The super ager brain and new Alzheimer’s research

Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia
ABC Health Report: 6 July 2009
This week on the program we look at new research relating to Alzheimer's disease and dementia and researchers at Northwestern University in Chicago investigated 'super' ager brains, which reveal first secrets of sharp memory in old age. > listen to report and read transcript (29:27 min)

Related Alzheimer's News story: Fewer brain 'tangles' in brains of high-functioning elderly

Worried about your memory?

Memory loss: when to seek help
Mayo Clinic: 2 July 2009
Many problems besides Alzheimer's can cause memory loss in older people. Before jumping to conclusions, consider the other possibilities including normal ageing and memory loss; and reversible causes of memory loss. > read full article

For further information visit Alzheimer’s Australia’s information pages:

• Early signs: Worried about your memory?
• Memory changes
• Mind Your Mind
• The above publications are also available in languages other than English

Does being single in midlife increase risk of dementia?

Dementia is greater risk for single people in later life, study finds
Guardian UK: 2 July 2009
Researchers suggest that being in a steady relationship helps insulate people against mental decline. > read story : comment from Alzheimer’s Society (UK) : comment from Alzheimer’s Research Trust (UK)

Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus misdiagnosed as dementia

Rare disorder can show same symptoms as Alzheimer’s or dementia
KAUZ News: 1 July 2009
This report discusses Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (N.P.H.), which is often mistaken for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, and is a treatable condition. > read more and watch video report

Report on use of Nintendo Wii in aged care

Evidence for Wii’s success
Australian Ageing Agenda: 1 July 2009
Aged care staff are enthusiastic about the physical and mental benefits for older clients who use the Nintendo Wii game console, according to an Australian study.

Not-for-profit provider Blue Care has conducted an evaluation of the Wii in aged care after rolling out the technology at 53 of its services in Queensland and northern NSW midway through last year. [ … ] The findings from Blue Care’s evaluation report will be presented at the International Health in Transition Conference in Adelaide next month. …
> full story

Related news story from Medical College of Georgia: Wii-hab may enhance Parkinson's treatment (11 June 2009)

Good design - raised garden beds

Raised gardens raise spirits in dementia patients
Wausau Daily Herald: 1 July 2009
Gardening is a big part of life in the dementia care units at Kennedy Park Rehabilitation Center. Until recently, however, wheelchair-bound residents weren't able to work with plants in the ground.

That changed when residents received new raised beds that allow them to garden from their wheelchairs. … > full story

For further information review the reading list on garden design

Wandering and dementia

The mysteries of dementia-driven wandering
National Public Radio: 29 June 2009
“Scientists are not sure why dementia often leads to roaming. But there is this sobering statistic from the Alzheimer's Association: About 50 percent of people who wander will suffer serious injury or death if they are not found within 24 hours.” > read story

The Return Safely Home Program, which operates in most Australia States and territories provide assistance return of a wandering person to their home.

Related information:

• Helpsheet on Wandering (July 2005)
• Update Sheet: Safer walking for people with dementia: approaches and technologies (April 2009)
• past Alzheimer's News stories on wandering and dementia

Australian first study to reduce Alzheimer's symptoms through exercise

Research to find if walking jogs memory
The World Today (ABC News): 29 June 2009
Australian researchers think exercise might be useful in jogging people's memories.

Three universities have teamed up with the National Aging Research Institute to test whether physical activity improves the memory and wellbeing of Alzheimer's sufferers. > read news story transcript and listen to podcast : Melbourne University news story (including video and audio)

Need to focus on dementia in primary and acute care

Dementia: more than just an aged care issue
Australian Ageing Agenda: 26 June 2009
Dementia is not just a concern for aged care providers but a pressing public health issue, according to the CEO of Alzheimer’s Australia.

Glenn Rees told a summit on Australia’s ageing population that dementia is a chronic condition that requires coordinated care planning.

The number of people with dementia is set to double by 2030 and without immediate government action, this could have serious effects on the health system.

Mr Rees told the forum that there should be a bigger focus on dementia in primary and acute care, noting that hospitals can be “dangerous” places for people with dementia. … > full story

Related speech:

• Glen Rees, Dementia: The Priorities – responding to the needs of Australians of all ages; Australia’s Ageing Populations Summit, 25 – 26 June 2009

Related Alzheimer’s Australia Papers:

• Paper Number 17 Respite Care for People Living with Dementia: "It's more than just a short break" (May 2009)
• Making choices - Future dementia care: projections, problems and preferences (April 2009)
  

People with mild Alzheimer's have trouble focusing on what's most important

Remembering what to remember and what to forget
UCLA: 25 June 2009
People in very early stages of Alzheimer's disease already have trouble focusing on what is important to remember, a UCLA psychologist and colleagues report.

"One of the first telltale signs of Alzheimer's disease may be not memory problems, but failure to control attention," said Alan Castel, UCLA assistant professor of psychology and lead author of the study.

The study consisted of three groups: 109 healthy older adults (68 of them female), with an average age of just under 75; 54 older adults (22 of them female) with very mild Alzheimer's disease, who were functioning fine in their daily lives, with an average age of just under 76; and 35 young adults, with an average age of 19. … > full press release

Monitoring patients' health, whereabouts

In-home health tracking system to deliver alerts to smartphones
University of Houston: 25 June 2009
For those who are caring for elderly parents, peace of mind is hard to come by. And, for their parents, dignity is hard to retain. But a team of University of Houston researchers hopes to ease worries and frustrations by designing an affordable in-home health-monitoring system that will notify caregivers, via smartphones or PDAs, if their loved ones need attention.

"Our system will allow for such things as vital sign monitoring and location tracking using low-cost technologies and offering fast response times for caregivers," said Driss Benhaddou, an assistant professor of engineering technology at UH's College of Technology. ... > full press release

Study suggests American elderly smarter than English

Cognitive health among older adults in the United States and in England
The Medical News: 24 June 2009
American over-65s scored significantly better than their English counterparts at a memory and awareness test. The authors of the research, published in the open access journal BMC Geriatrics, suggest that differences in relative levels of depression, education, and the aggressiveness of treatment for heart disease may be to blame. … > full story

Benevolent Society report on Apartments for Life in Australia

Community links vital to quality of life in older age
The Benevolent Society: 24 June 2009
A high level of independence, access to care when you need it and strong connections with the local community... these are some of the hallmarks of the innovative model of residential care for older people winning acclaim in The Netherlands, according to The Benevolent Society.

The Apartments for Life model, as pioneered by the Humanitas Foundation in Rotterdam, offers older people the chance to remain in their own home throughout older age and to avoid having to move when their health declines and they require increasing levels of care and support.

The model, which The Benevolent Society is committed to introducing to Australia, directly challenges the assumption of the inevitability of a move to a nursing home in later life.

The Society hosted a visit to Australia of the founder of the Dutch model, Dr Hans Becker, to gain a deeper understanding of its operation, relevance to Australia and the issues likely to arise in the local application of the Apartments for Life approach.

Dr Becker’s tour provided an opportunity for discussion of these issues among key stakeholders with an interest in aged care and housing. … > full press release

Report: Apartments for Life in Australia: Lessons for Australia from Humanitas in the Netherlands, The Benevolent Society, June 2009

Related Alzheimer's News story: Innovation in aged care and the environment

Emotional health and well being

Care for the Caregiver: Spiritual round-up
Massage Therapy Radio: 24 June 2009
Recently, Michael Verde, Founder of Memory Bridge was a featured guest on Massage Therapy Radio.

There is a world of difference, Michael claims, between Alzheimer’s disease and the dis-ease occasioned by Alzheimer’s. We cannot wait passively for a cure. The sources of emotional healing are in us and between us, contends Michael, and we must begin to activate them in our relationships with people with dementia now. > listen to radio broadcast

Related radio broadcast:
Michael Verde and Ageing Matters host Sarah Lemnah discuss societal attitudes towards individuals with Alzheimer's disease and Memory Bridge's efforts to change these attitudes. > listen to radio program (14.58 Mins)

Association between late-life social activity and motor decline in older adults

Less frequent social activity linked to more rapid loss of motor function in older adults
Rush University Medical Centre: 22 June 2009
Loss of muscle strength, speed and dexterity is a common consequence of aging, and a well-established risk factor for death, disability and dementia. Yet little is known about how and why motor decline occurs when it is not a symptom of disease. Now, researchers at Rush University Medical Center have found that, among the elderly, less frequent participation in social activities is associated with a more rapid decline in motor function. The study is published in the June 22 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine. … > full press release