MUST READS

A December 15, 2015 The Huffington Post piece by Carol Marak highlighted issues that the 2015 White House Council on Aging missed. According to the article, “But that wasn't the only one. There were a lot overlooked. Topics like the future of aging, transforming nursing homes, dementia support, and tapping the vast knowledge of older adults -- all ignored. And since expert panels who could give meaningful answers to the critical issues were not included, Seniorcare.com asked prominent aging leaders to share their perspectives of what SHOULD have been discussed.”

A December 14, 2015 The Sun article (UK) profiled a wife’s struggle as she loses the man she loves to dementia. According to the article, “LIKE millions of other Brits, David Laverick and his family will sit down to open their presents on Christmas Day. But this year, December 25 will take on a whole new meaning — because it will be the last one 71-year-old David can remember. The father of two, from Billingham, County Durham, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s five years ago. He is just one of 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK.”

A December 14, 2015 Florida Today article outlined tips for preparing for a “costly battle with Alzheimer’s.” According to the article, “By planning ahead, we can approach stressful situations as hypothetical events for which we have prepared, rather than crises for which we have no protection. But how do you plan to fight an enemy of this size?”

A December 14, 2015 Miami Herald article reported on the impact of aging on pets, including dementia. According to the article, “Autopsies on the brains of older dogs and cats show changes similar to those that occur in humans with Alzheimer’s disease, including atrophy, a loss of neurons and evidence of “plaques” or calcification. These changes are not a natural part of aging, Bain said, and can cause confusion, detachment from human companions, memory loss and other symptoms related to mental function.”

A December 14, 2015 The Washington Post article reported on the genetic link to living past 100. According to the article, “The Einstein researchers also have found that centenarians and their offspring often make unusually large amounts of a peptide (a short chain of amino acids) called humanin, which declines with age in most people and whose loss contributes to the development of Type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. This may help explain why those who produce higher levels of humanin enjoy greater protection against those diseases and experience exceptionally long lives. For these individuals, humanin diminishes as they age, too, but the levels are much higher to start with than those of average people.”