Art projects may create a sense of accomplishment and purpose
Life can sometimes be confusing and difficult for people with Alzheimer’s. They may be able to find laughter, joy and long-lost memories by participating in art therapy programs, which provide the person with dementia — as well as caregivers — an opportunity for self-expression.
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Caregivers can choose to accept the changes dementia brings
As a caregiver to a person with Alzheimer’s, the absence of choice may be difficult to grasp if you’re accustomed to maintaining control in your life. For one caregiver, when it was time to place her mother with dementia in a care facility, her choice was to agonize over it or to focus on the positives.
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http://blog.alz.org/choosing-to-accept-the-changes-dementia-brings/
Benefits of taking aspirin may extend to brain function
Aspirin may help older women maintain brain function, a new study shows. Of 700 women studied, 600 were considered to have a high risk of heart disease and stroke; about 20 percent took aspirin. Results showed the women taking aspirin had better brain function and that the benefits were more pronounced in those who did so for five years or longer. While these preliminary results are encouraging, the exact relationship between brain function and aspirin is not known. The study needs to be replicated, and researchers also cautioned against people taking aspirin solely to protect brain function. Aspirin can cause stomach ulcers or internal bleeding, especially among people who take it regularly.
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http://www.hivehealthmedia.com/study-aspirin-preserve-brain-function-women/
ALZConnected™, powered by the Alzheimer’s Association, is a new online social networking community designed specifically for people with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers. Members can connect and communicate with people who understand their unique challenges. They can pose questions and offer solutions to dementia related issues, create public and private groups organized around a dedicated topic and contribute to message boards.
We asked three current members to share with us how ALZConnected has made a difference in their lives. Two are caring for a family member or friend living with Alzheimer’s disease, and one has been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s. Here are some highlights from our conversations. These touching stories are an example of how programs like ALZConnected can help those who need it most.
We hope these stories will inspire you to join the community, forward this email to a loved one, or to make a donation that will help the Alzheimer’s Association continue to offer these kinds of services that provide help and hope to all affected by Alzheimer’s disease.
Loretta Ford, 91, Started Nurse Practitioner Movement
http://www.csa.us/email/spirit/ssarticles/1012SeniorSpotlight.html
Loretta Ford didn’t mean to start a movement. As a nurse in rural Colorado, where doctors were few and far between, she saw a need for nurses with more medical knowledge and later was able to put that need into practice. Today, there are more than 140,000 nurse practitioners. Read her story. http://www.csa.us/email/spirit/ssarticles/1012SeniorSpotlight.html