Must read

• A June 24, 2014 Insurance News article reported that a new RAND Corporation study calls on policymakers to "consider more ways to improve long-term services and supports for the soaring numbers of people with the debilitating condition and their caregivers." According to the article, "Unlike other, existing national plans or reports that focus on either long-term care or dementia, the RAND study examines where these concerns intersect, providing a national blueprint that could bolster dementia caregiving…The study outlines 25 high-impact policy options that should be considered for adoption immediately. The recommendations are organized around five objectives:Increase public awareness of dementia to reduce stigma and promote earlier detection. Improve access to and use of long-term services and supports for people with dementia. Promote high-quality care that is focused on meeting the needs of individuals and family caregivers. Provide better support for family members who provide caregiving to people with dementia.Reduce the financial burden placed upon individuals and families who must pay for long-term services and support for people with dementia." Report can be found here.

• A June 23, 2014 Bloomberg News article (via Portland Press Herald) reported on the importance of intellectual activity in holding off Alzheimer's. According to the article, "Lifelong intellectual activities such as playing music or reading kept the mind fit as people aged and also delayed Alzheimer’s by years for those at risk of the disease who weren’t college educated or worked at challenging jobs, the researchers said in the study published Monday in JAMA Neurology."
• A June 23, 2014 Las Vegas Business Press article reported on Southern Nevada's growing medical research industry and the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health's role in growing the sector. According to the article, "Not only is the Cleveland Clinic participating in many of the trials that are being conducted throughout the United States, but it is one of leaders on the steering committees or leadership committees that helps choose the trials that need to be conducted to have the greatest impact on the disease, Cummings said. He added it’s great to be part of a growing medical research community in Las Vegas."
• A June 23, 2014 e27.co article reported that a Korean startup called YBrain is developing wearable technology meant "to specifically target brain regions using electrical signals that aim to reduce the symptoms of degenerative brain diseases like Alzheimer’s." According to the article, "The device has two sensors embedded in the front of a wearable headband that provide electronic signals at 2 milliamperes (similar to 1/8 of the output of a smartphone). These stimulate brain activity in order to combat the effects of Alzheimer’s. The device is to be used for 30 minutes per day, five days per week, from the comfort of a patient’s own home.The service will be targeting those who have already been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s as well as those in their 50s and 60s who have been diagnosed with “mild cognitive impairment,” a segment who has a high likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s."