Monterey, CA New Hope For Alzheimer’s Drug

A woman looking out of the window at her home.


The Food & Drug Administration FDA is taking another look at aducanumab, a potential new drug for treating Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia.  The drug candidate will undergo an additional three months of review after a panel of experts in November recommended against approving the drug.  Biogen and Eisai partnered on the development of the drug and delivered new data to the FDA, triggering the prolonged review time.  An independent committee of experts had criticism of both the drug’s merits and the interpretation of data by FDA scientists.  Biogen said the data from one clinical trial showed a slowing in cognitive decline compared to study participants who received a placebo.  In the second clinical trial, the drug failed to show a benefit.  However, Biogen says it is likely because fewer patients received the higher dosage.  Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and grandmother had this terrible disease when they passed away.  There are great 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.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/fda-extends-review-of-biogen-eisais-alzheimers-drug-11611935425

 

Monterey, CA Coronavirus Update From A Carmel Caregiver

A close up of some blue and yellow cells


There were 385 new COVID-19 cases announced for Monterey County, bringing the total up to 39,425 with one more death.  Although the number of cases is slowing nationwide, they are picking up in our County with 2,140 cases in the last week, up 15%.  January has been the deadliest month for COVID-19 deaths.  It was announced that Congressman Stephen Lynch tested positive for coronavirus after receiving two doses of the Pfizer vaccine.  Of course the vaccine is not 100% effective, so there will be cases like this—hopefully they will be isolated.  In the U.S., the number of new cases rose by 165,636, about flat with yesterday’s report.  That brings the total up to 26 million.  Deaths rose by 3,114 to 437,897.  In California, the number of new cases was up by 22,583 to 3.3 million, while deaths rose by 643 (+2%) to 40,240. These numbers are not looking great, please stay home and stay safe.

https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/covid-19-is-the-number-one-cause-of-death-in-the-u-s-in-early-2021/?utm_campaign=KFF-2021-The-Latest&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=108720002&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_dVeqsspNjnWT5DGvnEqC00sB3ktTKTf_Nzm5AWtmnfRvS9tlYW81CadytPYmEefF7q-7Q3zxqDOVyetPX8KRYer1xxw&utm_content=108720002&utm_source=hs_email

 

Please visit us at www.familyinhomecaregiving.com

Marvel Comics Creator Stan Lee Suffered From Elder Abuse


There was a sad elder abuse story in AARP The Magazine about Stan Lee, the mastermind behind Marvel Entertainment which produced movies based on Lee’s character which grossed more than $22 billion at the box office.  That’s double the box office of all of the Star Wars movies combined.  Not only was he abused early on in his career—never owning a stake in any Marvel characters but simply earning a salary—later in life he was severely taken advantage of.  The company was sold in 2009 to Walt Disney for $4 billion.  But since Stan didn’t own a stake he had to resort to going to trade shows like Comic Con to sign autographs for $120 each.  The story talks to someone who shot a video of him when at age 95, his handlers had to actually tell him his name and spell it so that he could sign autographs.  Between his assistants, his daughter and others, money quickly evaporated as Lee moved into dementia.  One of his security team reportedly paid himself a management fee of $700K in 2017 while giving Lee $50K.  Another employee apparently forged Lee’s signature and took $4.6 million out of his Merrill Lynch account.  His daughter at the same time was earning $7,000 a month to help brainstorm ideas that might capitalize on her father’s name.  There are a number of court cases pending in this terrible case.

https://www.aarp.org/entertainment/celebrities/info-2020/stan-lee-elder-abuse.html

Monterey, CA Coronavirus Update From A Carmel Caregiver

A close up of many viruses on a red background


There were 187 new COVID-19 cases announced for Monterey County, bringing the total up to 39,040 with 4 more deaths.  Nationwide, there were 165,264 new cases, bringing the total up to 25.9 million, while deaths rose by 3,867 to 434,783.  COVID-19 is now the number one cause of death in the United States with more than 3,000 people dying at 3,000 a day, nearly 50% higher than the second leading cause of death.  In California, there were 17,576 new cases for a cume total of 3.3 million, while deaths rose by 587 (+2%) to 39,597.  These numbers are still high, please stay home and stay safe.

Please visit us at www.familyinhomecaregiving.com

https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/covid-19-is-the-number-one-cause-of-death-in-the-u-s-in-early-2021/?utm_campaign=KFF-2021-The-Latest&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=108720002&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_dVeqsspNjnWT5DGvnEqC00sB3ktTKTf_Nzm5AWtmnfRvS9tlYW81CadytPYmEefF7q-7Q3zxqDOVyetPX8KRYer1xxw&utm_content=108720002&utm_source=hs_email

Pacific Grove, CA Elder Abuse Alert


Although anyone can be a victim of the many scams that criminals are carrying out now, data from the Federal Trade Commission shows that consumers age 80 and older are far more likely to be scammed by phone and lose the most money, a median of $1,250.  “Even if you do everything perfectly, you can still be susceptible to fraud,†Shameka Walker, a fraud and identity theft program manager at the FTC, told Kiplinger’s Retirement Report.  Most scammers are hacking in to find your email address and hawking you products that you may have been searching for.  Other popular scams are selling fake COVID-19 vaccines and PPE equipment to protect against the virus.

Pebble Beach, CA Seniors Need A Solid Exercise Routine

Three older women are holding pink dumbbells.


At Family inHome Caregiving we emphasize to our clients the importance of a healthy diet, the proper amount of social interaction—difficult during the pandemic—and the right amount of exercise.  Most seniors put walking into their routine but experts say they need to add strength training.  As you age, loss of muscle strength and power leads to declining activity, increased frailty and functional dependence, according to the American College of Sports Medicine.  Resistance training is an easy way to add strength training to a daily regimen.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that seniors participate in activities at least two weeks that strengthen muscles along with a minimum of 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity activity such as brisk walking.

 

Monterey, CA Coronavirus Update From A Carmel Caregiver

A close up of the word coronavirus with an image of a virus


There were279 new COVID-19 cases announced for Monterey County, bringing the total up to 38,713 with 13 more people in the hospital and 13 more deaths.  Nationwide, there were 151,616 new cases for a total of 25.5 million, while deaths rose by 4,023 to 427,215.  In California, there were 21,784 new cases for a cume total of 3.2 million, while deaths rose by 738 (+2%) to 38,295.  These numbers are depressing, please stay home and stay safe.

Monterey, CA Guide To Social Security Survivor’s Benefits

A blue and white logo of the social security administration.


After the death of a loved one, it can be difficult to deal with bills, insurance, and Social Security.  Of the 5.7 million people awarded Social Security benefits in 2019, 886K were survivors of deceased workers.  In total there were 3.9 million widows and widowers receiving benefits in 2019.  You should report to the Monterey County Social Security office when a spouse dies.  Their number is 1-800-772-1213.  Unfortunately, you cannot report a death or apply for survivors benefits online.  The calculation is that if your deceased spouse was taking Social Security, your benefit will be the greater of your benefit or your spouse’s benefit.  If you are not yet collecting Social Security and you’re at least 60, the best way to maximize your benefits are to collect the survivors benefit at your current age and then switch to retirement benefits starting at age 70.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/retirement/2021/01/20/social-security-covid-understanding-how-survivors-benefits-work/4221795001/

Monterey, CA Radiation Therapy To Reprogram Deadly Heart Arrhythmias

A stethoscope and heart on the table.


Those with a fast and abnormal heart rate, a condition called ventricular tachycardia (VT) now have a new option.  Researchers at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in tandem with Washington University School of Medicine have used radiation to repair damaged heart tissue, although it’s still an experimental procedure so insurance may or may not cover it.  The procedure is noninvasive, and doctors have now performed in on a number of people.  For more information, contact the Tyler Heart Institute at the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula or CHOMP.

https://www.templehealth.org/sites/default/files/inline-files/2020-oct-nov-medical-breakthroughs-aarp-magazine.pdf

https://www.chomp.org/services/cardiac-care/#.YBIW9uhKjcs

Monterey, CA Coronavirus Update From A Carmel Caregiver

A blue background with some type of virus


There were 1,149 new COVID-19 cases announced for Monterey County for the last two days, bringing the total up to 38,434 with 13 more people in the hospital and two new deaths.  Nationwide, there were 155,677 new cases for a total of 25.4 million, while deaths rose by 2,971 to 423,192.  In California, there were 15,434 cases for a cume total of 3.2 million, while deaths rose by 208 to 37,557.  These numbers are stark, please stay home and stay safe.