Small brain cortex may mean early dementia

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

You will love the Amazon Kindle Fire

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two

Follow Alzheimers1 on twitter

By RICK NAUERT PHD Senior News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D.
Size may matter in predicting the chance for Alzheimer’s disease as new research suggests an association between the size of various brain regions and the risk for very early Alzheimer’s disease.

The study suggests people with smaller regions of the brain’s cortex may be at risk.

Researchers have published their findings in the online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

“The ability to identify people who are not showing memory problems and other symptoms but may be at a higher risk for cognitive decline is a very important step toward developing new ways for doctors to detect Alzheimer’s disease,” said Susan Resnick, Ph.D.

For the study, researchers used brain scans to measure the thickness of regions of the brain’s cortex in 159 people free of dementia with an average age of 76.

The brain regions were chosen based on prior studies showing that they shrink in patients with Alzheimer’s dementia.

Of the 159 people, 19 were classified as at high risk for having early Alzheimer’s disease due to smaller size of particular regions known to be vulnerable to Alzheimer’s in the brain’s cortex, 116 were classified as average risk and 24 as low risk.

Investigators tested subjects at the beginning of the study and over the next three years. Researchers administered tests that measured memory, problem solving and ability to plan and pay attention.

The study found that 21 percent of those at high risk experienced cognitive decline during three years of follow-up after the MRI scan, compared to seven percent of those at average risk and none of those at low risk.

“Further research is needed on how using MRI scans to measure the size of different brain regions in combination with other tests may help identify people at the greatest risk of developing early Alzheimer’s as early as possible,” said study author Bradford Dickerson, MD.

Researchers also discovered that 60 percent of the group considered most at risk for early Alzheimer’s disease had abnormal levels of proteins associated with the disease in cerebrospinal fluid — which is another marker for the disease — compared to 36 percent of those at average risk and 19 percent of those at low risk.

Source: American Academy of Neurology

A New Way to Detect Alzheimer's Years Before Symptoms Appear

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

You will love the Amazon Kindle Fire

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two

Follow Alzheimers1 on twitter

The Atlantic

Afflicting millions of patients, Alzheimer's disease is becoming a growing burden to healthcare systems around the world. The condition is typically diagnosed after symptoms of mild cognitive impairment arise. Not all patients with mild cognitive impairment, however, develop Alzheimer's. To understand what sets Alzheimer's patients apart, scientists at the VTT Technical Research Centre (Espoo, Finland) set out to use biomarkers to look at the molecular changes behind the disease.

The new research indicates that a biochemical assay from a serum sample could be used to predict Alzheimer's disease months or years before symptoms begin to take a toll on a patient. Professor Matej Orešič from the VTT Technical Research Centre believes that the disease is preceded by a molecular signature indicating potential involvement of hypoxia and an up-regulated pentose phosphate pathway.

The research could lead to the development of a clinical test that could complement the neurocognitive assessment now used by physicians to help diagnose Alzheimer's.

As the announcement explains:

The team used metabolomics, a high-throughput method for detecting small metabolites, to produce profiles of the serum metabolites associated with progression to AD. Serum samples were collected at baseline when the patients were diagnosed with AD, MCI, or identified as healthy controls. 52 out of 143 MCI patients progressed to AD during the follow-up period of 27 months on average. A molecular signature comprising three metabolites measured at baseline was derived which was predictive of progression to AD. Furthermore, analysis of data in the context of metabolic pathways revealed that pentose phosphate pathway was associated with progression to AD, also implicating the role of hypoxia and oxidative stress as early disease processes.

The unique study setting allowed the researchers to identify the patients diagnosed with MCI at baseline who later progressed to AD and to derive the molecular signature which can identify such patients at baseline.

Though there is no current therapy to prevent AD, early disease detection is vital both for delaying the onset of the disease through pharmacological treatment and/or lifestyle changes and for assessing the efficacy of potential AD therapeutic agents. The elucidation of early metabolic pathways associated with progression to Alzheimer's disease may also help in identifying new therapeutic avenues

Dementia linked to body's clock in elderly women

(Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

You will love the Amazon Kindle Fire

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two

Follow Alzheimers1 on twitter

dailyRx)Dementia more often occurs in elderly women who are physically inactive, are active later in the day, or have abnormal sleep-wake schedules.

The group has an 80 percent higher chance of developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia, says Greg Tranah, Ph.D., a scientist at the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute in San Francisco. His team studied almost 1,300 women for five years.

Worried about memory loss? See a physician.
Most people's body clock, the circadian rhythm, helps wake them up between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. They go to bed between 10 p.m. and 12 a.m. Normal rhythms vary for Individuals, but they are fairly regular.

In Dr. Tranah's study, women were less likely to develop dementia or MCI if they had strong circadian rhythm activity or were most physically active between 1:34 p.m. - 3:51 p.m..

The researchers collected data on activity and circadian rhythm from healthy women, all older than 75 (mean age 83). None lived in a nursing home or other group facility. No one had cognitive impairment or dementia when the study started.

After five years,15 percent of the women had developed dementia. MCI occurred in 24 percent. At highest risk were women with weaker circadian rhythm activity, lower levels of activity, or whose peak activity occurred after 3:50 p.m.

“We’ve known for some time that circadian rhythms can have an impact on the brain and the ability to function normally,” Dr. Tranah says. "This is the first study to show such a strong connection between circadian rhythm and the subsequent development of dementia or MCI."

No one knows why circadian rhythm and mental status are linked. A decrease in one might cause the other, says Dr. Tranah.

He says new research should study whether dementia and MCI rates improve after elderly women increase physical activity or use light to influence circadian rhythms.

Dr. Tranah and his team published their observational study in the Annals of Neurology.

Can you deduct the cost of a caregiver?

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

You will love the Amazon Kindle Fire

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two

Follow Alzheimers1 on twitter
Michael Gilfix

Yes, assuming that they are "qualified long term care services." To satisfy the IRS, you have to verify, primarily by a carefully written letter from her personal physician, that states that a) she is chronically ill b) the services are provided in accordance with the physician's plan of care, and c) she required care and supervision to protect her from threats to her health and safety due, for example, to her diminished capacity. Her CPA will rely on Section 213 of the Internal Revenue Code in determining whether or not your mother's care qualifies.

Note: Physicians don't think about tax deductions when they care for their patients. Its OK to tell them about this opportunity and about the need for an appropriate letter or written plan.

Also, these expenses can only be itemized deductions if they exceed 7.5% of her adjusted gross income.

Remember to issue 1099s for each of the caregivers and submit to the IRS at year end.

Volunteers key to curing Alzheimer's disease

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two

Follow Alzheimers1 on twitter

NAPSI)—Although more than 5 million people age 65 and older in the U.S. are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and while that number is expected to jump to 13.5 million by 2050, there is reason to hope. That’s good news for the almost 15 million more Americans—family members, friends, neighbors and volunteers—currently caring for their loved ones with AD without any real options to help them get better.

Alzheimer’s is the only disease in the top 10 causes of death without a way to prevent, cure or even slow the progression of the disease. In fact, between 2000 and 2008, deaths from AD increased by 66 percent, while deaths from HIV, stroke, heart disease and prostate cancer all declined significantly.

Scientists have learned a great deal about potential underlying causes of AD, and advancements in treatments have been accomplished in recent years. To spur more breakthroughs and speed discoveries, scientists are focusing on early detection through neuroimaging of the brain.

“We have to understand Alzheimer’s from its earliest signs in order to treat it effectively,” said Michael Weiner, M.D., principal investigator of the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). “If we can get a fuller picture of the brain and identify signs of the disease before someone gets ill, we can develop better treatment options, which could slow the progression and one day even prevent or cure Alzheimer’s.”

ADNI, the largest Alzheimer’s study of its kind, is now in its second phase (ADNI 2). Scientists are looking for volunteers ages 55−90 to participate in the study to allow them to continue their research at the pace needed to be successful against the disease. They are seeking healthy individuals, those with some memory concerns and people with diagnosed AD.

Participants will not only be contributing to the search for treatments and a cure for AD, they will also have the benefit of access to leading medical experts in the field. In many communities, it is difficult to find someone who knows specifically about Alzheimer’s disease, so clinical trials can be a great way to work with specialists.

“We cannot cure what we do not understand,” said Dr. Weiner. “But with the help of volunteers across the nation, we’re on the right path and making great strides to end the Alzheimer’s epidemic.”

To volunteer or learn more about the study, contact the National Institute on Aging’s Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral (ADEAR) Center at (800) 438-4380 or visit www.adni-info.org.

IV treatment for dementia

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

You will love the Amazon Kindle Fire

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two

Follow Alzheimers1 on twitter

Globe

In this year’s blockbuster Rise of the Planet of the Apes, a scientist reverses his father’s Alzheimer’s disease with a simple shot in the arm. The cure was temporary. But not entirely far-fetched.

Canadian scientists are working on an intravenous treatment for Alzheimer’s that could halt the progression of the disease and improve cognitive functions – without the risk of a mass ape revolt.

Vancouver researcher Neil Cashman and colleagues have discovered a biomarker on toxic molecules called amyloid-beta (a-beta) oligomers, which are catalysts in the brain degeneration of Alzheimer’s.

Their industry partner, Cangene Corp., a Winnipeg-based biopharmaceutical company, is developing antibodies designed to attack the toxic molecules without harming healthy ones.

If their work is successful, the antibodies could be used as an immune therapy for Alzheimer’s, or as a preventive vaccine, says Dr. Cashman, scientific director of PrioNet Canada, a network of centres conducting research into neurodegenerative disorders.

“We believe that we’ve found a target – perhaps the target – for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease,” he says.

Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disorder, not an immune disease. Nevertheless, the immune system can be harnessed to defend against the harmful molecules involved in Alzheimer’s, says Dr. Cashman, a specialist in neurological diseases at the University of British Columbia.

He and other researchers at UBC and the University of Sherbrooke have found that selected antibodies will attack a-beta oligomers in cultured nerve cells. “It renders them non-toxic,” he says.

The next step is to test the treatment on mice engineered to develop Alzheimer’s. Mice studies will be completed at UBC and a lab in Milan, Italy, likely within three months, Dr. Cashman says.

If the work goes as planned, Cangene will begin developing an experimental treatment for clinical trials in humans, he says. “Cangene thinks it’s four years away.”

Immunotherapy for Alzheimer’s is a “very promising approach,” says Paul Aisen, a professor of neurosciences at the University of California, San Diego. But because various types of molecules may be involved in causing the disease, he says, “it’s not clear which precise targets are going to prove most useful.”

Alzheimer’s researchers have been testing different forms of immune therapy for some time. About a decade ago, Elan, a biotechnology company headquartered in Dublin, conducted human trials in the San Francisco Bay area using a vaccine against a-beta molecules. The trials were cut short in 2002 because 6 per cent of the patients developed meningoencephalitis, an inflammation of the brain that resulted in several deaths.

At the time, researchers concluded that the vaccine activated the immune system’s T cells, which attacked a-beta molecules in healthy nerve tissue.

But Dr. Cashman and his colleagues are developing a treatment that will target only a-beta oligomers, using the marker he has found. A-beta oligomers are widely accepted as a main source of neuron-harming toxicity in Alzheimer’s disease, he says.

Recent findings by other researchers suggest that immunotherapy may be a viable treatment, Dr. Cashman says. He points to human trials funded by Baxter International at institutions including the New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. In the multiphase trials, researchers are testing antibodies prepared from the blood of healthy plasma donors, known as intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), on patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s. “They’re getting remarkable results,” Dr. Cashman says.

In April, 2010, Baxter released unpublished findings of a phase II study showing that patients with Alzheimer’s who received IVIG had less brain atrophy and better cognitive functioning after 18 months compared with patients in a control group.

The Baxter trials are taking what some researchers call a “kitchen sink” approach to immunotherapy, giving patients a blood product containing all available human antibodies in hopes that some will be of benefit.

Instead, Cangene will select specific antibodies to develop an IVIG product with a “more concentrated effect,” Dr. Cashman says. Given Baxter’s success using unselected IVIG, he adds, “I think it’s actually going to work.”

But others are skeptical, and several Canadian specialists declined to comment on such early research.

Dr. Aisen cautions against jumping to conclusions based on the success of Baxter’s phase II study. Since only 14 patients received the full course of IVIG, the evidence that immunotherapy can halt Alzheimer’s is “too preliminary,” he says.

Dr. Aisen was not involved in the phase II trial, but he and colleagues at Alzheimer’s Disease Co-operative Study are conducting Baxter’s phase III trials using IVIG. The team has recruited 380 patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s for the third study, which is set for completion in about a year. Although the phase II results are encouraging, he says, “we really want to see the results of the larger study.”

In the meantime, Dr. Aisen suggests that lab experiments on cultured nerve cells and mice provide little evidence that a cure for Alzheimer’s is on the horizon.

“It’s a long way from a cell culture study to a human treatment,” he says

Transcending Dementia through the TTAP Method

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

You will love the Amazon Kindle Fire

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two

Follow Alzheimers1 on twitter

The brain-stimulating approach known as Therapeutic Thematic Arts Programming (TTAP) has a proven record of improving the lives of people with dementia by increasing their engagement and functioning. In Transcending Dementia through the TTAP Method: A New Psychology of Art, the Brain, and Cognition you now have all the tools and instructions for putting this innovative and life-affirming approach to work in your own care setting. You too can successfully invigorate the minds and hearts of people living with this challenging cognitive disease.

Participation in the creative arts has been shown to promote cell growth that enhances the brain’s ability to learn and recall new information, create new ideas, and make new connections. Using 12 separate forms of creative expression — ranging from sculpture and painting to physical movement and mental imagery — TTAP builds on themes in an integrative way that helps each individual with dementia draw upon memories, feelings, and intellectual reserves that promote positive self-regard and active social participation. Sample activity protocols guide you through the process of engagement to help you quickly master the steps.

Activities using the TTAP method can provide

significant stimulation and integration of multiple brain regions
enjoyment, engagement, creativity, relaxation, and a sense of purpose for people with even advanced dementia
an easy-to-follow framework that allows infinite variations on themes and personal interests
complete documentation for tracking and evaluation
opportunities for one-on-one or group programming
By blending the principles of art and therapeutic recreation with the latest findings in brain research, Transforming Dementia through Therapeutic Thematic Arts Programming presents an exciting new psychological taxonomy that captures the dynamic interplay between brain functioning and expressive and emotional stimulation.

Simple way to fight Alzheimer's disease

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

You will love the Amazon Kindle Fire

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two

Follow Alzheimers1 on twitter

ANI

Washington, (ANI): Scientists have developed a surprisingly simple method to design antibodies aimed at combating disease.

Antibodies are large proteins produced by the immune system to combat infection and disease. They are comprised of a large Y-shaped protein topped with small peptide loops. These loops bind to harmful invaders in the body, such as a viruses or bacteria

Once an antibody is bound to its target, the immune system sends cells to destroy the invader. Finding the right antibody can determine the difference between death and recovery.

When trying to design an antibody, the arrangement and sequence of the antibody loops is of utmost importance. Only a very specific combination of antibody loops will bind to and neutralize each target.

With billions of different possible loop arrangements and sequences, it is seemingly impossible to predict which antibody loops will bind to a specific target molecule.

The new antibody design process was used to create antibodies that target a devastating molecule in the body - the Alzheimer's protein.

The research, led by Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering Peter Tessier, uses the same molecular interactions that cause the Alzheimer's proteins to stick together and form the toxic particles that are a hallmark of the disease.

"We are actually exploiting the same protein interactions that cause the disease in the brain to mediate binding of antibodies to toxic Alzheimer's protein particles," Tessier said.

Alzheimer's disease is due to a specific protein, the Alzheimer's protein, sticking together to form protein particles. These particles then damage the normal, healthy functions of the brain. The formation of similar toxic protein particles is central to diseases such as Parkinson's and mad cow disease.

Importantly, the new Alzheimer's antibodies developed by Tessier and his colleagues only latched on to the harmful clumped proteins and not the harmless monomers or single peptides that are not associated with disease.

The study has been published in the Early Edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). (ANI)

New Vaccine for Alzheimer's Disease

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

You will love the Amazon Kindle Fire

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two

Follow Alzheimers1 on twitter

CANBERRA, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- Australian scientists from University of Sydney on Saturday announced they have developed a vaccine to help halt the progression of Alzheimer's disease of humans in a joint race.

The vaccine, which targets a damaged protein inside brain's nerve cell known as tau, prevents the ongoing neurofibrillary tangles in the brain of a mouse with Alzheimer's disease. The progress of neurodegenerative condition affects more than 35 million people worldwide.

The research team at the University of Sydney's Brain and Mind Research Institute (BMRI) was led by Associate Professor Lars Ittner, from the Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease Laboratory.

Professor Ittner said so far the vaccine was only tested in mice with Alzheimer's and results have shown it can stop the disease progressing.

"Our study is the first to show that a vaccine targeting the tau protein can be effective once the disease has already set in," he said in a statement.

"Most of the other vaccines targeting tau were tested only before or around the onset of the disease in animal models, but the vast majority of people with Alzheimer's disease are only diagnosed after the symptoms have appeared."

According to Ittner, his team are working with a major pharmaceutical company on developing the vaccine for human trials within five years.

While none of the vaccines is considered a cure, the team was collaborating with the U.S. pharmaceutical industry to develop this new vaccine and about 269,000 Australians suffering from dementia will therefore be benefited.

Currently, there are some existing drugs can help stop Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia from getting worse. However, they do not tackle the underlying causes and become less effective over time.

The scientists published details of study on the vaccine in scientific journal PLoS ONE this week.

Dementia risk is higher if you have.....

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two

Follow Alzheimers1 on twitter

HealthDay News -- Patients with diabetes who have comorbid depression are at increased risk for developing dementia compared with those with diabetes alone, study results indicate.

"Given that depression is potentially modifiable, future studies are needed to further evaluate whether effective depression interventions reduce the risk of dementia and identify the mechanisms that may explain our observation," Wayne Katon, MD, from the University of Washington in Seattle, and colleagues wrote in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

They surveyed a random sample of 19,239 patients with type 2 diabetes, aged 30 to 75 years, from the Diabetes and Aging Study to identify prevalent cases of depression. Dementia diagnoses were identified based on International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision-clinical modification [ICD-9-CM] criteria three to five years post-baseline to ensure that depression was not a prodrome of dementia. The researchers then estimated dementia risk for patients with depression and diabetes relative to patients with diabetes alone using Cox proportional hazard regression models adjusted for sociodemographic, clinical, risk factors and healthcare use.

One or more dementia diagnosis occurred in 2.1% of 3,766 patients with diabetes and comorbid depression, and in 1% of the 15,473 patients with diabetes alone (incidence rate=5.5 and 2.6 per 1,000 person-years, respectively), the researchers found. A 100% increased risk of dementia was observed in patients with comorbid depression (adjusted HR=2.02).

Previous studies have associated depression with poorer adherence to diet and exercise regimens, increased rates of cigarette smoking and higher HbA1c levels, according to the researchers, which could "worsen the course of diabetes and increase the risk of dementia associated with depression."

However, controlling for these potential confounding factors did not significantly change the risk for dementia among these patients. "These data suggest that biologic factors associated with depression may be important risk factors for dementia in patients with type 2 diabetes," the researchers wrote. They called for more studies to further examine potential mechanisms of action.

One of the study researchers disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

Katon W et al. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2011; doi:10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.154.

An apple a day should keep dementia at bay

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

You will love the Amazon Kindle Fire

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two

Follow Alzheimers1 on twitter

Eoxnews

Anew study finds that white fruit reduces your risk of having a stroke or getting vascular dementia

The old adage that "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" is a good one to follow, according to a new Dutch study. The researchers found that eating plenty of fruits and vegetables with white flesh, such as apples and pears, may protect you against stroke and vascular dementia.
"To prevent stroke and vascular dementia, it may be useful to consume considerable amounts of white fruits and vegetables," Linda M. Oude Griep, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral fellow in human nutrition at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, said in a statement. "For example, eating one apple a day is an easy way to increase white fruits and vegetable intake."

Although previous research has shown the positive health benefits of daily fruit intake, the new study suggests a link between stroke risk and fruits and vegetables of certain colors.
Orange, green and red

Researchers looked at the answers 20,000 adults gave to questions about what they ate over the previous year. The average age of the participants was 41, and all were free of cardiovascular diseases at the study's start.
Over the next 10 years, 233 suffered strokes. The researchers found that the risk of stroke was 52 percent lower for people with a high intake of white fruits and vegetables, compared with people who ate few foods in that color group.
The researchers classified fruits and vegetables into four color groups: orange/yellow, which contained mostly citrus fruits; green, which had dark leafy vegetables, cabbages and lettuce; red/purple, for mostly red vegetables; and white, of which 55 percent of the foods eaten were apples and pears.
The fruits were grouped based on the color of their flesh, not their skin. For example, a red apple belongs to the white group because although its skin is red, its flesh is white.
The color of the edible portion of fruits and vegetables reflects the presence of plant compounds such as carotenoids, which are organic pigments, and flavonoids.

Food color and stroke and vascular dementia risk
Apples and pears may lower stroke risk because they are high in dietary fiber and an antioxidant flavonoid called quercetin, the researchers said. Other foods classified in the white category were bananas, cauliflower and cucumbers. (Potatoes were classified as a starch.)
Green, orange/yellow and red/purple fruits and vegetables didn’t affect participants' stroke risk, according to the study, but the study authors said that people shouldn't dismiss them as less beneficial overall.

:Other fruits and vegetable color groups may protect against other chronic diseases," Oude Griep said.

The researchers also warned that the study findings should be interpreted with caution because food frequency questionnaires are subject to errors.
"The observed reduction in stroke risk might further be due to a generally healthier lifestyle of individuals consuming a diet rich in fruits and vegetables," according to Dr. Heike Wersching, of the Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine at the University of Münster in Germany, who was not involved in the study but wrote an editorial accompanying it in publication.

The study was recently published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Pass it on: Increasing your daily intake of "white fruits," such as apples, pears and bananas, may lower your risk of stroke, a new study shows.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/09/16/try-upping-white-fruits-to-avoid-stroke/#ixzz1eODJF3tX

Top ten traveling tips when traveling with elderly family (part 4)

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

You will love the Amazon Kindle Fire

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two

Follow Alzheimers1 on twitter

AgingCare

By Leonard J. Hansen

8. Consider Destination and Travel Options
The world of travel is open to just about everyone, even those elderly parents receiving care. Start a discussion with Mom or Dad to learn her or his travel wishes. Determine if your parent can travel solo, or if you want or need to share in the adventure. Start with the mission of fulfilling a parent's dream; don't just go online to find cheap air tickets.

9. Consider Tours and Cruises
There are thousands of tour and cruise possibilities. Tours and cruises offer a unique service, in that they are totally planned, operated and staffed to deliver the promised program and destination discovery. Several tours operators, including Accessible Journeys and Flying Wheels, specialize in "accessible lifestyle vacations," which cater to those with special needs and disabilities.
Cruise and tour accommodations are priced on a per-person basis based on double-occupancy. Therefore, if choosing a tour or cruise, travel with your Mom or Dad to provide caregiving assistance while in the room and during non-programmed times. A cruise or tour may be the ultimate escape and very civilized adventure.

10. Ensure Those at The Destination are Prepared
If your parent is flying solo to visit other family, schedule a telephone conference with your relatives to go over the caregiving support your elder needs. Advise of your approach in assisting Mom or Dad, so that they do not assume to take the domineering and dictating role. Advise of your parent's favorite foods and activities so that they can try to be accommodating during the visit, making it all the more "like home" for Mom or Dad. And, importantly, advise of the medical and medication regimen that must be followed. Also make sure that they have all important legal documents with them should an emergency arise (for example, if you are listed as their agent for the Advance Directive, be certain this information is with them should something happen).
On the day of travel, arrive at the airport or other transportation two hours early, to visit with your parent without pressure, share a meal or snack, review the travel plan and itinerary and, importantly, to use the wheelchair-capable restroom shortly before heading to the gate. The latter should reduce the need for your parent to access the small restroom during travel.

In Summary
Travel with Mom or Dad. You may find it to be one of the best experiences of your life. Yes, you continue to be a caregiver, but your travel and destination will probably prove to be an escape, a freedom because of the new setting, environment and opportunity.
Travel safely and well.

Top ten traveling tips when traveling with elderly family (part 3)

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

You will love the Amazon Kindle Fire

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two

Follow Alzheimers1 on twitter

AgingCare

By Leonard J. Hansen


5. Think about Safety, Security and Comfort
There are thieves everywhere and, particularly, in high-traffic travel centers. Don't give the scalawags any opportunity to steal from your parent.
Mom should not carry a purse but, instead a money belt worn under a blouse or a neat Passage Wallet hidden under her coat by a neck cord. Dad should not carry a wallet in his back pocket but, instead, the same Passage Wallet from the neck cord or as a hidden wallet tucked into his pants and secured by a cord to his belt.
Advise Mom or Dad, if traveling alone, always to keep their carry-on between their feet when standing, or with the shoulder strap looped around the leg of a chair when seated.
For comfort, consider the purchase of a travel pillow, a c-shaped balloon that supports the neck and head when resting aboard transportation.
6. Arrange Medication Management
Most mature adults take five or more medications once or even several times a day. The transportation staff has no obligation regarding the medical dosing of your parent. But you can ask in advance that at a specified time (stated in local time), the staff remind Mom or Dad to take the medication. The alternative is to provide your parent with an alarm watch.

7. Plan for Security Checkpoints
If Mom or Dad is in a wheelchair at transportation centers, access to and through TSA (transportation security administration) security may actually be quicker than through the long line of other travelers.
Brief your parent (or state to the TSA, if you are traveling together) about any medical condition that would set off alarms, such as surgical hip and knee implants. To avoid unwanted delays, get a physician's statement about the implanted steel and make sure the senior has that documentation with them. Oftentimes, personnel will ask the elder to step aside and perform a wand screening, rather than passing through the sensors. If your parent is in a wheelchair, security will use a wand while he or she is seated.
Dress your parent in easily-removed (but safe) walking shoes. Security will probably want them removed. Present, if pertinent, any physician statement regarding your Mom or Dad's medical condition or limitation.
Before traveling, explain to Mom or Dad that the security process is vital to her or his safety.

8. Consider

Top ten traveling tips when traveling with elderly family (part 2)

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

You will love the Amazon Kindle Fire

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two

Follow Alzheimers1 on twitter

AgingCare

By Leonard J. Hansen


3. Prepare Documentation
A government passport is accepted as the highest level of identification by federal TSA security officers. If you or your parent do not already have a passport, consider applying for such months prior to your travel. Your local post office will have the application forms; or you can go online to access the information and forms. Official photographs are available at AAA offices and at many large drug and department stores. Personal photos are not acceptable. Two copies of the photograph must be sent with your application.
Request copies of prescriptions and/or statements of medical conditions from each physician and medical treatment center.
Make at least four photocopy sets of the passport, driver's license, Medicare and insurance cards, travel tickets and itinerary, boarding pass (if secured in advance online), plus any physician prescriptions and/or statements. One complete set is placed in your parent's hand-carry bag, another in his or her roll-aboard luggage. One set is forwarded to family at the arrival destination, and one is left at home.
Provide a telephone calling card so that he or she can maintain contact. An alternative is to provide a cell phone, perhaps one with a predetermined number of minutes. Program in your telephone number as the first emergency number.

4. Be Practical When Packing
Pack light. For a person traveling with at least some limitation, aim to pack everything necessary in a roll-aboard suitcase plus a medium-size over-the-shoulder carry-on. Do not check the roll-aboard as luggage, as in-cabin flight staff will gladly stash it in the overhead rack. Such will save a lot of time at the final destination airport.
All prescription and over-the-counter medications should be placed in a one quart zip-lock freezer bag, including also copies of any prescriptions and/or physician statements in the hand-carry bag. Do not place the pill combinations separately into a separate plastic box as "the next combined dosage." Such will never get through security. Enclose also any medical appliances such as extra braces or first-aid needs.
If Mom or Dad is toting gifts to relatives, do not wrap them. Place the items in the roll-aboard luggage.
If your parent is traveling alone, before you close up her or his carry-aboard bag, prepare and slip in at the top a note stating "I love you" and "I delight in your new adventure."

5. Think about