USA2 SPOTLIGHT

Join our Alzheimer's Talk TODAY at 2 pm (EST) with Dr. Laura Baker of the Wake Forest School of Medicine about the U.S. POINTER study, which is enrolling participants now. The study will test the impact of a combination of diet, exercise, health management, social engagement and intellectual challenge on cognitive function. The POINTER study is part of a global collaboration that will build on similar studies in Finland (FINGER study).

RESEARCH AND SCIENCE

A July 27, 2018 Medical News Today article looked at the effects of opioids taken by people with dementia for pain management. Researchers found that side effects were significantly worse including personality changes, sedation and confusion. Mice with Alzheimer's disease release higher levels of the body's natural opioids, such as endorphins, are much more sensitive to the effects of morphine, needed less for adequate pain relief and experienced worse adverse effects. According to the article, “The authors of both studies conclude that pain medication in people with dementia needs to be reviewed urgently. Rather than helping these individuals, it seems that, in some cases, we are impairing their ability to live life to the fullest.”

VETERANS SPOTLIGHT

A July 29, 2018 Lenconnect article spotlighted two veterans who are walking to raise funds for Alzheimer’s disease. Tim Welbaum and Scott Doney of Visiting Angels Senior Homecare, which provides senior home care and living assistance, have both experienced AD in their families. According to Welbaum, “In the long term, we hope someday a cure can be found, but in the short term there are many ways funding can help families living with Alzheimer’s, such as through education programs that help them learn about the disease.”

PROFILES IN COURAGE

A July 27, 2018 Parade article remembered country music legend Glen Campbell, who died in 2017 from Alzheimer’s disease. Campbell spent the last years of his life at Abe’s Garden in Nashville. “In-home care was out of the question because I already had a team and it wasn’t working for us. Glen needed a specialized environment with people trained to take care of him,” said his wife Kim. According to the article, “It’s been nearly one year since Glen Campbell died. Today, Kim Campbell has made it her mission to get the word out about options available to families dealing with Alzheimer’s. She speaks on the subject and is developing a foundation.”

YOUTH FOCUS

(ICYMI) A July 6, 2018 Montana Public Radio segment, “Kids Like You And Me: When Alzheimer's Moves Into The Family,” focused on the work of the Health Occupations Students of America Club at Missoula's Big Sky High School. The Club helps young kids who have a relative living with dementia to understand different symptoms.

DEMENTIA AND THE ARTS

"UnMasking Alzheimer's: The Memories Behind the Masks" is a collection of photographs of 30 masks created by Alzheimer's advocate and artist, Cynthia Huling Hummel, along with reflections on the challenges and hopes of living well with an Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis.