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 […]
Seniors are Facing Barriers Trying to Get the COVID-19 Vaccine. What to Do.
Janet needs to get the coronavirus vaccine. She is 74 and has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. She leaves the house rarely, only to pick up her medicines in the pharmacy drive-thru. She has caregivers coming in to help her that may have been exposed to coronavirus themselves, so between that and her COPD, she won’t […]
Elizabeth is Missing — Can Her Friend with Alzheimer’s Find Her?
Many films and documentaries have been made about Alzheimer’s and dementia. But, very few have gotten the critical acclaim of Elizabeth is Missing, a PBS film that was released earlier this month. Based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Emma Healey, Elizabeth is Missing is a story about loss, aging, and cognitive […]
How Can I Keep My Brain as Sharp as Possible?
Q. The pandemic has been stressful for us all. My husband and I are staying in most of the time and having groceries and other items delivered to our home. We used to stay active and interact with people all the time at gatherings and at the local senior center. My thirty-year-old daughter once even […]
Is There Really a Drug That Reverses Age-Related Mental Decline Within Days?
Q. 2020 has been a tough year. Something good has to come out of it. Please tell me that it’s true that a drug has been invented that reverses age-related mental decline. I thought I read it somewhere, but my eyes might be deceiving me. Thanks so much for clarifying and for all your great […]
Can a Rare Brain Change What We Know About Early-Onset Alzheimer’s?
Aliria Rosa Piedrahita de Villegas carried a rare genetic mutation making it extremely likely that she would develop Alzheimer’s disease in her 40s, like most others in her family with this genetic mutation. Something unexpected happened with Aliria though–she defied the odds and did not develop Alzheimer’s until she was 72. Six years after her diagnosis, […]
How Nursing Homes are Planning for a Third Surge of COVID-19
When it comes to COVID-19, the news from around the country isn’t encouraging. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a neurosurgeon and chief medical correspondent for CNN, said he is concerned that the United States is facing “exponential growth” of COVID-19 cases. Doctors Believe that Personal Behaviors are Driving the Projections Up Some people in their fatigue from […]
Is There a New Genetic Form of Dementia?
Q. I read your recent newsletter from this past Tuesday about this year’s scariest articles, and I think I have a topic to add. I heard that there is another new form of dementia that was just discovered that affects behavior, language, and executive functioning. Sounds pretty scary to me. Have you heard about it, […]
A Coronavirus Vaccine for Nursing Homes?
Over the last few months, biopharmaceutical companies have achieved what usually takes years. Driven by a shared mission to find a solution to the coronavirus pandemic, they are working at “Warp Speed” to rapidly develop a coronavirus vaccine and distribute it to those who are most in need. Dr. Jay Butler, deputy director of infectious […]
How Caregivers Can Help Prevent Falls
It’s the first week of fall and Fall Prevention Week 2020! A year before the Coronavirus pandemic, Miriam suffered repeated falls and a broken femur. After she spent time in a rehabilitation facility and participated in 3 months of private physical therapy, her mobility was still limited by a walker. Miriam was feeling helpless, depressed, […]
Dementia Reimagined: A New Approach from a Bioethicist and Influencer
Dr. Patricia (Tia) Powell’s grandmother had dementia and she remembers vividly watching her mother care for her. Once, when her grandmother was in the later stages of the disease, her mother brought her grandmother out onto the porch, which was difficult because her grandmother had trouble with mobility. Her mother put her grandmother in an […]
Will Medicare Cover Alzheimer’s Brain Scans?
In the past few months, Julia has noticed that her mother, Betsy, has become increasingly forgetful. Betsy’s memory loss started out mild, including losing her keys and forgetting the day of the week, but is beginning to disrupt her daily life. She often gets confused and sometimes loses concept of place and time. She has […]
Can a Flu Shot Reduce Your Risk of Alzheimer’s? Get a Flu or Pneumonia Shot!
Every year, Marion contemplates whether to get her flu shot. She hasn’t gotten one in the past, but then again, she hasn’t had the flu for nearly five years. This year she is also eligible for a no-cost pneumonia vaccine through Medicare. New research has prompted Marion to change her tune and get a flu […]
Early-Onset Dementia is Surging, Recent Study Finds
Q. My sister, Abigail, is 45 and complains of memory loss. She often repeats herself, asking the same questions over and over again and has trouble coming up with desired words in a conversation. The last time I visited her at her home, she was confused about what day it was. I can understand that, […]
Virginia Allocates $246 million to Help Long-term Care Facilities After COVID-19 Pandemic
At a retirement community in Springfield, the last scheduled event that Lea (88) attended was a Valentine’s Day dance in February. Since then, there have been no more potluck dinners, card games, special outings, or other social activities scheduled at Lea’s complex. And even as Virginia enters phase 3, it’s unclear to her when things […]
Is There Such a Thing as an Advance Directive for Psychiatric Patients in Virginia, DC, or Maryland?
In his first year of his residency, Dr. David Nissan, a resident in psychiatry at New York Presbyterian Hospital, worked under compassionate physicians who emphasized the importance of carefully explaining the risks and benefits of treatments to patients. On several occasions he helped patients with life threatening conditions plan for what type of treatment they […]
Keeping Seniors Safe as Things Reopen
Q. My granddaughter, Hailey, called the other day and she sounded happier than she has been in months. Her small business and other stores and restaurants in the DC Area are beginning to reopen starting today (Friday, 5/29). She told me that the stay-at-home order has been lifted and that several malls and restaurants will […]
How the CARES Act Helps Older Adults
Q. My husband owns a small business and recently the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) established by the CARES Act helped provide his business with funds to pay 10 weeks of payroll costs. This act pretty much saved his business. I also heard that through the CARES Act, nearly a billion dollars is going towards senior […]
One Vital Step This Doctor Wishes Everyone Would Take
Q. A few years ago, when we first got married, my husband, Logan, and I decided to paint the living room in our new home. It sounded like a great idea at the time, but we didn’t get very far. We ended up hiring someone, but kept the super heavy-duty face masks we bought for […]
What Can I Do to Help the DC Area First Responders and Healthcare Workers?
Q. My mother, Anna, is in a local nursing home and receives exemplary care from the nurses, doctors, and health aides there. I want to do something to give back to them and to others on the frontline in the DC Metro Area who are risking their lives to help others during the coronavirus pandemic. […]
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