MUST READS

A May 24, 2018 CBC News article looked the possibility that it’s time to move beyond the “amyloid hypothesis” to prevent or treat Alzheimer’s disease. According to researcher Paul Murphy at the University of Kentucky, "It would be foolish to ignore the continued failures of anti-amyloid approaches. The field is clearly in need of innovative ideas. We may very well be nearing the end of the amyloid-hypothesis rope, at which point one or two more failures will cause us to loosen our grip and let go.”

CAREGIVING CORNER

A Being Patient post by caregiver Ralonda Thompson shared her experiences caring for her mom, who has early-onset dementia. “If you want to be an assertive healthcare representative for your parent, you should remember that you’re now the one who’s advocating for your loved one because your parent can’t advocate for themselves anymore. I work for a company in Colorado that is one of the leaders in dementia care and have held several positions within that company. While I have worked with dementia and memory care clients for the past seven years, having to deal with a dementia diagnosis on a personal level has been completely different because I’m not detached from the experience.”

PROFILES IN COURAGE

A May 24, 2018 Hartford Courant article by Eugene G. Nichols II provided his first-hand account of caring for his wife of 66 years, Janet, who has Alzheimer’s disease. They were high school sweethearts, but it was about seven years ago that Eugene noticed changes in Janet’s memory. Late last year, Eugene made the tough decision to take her to a full time facility. He writes, “At the end of our time each day I always say, "I love you to pieces — and always will.” Most of the time she gives me one of her beautiful smiles and strokes my hands as if saying goodbye to me. This causes me to cry as I leave, perhaps for the last time, the one I love so much.”

A May 21, 2018 Belfast Telegraph article spotlighted the story of Davie McElhinney, who received a dementia diagnosis at the age of 54. He is sharing his experience as part of Dementia Action Week in the UK, an effort to raise awareness and break the isolation that can accompany the condition. According to McElhinney, “At the age of 54 it never even crossed my mind that I could be living with dementia. I honestly believed I was developing a brain tumour and I was keeping all of this to myself, I was scared. In hindsight, keeping it to myself was no good. There was a big pressure on me to hide what was happening, from my family and the community.”

DEMENTIA AND THE ARTS

A May 24, 2018 BBC News video segment featured 84-year old Joan Cooper, who has Alzheimer’s disease, giving her first piano recital. Her performance was part of Dementia Action Week in the UK.

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

A May 24, 2018 Providence Journal article spotlighted a ‘swab party,’ created by two members of the 1968 Brown University Class, for their 50th reunion classmates. They are both physicians working to encourage people to enroll in Alzheimer’s disease research studies. The swabs are DNA samples from the cheek, and the acquired information will be entered into the GeneMatch national registry database.

A May 20, 2018 Courier Post article highlighted the growing need for assisted-living facilities in Cherry Hill. Construction is almost complete on a new Alzheimer’s facility, and there are more projects on the drawing board to try and meet the high demand. According to developer Scott Orens, "It is the fastest-growing segment of the assisted-living market.”