In our last post, we discussed some of the myths surrounding Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Now, let’s dispel some other myths. You have to be old to get Alzheimer’s disease. People in their 50s, 40s and even 30s can get Alzheimer’s disease. This is known as younger-onset or early-onset Alzheimer’s. It is estimated that there are currently more than 200,000 people under the age of 65 with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Cooking with aluminum pots and pans or drinking from aluminum cans may lead to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. This myth began in the 1960s and is still widely held. However, studies have failed to show any connection between Alzheimer’s disease and commonly used items containing aluminum, such as cookware, cans, antiperspirants and antacids. The artificial sweetener aspartame causes memory loss. Artificial sweeteners such as NutraSweet and Equal, which contain aspartame, were approved by the Food and Drug
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The number of people living with Alzheimer’s disease in the United States is growing rapidly. So, too, are the number of myths surrounding the disease and other forms of dementia. Let’s begin by looking at what we do know about the prevalence of Alzheimer’s before investigating some of the more common myths. Approximately 5.5 million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease. Of these, some 5.3 million are 65 years of age or older. In addition: One in 10 people 65 and over has Alzheimer’s disease Nearly two out of three Americans with Alzheimer’s disease are women African-Americans are approximately twice as likely as older Caucasians to have Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia Hispanics are about one and one-half times as likely to have Alzheimer’s or other dementias as older Caucasians As the population grows older, the number of new cases of Alzheimer’s disease is expected to soar Today,
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Modern technology has been used for years to address challenges faced by seniors. Nintendo Wii’s motion gaming technology, which allows users to play virtual tennis and engage in other virtual activities, became quite popular in nursing homes as a way to get residents to exercise. Microsoft’s motion gaming sensor, Kinect, has helped patients recover from painful medical procedures. In addition, numerous wearable and smart appliance technologies are being created to allow seniors to live at home rather than moving to a long-term care facility. Now virtual reality is helping seniors who struggle with loneliness, depression and even dementia. An article in the Washington Post explored this development. The article focuses on a physician in the San Francisco Bay area, Sonya Kim, who uses virtual reality headsets to treat lonely and depressed seniors. She has found that the therapy makes a dramatic impact on her patients’ lives. “It lifts the moods
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Guardianship is a process designed to protect seniors who can no longer manage their own affairs. Tragically, predators increasingly exploit the system to take advantage of vulnerable seniors for personal gain. The guardianship process typically begins when a member of the senior’s family or a social worker notifies the court that the individual in question is unable to care for himself or herself. In many situations, the court names a family member as guardian. However, when families cannot agree on who should act as guardian, or no family members are available to assume this responsibility, the court can appoint a public guardian, also known as a professional guardian. In theory, public guardians are neutral parties dedicated solely to the well being of the ward (the ward is the person being looked after by the guardian). The problem is that many states fail to adequately monitor guardians, enabling unscrupulous public guardians
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The Aid and Attendance Pension Benefit provides eligible veterans with tax-free pension income payments. This benefit also extends to surviving spouses of eligible wartime veterans. A married veteran can receive up to $2,903 per month to help with the cost of long-term care while a surviving spouse can receive nearly $1,176 per month. The benefit is paid directly to the veteran by the United States Treasury and does not need to be paid back. It can be used to pay anyone, including the veteran’s child, for home care. It can also be used to pay for professional care in the home, assisted living, nursing home care, insurance premiums, prescription drugs, co-pays, and more. In essence, Aid and Attendance can help an eligible veteran or widowed spouse live at home for as long as possible while still receiving the care he or she needs and protecting hard-earned assets. To be eligible
Continue Reading... →Are You Predisposed to Alzheimer’s Disease? What to Consider Before Taking A Genetic Test, Continued
It is important to note that if you take a genetic test and the results indicate you have APOE4, the genetic variant associated with late-onset Alzheimer’s disease, you are not destined to develop Alzheimer’s. “It’s not a diagnosis,” said Ramos, “And it’s just one factor. Your chance of getting late-onset Alzheimer’s is a mix of your environment, family history and DNA. That can be a complicated message to tease out.” Even if you have one copy of the APOE4 variant, you are still unlikely to develop Alzheimer’s. For example, a woman with a single copy of APOE4 has a five to seven percent chance of getting Alzheimer’s by the age of 75. The rate increases to between 27 and 30 percent by age 85. (However, for women with two copies of the variant the risk increases to 60 percent by age 85.) In addition, there are a number of potential
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It is now easy and relatively inexpensive for consumers to take tests that reveal basic information about their genetic health and ancestry. The market for such tests is booming, a trend that will likely continue following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s recent streamlining of the approval process for bringing tests to market. One of the more popular tests, 23andMe, costs $199 and can reveal a number of genetic predispositions. For example, you can discover if you are predisposed to lactose intolerance or a tendency to drink a lot of coffee. It can also tell you whether or not you have one of the genetic markers that increase your chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease. The popularity of 23andMe and similar tests is understandable. If you know you have a risk for certain medical conditions, you can take steps to try and prevent them. You can avoid specific foods, take the
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In our last post, we looked at the problem of caregiver burnout and how to tell if you may be approaching burnout. Now let’s look at how to care for yourself and your loved one. First, you must understand that what you are feeling is not unusual. Caregiver burnout is much more common than you might think. This should come as no surprise given the number of Americans serving as caregivers and the amount of time and energy required to provide adequate care. Here are some steps you can take if you believe you might be suffering from caregiver burnout. Learn as much as you can about your loved one’s illness and how to care for it. The more you know, the more effective you’ll be and the better you’ll feel about your efforts. Recognize your limits. This involves taking a more realistic approach to how much time and effort
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According to a report issued by the National Alliance for Caregivers and AARP, approximately 40 million Americans provide unpaid care to another adult. What is more, providing adequate care to a spouse or partner requires, on average, over 44 hours per week. Sadly, caregivers often devote so much time and energy to caring for a loved one that they fail to take adequate care of themselves. This has become so common that there is a term for it, “caregiver burnout.” Caregiver burnout has been defined as a state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion that may be accompanied by a change in attitude-from positive and caring to negative and unconcerned. Many caregivers even feel guilty if they spend time on themselves rather than on caring for their elderly or ill loved one. If you are serving as the caregiver in your family, you need to understand the difficulty of what
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Last time we looked at the difference between Medicare and Medicaid. Now let’s look at how they differ with respect to long-term care planning. Medicare, by and large, does not cover long-term nursing home care. For example, Medicare Part A will only cover up to 100 days in a skilled nursing facility for a particular illness, and only after the patient has spent at least three days in a hospital. Worse, from day 21 to day 100, the individual in the skilled nursing facility must make a copayment of $167.50 per day. Few people actually receive Medicare coverage for the full 100 days, in part because of the copay, and in part because restrictions and conditions for coverage are quite stringent. Medicaid, on the other, does cover long-term nursing home care for people who meet its income and asset limits. 100 days, one year, five years-Medicaid will pay for the
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