USA2 SPOTLIGHT

An October 1, 2015 Tweet from Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) highlighted her commitment to Alzheimer’s and thanked WomenAgainstAlzheimer’s for its work. #WeWontWait 

MUST READS 

An October 1, 2015 U.S. News & World Report article reported that “Depression increases the mental strain on people caring for loved ones recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, a new study finds.” According to the article, “The highest levels of mental stress occurred in caregivers who had depression when their loved one was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, the investigators found. ‘The occurrence of even mild depressive symptoms predicted a psychological load on the family caregiver irrespective of, for example, the progression of the disease,’ study author Tarja Valimaki said in a University of Eastern Finland news release. Valimaki is a clinical researcher in the university's department of nursing science.”

An October 1, 2015 Popular Science article reported that “The Kavli Foundation announced…it has committed $100 million to neuroscience research.” According to the article, “The money will help fund the BRAIN Initiative, which was launched two years ago by President Obama to gain a better understanding of how the brain’s individual cells work together to do everything from creating memories to drawing a picture. The Kavli funding is in addition to the $85 million that the NIH announced today for BRAIN initiative research. Neuroscience researchers hope the money will help develop tools that will allow neuroscientists to see the whole picture of how the brain works--currently researchers can only see a small piece of the puzzle.”

CAREGIVING 

An October 1, 2015 Forbes.com article highlighted training resources for unpaid dementia caregivers. According to the article, “The Best Friends Dementia Bill of Rights states that people with Alzheimer’s or other dementia deserve to have care partners well trained in dementia care. Yet the vast majority of these individuals are cared for in a private residence by untrained and unpaid family members…Start by ordering or printing pamphlets and booklets from the National Institute on Aging. Some of the larger booklets can even be delivered to your home for free, literally giving you access to invaluable information at your fingertips.”