March 21, 2014

Today's Top Alzheimer's News

Start-ups focus on the elder care market, the impact of technology on Alzheimer's care, and the Los Angeles Times editorial board calls for increased federal funding for Alzheimer's research (read more). 

Must reads and watch 

  • A March 20, 2014 PBS NewsHour broadcast segment underscored the opportunity technology has to transform elder care and to support caregivers. According to the article, "There’s a multi-billion-dollar market that has been largely overlooked by Silicon Valley. But a new wave of tech startups have begun developing products for seniors and their caregivers, from redesigning canes and pill boxes, to a web-based app that helps keep an eye on elderly relatives."
  • A March 20, 2014 PBS NewsHour article highlighted innovative ideas to cope with Alzheimer's generated by a design contest launched by Stanford University’s Center on Longevity. According to the article, "Partnering with the Aging 2.0 team, they invited students around the world to submit ideas for new products that can maximize independence for those with cognitive impairment…Here are the finalists:Memory Maps: This system, using GPS technology, lets those with early-stage cognitive issues and their families record memories and then coordinate them to a map with the real-world locations where they took place…ThermoRing: A plastic ring goes around an electric stove burner and changes from black to red to warn people the burner is still hot."
  • A March 19, 2014 Los Angeles Times editorial called on the government to substantially increase the budget for Alzheimer's research "to effectively tackle this disease over the next decade." According to the editorial, "There's no question that the federal government has focused more intensely on research into Alzheimer's and other types of dementia in the last few years…But to effectively tackle this disease over the next decade, more funding is required…The U.S. must do what it can to fight this hideous disease before it consumes millions more people and billions more dollars."