Greg O’Brien is an award-winning investigative reporter who’s written for many national and regional publications, including The Washington Post. He was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s at the age of 59 after a traumatic brain injury. Unfortunately, O’Brien has had lots of experience with the disease. Both his late parents and other close family members […]
FDA Approves New Alzheimer’s Drug That Slows Progression of the Disease
On January 6, 2023, the Food and Drug Administration approved the new Alzheimer’s drug lecanemab, which has been shown in clinical trials to slow cognitive decline in patients with mild cognitive impairment or early Alzheimer’s disease. The approval offers patients renewed hope after repeated failures to find effective treatments. The announcement came following a highly […]
How Caregiving Can Heal a Relationship
Lori Grinker, a photojournalist and professor at New York University’s Arthur L Carter Journalism Institute, was never close to her mother, Audrey. Their relationship had been strained when Lori’s parents got divorced and when her brother died from AIDS. It seemed like nothing would bring them together. That is, until Audrey was diagnosed with cancer […]
Blood Tests and a New Promising Drug for Alzheimer’s Are Here. Here’s What You Need to Know.
Q. I know Alzheimer’s research, diagnostic tools, and treatments have come a long way in the past few years, with several new options having been introduced. But, I’m curious — do any of these options really work or even show real promise? A. Alzheimer’s disease research is at an important moment, with the emergence of […]
A Urine Test for Alzheimer’s?
Dear Angel, I heard somewhere that there is a urine test for Alzheimer’s that is being tested? What do you know about this? Thanks for your help! Pete Tesst — Dear Pete, It’s true. There is a urine test being tested and the hope is that one day, doctors may be able to diagnose Alzheimer’s […]
TikTok and Caregiving: The #Dementia Hashtag on TikTok Has over 3 Billion Views!
The first time Jacquelyn Revere walked into a support group for caregivers of family members with dementia, she felt completely out of place. Revere, then a 20-something who’d just moved from New York City to California to care for her mother and grandmother who both have dementia, was decades younger than anyone else in the […]
New Research Shows How Having Pets Helps Promote Healthy Aging and Prevent Cognitive Decline
Dear Angel, I’ve been living alone for the past five years and I’m thinking of getting a pet to keep me company. I’ve heard about benefits of having a pet, but didn’t realize that there were cognitive benefits as well. What are the cognitive and other benefits of having a pet for a senior like […]
Can a Mortality Prediction Model Lead to Fewer Unnecessary Medical Interventions?
Imagine knowing how long a loved one with dementia is going to live. Would you want to know? What would you do with that information, and how can it be helpful? Predictions from a prognosis prediction model were followed by the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) for over a decade and may help clinicians […]
The Importance of Managing Chronic Diseases
Q. I am middle aged and overweight with diabetes and high blood pressure. My friend told me that he read somewhere that having two or more chronic health conditions in middle life puts people at a higher risk of developing dementia in later life. Is this true? Either way, I recently joined the gym and […]
Is Physician-Assisted Death Possible for People with Dementia?
Q. My wife and I recently sat down to discuss the topic of end-of-life planning. She surprised me when she told me that if she ever gets diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or another type of dementia, she’d want to die on her own terms, before she becomes a burden to loved ones. I know from some […]
What to Do When Your Loved One Becomes Violent Due to Dementia
When some think of dementia, they may think of it as a mental illness. Confusing the two occurs frequently as certain mental illnesses and dementia share many of the same symptoms, including difficulty concentrating, confusion, and personality and emotional changes. It’s important to note that while dementia does affect mental health, it is not a […]
Early Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease, According to Experts
Dear Oakley, I often forget people’s names or what I’m doing even while I’m doing it, it seems. I’m worried I could be in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. Is there any new information available about the early warning signs of Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia? Thanks for your help! Earl E. Sines — […]
Can a New Device Detect Alzheimer’s Years Before Symptoms Develop?
Many people don’t realize that Alzheimer’s actually begins 15-20 years before symptoms become evident, but this has been proven to be the case. Now, a research team has developed a device and strategy that may be able to detect Alzheimer’s disease in the blood up to 17 years before any outward symptoms start to show. […]
How Many Steps Should You Walk to Reduce Your Risk of Dementia?
Dear Angel, I heard many times that exercise helps reduce your risk of dementia. I recently began walking while listening to books on Audible. How long do they say you should walk, and how many times per week, to reduce your risk of mental decline? Thanks for your help! Miles Walker — Dear Miles, Participation […]
Introducing the Dementia Doula
If you’re familiar with the word “doula,” you probably think of it as referring to a person who provides guidance and support to a pregnant woman. From admission through delivery, a doula stays at her patient’s side providing comfort and support to the mother, her partner, and the newborn baby. But there are more doulas […]
Can Equine Therapy Improve Quality of Life in Individuals with Dementia?
At several therapeutic riding centers across the country, horses have been interacting with an unlikely group of visitors ̶ people with early stage dementia or mild cognitive impairment and their caregivers. Interacting with horses — called equine therapy, horse therapy, and sometimes hippotherapy (ancient Greeks wrote about the benefits of horse riding, calling this practice […]
Sensory Overload — How People with Dementia Are Impacted by Noise
At the age of 46, Kris Bakowski was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Kris has been blogging about her diagnosis since 2003 to advocate for awareness and help educate others living with the disease and their caregivers. In one of her blogs, Kris discusses the topic of sensory overload. Since her diagnosis, she has been […]
The Doorway Effect: Why Moving Can Be Especially Challenging for Those with Dementia
Note: This article is the third part of a three part series sharing the wisdom of Katya De Luisa, a dementia educator and author of “Journey through the Infinite Mind–the Science and Spirituality of Dementia.” Read part 1 and part 2 here. Q. The other day, I was watching TV when a commercial came on […]
Travel Can Be a Form of Therapy for People with Dementia
Dear Hayek, I read that people with dementia have a hard time with change of location and routine. But I have also heard that travel can be a good form of therapy for someone with dementia. How can both of these things be true? Thanks for your help! Gwynn Sumwear — Dear Gwynn, Many people […]
Should People with Dementia Be Able to Die with Dignity?
Q. During a conversation the other night, my father said that if he was ever diagnosed with dementia that he wouldn’t want to live that way or burden the family. I know that Death with Dignity is legal in a growing number of states, but can people with dementia choose physician-assisted death in those states? […]
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