MUST READS 

A September 10, 2016 NPR.org interview with medical anthropologist Dana Walrath highlighted a new book about caregiving for her mother with Alzheimer’s. According to the article, “Through curiously-sketched comic illustrations and vignettes, Walrath documents her experience with her mother's dementia in Aliceheimer's: Alzheimer's Through The Looking Glass, published in March by Penn State University Press. Sometimes funny, sometimes heart-breaking, each comic weaves in a different facet of their shared experience: hallucinations, repetition, memory, loss, magic, and sometimes even time travel. In one vignette, Alice is transported to 1954, where she believes her grandsons are Johnny Depp-like pirates and Dana's husband is a fellow captive.”

A September 10, 2016 The San Diego Union-Tribune article highlighted an Alzheimer’s educational forum at the University of San Diego. According to the article, “About 700 people watched as philanthropist Darlene Shiley, who lost her mother to Alzheimer's and husband to another form of dementia, moderated the panel of experts from UC San Diego, Scripps Health, the University of Southern California and the Mayo Clinic…Public support is an essential ingredient, said Goldstein, director of UCSD's Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center. The public directly provides money, encourages government funding, provides participants for clinical trials and otherwise eases the process, he said.”

A September 9, 2016 AlzForum.org article reported on issues related to disclosing Alzheimer’s risk status to clinical trial participants. According to the article, “At a session dedicated to this topic at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, held July 22-28 in Toronto, researchers grappled with developing ethical and efficient procedures to break this news to participants. They also presented emerging findings on the psychological, cognitive, and social impacts of doing so. So far, results indicate that most people use the information positively—they may exercise more, eat healthier, or make plans for their future care. Still, others may contemplate ending their lives.”

A September 8, 2016 Fortune.com article reported that “Deloitte LLP announced what the company is touting as most extensive new family leave policy in the professional services industry.” According to the article, “The new rules will allow all employees—men and women—to take up to 16 fully paid weeks off to care for a family member. This includes a new child, spouse, or aging parent. With the addition of these 16 weeks, birth mothers will now be eligible for up to 6 months of paid time off when factoring in short-term disability.”