Alzheimer’s Awareness: Why Bother?

by: Dennis Fortier

As we enter into National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, you may wonder why we should bother promoting awareness. Those who have been touched by Alzheimer’s are already aware and those who have not been touched can’t really help -- so what’s the point? After all, doesn’t it make more sense to skip the awareness effort and just focus all resources on a cure?

As it turns out, lack of awareness and education are major contributors to the burgeoning Alzheimer’s problem. And while the benefits of awareness may not be obvious, they are very real.

For example, do you know what you can do today to reduce your risk of getting Alzheimer’s later in life? If not, your lack of awareness is fueling the ongoing problem. Do you know how we can immediately improve the efficacy of those drugs currently approved for Alzheimer’s? Sadly, most patients and many physicians do not. How clear is your grasp of the relationship between a healthy heart and a healthy brain? For many of us, investing a few minutes to improve our understanding of that relationship could yield long-lasting health benefits.

The answers to these questions along with four other important perspectives are summarized in a short article on the Brain Today blog. The full article can be read in about five minutes and, with a couple of additional clicks, can be forwarded to your online networks.

In the spirit of National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, please visit the Brain Today blog and read the article and then encourage your social networks to do the same. In this way, you will become a part of the solution, doing your part to thwart Alzheimer’s through the simple act of awareness. Read full article

Dennis Fortier is President of Medical Care Corporation and Editor of the Brain Today blog . Brain Today is a non-commercial publication devoted to interpreting the daily news about brain health and distilling the true value of that news.

Caregiver Guilt is Good

by Vicki Rackner MD

Mary said, “I feel guilty all the time. When I'm with my father, who just went into a nursing home, I feel guilty I'm not with the kids. When I'm with the kids, I feel guilty about neglecting my husband. And when I take that occasional trip to the gym, I feel guilty about letting everyone down.”

Guilt is a common feeling in the landscape of caregiving. Guilt can propel you to be the best you can be…or it can immobilize you. Read full article

The Future of Dementia? Get Rid of the Stigma First

By Laura Bramly

I had the most extraordinary experience the other day...

I visited the Silverado Senior Living home in Scottsdale, AZ on Tuesday. With facilities in four states, Silverado provides assisted living communities for people requiring specialized memory care. If I told you that Silverado is the only memory care unit where I can recall hearing words such as "self-actualize," "purpose," "productive" and "success" in reference to seniors with dementia, I think you would begin to understand what makes Silverado different from many memory care facilities.

However, this is not a blog about Silverado. If you would like more information about Silverado facilities, I advise you to go to their web site, www.silveradosenior.com.

I was sitting with the administrator in his office. Silverado has an open door policy; all doors are open unless the open door presents a safety harzard (i.e. the door to the street!). The residents are free to wander in and out of rooms as they wish, including the offices of the staff. Read more ...

MetLife Mature Market Institute Survey of Long-Term Care Costs

This market survey from the MetLife Mature Market Institute, conducted in conjunction with LifePlans, Inc., contains daily private-pay rates for private and semi-private rooms in licensed nursing homes, monthly base rates for assisted living communities, hourly rates for home health aides from licensed agencies and agency-provided homemaker companion services, and daily rates for adult day services across the United States. View or download report

Aging with Grace & Emeritus Corporation Partner to Launch Ask the Expert, a Complimentary Resource for Seniors and Their Loved Ones - FOXBusiness.com

Emeritus Corporation Launches Ask the Expert, a Complimentary Resource for Seniors and Their Loved Ones - FOXBusiness.com

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Prescription for Caregivers

By Richard Carmona, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.S 17th Surgeon General of the United States

Being a caregiver for someone you love is one of the greatest gifts you can give, but it can also be very stressful. As you care for your loved one, there are resources that can help and things you can do to ease the strain on your own health and well-being.

Here are some ways to care for yourself while caring for your loved one:

• Talk to your doctor if you feel depressed or anxious. Signs that you may need help include crying more, sleeping more or less than usual, changes in appetite, and lack of interest in your regular activities.

• Find out about sources of support and help in your community. Reach out to family members, friends, neighbors, your place of worship, your Area Agency on Aging or your workplace for help with caregiver tasks.

• Realize that your health matters - it benefits everyone if you stay healthy and less stressed.

• Be aware of the toll stress takes on your health. Try to find time for exercise, eating well and sleeping enough.

• Learn about the condition your loved one is facing and how it may affect his/her physical and emotional state.

Caregiver Bill of Rights

Author Unknown

I have the right… to take care of myself. This is not an act of selfishness. It will give me the capability of taking better care of my relative.

I have the right… to seek help from others even though my relatives may object. I recognize the limits of my own endurance and strength.

I have the right… to maintain facets of my own life that do not include the person I care for, just as I would if he or she were healthy. I know that I do everything that I reasonably can for this person, and I have the right to do some things just for myself.

I have the right… to get angry, be depressed, and express other difficult feelings occasionally.

I have the right… to reject any attempts by my relative (either conscious or unconscious) to manipulate me through guilt and/or depression.

I have the right… to receive consideration, affection, forgiveness, and acceptance from my loved one for what I do, for as long as I offer these qualities in return.

I have the right… to take pride in what I am accomplishing and to applaud the courage it has sometimes taken to meet the needs of my relative.

I have the right… to protect my individuality and my right to make a life for myself that will sustain me in the time when my relative no longer needs my full-time help.

I have the right… to expect and demand that as new strides are made in finding resources to aid physically and mentally impaired persons in our country, similar strides will be made towards aiding and supporting caregivers.