Carmel Foundation Hosting A Caregiver’s Guide To Finances February 22

A woman sitting on the couch with an older man.


The Carmel Foundation has some interesting seminars going on this month.  On Wednesday February 22 the Alzheimer’s Association presents “Managing Your Money – A Caregivers Guide To Finances.â€Â  It will be held in Diment Hall at 2:30 and refreshments will be served.  Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and my grandmother had Alzheimer’s disease when they passed away.  The Alzheimer’s Association has a great group of people in the Monterey office.  They also have a 24-hour hotline you can call at 1-800-272-3900.

Carmel Foundation Hosting A Caregiver’s Guide To Finances February 22

A woman sitting on the couch with an older man.


The Carmel Foundation has some interesting seminars going on this month.  On Wednesday February 22 the Alzheimer’s Association presents “Managing Your Money – A Caregivers Guide To Finances.â€Â  It will be held in Diment Hall at 2:30 and refreshments will be served.  Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and my grandmother had Alzheimer’s disease when they passed away.  The Alzheimer’s Association has a great group of people in the Monterey office.  They also have a 24-hour hotline you can call at 1-800-272-3900.

Flu and COVID-19 Booster Vaccinations In Salinas November 2

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Make your appointment now by calling 646-4931 or 646-5050 to get your flu shot and COVID19 booster vaccination.  Alliance on Aging has teamed up with the Visiting Nurses Association (VNA) to provide them at The HUB which is located at 236 Monterey Street in Salinas.  Bus passes and Taxi vouchers are available if transportation or parking is an issue please ask about them when you call.  They will be provided from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 2.

Carmel, CA Alzheimer’s Risk Lower With Aerobics, Stretching

A woman sitting on the ground with another person.


If you are a senior citizen at risk of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, you should do more aerobics and stretching, according to a new study from Wake Forest School of Medicine.  “There’s just more understanding of the underlying biology and what potential treatments can impact the disease, which actually includes exercise,†Maria Carillo, Chief Science Officer of the Alzheimer’s Association, told USA Today.  For the study, researchers recruited those with a sedentary lifestyle and assigned them to two groups.  One group regularly engaged in moderate to high intensity aerobics while the other group did less rigorous exercise.  All participants had mild cognitive impairment, but not enough to be diagnosed with dementia.  This is great news for a disease which researchers have had little success in finding drug treatments for.  Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and my grandmother had this terrible disease when they passed away.  There is a wonderful group of people at the Alzheimer’s Association in Monterey.  They also have a 24-hour hotline if you just need some support at 800-272-3900.

Monterey, CA Seniors Need To Stick To A Healthy Diet Or Risk Alzheimer’s, Dementia

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We all know that processed foods aren’t good for you.  More proof of this come from the Alzheimer’s Association, which did a presentation at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in San Diego to show the audience proof from various studies which showed that food like instant noodles, sugary drinks and frozen meals all play a role in cognitive decline.  “It’s no secret that physical and mental cognitive health are intimately involved with each other, so it’s no surprise that this latest research suggests brain impairment too,†Rafael Perez-Escamilla, a professor of public health at Yale University, told the audience.  “Just 100 calories of processed foods can affect your physical health.  So, that’s two cookies,†he continued.  Other research has linked ultra-processed food consumption to health problems such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancers.  Try the Mediterranean Diet, it’s great for your health and delicious.  Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and grandmother had this terrible disease when they passed away.  If you need information or just someone to talk to, there are some wonderful people at the Monterey branch of the Alzheimer’s Association in Ryan Ranch.  They also have a 24-hour hotline at 1-800-272-3900.

Carmel, CA Alzheimer’s Research Called Into Question

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A report in Science Magazine stated that an influential 2006 study relied on fabricated images to support its conclusion, which resulted in misdirected Alzheimer’s research for the past 16 years.  Dr. Karen Ashe, a senior University of Minnesota scientist, has admitted that a junior colleague appears to have manipulated two images.  However, she claims those actions did not affect the study’s wording and conclusion.  And the first researcher to state that Alzheimer’s disease is triggered by amyloid beta plaques in the brain now concedes that after years of developing amyloid-targeting drugs that have failed, a new approach must begin.  He says a multi-drug approach will likely be more affected.  I’m confident we will gradually push back on Alzheimer’s disease in the same way that we’ve pushed back on cancer and so on,†Dr. John Hardy told USA Today.  Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and grandmother had this terrible disease when they passed away.  If you need information or just someone to talk to, there are some wonderful people at the Monterey branch of the Alzheimer’s Association in Ryan Ranch.  They also have a 24-hour hotline at 1-800-272-3900.

 

Carmel, CA Promising New Alzheimer’s Drug Crenezumab Takes Another Hit

An old woman with a bruised eye and hand on her face.


A new study is out on the controversial drug that recently hit the market to treat Alzheimer’s disease, Roche’s crenezumab, and the results are not good.  The study showed that it did not slow or prevent cognitive decline in a long-running study of Colombian families who carried a genetic mutation that put them at a very high risk of developing the disease.  The drug did not demonstrate a significant benefit in tests measuring cognitive abilities or memory function among study participants.  ‘We’re disappointed that crenezumab did not show a significant clinical benefit,†Eric Reiman, the executive director at Banner Alzheimer’s Institute, told USA Today.  Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and my grandmother died of this terrible disease.  There are some great people at the Alzheimer’s Association in Monterey at Ryan’s Ranch that can help you if you are dealing with a family member with dementia.  They also have a 24 hour hotline at 1-800-272-3900.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2022/06/16/closely-watched-alzheimers-study-fails-prevent-advance-disease/7639930001/

Support Groups, Adult Day Care Critical For Alzheimer’s Patients

A nurse is smiling next to an older woman.


Becky Barney-Villano wrote a heart-wrenching story about the day in 2009 when she found out that her husband of 26 years had Alzheimer’s Disease, something she knew little about.  She had to train herself to be a caregiver, and learned the emotional toil this can take on both spouses.  She reached out for help, and found a support group for couples with a spouse who had been diagnosed with AD.  She found that the support group and getting help during the day such as using an Adult Day Care Center were critical to keeping her mental health sound.  Since the diagnosis, she has become a Senior Consultant, Fund Development, at the Alzheimer’s Family Center.  As regular readers of my blog know, both my father and my grandmother had Alzheimer’s Disease when they passed away. I found great comfort dealing with the folks at Alzheimer’s Association in Ryan Ranch.  They also have a 24-hour hotline which you can call whenever you need someone to talk to at 800-272-3900.

https://www.futureofpersonalhealth.com/fighting-alzheimers/how-caregivers-can-find-safety-nets-in-a-sea-of-change/

Pebble Beach, CA Can Driving Habits And Credit Scores Predict Future Alzheimer’s Or Dementia Diagnosis?

A woman looking out of the window at her home.


There has been such slow progress on the search for a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, I was pleased to see that some researchers are focusing on finding early clues as to who may be vulnerable to getting Alzheimer’s disease or some other type of dementia.  A recent article in The New York Times said that some scientists believe that pathologies underlying brain decline may begin many years before symptoms emerge.  A spate of experiments is underway to see if little things like overlooking a couple of credit card payments or habitually braking while driving could be a sign that dementia is in your future.  “Early detection is key for intervention, at the stage when that would be most effective,†said Saye Bayat, the lead author of a driving study funded by the National Institutes of Health and performed at Washington University.  The study took 64 older adults with preclinical Alzheimer’s disease as determined by spinal taps and 75 who were deemed cognitively normal (results were not shared with the study participants).  For a year, researchers measured both groups’ driving performance.  The study found that driving behavior and age could predict preclinical Alzheimer’s 88% of the time.  Those findings could spur recruitment for clinical trials and allow for interventions—like an alert when a car drifts—to help keep drivers safely on the road.  Dr. Jason Karlawish, a geriatrician and co-director of the Penn Memory Center, called the study “provocative†and well designed.  “The results suggest that monitoring a real-world, cognitively intense behavior can detect the earliest, subtle signs of emerging cognitive impairment,†he said.  Another study analyzed medical records and consumer credit reports for more than 80,000 Medicare beneficiaries and found that those who eventually received a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease were significantly more likely to have delinquent credit card payments (and sub-prime credit scores) than those with similar demographics who never received an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.  I hope these studies bear fruit.  Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and grandmother had this terrible disease when they passed away.  There are wonderful people at our local chapter of Alzheimer’s Association in Ryan’s Ranch.  It is always a struggle figuring out how to deal with a loved one, as the symptoms can seem to change from day to day.  Drop by or give them a call if you need help.  And when all else fails, don’t forget that the Alzheimer’s Association has a 24-hour hotline.  If you need some additional support you can reach them at 800-272-3900.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/23/health/dementia-behavior-alzheimers.html

 

Pacific Grove, CA Exercise Is Critical For Those With Early Onset Alzheimer’s

A woman is helping an older person in the bathroom.


We have written repeatedly on our blog about the importance of proper nutrition, social interaction and exercise is key to keeping the mind and body healthy for seniors.  A new study from Arizona State University Edison College of Nursing and Health Innovation had participants either ride a stationary bike or do stretching exercise for six months.  Those who took part in the regular exercise program had significantly less memory loss than those who don’t follow a particular exercise regimen.  The results were published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s disease. Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and grandmother had this terrible disease when they passed away.  There are wonderful people at our local chapter of Alzheimer’s Association in Ryan’s Ranch.  They also have a 24-hour hotline if you need support at 800-272-3900.