USA2 SPOTLIGHT  

A December 12, 2016 Huffington Post opinion piece by UsAgainstAlzheimer’s co-founder Trish Vradenburg called for hope in the face of Alzheimer’s drug setbacks. According to Vradenburg, “But there is good reason to keep up hope. There are promising innovations on the horizon. An analysis of the Phase II/III Alzheimer’s drug pipeline, conducted by ResearchersAgainstAlzheimer’s, shows that there are now 22 Alzheimer’s drugs in late-stage clinical trials. Eighteen of those may be on track to launch in the next five years…We’ve turned HIV/AIDS from fatal into a chronic condition. I don’t think it’s pie in the sky to believe a treatment or cure is possible. UsAgainstAlzheimer’s will continue to work passionately for people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, and their families, to make this a reality. My optimism is going to pay off. And you can quote me on that!”

A December 12, 2016 UsAgainstAlzheimer’s blog post by Ann Napoletan highlighted specific holiday activities for families impacted by Alzheimer’s and dementia to encourage reminiscing with their loved ones. According to Napoletan, “Many holiday activities have the potential to trigger fond memories. Below is a list of other ideas that may encourage reminiscing. Relax, maintain reasonable expectations, and keep things simple. It’s very important to follow your loved one’s lead; if he or she shows signs of agitation, set the activity aside and try again later. The key is focusing on what they can do and meeting them where they are. By doing so, you’ll connect in beautiful ways, perhaps on a level deeper than you could have imagined possible.”

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A December 15, 2016 The Washington Post article profiled one former journalist’s efforts to tell the stories of individuals living with dementia, improving their care in the process. According to the article, “Working with two partners and hiring freelance journalists to conduct interviews and gather photos and other media, her organization, MemoryWell, has provided profiles of a dozen people at three facilities, and is piloting with five more organizations. Research shows that quality of care increases and aggressive behavior decreases for longterm care patients whose caregivers are familiar with their life histories. But even well-trained caregivers can have a hard time breaking through to people whose memories are shrouded by dementia, Newton-Small said. ‘They don’t have any context to understand why they’re doing what they’re doing…It’s really isolating.’”

A December 15, 2016 Scientific American article reported that “When the body’s biological clock goes awry, insomnia and related disruptions may be an early sign of pending cognitive decline.”