Humor can get you through the holidays. In all seriousness, being an Alzheimer's caregiver around the holidays, populated with strange faces, blinking lights and open flames, can be like waiting for a bomb to go off. Balance is the key to getting through the holidays without drowning your sorrows in eggnog. It's not always easy but with a little creativity and a few adjustments, you can lessen your loved one's stress levels without losing your own quality of life. Here are some tips for getting through the holidays: Not everyone needs to be in the manger: Hold festivities in the…
Although the causes of sundowning are unknown, a plan can be made to reduce most of the difficulties that occur. Normal sundowning typically lasts for a couple of hours and, usually, does not involve destruction of property nor physical attacks on others. However, the caregiver must refrain from being agitated, needy, upset, and angry. Sundowning in an adult is like a tantrum in a small child. It represents real feelings, but requires a calm, kind, centered adult response. Remind yourself that it will pass, and listen carefully, because the emotional meaning within the sundowning is real. While nobody knows the actual…
There are dozens of causes of dementia and steps for prevention are different for each one.There are no proven preventive strategies for Alzheimer’s. However, some top strategies to keep your brain healthy are listed below. 1. Vascular risks: Minimize your risk for strokes, heart disease and diabetes (keep your body weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and sugar in normal range). Studies find strong links between vascular risks and Alzheimer’s. 2. Exercise regularly: Regular aerobic activities, such as walking, may reduce risk for dementia by keeping the brain’s blood vessels healthy, boosting nerve growth chemicals and slowing age-related brain shrinkage. 3. Stimulate…
Across the globe, more than 35 million people are living with dementia, according to recent World Health Organization (WHO) estimates. This number is expected to more than triple to reach 115 million by 2050 in the wake of world population aging. Fueled by declines in fertility and increases in life expectancy, the share of the world's population ages 65 and older is on track to jump from 8 percent today to nearly 17 percent in 2050, according to new U.S. Census Bureau population projections. By 2050, the population of every world region except Africa will resemble Europe's today, with elderly…
We are supporting the National Memory Screening Day (NMSD), an annual initiative of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) in which qualified health care professionals at local sites nationwide provide free, confidential memory screenings and educational materials to the public. NMSD is also intended to educate the public about “successful aging,” including the benefits of proper diet, physical exercise, mental stimulation, and stress management. Last year, over 96,500 people participated in NMSD at over 2,540 sites nationwide. This is a 12 percent growth over the previous year’s participation, and demonstrates the growing public awareness of the value of early detection…
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine have developed a transgenic mouse that carries a human gene known to increase risk of Alzheimer's 15-fold. This new mouse mimics the genetics of the human disease more closely than any of the dozen existing mouse models and may prove more useful in the development of candidate drugs to prevent or treat the disease. The new mouse model provides new evidence for the earliest cause of Alzheimer's, researchers report in a study to be published in the December issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, and now available online….
Scientists have drawn up a shortlist of candidates which they believe are likely to slow the disease and reduce its symptoms. They now want to fast-track full clinical trials of the drugs which, because they are already approved to treat other conditions, could be available for those with Alzheimer’s in five to 10 years. Pharmaceutical companies are constantly testing new compounds for Alzheimer’s, which affects about 500,000 in Britain alone. However, recent results have proved a little disappointment, and drugs which attack the underlying cause of the disease remain something of a Holy Grail. Consequently, scientists have collaborated on a…
November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness month. Join us for a FREE showing of The Notebook starring James Garner and Gena Rowlands as a couple whose lives are impacted by Alzheimer’s. Bring a friend and enjoy the movie on us. There will be popcorn and other concession items for your enjoyment at a discount price. Hope to see you there! Wed November 7th 1:30 – 3:30 pm Holiday Cinemas 100 Baughmanns Ln. Frederick, MD 301-663-9230 RSVP Sponsored by: The Elder Law Office of David Wingate, Right At Home and the Alzheimer’s Association
The Elder Law Office of David Wingate participated as a Sponsor for the Western Maryland Dementia Conference on Thursday Oct 11th from 8:30am to 12:30pm at Mount St. Mary’s Conference Center 5350 Spectrum Drive Frederick, MD. Over 100 people were in attendance to learn more about how this illness is impacting our world. Guest speakers included, Bobbi Duffy, CRNP-PMH Clinical Director, MedOptions. Julia J. Pedrosa, RN, M.A. Research Nurse Manger, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Neuropsychiatry. Bill Bugg- Author of Soaring Above Adversity.
A sea of purple covered Frederick Sunday afternoon as people participated in the Walk to End Alzheimer's. The crowd walked from the Maryland School For the Deaf around Frederick, through Baker Park. Most wore the purple shirts designed for the effort. "We're walking, of course, in honor of the people who have the disease, and also for the people who are caring for someone” states David Wingate, Elder Law Attorney. For those who still wish to make donations, it is not too late. Visit alz.org, or mail in a donation. The Alzheimer's Association will take donations through the rest of…
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