VETERANS SPOTLIGHT

An April 11, 2019 Military Times article reported that Veterans Affairs agreed to a set of recommendations which will help codify tens of thousands of military family caregivers into the VA system. The recommendations will be put into effect over the next year and will guarantee the inclusion of caregivers in medical check-ups, creating new training and support services and expanding research into their challenges. Elizabeth Dole and Steve Schwab of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation spoke about the recommendations.

FAITH SPOTLIGHT

According to an April 12, 2019 Catholic News Agency article, Pope Francis visited some patients at an Alzheimer’s center, Emmanuel Village, in Rome, Italy, as part of his “Mercy Friday” visits. The purpose was to bring attention to the epidemic of loneliness and societal exclusion that can be experienced by people and families facing AD. “Perhaps some of them have lost their memory, but they are the symbol of the memory of a people; they are the roots of our homeland, of our humanity. They are the roots, and the young must go there to take the sap from the roots, to carry civilization onwards,” said Pope Francis.

PROFILES IN COURAGE

An April 12, 2019 Bangor Daily News opinion piece by Sen. Susan Collins told the story of Mary Dysart Hartt and her husband, Mike, who has younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease. The the couple testified at a recent Aging Committee hearing chaired by Sen. Collins. According to the piece, “Mary explained that although dementia has created unique challenges, she and her husband “continue to move forward with [their] life as best they can.” By working with their health care team and developing a care plan, they have made trips around the world, including to Alaska, Iceland, British Columbia, the Yukon and more. They have also worked to raise awareness and help others living with Alzheimer’s.”

HUMAN INTEREST

An April 14, 2019 The Boot article revealed that veteran country singer Hal Ketchum has Alzheimer’s disease. According to the article, “Ketchum's wife Andrea explains that she, her husband and their family decided to share Ketchum's diagnosis because fans have been wondering why he has no future scheduled tour dates, and speculating about the reason for the lack of upcoming shows. Andrea says that her husband has been living with Alzheimer's and dementia "for some time now," but continued performing "because of his love for his fans ... as long as it was possible.””

EVENTS AND RESOURCES

Sign-up for Research!America’s webinar, “The Emerging Antimicrobial Protection Hypothesis of Alzheimer’s Disease." April 17, 2019 at 12pm. Dr. Rudolph Tanzi of Harvard University and Dr. Robert Moir of Massachusetts General Hospital present the latest cutting-edge research. Register here.