USA2 SPOTLIGHT 

An October 22, 2015 The Wall Street Journal article highlighted the dementia friendly movement and the work of Dementia Friendly America. According to the article, “A national initiative dubbed Dementia Friendly America, modeled on the pathbreaking work in Minnesota, focuses initially on five pilot communities, including Tempe, Ariz., and in the state of West Virginia. People with dementia ‘don’t need to be warehoused or isolated,’ said Olivia Mastry, who led the Minnesota efforts and is organizing the national push. ‘We want them to stay in the community and support them so they can thrive.’ Minnesota’s initiative grew out of a working group mandated by the Legislature to prepare the state for the growing impact of Alzheimer’s. The Act on Alzheimer’s initiative that resulted focused on two main goals: pulling together the best examples it could find of dementia-friendly practices globally and developing a model for how communities could unite to implement them.” UsAgainstAlzheimer’s is an organizing member of Dementia Friendly America.  

MUST READS

An October 24, 2015 The Economist article highlighted research that finds dementia might be caused by fungal infection. According to the article, “What actually causes Alzheimer’s disease, though, is obscure… A group of researchers led by Luis Carrasco of the Autonomous University of Madrid, in Spain, have raised the idea that the ultimate cause of Alzheimer’s is fungal. Dr Carrasco and his team examined brain tissue from 25 cadavers, 14 of which belonged to people who had had Alzheimer’s disease when alive…Every single one of the Alzheimer’s patients had signs of fungal cells of various sorts growing in his or her neurons. None of the Alzheimer’s-free brains was infected.” [behind paywall]  

An October 22, 2015 The Des Moines Register opinion piece by the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease in Iowa underscored the need for Iowan’s to prioritize diseases like Alzheimer’s in the 2016 presidential campaign. According to the authors, “We’ve witnessed a good deal of controversy over drug prices, but little attention given to the significant progress being made on cures and improved therapies for cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s.  We should hear what positions candidates would advocate to accelerate biopharmaceutical breakthroughs and the hope they represent for those afflicted with serious illnesses.” This essay was written by the co-chairs of the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease in Iowa: Cathy Glasson, president of SEIU Local 199; Jim Henter, president of the Iowa Retail Federation; Sherri Nielsen, president & CEO of Easter Seals Iowa; the Rev. Sarai Schnucker Rice, executive director of the Des Moines Area Religious Council.

An October 22, 2015 The Huffington Post piece by Ken Dychtwald underscored the importance of retiree giving and the need to unlock the “$8 trillion longevity bonus.” According to Dychtwald, “The question with profound importance for our society is: How do we unleash the full power of this longevity bonus? How can we motivate new generations of retirees to put their time and resources to work for the causes they care about most? What would happen if the opportunity for older adults to give and volunteer were more accessible? How can charities and nonprofits become more adept at reaching out to retirees to utilize their time and talents more effectively? If we could mobilize the large and growing population of retirees with tremendous resources, skills, and availability, just imagine what could be possible.” Read part two of the series here. 

RESEARCH, SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY  

An October 22, 2015 BBC.com article reported that a virtual reality “maze” might predict Alzheimer’s. According to the article, “The scientists, led by Lukas Kunz of the German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Bonn, say the high risk group navigated the maze differently and had reduced functioning of a type of brain cell involved in spatial navigation. The findings could give an insight into why people with dementia can find navigating the world around them challenging, they say.”

An October 22, 2015 Cleveland.com article highlighted the Cleveland Clinic Innovation Summit, “which will bring together more than 1,600 doctors and medical professionals to discuss breakthroughs in treating an array of brain diseases and other neurological issues.” According to the article, “Organized by Cleveland Clinic Innovations, the hospital network's commercialization arm, the summit will focus on progress in finding cures for diseases such as brain cancer and Alzheimer's, as well as new therapies to improve the quality of life for millions of patients suffering from degenerative brain disorders.”

CAREGIVING 

An October 23, 2015 U.S. News & World Report article reported that “Blogging can help caregivers ease the stress and unlock the joy of tending to loved ones.”