Alzheimer’s Disease
On the Road Again
This is what I call, “The Busy Time.” Spring is in the air and so am I. We are getting ready for the Eden International Conference in Grand Rapids at the end of the month. We are getting ready for the premier of my new play… “Play What’s Not There” at the Guthrie Theater in [...]
Full Story »Museum Tour Enlivens Individuals With Alzheimer’s
MUSEUM TOUR ENLIVENS INDIVIDUALS WITH ALZHEIMER’S. Ideas, emotions, humor and reminisces spread up and down the massive corridors and through the maze of rooms of the Crocker Art Museum. Like a creative, healthy contagion. First to be infected was th…
Full Story »I Need Help
Just got off the phone with a family friend she told me the news that her partner has just been diagnosed with Alzheimers at age 52.
She is, of course, devastated and she is starting to realize that most of the support networks and services are geared to older people with AD.
So I am asking my readers for HELP.
Full Story »More On Feeding Tubes
Feeding Tube We continue to get lots of searches concerning feeding tubes for elderly parents. Judi wrote about her experience with Audrey, Carol and Judi’s mother. I think Judi handled the situation well, and her decision was correct. Many tim…
Full Story »Distractions : The Weight II
by Jason D. Johnson Senior Living Executive Magazine recently published an article from Anya Martin featuring neuroscientist, Dr. Adam Gazzaley. Gazzaley is an associate professor
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The Power of Song for Those With Alzheimer’s & Their Caregivers
Home & Family | Personal HealthTired of feeling like the caregiver and wish you and your ailing spouse, parent, or relative could do something fun together outside your “roles”? Twenty-two people, half with early- to middle-stage dementia, the others their family caregivers, feel the same way. So, they are belting out tunes side by side as part of a New York City first-ever chorus known as The Unforgettables. The chorale conductor is a music therapist and musician. It seems to be more than just a …
Paul Allen Donates Another $300 Mil to Brain Research
New York Times, March 22, 2012 Paul Allen Gives Millions for Brain Research By Benedict Carey It’s a good day for brain research. Microsoft co-founder, Paul Allen is giving millions more to the Allen Institute for Brain Science, which according t…
Full Story »Read The Latest Alzheimer’s From The Inside Out Newsletter
The latest edition of the newsletter Alzheimer’s From the Inside Out, Reports from between the ears and from the heart and spirit of Richard Taylor, A person living with the symptoms of Dementia, hit my inbox this morning. If you’re not a subscriber, sign up now — it’s a must-read newsletter for anyone interested in changing the way we think about and treat people living with Dementia. You can sign up at Richard’s website here: http://www.richardtaylorphd.com/
Full Story »Maybe Some Good News About Fighting Alzheimer’s?
Short excerpt from The Fiscal Times, March 14, 2012 A Bold New Attack on the Alzheimer’s Scourge I’ve added a few links to this excerpt. Click on the above link to read the entire article by Michael Hodin, Executive Director of The Global…
Full Story »Again with the Darned Robots
If this is Spring— and I think it is— and if high tech companies are having their annual trade shows– and I think they are, that means it’s time for another dose of the darned adorable, caregiving baby seal robot.
Yes, the Wall Street Journal goes there.
Full Story »Get it While it’s HOT
If you are in or around Western New York State and you have been thinking about dipping a toe or two into the Eden Alternative waters. Here is your chance… “EDEN TRAINING” March 13, 14, 15 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Kaleida Health Buffalo, NY ONLY 5 POSITIONS AVAILABLE FIRST COME – FIRST SERVE 21 [...]
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Mindful Blogging: An Introduction To Meditation
Yesterday I started a series of posts on mindful blogging with the recommendation to begin the day as an information producer rather than a consumer.
My second tip for mindful blogging goes more to the heart of mindfulness – meditation. In my opinion meditation is the best and most powerful tool to help establish a more focused, disciplined balance to content creation and consumption.
Full Story »Will More Money Buy an Alzheimer’s Cure?
To much fanfare from the Alzheimer’s disease research lobby, the Obama administration announced plans this week to dramatically increase federal funding on Alzheimer’s. But advocates for those who live with the disease are asking why more isn’t being done to educate the public and improve care and living conditions for the more than 5 million people who live with various forms of dementia, of which Alzheimer’s disease is only one type.
Full Story »More Funding to Come for Alzheimer’s Research, Caregiver Support
This morning, the Obama Administration announced it will make more money available for Alzheimer’s research and caregiving support. The official announcement reads: The Obama Administration today announced new efforts to fight Alzheimer’s disease, including immediately making an additional $50 million available for cutting-edge Alzheimer’s research.
Full Story »Meeting Alzheimer’s at the MoMA
Picture this: It is Tuesday, the day New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is closed to the public, and yet I am in their galleries surrounded by Van Goghs, Dalis, and Cezannes. It is one of those “life moments” now etched in my brain. There are no crowds or distractions, just seven caretakers, their spouses and parents with dementia, and a Museum educator, all animatedly discussing Picasso’s very abstract “The Seated Bather.” The educator: “Why did Picasso choose to paint this way? There is no torso or brain. What do you see?” “A hollow woman,” says one man with Alzheimer’s. “An empty-headed woman,” says another. “What a sexy broad!” he continues. There may be laughs, but this is a serious approach to improving the lives of caregivers and their impaired spouses and parents. The MoMA Alzheimer’s Project’s Meet Me at …
"Awakenings" Featured on Canadian TV News
Ecumen is empowering residents and their families to enjoy the highest possible quality of life through our Awakenings initiative. "400 kilometers south of the Canadian border there is a sea change underway," says 16:9 reporter Carolyn…
Full Story »Amazing Alzheimer’s Videos Via a Small Hyperlink
When you read a good quality digital article or blog and think you know just about everything that it contains, check the hyperlinks — they may bring you some surprises. In fact, a small discrete hyperlink may open the door to resources that you …
Full Story »NAPA: New Plan to Fight Alzheimer’s, but… Where’s the Money?
On Monday and Tuesday, representatives from Health and Human Services met with medical experts to discuss the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA), which was passed by both houses of Congress and signed into law by president Obama on January 4, 2011…
Full Story »The Weight I
If you are reading this blog, you likely already know a great deal about Alzheimer’s disease. You’ve read the notes that state you can’t actually diagnose Alzheimer’s until the person is deceased. You know about sundowning. You’ve possibly even picked up the texts of Mace, Brackey or Shenk. You know that a television playing non-stop could agitate a person so much that they become violent.
Full Story »Retired Royalty
I first heard this poem read by the author on NPR radio back in June of 2011. The words that the poet speaks are raw and true. Listening to it brings tears to my eyes. (Rated R for some strong language.) The poet is Kane Smego who is a frequent …
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