MUST READS

A January 13, 2019 USA Today opinion piece by award-winning actor Rob Lowe addressed the stress of caregiving for a loved one. He and his siblings cared for his mother, who had cancer, when he was in his 30’s. According to Lowe, “Caregiving for a loved one is a role that millions more Americans will take on in the coming decades — especially with so many baby boomers saying they want to age in place instead of entering retirement homes or care facilities… But the caregivers themselves often end up paying a high cost, both physically and financially, which is rarely discussed… A recent study by the National Alliance for Caregiving found that a third of caregivers in America do it alone, without any paid or unpaid help — and this uphill battle can lead to a domino effect of health and financial problems for the caregivers themselves.”

RESEARCH AND SCIENCE

A January 11, 2019 Nature article looked at who is succeeding using crowdfunding technology to fund scientific research projects. Data shows that women and less-experienced scientists are the most successful at raising money in this relatively new manner, which tends to be in smaller increments than through traditional funding sources. According to social scientist Henry Sauermann of ESMT business school in Berlin, Germany, “Crowdfunding has opened the door for people who would not be able to participate in the traditional grant funding mechanism.” 

BRAIN HEALTH

A January 11, 2019 The Globe and Mail opinion piece by author Meghan Cox Gurdon reflected on the magical power of reading aloud. “A person constrained by illness or old age may need a collaborator in order to escape the fetters,” she writes. The image of reading aloud always depicts an elder reading to a child, however this same power persists when the paradigm is flipped. The U.K. non-profit The Reader has reading groups for different demographics, including people with Alzheimer’s disease. “The whole point of this group is to be in the moment with the literature, so that when we stop, we see where we are. And we assess. We’re only at a moment in time,” said Kate Fulton, who was facilitating a group at an elderly care facility.

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

A January 14, 2019 Asbury Park Press article spotlighted a relatively recent phenomena, extended life expectancy for people with Down syndrome and the early-onset Alzheimer’s disease that disproportionately affects them. New Jersey families are forming a support group for families facing this very issue, modeled on the National Task Group on Intellectual Disabilities and Dementia. It will focus on the intersection of Down and dementia.

ALZ TECH

A January 14, 2019 Eyes On Alz blog post interviewed Stall Catchers superuser and Family & Friends tournament champion, “Badstallsbadbad.” The Stall Catchers crowdsourced online game brings together ‘citizen scientists’ to help identify clogged blood vessels in the brain, which is linked to Alzheimer’s disease. According to Badstallsbadbad, “We all have this chance to help aid real research, not a game to introduce people to concepts but to help the people who are the ones that are going to find the cures. Maybe if the world sees what a bunch of like minds can do when they pull in the same direction, things will change. Not just ALZ, but lots of things that we could all afford to be rid of.”

EVENTS AND RESOURCES

The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America recently announced its 2019 National Educating American Tour dates. “Each tour stop features a free Alzheimer’s educational conference where individuals learn from, and interact with, leading experts in the Alzheimer’s field.  Participants can learn about topics such as preventing cognitive decline and protecting brain health; caregiving; care planning; and Alzheimer’s-related research and clinical trials.  Free, confidential memory screenings, which are quick, easy wellness checkups designed to check cognitive ability, will also be offered at each event.”