March 23, 2016

Today's Top News

USA2 SPOTLIGHT 

A March 22, 2016 Minding Your Elders Blog highlighted UsAgainstAlzhiemer's Clergy Network’s latest product the "Leader's Guide for Season's of Caregiving.” According to the article, “I've been alerted to what looks to be an exceptionally helpful tool for Alzheimer's caregivers and those who help these caregivers…The Leader's Guide for Seasons of Caring, provides structure and guidance for a 10-week support group based on the Seasons of Caring: Meditations for Alzheimer’s and Dementia Caregivers. It touches on universal themes, such as personal stories, guilt, self-care and loss with an interfaith approach.”


MUST READS

March 23, 2016 Independent UK article reported that “Researchers at the University of Hertfordshire believe that the drop in the level of the hormone oestrogen after women experience the menopause may affect how [Alzheimer’s] disease develops.” According to the article, “Professor Keith Laws of the School of Life and Medical Sciences at the University of Hertfordshire, who lead the study, said the findings could play an important part in understanding the risk factors, progression and treatment of the disease.”

March 23, 2016 Philly.com article reported on the split between the Alzheimer’s Association New Jersey chapter and the larger Alzheimer’s Association and its impact on the north eastern region. According to the article, “Wendy Campbell, chief executive officer of the Delaware Valley chapter, is now temporarily in charge of all of New Jersey in addition to Southeastern Pennsylvania and Delaware. Her staff will be competing - in a friendly way, she says - with former allies…The Greater New Jersey chapter decided that was worth the risk. Its board voted in December to leave the Alzheimer's Association. Ken Zaentz, president and CEO of what is now known as Alzheimer's New Jersey, said his board concluded that "the people of New Jersey would be better served by a local organization with a local board." They thought that a New Jersey-based group would be better at assessing local needs and tailoring programs to fit.”

A March 22, 2016 Chicago Tribune opinion piece by A.K. Whitney highlighted the nation’s growing elder care crisis. According to Whitney, “That process has given me a good idea of exactly how frustrating our medical system can be for most seniors and their families. Between a lack of information on most home care agencies (only agencies that provide skilled nursing get reviewed by the government), a rapidly worsening worker shortage and no financial relief for the services Emma actually needed, I now understand why one doctor told me a lot of people just wind up putting elders in nursing homes instead of having them stay home.”

A March 22, 2016 New York Times article reported that “With the expectation that more N.F.L. players will suffer dementia from repeated head hits, businesses that cater to people with memory loss are gearing up for what could be droves of new clients in the near future.” According to the article, “One company, Validus, based in Tampa, Fla., has gone the furthest, striking a deal last year with the N.F.L. Alumni Association to provide special treatment to former players with dementia…The company plans to build 33 facilities over five years in or near N.F.L. cities across the country, starting with one that will open in September in Ocoee, outside Orlando, where a big concentration of N.F.L. retirees live. Facilities are also being built in Atlanta, Houston, Jacksonville, Fla., and New Orleans.”