Q. My grandchildren are in school in Fairfax County and they just got a letter stating that they will need to wear masks to school, whether or not they are vaccinated. This, of course, is because of the new CDC mask guidelines, recommending that both vaccinated and unvaccinated people mask indoors in areas with significant […]
Healthy Mouth, Healthier Brain!
Most of us go to the dentist for our annual cleaning and checkup. When we are there, regardless of how our teeth look, we get asked the dreaded question about flossing our teeth. We don’t want to lie, but it doesn’t sound so good when we admit to flossing “on occasion.” Now, there is good […]
New Law Vastly Improves Transparency in Doctor-Caregiver Communication
Q. I regularly accompany my wife, Liz, to her neurology and primary care appointments for her dementia care. Doctors, nurses, and medical assistants often rush in and out, rarely spending time or making eye contact with us. Instead, they stare at their computer screens, even before they sit down. What could be so interesting on […]
Is Your Home Safe for a Loved One With Alzheimer’s?
How does someone go about eliminating potential hazards and what changes need to be made to help keep a person with Alzheimer’s safe? A Home Safety Checklist for Living with a Loved One with Alzheimer’s A wide range of safety concerns may arise if you have a loved one that is living with you that […]
FDA Approves an Accurate Test for Autism Spectrum Disorder
Q. I am in my mid 50’s and sometimes I think I am on the Autism Spectrum, though I was never formally diagnosed. I experience anxiety in social situations, avoid eye contact whenever I can, and am fixated on certain things. I remember seeing Elon Musk on Saturday Night Live not long ago when he […]
FDA Approves New Alzheimer’s Drug—But Does it Work?
Q. My family has a history of Alzheimer’s disease. We heard that a new drug for Alzheimer’s was just approved by the FDA. The process for its approval seemed kind of fast and it seems that Alzheimer’s drugs in the past have been unsuccessful. Could this one be different? Should people with Alzheimer’s and their […]
The Hippie Who Has Helped Thousands of Families with ALS
Ron Hoffman, 67, spent most of his life haunted by something from his childhood. When he was growing up in Richmond, VA, his father was an alcoholic and was abusive to his mother. One night, when Hoffman was 10, his father snapped and pointed a gun at his mother. Hoffman dove in front of her, […]
Is it a Violation of HIPAA to Ask Someone if they’ve Been Vaccinated?
Josie shared on social media that she and her teenage son and daughter just got vaccinated against COVID-19. In a conversation at the school, Mary shared that she saw Josie’s post and that the three of them got their first dose. Was Mary violating Josie’s Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) rights by sharing […]
95-year-old Becomes Oldest Organ Donor in US History
Cecil Lockhart was a 95-year-old veteran from West Virginia. He worked in the West Virginia coal mines for more than 50 years, and also served as a corporal in the United States Army during World War II. He was married to his wife, Helen, for 75 years and had a daughter, two sons, three grandchildren, […]
What to Do When You Are Blindsided by a STUG
Q. Five years ago, my father passed away after suffering from dementia for years. The entire family was there to say goodbye to him, and we felt like we had closure. He planned well, so everything was taken care of and he took the time to leave us notes before his dementia got bad and […]
How Photographing His Mother’s Dementia Made Her Feel Alive Again
When artist Tony Luciani’s 91-year-old mother, Elia, moved in with him in 2014, he thought he was doing her a service. It turned out that it was the other way around. Elia was having issues with memory loss and having a hard time accepting her age. She looked defeated. Tony tried to make her as […]
Hospice and Palliative Care are Essentially the Same Thing—Why is Hospice Covered While Palliative Care Is Not?
Q. I recently read about hospice and palliative care and now I’m thoroughly confused. They sound like exactly the same thing, but offered at different times. Why is hospice covered by Medicare and Medicaid, when palliative care is typically not? Thanks for your help! A. People often confuse palliative care with hospice care, and the […]
Keto Diet for Alzheimer’s? Critics Disagree on Whether it’s Healthy and Effective
For the past year, similar to many of us, Meredith has stayed in her home and worked in her home office. She spent little time outdoors or doing the active things she used to love, such as swimming, because the pools at the rec centers were closed. She was often bored of being inside and […]
Is a Parkinson’s Epidemic on the Horizon?
Q. We just found out that my mother was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. I don’t know much about Parkinson’s, except that it is a progressive neurological disease with no cure and that it affects movement. The doctor said that there has been more education and awareness efforts, since Parkinson’s has become more prevalent in the […]
Does Mild Cognitive Impairment Always Lead to Dementia?
David Koulack, journalist and retired psychology professor, feels shaky every morning when he wakes up. Lately, he has also become forgetful when it comes to things he used to do every day, such as getting on and off his bike. For him, the old saying, “(y)ou never forget how to ride a bike,” just didn’t […]
Has the Pandemic Changed Funerals Forever?
Q. The pandemic has caused me to refocus my energy on planning for my future and for my family when I’m gone. I have seen people I know die of COVID and their families stressed about their funerals during a time of grief. I don’t want that to ever happen to my family, so I […]
Fast-Forward: PBS Helps Viewers Take Control of the Rest of Their Lives
Planning ahead can be difficult, daunting, and emotional. Many people put it off until it’s too late. Still, every day is a new opportunity to change that. In the film Fast-Forward, four millennials & their baby boomer parents go through an “aging bootcamp” to see their futures and attempt to answer the question, “If you […]
Is Physician Assisted Death Legal Yet?
Q. I am seriously thinking about what to include in my advance directive. I watched my dad deteriorate and die from dementia. I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy. I always say that if I get Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, then I would like to die a quick and peaceful death on […]
President Biden Signed the American Rescue Plan Act … What It Means for You!
Last week, President Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan Act, which provides approximately $1.9 trillion in spending to address the continued impact of COVID-19. The American Rescue Plan Act is a follow-up to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the CARES Act), which became law in late March 2020, and that […]
Why is Dementia Different for Women Than it is for Men?
Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2017, 72-year-old Anne still enjoys puzzles, sewing, and watercolor painting. New activities are less appealing to her and she is becoming a lot more forgetful lately and in need of assistance with everyday activities. Jeffrey has also had Alzheimer’s since 2017. He still enjoys the same activities he did then, yet […]
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