May 21, 2020

USA2 SPOTLIGHT

A May 21, 2020 UsAgainstAlzheimer’s press announcement brought attention to a new alliance of advocacy groups, the Paid Leave Alliance for Dementia Caregivers, which is urging Congress to include people caring for loved ones with conditions such as Alzheimer’s in the next coronavirus relief legislation. “The caregiving crisis triggered by the COVID-19 coronavirus spotlights the need for comprehensive paid family leave policies to support vulnerable families caring for a loved one living with Alzheimer’s or another chronic disease. Comprehensive paid family and medical leave is critically important for these families and vital for addressing the growing national challenge of dementia care,” said AfricanAmericansAgainstAlzheimer’s lead Stephanie Monroe.

BRAIN HEALTH

A May 19, 2020 The New York Times article looked at eating a diet rich in flavonoids to help ward off dementia. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition gathered diet information on people over 50 years of age, for an average of 20 years. Anthocyanin flavonoids, associated with lowered dementia risk, are abundant in blueberries, strawberries and red wine. According to the article, “The senior author, Paul F. Jacques, a scientist with the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, said that the amount consumed by those who benefited the most was not large. Their monthly average was about seven half-cup servings of strawberries or blueberries, eight apples or pears, and 17 cups of tea. “It doesn’t take much,” he said.”

EVENTS AND RESOURCES

The NIH National Institute on Aging offers their COVID-19 "Resources for Older Adults and Webinar Series for Caregivers" from the UCSF Memory and Aging Center. Gain tips to help people with dementia stay safe in public. Offered in both English and Chinese.