, such as increased activation in cortical regions responsible for item and relational memory; and
Will significantly improve their everyday problem solving ability.
The use of fMRI is also very exciting.

To read all about EXCEL: Exercise for Cognition and Everyday Living for Seniors With Memory Complaints go here.
Advice and Insight into Alzheimer's disease
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Bob DeMarco is an Alzheimer's caregiver and editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for advice and insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob taught at the University of Georgia, was an executive at Bear Stearns, the CEO of IP Group, and is a mentor. He has written more than 700 articles with more than 18,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

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Study Gives Alzheimer's Patients Hope

As a General step regarding Alzheimer's by BobDeMarco


What worries Ann Massengill and George Stone most about getting older is Alzheimer's disease.

"To me, that's the worst disease known to man-- including cancer and heart problems," he said. "You're robbing someone of their entire life... their entire memory from when they were a child to an adult."

Advice and Insight into Alzheimer's disease
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The Icara Study

Study gives Alzheimer's patients hope

"Some days you're not as sharp as other days, and that scares me," Ann added.

Ann is part of an Alzheimer's study at St. Petersburg's Meridien Research .

She's in the beginning stages. Meridien introduces George as her caregiver.

"No, I'm her roommate," he said. "I hate caregiver means that you've gone past the last stage that you're right there at the end. I'm her roommate and we hang out together and do things together and if I can help her by giving her a pill fine."

Ann is trying a new medicine, a strong antihistamine not legalized in the United States. In Russia, it has shown signs of improving memory function.

So she's giving it a try to avoid what she fears most. "Not being able to do things, not be able to care for myself all those awful things that happen to you," she said.

"We are in the dark ages of brain research," said Dr. Mildred Farmer, a lead researcher at Meridien who's spent 20 years studying Alzheimer's.

Despite how far medical advances have come researching disease, she said Alzheimer's continues to elude doctors and scientists.

"The reality is that there was a lot of data but not a lot of information," Dr. Farmer said. "We know a lot of pieces of the puzzle but the puzzle is not entirely put together yet."

At Meridien, they are working to find a cure, with patients like Ann to preserve memory function and perhaps more groundbreaking— focusing on a new treatment for more advanced patients. It centers on the presence of plaques of ameloid that build on the brain, and an investigational drug that scrubs the brain.

It's taken 15 years to get to human trials on patients with Alzheimer's, but they are there. Current therapies treat only the symptoms of the disease. This would target the disease itself.

"We'll know the answer in a year or so, so we're right on the cusp of determining whether the ameloid theory is going to work," Dr. Farmer said.

She said everyday they are pioneering, looking for answers to this riddle locked deep in the brain.

"By removing ameloid or preventing it from settling in the brain we may we're hoping we may be able to change the course of the disease," she said.

And if they can do that, they can change the course of life for Alzheimer's patients like Ann and those who love them like George.

So they can get on with living and not have to worry about being robbed of the years they worked so hard to enjoy.

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Bob DeMarco is an Alzheimer's caregiver and editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for advice and insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob taught at the University of Georgia, was an executive at Bear Stearns, the CEO of IP Group, and is a mentor. He has written more than 700 articles with more than 18,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

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Alzheimer's Reading Room 820

As a General step regarding Alzheimer's by BobDeMarco


Some recent articles on Alzheimer's and dementia that might be of interest to you.

Does Drinking Wine Daily Fight Alzheimer's?
The polyphenols found in red wine are thought to help prevent Alzheimer's disease, according to a new research study conducted at Purdue University and Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Mario Ferruzzi, a Purdue associate professor of food science said, "It's like eating an apple a day, not a case of apples over two days every month."
To read more go here.

Special Cat Helps Alzheimer Patients Recapture Memories
One of the most popular visitors among the residents of the Nazareth Classic Care Community in Menlo Park, Calif., is a four-year old half Maine Coon, half Orange Tabby cat named Caju. Twice a month, this very affable feline makes his way around the long-term care facility for Alzheimer and dementia patients, bringing a smile to residents and often helping them reach back to memories of their own cherished animal companions.
To continue read go here.

Project Lifesaver
Project Lifesaver International (PLI) helps provide rapid response to save lives and reduce potential for serious injury for adults and children who wander due to Alzheimer’s, Autism, Down Syndrome, dementia and other related disorders.
To learn more go here.
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Bob DeMarco is an Alzheimer's caregiver and editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for advice and insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob taught at the University of Georgia, was an executive at Bear Stearns, the CEO of IP Group, and is a mentor. He has written more than 700 articles with more than 18,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

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Alzheimer's In The Living Room....

As a General step regarding Alzheimer's by BobDeMarco


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I was over on the Alzheimer's New Zealand Facebook page, and I noticed a link to a story I first read back in 2004 on the New York Times--Alzheimer's in the Living Room: How One Family Rallies to Cope.

At the time of my first reading, I thought this was a well written story. After this read, I would have to say this article by Jane Gross is really remarkable. Keep in mind I was a 'young' caregiver when I first read the article.

The article captures much of the real life trials, tribulations, emotions, and angst of a family dealing with Alzheimer's from the front row.

Here are a few snippets from the article.
"It's overwhelming, worse every day," Mrs. Dillon said recently, wincing from stomach pain and steadily losing weight. "I don't have any life. Whatever happened to the golden years? Both of us have been robbed of everything we worked for."
"It's a myth that Americans dump their relative in long-term care," said Dr. Peter V. Rabins, a professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University and co-author of "The 36-Hour Day," a groundbreaking guidebook first published in 1981, when Alzheimer's was not yet a household word. "When you look at the numbers, that is simply not the case."
Take shower time, typically among the worst for Alzheimer's families, because the patient's sense that his privacy is being invaded, and his inability to perform simple tasks, can provoke extreme reactions. Mrs. Dillon, on the rare occasion she tries to bathe her husband, pleads with him to cooperate. He can no longer follow instructions, she said, but is aware enough to be embarrassed and frustrated.

The result can be explosive. And having seen her once-gentle husband raise a fist or a stick in her direction, Mrs. Dillon was shaken last week when, the police say, another Queens man with Alzheimer's killed his elderly wife, who had been his caregiver.
Mr. Dillon has lately gotten "lost" on the way to the toilet and used a wastebasket instead.
But Mrs. Dillon's good humor is fading. One day he will not know her. "Look after yourself; you can't take care of him if you don't take care of yourself." She hears this daily from well-meaning relatives and friends.
If you have the time, I suggest you take the time to read the full article. To continue reading go here.

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Bob DeMarco is an Alzheimer's caregiver and editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for advice and insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob taught at the University of Georgia, was an executive at Bear Stearns, the CEO of IP Group, and is a mentor. He has written more than 700 articles with more than 18,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

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Does The Combination Of Aricept And Namenda Help Slow The Rate Of Decline In Alzheimer's Patients

As a General step regarding Alzheimer's by BobDeMarco


My name is Bob DeMarco, I am an Alzheimer's caregiver. My mother Dorothy, now 93 years old, suffers from Alzheimer's disease.

A year ago, my mother's Alzheimer's disease started to worsen. As a result, I was both concerned and worried.

At the same time, I read a new research study about the combination of Aricept and Namenda as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease.
"The results of this study should change the way we treat patients with Alzheimer's disease. Cholinesterase inhibitors are approved for use in mild to moderate dementia, while memantine has been approved for advanced dementia. But it looks like there is an advantage in prescribing both drugs as initial treatment."-->John Growdon

The results of the research study indicated that the combination of Aricept and Namenda helped slow the rate of decline in Alzheimer's patients.

I immediately scheduled an appointment with our doctor to discuss this information.

Our doctor was familiar with the research, and he agree to put my mother on Namenda in a combination with Aricept.

One year later, it is my belief that the combination Aricept and Namenda has slowed the progression of Alzheimer's. We were fortunate, and my mother did not suffer any side effects as the result of the addition of Namenda in her drug regimen.

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Information extracted from the journal article, my notes, and various outside sources.
Finding something that could actually modify the course of the disease is the Holy Grail of Alzheimer's treatment, but we really don't know if that is happening or what the mechanism behind these effects might be," Alireza Atri explains. "What we can say now is that providers should help patients understand that the benefits of these drugs are long term and may not be apparent in the first months of treatment. Even if a patient's symptoms get worse, that doesn't mean the drug isn't working, since the decline probably would have been much greater without therapy."
Researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital Memory Disorders Unit report in the journal Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders that combining two types of Alzheimer's drugs works better than giving none or one of the drugs alone to slow cognitive and functional decline.

The study found that people who took the combination of cholinesterase inhibitors (Aricept, Razadyne, or Exelon) and Memantine, showed a significantly slower rate of cognitve decline than those who took only a cholinesterase inhibitor or no drug.

Those in earlier stages of Alzheimer's disease are typically treated with cholinesterase inhibitors like Aricept, Razadyne, or Exelon.

Those suffering from later stage Alzheimer's disease are usually treated with Namenda (Memantine).

Led by Dr. Alireza Atri, the researchers analyzed the records of 382 patients who were treated at the Boston clinic from 1990 to 2005.

The earliest group of 144 patients did not receive any medication, the second group got a cholinesterase inhibitor approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the mid-1990s, and the third group took that drug plus memantine, a drug approved in 2003 that helps patients think more clearly.

The patients were followed for an average of two and a half years, and given tests to measure both their cognitive abilities and their capacity to carry out the activities of daily living.

People who took the combination of drugs showed a significantly smaller rate of decline than those who were taking only a cholinesterase inhibitor or no drug.

Memantine was not studied alone because by the time it was available, cholinesterase inhibitors were widely used. The researchers accounted for differences among the groups, such as how early in the disease they were diagnosed and whether they had other illnesses, but the differences in how they scored on tests of cognition and function still held true.

Previous clinical trials have compared the drugs with placebos in short studies of safety and effectiveness, but the MGH group says theirs is the first to look longer-term at patients in a real-world clinical setting. Their study was funded by the National Institute on Aging and theMassachusetts Alzehimer's Disease Research Center.

Note to readers and subscribers: The primary purpose of this article is to inform you of our experience and decision making concerning the treatment of my mother's Alzheimer's. I am not advocating any specific treatment here. Any treatments, or decisions on treatments, should be made in consultation with a qualified physician/specialist.

Original content the Alzheimer's Reading Room.

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Bob DeMarco is an Alzheimer's caregiver and editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for advice and insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob taught at the University of Georgia, was an executive at Bear Stearns, the CEO of IP Group, and is a mentor. He has written more than 700 articles with more than 18,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

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High Cholesterol Levels In Your 40s Raises The Odds Of Developing Alzheimer's Disease By 50 Percent

As a General step regarding Alzheimer's by BobDeMarco


I wrote about this issue for the first during April, 2008 --High cholesterol levels in your 40s may raise the chance of developing Alzheimer's disease. Last week, this study of more than 9,000 Californians came back into the news with a newer updated version in the journal Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders In the study, People underwent detailed health evaluations between 1964 and 1973 when they were ages 40 to 45, including blood...

This is a content summary. Click on the headline to read the full content article. You might want to share this information with family or friends.

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Can Drinking Juice Delay The Onset Of Alzheimer's Disease?

As a General step regarding Alzheimer's by BobDeMarco


The answer appears to be, Yes.

Researchers at the Group Health Center for Health Studies in Seattle, Washington following nearly 2,000 adults for 10 years found drinking fruit or vegetable juice cuts the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Study participants who drank juice three times per week reduced their Alzheimer's risk by 76 percent. Study participants who drank juice once or twice a week reduced their Alzheimer's risk by 16 percent.
"The theory is that the brain accumulates damage due to oxidation as we age, and if you can protect the brain from that damage you can protect the person from Alzheimer's disease and other causes of dementia," said Eric Larson, MD.
According to Dr. Larson, juice is made using parts of the fruit with the highest concentration of natural antioxidants.
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In theory, grape, apple and orange juices are very potent in antioxidants and could be the most effective at preventing Alzheimer's disease.

In the study, those who did not drink fruit juice, but ate several servings of fruit per week, saw some benefit. However, those who drank juice saw the most benefit.


The Alzheimer's Action Plan: The Experts' Guide to the Best Diagnosis and Treatment for Memory Problems

Bob DeMarco is an Alzheimer's caregiver and editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for advice and insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob taught at the University of Georgia, was an executive at Bear Stearns, the CEO of IP Group, and is a mentor. He has written more than 700 articles with more than 18,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

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Reader Seeks Advice On How To Address The Issue Of Dementia With Her Father

As a General step regarding Alzheimer's by BobDeMarco


One of our readers writes in and asked this question.
How do I address with my Dad about going to the doctor as we believe we are seeing either the signs of dementia or alzheimer's in his behavior. He does not have a physican and does not go to the doctor.. but we (my family) have seen a progression in his behavior lately. Any advice would greatly be appreciated.
There is at least one additional issue. This man lives in small town, and there are no specialists directly available to him.

If you have a specific action plan, please include that advice in your comment.

If you would like to ask our reader additional questions to better frame the issue/situation that is OK.

Please use the comments box below this article to respond.

For those of you reading via one of our subscription services, please click the headline and come to the website to enter your answer or response.
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Alzheimer's Reading Room Readers Share This Article

As a General step regarding Alzheimer's by BobDeMarco


I need your help.

Many of you might not know this, but I am a one man band on this blog.

With the exception of articles from outside sources, everything you see here on the Alzheimer's Reading Room is done by me. Writing, editing, marketing, you name it.

One thing I am always trying to do is broaden and increase the audience of the Alzheimer's Reading Room. This is incredibly time consuming. Since I am alone while doing this, it is not happening as fast as I would hope.

I know there are millions of people searching for information on Alzheimer's, dementia, and care giving each day. Most of them do not know that the Alzheimer's Reading Room exists.

A recent Harris Interactive poll indicated that their are 70 million searches for "health" on the Internet each month.

More than 4 million are for "Alzheimer's". Add in, "dementia" and "caregiving" and you get to about 8 million.

If you type the word "alzheimer's" into Google search you will get 16,900,000 results. To be honest, that search word won't get most people to the information they really need.

My goal, as I said, is to broaden our audience. To bring the ARR into the awareness of people that can really benefit from our help. My goal is to increase the number of subscribers, and to increase the number of viewers to this website.

You can help.

Below each article, you will see these words--Share this Article. At the end of that line you will see this button



The Share This button allows you to email any article on this blog to someone you know. The button is very easy to use.

The Share This button makes it easy to share any article and send it up to other websites like:
  • Your Facebook Page,
  • Twitter Page,
  • Digg,
  • Mixx,
  • Reddit,
  • StumbleUpon
  • and Buzz.
  • There are more than 60 options.
I understand that every reader is busy.

If you take the time once or twice each month to use the Share This button to send an article you believe is important to a friend or another website, you would be helping me to bring the Alzheimer's Reading Room into the awareness of others that can benefit from the information we have here.

Some of you are already posting links to articles on this blog to other blogs, and to groups sites that you frequest--thank you, thank you very much. Please continue to do so.

If you belong to a support group, a caregiver group, an association (nurses, healthcare, doctors) you can help by bringing the Alzheimer's Reading Room into their awareness.

We are now approaching 1,000 subscribers.

If each of our current subscribers Shared one article each month, I bet we could could double that number quickly, and redouble it again.

Keep in mind, when you share, you might be making a difference in the life of someone that is ready to fall over the "alzheimer's edge".

You could very well be the catalyst in helping improve the quality of life for someone that is suffering from Alzheimer's and their entire family.

There are millions of people searching for useful information about Alzheimer's disease each day. The vast majority of them do not know that we exist.

Those that can use the information on the Alzheimer's Reading Room the most, will never know us unless you help me spread the word. Using the Share This button could be the difference.

If you have additional ideas on how we can increase the size of the audience, please let me know. If you know of someone that is good at marketing and might be willing to help, please let me know.

You can use the Share This feature for any article that is currently posted on the Alzheimer's Reading Room. When you have the time, please try this feature.
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Bob DeMarco is an Alzheimer's caregiver and editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for advice and insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob taught at the University of Georgia, was an executive at Bear Stearns, the CEO of IP Group, and is a mentor. He has written more than 700 articles with more than 18,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

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Senator Evan Bayh Steps Up Fight Against Alzheimer’S Disease

As a General step regarding Alzheimer's by BobDeMarco


Earlier this week I posted, Senators Bayh, Martinez Step Up Fight Against Alzheimer’s Disease.

If you would like to write a note to Senator Evan Bayh on his Facebook page go here.

If you would like to email Senator Bayh go here.

If you would like to contact your Senator concerning this legislation or Alzheimer's go here.

If you would like to contact your U.S. Representative concerning this legislation or Alzheimer's go here.

Unfortunatly, Senator Mel Martinez resigned this week.


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The Alzheimer's Action Plan: The Experts' Guide to the Best Diagnosis and Treatment for Memory Problems


Bob DeMarco is an Alzheimer's caregiver and editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for advice and insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob taught at the University of Georgia, was an executive at Bear Stearns, the CEO of IP Group, and is a mentor. He has written more than 700 articles with more than 18,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

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Waste In Healthcare Spending Should Be Issue Number One In Healthcare Insurance Reform

As a General step regarding Alzheimer's by BobDeMarco


Almost everyone agrees there is waste in healthcare spending.

The real solution to the healthcare problem is similar to the problem that was faced by corporate American in the 1980s. The need to better utilize technology, and the need to increase productivity.

Imagine in 2009, when you visit a new doctor/specialist you still need to fill out forms by hand. On these forms you are required to list all medical procedures-- like operations dating back to the day you were born.

I have filled out these forms for my mother, and had to list an operation she had in 1950 over 50 times. The forms ask for all medical procedures, medications being taken, and past or current illnesses. If you mess up, under the law the health insurance provider can deny service, or worse, cancel your insurance.

Meanwhile, all of the information I am required to give, each and every time, is on the computer server of our personal care physician; and on the computer server of our health care provider. It is readily available.

To make the situation even more rediculous, my mother's medical information card has a magnetic strip on the back (like an ATM card) that contains all her insurance information.

It would only take one swipe of the card to include all of her medical procedures dating back to 1916, all the medications she is currently taking, and all of her major illnesses over the course of her lifetime.

This is one example of how antiquated the medical system in America is today. It helps explain why we are spending twice as much per person on medical care as most industrialized countries for inferior service.


For more on this go here.

Meanwhile there are forward looking doctors that have joined the digital age. We have one. No paper. No carrying around images from one doctor to another. No need to pick up paper perscriptions. The doctor presses a button and it all happens.
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To appropriately address waste in health spending, health industry leaders, policymakers and consumers must work together on system-wide goals and incentives to address the waste that imperils the health of all of us.

In this paper, PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Health Research Institute discussses wastes that could be avoided without changing the current level of healthcare.

Key findings:

Wasteful spending in the health system has been calculated at up to $1.2 trillion of the $2.2 trillion spent nationally, more than half of all health spending.

Spending can be classified into three waste “baskets”: behavioral, clinical and operational.These baskets cross all of the health sectors and include consumers, government and industry.

The top three areas of wasted spending are
  • defensive medicine ($210 billion annually),
  • inefficient claims processing (up to $210 billion annually),
  • and care spent on preventable conditions related to obesity and overweight ($200 billion annually).
Eight out of 10 consumers surveyed by PricewaterhouseCoopers’ HealthResearch Institute (HRI) said that inefficiency in the healthcare system is not only driving up healthcare costs, but impacting the quality of care.
  • Consumers see themselves, government and the industry at fault for wasteful spending
  • 86% of consumers surveyed by HRI agreed that patients going to emergency rooms for non-emergency care drives up healthcare costs (these are the 46 million uninsured, for the most part)
  • Two-thirds said that they personally have received excessive medical testing (this is how doctors make a lot of money)
When U.S. consumers were asked why they believe the U.S. healthcare system has inefficiencies that have not been resolved,
  • nearly half said “because it is not a priority for the government,”
  • More than a third said it was due to the health industry not being willing to change business practices,
  • Key barriers to eliminating waste are culture, politics, funding and incentives, and lack of a coordinated focus.
  • Solving inefficiencies means developing system-wide incentives to encourage partnerships and networks that work toward shared value.
PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Health Research Institute(22 Page PDF that contains the details and explanation).

More from the Alzheimer's Reading Room

The Alzheimer's Action Plan: The Experts' Guide to the Best Diagnosis and Treatment for Memory Problems

Bob DeMarco is an Alzheimer's caregiver and editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for advice and insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob taught at the University of Georgia, was an executive at Bear Stearns, the CEO of IP Group, and is a mentor. He has written more than 700 articles with more than 18,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

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What Is A Mediterranean Style Diet?

As a General step regarding Alzheimer's by BobDeMarco


More American's--especially the baby boom generation--are learning the importance of eating healthy. Research studies indicate that eating Mediterranean-style seems to reduces the risk of mild cognitive impairment, dementia, and Alzheimer's. There are numerous studies that indicate this style of eating helps reduce cardiovascular risk factors like high cholesterol, hypertension and diabetes. All of the above are linked to Alzheimer's. I have...

This is a content summary. Click the headline or go to the website to read more on this topic. Comments welcome.

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Combination Of Exercise And Mediterranean Diet Reduces Alzheimer's Risk By 60 Percent

As a General step regarding Alzheimer's by BobDeMarco


My name is Bob DeMarco, I am an Alzheimer's caregiver. My mother Dorothy, now 93 years old, suffers from Alzheimer's disease. I wrote previously about how exercise in a gym has an immediate positive effect on my mother's behavior and attitude. There are many articles here on the Alzheimer's Reading Room about the importance of a healthy diet, and how it could lower the risk of Alzheimer's in older age. I also wrote a few times about how a Mediterranean-type diet can help slow cognitive decline. Now for the first time, a new research study has studied the two in combination and the results...

This is content summary. Get the full article by clicking on the article headline. Comments welcome on the website.

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Healthcare Spending And Performance Ranking By Country (Table)

As a General step regarding Alzheimer's by BobDeMarco


I am wondering if many people understand that we spend twice as much on healthcare as most industrialized countries. At the same time, our world ranking in healthcare delivery is poor. It might be interesting to note that the profits of healthcare insurance companies rose by more than 400 percent in the period 2000-2007. During the same period, the number of people without healthcare insurance, and the cost of healthcare insurance was rising...

This is a content summary. The Performance/Comparison chart is available on the website. Hit the headline to go directly to the article. I am interested in your comments, opinion, and viewpoint.

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Who Cares? Senior With Dementia Is Left To Fend For Herself

As a General step regarding Alzheimer's by BobDeMarco


Who, besides Sonia, cares?

Who cares?

I'll put my own opinion on this story up later today. It might be very different than your opinion. Let's find out.
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Senior with dementia is left to fend for herself
JOE FIORITO

Sonia Mirakian runs a shades-and-shutters store on Yonge St., just south of College. A while back, she took a call from an elderly client.

And here, yet again, is how the Community Care Access Centre system is failing you and me, those who live alone, and anyone who is slipping quietly into dementia.

Sonia said: "We had done blinds for this woman maybe 15 years ago. She said her blinds were rotting, and asked if I could fix them. She wanted me to come. She didn't want an installer.

"I went to her place. I know the building; a bunch of retired CBC people live there. It's a nice building. She has a tiny apartment."

We were talking in the back of the store; Sonia lowered her voice anyway, to make sure no one was eavesdropping.

"So sad; there is a single bed, just two mattresses, no box spring, no cover, nothing. There are piles of stuff this high; shoes, hats, gloves – you don't see her sofa, you see these piles.

"If it's my mum, I wouldn't let her dress like that. Worse, I saw medicines on the floor.

"I recognized the bottles – I have glaucoma, I know that medicine, I take it myself. You're supposed to keep it in the fridge."

Not, repeat not, on the floor.

Sonia said: "My mother had dementia, but we didn't let her get this far before we got help. I went into the kitchen. She said the light hurt her eyes.

"The kitchen was piled with stuff. She said there was supposed to be a guy helping her to get rid of her things. I said I needed the chair to get at the blinds. She said not to touch it. I didn't touch it.

"The blinds were rotting. She brought out some money. She keeps her money in a drawer. That's dangerous – she lives alone, and if some guy is coming in to get rid of her things ... I asked why she didn't use cheques. She said money was better. My mum was like that."

Sonia said the whole apartment needed cleaning, and the fridge was not well kept, nor was there much food.

Old people often forget to eat.

And anyone with half a brain and half a heart knows this situation is not going to get better unless the woman gets help.

Sonia is smart, and she has a big heart. She remembered the same look – vague, vacant, unaware – on her mother's face.

She said: "I have one client, a social worker. She said to call the CCAC. So I called. The CCAC said they needed the woman's birthday, her SIN, her OHIP number."

How is Sonia supposed to get that information?

"The CCAC asked if she was starving. I don't know if she was fat before, and now she's starving. I said I would go with them if they came to see her. This is very sad: they said it takes weeks.

"This woman shouldn't be sitting there alone. I asked to speak to somebody higher. The CCAC wouldn't let me speak to anyone higher."

Sonia said: "I can't go over myself, alone. What if the woman says I took her money? What do I do? I called to ask her birthday, and she said she didn't know. She thought sometime in 1927."

I saw Sonia again the other day. She said the CCAC has repeated to her that there is nothing they could do because, when they called, the woman said she was fine.

She sure as hell is not fine.

Who, besides Sonia, cares?

Joe Fiorito usually appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Email jfiorito@thestar.ca

Bob DeMarco is an Alzheimer's caregiver and editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for advice and insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob taught at the University of Georgia, was an executive at Bear Stearns, the CEO of IP Group, and is a mentor. He has written more than 700 articles with more than 18,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

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The Alzheimer's Action Plan: The Experts' Guide to the Best Diagnosis and Treatment for Memory Problems

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Alzheimer's Reading Room Flashback 1

As a General step regarding Alzheimer's by BobDeMarco


I decided to go back to January, 2007 (the month I started this blog), and look at some of the articles I posted at that time. Comments welcome.

Americans Fear Alzheimer’s More Than Heart Disease, Diabetes or Stroke
A study by the MetLife Foundation found that Americans fear getting Alzheimer's disease more than heart disease, stroke, or diabetes. Alzheimer's ranks second in the minds of American's only to cancer.
To continue reading go here.

The Seven Stages of Alzheimer's
Experts have documented common patterns of symptom progression that occur in many individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and developed several methods of “staging” based on these patterns.
To continue reading go here.

James Smith: I'm 45 Years Old, I can't have Alzheimer's
My doctors initially diagnosed it as possible depression. I accepted the diagnosis, and started taking the medications they prescribed. The medications didn’t change the symptoms, even after taking them for several months. Also, the doctors noted that I didn’t seem to exhibit other signs of depression.
To continue reading go here.

Keeping time with Alzheimer's
"When guilt catches up with me, I am on the bike path above the creek, ducks swimming along beside me. Guilt rolls off our backs like you know what. Alone at last, I walk at my own pace. Fast. Fast is what Ben can no longer do -- and fast is slow compared with the woman coming toward me as I near the marsh. She is wearing shorts and earphones. She smiles and I smile back. What a good idea this is, walking out in the sun and cold. What could produce better clarity? I don't have to work it out the first day. I don't have to do it right the first time."
To continue reading go here.
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The Alzheimer's Action Plan: The Experts' Guide to the Best Diagnosis and Treatment for Memory Problems

Bob DeMarco is an Alzheimer's caregiver and editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for advice and insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob taught at the University of Georgia, was an executive at Bear Stearns, the CEO of IP Group, and is a mentor. He has written more than 700 articles with more than 18,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

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Uc Irvine Discovers New Alzheimer's Gene Tomm40 Increases Risk Of Developing The Disease

As a General step regarding Alzheimer's by BobDeMarco


A UC Irvine study has found that a gene called TOMM40 appears twice as often in people with Alzheimer's disease than in those without Alzheimer's.

Duke University scientists found that patients with TOMM40 developed
Alzheimer's an average of seven years earlier than those without the gene.
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Having the harmful form of TOMM40 significantly increases one's
susceptibility when other risk factors - such as having a gene called
ApoE-4 - are present, the new study reports. People who have ApoE-4 are
three to eight times more likely to develop Alzheimer's.
"The TOMM40 gene influences the ease with which molecules can get in and out of mitochondria, the energy production center and stress mediator of cells. TOMM40 also processes materials that form amyloid plaque, a hallmark of Alzheimer's," said Dr. Steven Potkin, lead author of the study and UCI psychiatry & human behavior professor.
"With aging, the number and function of mitochondria decrease,
accompanied by a parallel increased risk of developing Alzheimer's," he
said. "This study points to the use of mitochondrial-based therapies for
treating the disease."

The study will be published Aug. 7 in the journal PLoS One.

Supporting the UCI discovery is research presented recently at the
International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease in Austria. Duke
University scientists found that patients with TOMM40 developed
Alzheimer's an average of seven years earlier than those without the
gene.

In addition to Potkin, who is also the Robert R. Sprague Chair in Brain
Imaging and director of UCI's Brain Imaging Center, UCI scientists Dr.
Fabio Macciardi, Guia Guffanti, Dr. Anita Lakatos, Jessica Turner, Dr.
Frithjof Kruggel and James Fallon worked on this study.

They collaborated with Andrew Saykin of Indiana University, Dr. Michael
Weiner of UC San Francisco and Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging
Initiative patients and investigators.

The study was funded by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and
Bioengineering, the National Institute on Aging, the National Center for
Research Resources and an anonymous foundation.

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is a
top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship and community
service. Led by Chancellor Michael Drake since 2005, UCI is among the
fastest-growing University of California campuses, with more than 27,000
undergraduate and graduate students, 1,100 faculty and 9,200 staff. The
top employer in dynamic Orange County, UCI contributes an annual
economic impact of $4.2 billion. For more UCI news, visit
www.today.uci.edu.

News Radio: UCI maintains on campus an ISDN line for conducting
interviews with its faculty and experts. Use of this line is available
for a fee to radio news programs/stations that wish to interview UCI
faculty and experts. Use of the ISDN line is subject to availability and
approval by the university.

Contact:
Jennifer Fitzenberger
949-824-3969
jfitzen@uci.edu

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Bob DeMarco is an Alzheimer's caregiver and editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for advice and insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob taught at the University of Georgia, was an executive at Bear Stearns, the CEO of IP Group, and is a mentor. He has written more than 700 articles with more than 18,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

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New Class Of Compounds Discovered For Potential Alzheimer’S Disease Drug

As a General step regarding Alzheimer's by BobDeMarco


A new class of molecules capable of blocking the formation of specific protein clumps that are believed to contribute to the dementia of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients has been discovered by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. By assaying close to 300,000 compounds, they have identified drug-like inhibitors of AD tau protein clumping, as reported in the journal Biochemistry.
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Co-authors Alex Crowe, Research Specialist; Kurt R. Brunden, PhD, Director of Drug Discovery at Penn’s Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research (CNDR); Virginia M.-Y. Lee, PhD, and John Q. Trojanowski, MD, PhD, CNDR Co-Directors, and colleagues conducted the screen to find small molecules that prevent the formation of the tau protein fibrils. These fibrils, a hallmark pathological feature of AD, have been a holy grail for investigators hoping to better treat AD and related neurodegenerative diseases.

Tau fibrils accumulate as insoluble deposits in brain nerve cells of patients with a host of debilitating neurodegenerative diseases, the most prevalent of which is AD. Since these tau aggregates are found in several neurodegenerative disorders and are thought to contribute to disease pathology, it is hoped that drugs that prevent these deposits might prove to be effective therapeutic agents for AD and related disorders. This is the largest drug screen completed to date using the compound repository housed at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Chemical Genomics Center.

Small molecules that prevent or reverse tau clumping might have therapeutic value, explains Brunden. Examples of such compounds have been described previously but nearly all have properties, such as chemical reactivity, poor absorption by the gut, or poor brain penetration, that render them unsuitable as drug candidates.

The test-tube-based assay used to screen the large NIH library was designed by Dr. Lee to see if each compound could block fibril formation in a sample of purified tau protein. Fluorescent tags embedded in the tau protein signal fibril formation as well as intermediary protein structures on the way to becoming fully formed fibrils. Fibril formation was also monitored with a specific dye that can bind to tau fibrils but not normal tau.

The team found a total of 285 compounds that were of potential interest, and of these they focused on a specific chemical series called ATPZs that effectively block fibril formation. The ATPZs fit most of the criteria for potential drug candidacy such as proper size, desirable chemical properties, specificity for the tau protein, and a predicted likelihood of crossing the blood-brain barrier. “This led us to further explore this unique chemical series,” says Brunden.

They and NIH colleagues made or obtained 21 ATPZ analogue compounds, each with a similar core structure but having different chemical side-chains. “Think of this as variations on a theme,” says Brunden “Certain variations will lead to improved compound potency compared to others and we measured this by how well each ATPZ analogue inhibited tau fibril formation.”

By comparing how various side-chain changes affect the properties of the ATPZs, knowledge is gained on how to better improve compounds. Although increasing the potency of compounds is an important part of the process of developing a drug candidate, other aspects of compounds such as residence time in the body, the ability to be absorbed after oral administration, brain penetration and overall safety must all be considered during this optimization process.

“While we are excited about the discovery of this new series of tau fibril inhibitors, we are still a long ways from turning these early lead compounds into drugs,” Brunden cautions. “However, we believe that certain of our ATPZ compounds will be very useful in allowing us to gain a better understanding of the consequences of inhibiting tau fibril formation in transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease.”

This work was supported by grants from the National Institute on Aging, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the Marian S. Ware Alzheimer Program, NIH Roadmap for Medical Research and the Intramural Research Program of the National Human Genome Research Institute.

###

PENN Medicine is a $3.6 billion enterprise dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. PENN Medicine consists of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System.

Penn's School of Medicine is currently ranked #3 in the nation in U.S.News & World Report's survey of top research-oriented medical schools; and, according to the National Institutes of Health, received over $366 million in NIH grants (excluding contracts) in the 2008 fiscal year. Supporting 1,700 fulltime faculty and 700 students, the School of Medicine is recognized worldwide for its superior education and training of the next generation of physician-scientists and leaders of academic medicine.

The University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS) includes its flagship hospital, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, rated one of the nation’s top ten “Honor Roll” hospitals by U.S.News & World Report; Pennsylvania Hospital, the nation's first hospital; and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, named one of the nation’s “100 Top Hospitals” for cardiovascular care by Thomson Reuters. In addition UPHS includes a primary-care provider network; a faculty practice plan; home care, hospice, and nursing home; three multispecialty satellite facilities; as well as the Penn Medicine at Rittenhouse campus, which offers comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation facilities and outpatient services in multiple specialties.

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The Alzheimer's Action Plan: The Experts' Guide to the Best Diagnosis and Treatment for Memory Problems

Bob DeMarco is an Alzheimer's caregiver and editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for advice and insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob taught at the University of Georgia, was an executive at Bear Stearns, the CEO of IP Group, and is a mentor. He has written more than 700 articles with more than 18,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

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