USA2 SPOTLIGHT

A May 24, 2018 National Council on Aging blog post by LatinosAgainstAlzheimer’s Lead Jason Resendez pulled from data in a recent report from UsAgainstAlzheimer’s and the USC Roybal Institute on Aging about the impact of Alzheimer’s disease on millennials. One in six millennial caregivers is caring for someone with AD or another dementia. According to the blog, “To better support young caregivers at the front lines of the dementia crisis, UsAgainstAlzheimer’s is working with youth leaders like the Youth Movement Against Alzheimer’s and Hilarity for Charity to build intergenerational bridges, raise the visibility of young caregivers, and advance policy and programming solutions to our shared challenges.”

MUST READS

A May 25, 2018 National Institutes of Health post reported on recommendations put forth at the recent NIH summit, “Alzheimer’s Disease Research Summit 2018: Path to Treatment and Prevention.” Among key topics discussed, precision medicine was high on the agenda. According to NIA Director Richard J. Hodes, MD, “This is a critical time in Alzheimer's research, with new opportunities to build upon what we have learned. We must continue to foster creative approaches that leverage emerging scientific and technological advances, establish robust translational infrastructure for rapid and broad sharing of data and research tools, and work with funding partners and other stakeholders to cultivate and sustain an open science research ecosystem.”

VETERANS SPOTLIGHT

A May 21, 2018 NPR “Morning Edition” radio segment reported that eight offices running the Veteran’s Affairs caregiver program, which provides a stipend to family members of disabled vets for home health care, was arbitrarily cutting hundreds of people. The VA is now conducting a strategic review of all the revocations. Veterans are at heightened risk for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. 

YOUTH FOCUS

A May 21, 2018 Time Magazine article looked at the challenges faced by millennial caregivers. A new AARP report finds that approximately 10 million Americans between 18 to 34 are caregivers for a family member or friend. And of those millennial caregivers, more than half are people of color, and more than half work a full time job. The article speaks with C. Grace Whiting of the National Alliance for Caregiving, “The U.S. is already facing a shortage of caregivers, and the increasing gender and racial diversity of millennial caregivers will be necessary to support all those who need help in the future.”

DEMENTIA AND THE ARTS

A Myarklamiss broadcast segment from NBC 10 News spotlighted the annual “Music for Memory” tribute concert at Trinity United Methodist Church in Ruston, LA, founded by Carlie Toliver, whose grandmother died from Alzheimer’s disease. According to Carlie, “She might not know where she was who she was with but if i started playing a hymn on the piano she would start singing it.” The concert raises funds for Alzheimer’s.