USA2 SPOTLIGHT

A July 7, 2016 UsAgainstAlzheimer’s press statement “Applauds Legislation To Support Caregivers Of Medicare Beneficiaries With Alzheimer’s; Greater Urgency Is Required To Meet The Needs Of Growing Caregiver Population.” According to UsA2 Chairman George Vradenburg, “I applaud Senators Capito and Stabenow and Representatives Sanchez and Roskam for recognizing the ample evidence that suggests Medicare should offer a caregiver support benefit tied to beneficiaries with Alzheimer’s disease to better support the physical and mental health needs of family caregivers and to reduce healthcare spending associated with institutional care costs. I urge Congress to promptly enact this bill into law given the urgency of the problem, and I hope the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will consider moving forward to rapidly design and implement such a demonstration as soon as possible.” LatinosAgainstAlzheimer’s caregiver advocate Daisy Duarte stated, “Like me, many family caregivers face inadequate access to resources, training and support, and we are struggling to provide high quality care to our loved ones. Passing family caregiver support legislation not only has economic benefits for our country, it is the compassionate thing to do for millions of caregivers – and future caregivers – who need help.”

MUST READS

A July 7, 2016 press release from Senator Shelley Capito (R-WV) announced that “U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), along with U.S. Representatives Peter Roskam (R-Ill.) and Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.), today introduced new bipartisan, bicameral legislation to support Alzheimer’s patients and caregivers, and lessen the mounting costs associated with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias on federal health programs.”

A July 7, 2016 The Hollywood Reporter article reported that Leeza Gibbons will launch a dementia caregiver center with the winnings from her appearance on Celebrity Apprentice. According to the article, “The programs at Leeza’s Care Connection, much like her similar center at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Los Angeles, are aimed at breaking down the barriers caregivers often face. Educational seminars, yoga, support groups and groups focused on handiwork such as knitting already are scheduled, as is a night out at a local minor league baseball park.”

RESEARCH, SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY 

A July 7, 2016 Huffington Post blog post by Dr. Howard Fillit explored repurposing cancer drugs to treat Alzheimer’s. According to Dr. Fillit, “The major risk factor for both cancer and Alzheimer’s disease is aging. Changes in our biology that happen as we age contribute to the development of both diseases. Better understanding the biology of aging will help us develop drugs to treat Alzheimer’s. It will also help us identify drugs currently used to treat cancer that could also be “repurposed” to treat Alzheimer’s patients.” Dr. Howard Fillit is the Founding Executive Director and Chief Science Officer of the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation. 

A July 7, 2016 AlzForum.org article reported that “A new set of guidelines released by the Collaboration for Alzheimer’s Prevention (CAP) aims to move the field toward greater sharing of data and samples from ongoing clinical trials, though the all-important details have yet to be ironed out.”

A July 7, 2016 Phys.org article reported that Rice University researchers are developing a “powerful probe” to break up amyloid plaques, which form in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's.