Medications may help treat some Alzheimer’s disease symptoms

There’s no cure, prevention or treatment to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s, but medications are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat symptoms of the disease. The medications don’t help everyone, but the more you know about Alzheimer’s treatments, the better prepared you will be to discuss them with your physician and make informed choices.

The more you know about Alzheimer’s medications, the better prepared you will be to discuss them with your physician, make informed choices about your treatment plan, and effectively cope with symptoms of the disease.

• Medications
• Treating sleep changes
• Alternative treatments
• Research into tomorrow’s treatments
• Participate in clinical trials

Medications

While there is no cure, prevention or treatment to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, there are five prescription medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat its symptoms.

Alzheimer’s medications do not help everyone. Research shows these medications work in about 50 percent of the people who take them for up to approximately two years.

The first four drugs are called cholinesterase inhibitors. These drugs prevent the breakdown of a chemical messenger in the brain important for learning and memory. These medications treat symptoms related to memory, thinking, language, judgment and other thought processes. Tacrine (the fourth drug listed in the chart) is rarely prescribed today because of its side effects, including possible liver damage.

The fifth drug, memantine, regulates the activity of a different chemical messenger in the brain that is also important for learning and memory. Both types of drugs help manage symptoms, but work in different ways.
> Learn more about these treatments and how they work

Before beginning a new medication, make sure your physician, pharmacist and care team are aware of any over-the-counter and alternative remedies you are taking to prevent drug interactions and unwanted side effects. Be sure to discuss all medications you take with your doctor to understand why they were prescribed and how to take them.
> Questions for your doctor regarding treatments

TIPS FROM PEOPLE WITH ALZHEIMER’S

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Medication Safety Tips From People Living With Alz

It’s easy to forget whether you took your last dose and when. Here are some ideas that have worked for other people living with the dementia:

1. Keep a calendar and check off each dose as it’s taken.
2. Set up a pill box each night for use the next day.
3. Set the alarm on your cell phone or schedule dosing around meal times.

> See more tips for managing daily life

Treating sleep changes

Alzheimer’s or dementia may change your sleep patterns. You may have difficulty sleeping, take daytime naps, and/or experience other shifts in your sleep pattern. Researchers are not sure why these sleep changes occur. There are non-drug treatments and medications that may help improve your sleep.
> Learn more about treatments for sleep changes

Alternative treatments

There are remedies, supplements and “medical foods” that are often referred to as alternative treatments. Alternative treatments are not regulated and do need adhere to the same standards as FDA-approved treatments. Claims about their safety and effectiveness are based largely on testimonials, tradition or a small body of scientific research.

If you are considering taking an alternative treatment, talk openly with your physician. It is important to be aware of any risks so you can make an informed decision. Even if advertised as “natural,” alternative treatments can involve potentially powerful substances that have not met the FDA standards for effectiveness or safety, and some alternative medicines can cause unintended reactions when taken with prescription medications.
> Find out the facts about alternative therapies

Here is a list of questions to ask when considering an alternative treatment or supplement:

1. Did the FDA test the product? If so, what were the results?
   The FDA may have tested a product, but found it to be ineffective for the intended purpose. The company may still release the product as a medical food, either with or without changes.
2. Has any non-FDA testing been done? If so, what were the results?
   Does the testing entity have a vested insterest in the outcomes? For example, was testing done only by the company developing the product? If so, the results may not be entirely reliable.
3. Does the developer of the product or the person recommending it to you have a potential financial gain from the use of the medication?
   If so, use extreme caution. Check with your care team to see if they have any questions or concerns with your plan to use it.
4. Is the product compatible with the other medications you are taking or with your diagnoses?
   Be sure to check with your doctor or pharmacist to find out whether the product could cause negative outcomes given your diagnoses and any medications you are taking.
5. Does use of the product have any known risks?
   Ask your doctor or the pharmacist if the product has any known side effects.

Research into tomorrow’s treatments

Researchers are conducting studies to find new interventions and treatments that can prevent Alzheimer’s, diagnose the disease earlier, slow its progression or stop it in its tracks.

Scientists are investigating future treatments called “disease-modifying drugs.” These drugs aim to modify the disease process itself by having an effect on one or more of the many wide-ranging brain changes that Alzheimer’s causes. These changes offer potential “targets” for new drugs to stop or slow the progress of the disease. These promising targets include beta-amyloid and tau protein (hallmarks of Alzheimer’s brain abnormality); inflammation; and insulin resistance.
> Learn more about future treatments
> Research Center

Participate in clinical trials

Recruiting and retaining trial participants is now the greatest obstacle, other than funding, to developing the next generation of Alzheimer’s treatments. You can help change this by participating in a clinical research study.

To find a clinical trial, use Alzheimer’s Association TrialMatch^® or call 1.800.272.3900 (line open 7 a.m.– 8:30 p.m. CT, Monday through Friday.)

TrialMatch^® is a free, easy-to-use clinical studies matching service that connects individuals with Alzheimer’s or dementia, caregivers, healthy volunteers and physicians with current studies.

Once you qualify for a trial, you will work with the trial research team to understand the benefits and risks of participating before making a final decision and signing an informed consent form. You will be going through this process with the people conducting the study, rather than your doctor. Many studies require that you bring a family member or caregiver with you to the interview, so make sure to ask the research team about this and any additional questions you may have.

The next time you visit your doctor, ask if a clinical trial might be right for you. Your doctor knows you and your health history, and can help you gather the information needed to locate a trial and help you identify what questions might be important to ask before deciding to participate.

Learn more:
> How to use TrialMatch^®
> What are clinical trials
> How trials work
> Benefits of participating in a trial

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Support the Greater Illinois Chapter on Giving Tuesday

The Alzheimer’s Association, Greater Illinois Chapter is excited to announce our involvement in this year’s second annual #GivingTuesday campaign on Tuesday, December 3. Giving Tuesday is a movement to create a national day of giving and is added to the calendar following Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Please follow the Greater Illinois Chapter’s Facebook page, Twitter handle and Instagram feed to learn more.

How they are participating

The Alzheimer’s Association, Greater Illinois Chapter will participate in the second annual Giving Tuesday campaign by supporting the message of philanthropy on our social media accounts, which include Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. We will spread the word of this important opportunity to give back to community organizations, in our case, supporting our mission to find a cure for Alzheimer’s as well as provide support and services to those impacted by the disease.

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Man with early-stage Alzheimer’s pays tribute to his care partner

November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month and National Family Caregivers Month. Ken Lehmann, a member of the Alzheimer’s Association 2013 National Early-Stage Advisory Group, pays tribute to his wife and care partner Mary Margaret on our blog. He wants Mary Margaret and other caregivers to know that he’s grateful.

Next month, Mary Margaret and I will have been together 50 years.

She is a very positive gal, extremely caring and inclusive with her friends. I am not always a social animal. Mary, however, is very outgoing and makes new friends easily. These days, we are attached at the hip… but it wasn’t always this way.

In 2009, I was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

After I received the diagnosis our lives changed. At the time, Mary Margaret and I were living in California, but this news caused a great sense of stress, so we relocated to Minnesota to be closer to family. Moving wasn’t difficult – it actually took a weight off our shoulders. Then one of my wife’s friends said “Why don’t you call the Alzheimer’s Association’s 24-hour helpline?” That really changed our lives. Not only have I become very involved in the Association, but so has Mary. During our career years, we really did very little together – now we do everything together. Our connection to the Alzheimer’s Association and shared commitment to raising awareness of the disease has brought us closer together as a couple.

Before I received the diagnosis, Mary and I were absorbed in our separate professional lives: She had her activities, and I had mine. If we got together on a Sunday, it was a big deal. It’s almost like we are dating all over again. She has turned me on to subjects I wouldn’t normally be interested in, and we have immersed ourselves in an eclectic series of programs. She is an avid reader and I’m not; however, through themed book presentations I have been able to learn something new with Mary, and that was a different experience for me. In turn, I have turned Mary on to the arts and now we are both passionate about visiting museums. There isn’t a local museum we haven’t been to!

We support each other. The experience for caregivers and care partners is unique to the relationship. Mary and I support each other on a daily basis; we have to. She is the social contact, the “hostess with the mostess”, and I am her assistant, you might say, helping in the ways I can. I’m not a terribly patient person, so I am trying to be more patient, which is the least I can do.

The biggest thing that I notice is her relationship with other caregivers. I have a deep respect for the sacrifices that caregivers make every day to support individuals like me who are living with the disease. Today, there are more than 15 million unpaid caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias in the United States. The role is demanding; they are our lifeblood.

Mary Margaret’s compassion extends beyond our relationship. She spends much of her free time talking with other caregivers; learning from others and offering support. She has hundreds of followers from all over the U.S. on Twitter, and she will refer articles to them to get feedback and exchange ideas. Compassion is in her genes! During National Caregiver Month, I want Mary Margaret and other caregivers to know that I am grateful. THANK YOU!

What makes a caregiver in your life special? Leave a comment here on the blog, or leave a tribute for a caregiver or care partner at the Caregiver Center.

About the blog author: Ken Lehmann is a member of the Alzheimer’s Association 2013 National Early-Stage Advisory Group (ESAG), and he pays tribute to his wife and very special care partner Mary Margaret during National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month. As an Advisor, Ken encourages others living with the disease to avoid worrying about the past, but to “live in the moment.”

Learn More

• I Have Alzheimer’s
• Caregiver Center
• First Lady Caregivers

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Thank you to all our volunteers

During this time of year, the Alzheimer’s Association, Greater Illinois Chapter would like to express its heartfelt thanks to all those who devote themselves to this important cause. Our constituents have been enormously generous. Thousands have joined our ranks as advocates, speaking out for those impacted by this devastating disease, and raised funds and participated in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s.

During this time of year, the Alzheimer’s Association, Greater Illinois Chapter would like to express its heartfelt thanks to all those who devote themselves to this important cause. Our constituents have been enormously generous. Thousands have joined our ranks as advocates, speaking out for those impacted by this devastating disease, and raised funds and participated in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s.
But the work that’s needed is not over.
In the spirit of giving, the Greater Illinois Chapter is asking those in the Chicago area to consider taking part in this year’s Union Station’s Annual Charity Drive Wednesday, December 4. Proceeds collected by our volunteers will go toward providing information, support, programming and services for the more than half million Illinois residents affected by Alzheimer’s throughout the 68 counties we serve. The donations will also help provide information on living a brain-healthy lifestyle and research into the cause, treatments, preventions and cure for Alzheimer’s.
Interested in volunteering at Union Station’s Charity Drive on December 4? We have several shifts available.

• 7 to 9 a.m.
• 9 to 11 a.m.
• 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• 1 to 3 p.m.
• 3 to 5 p.m.
• 5 to 7 p.m.

If you would like additional information or if you are interested in volunteering, please contact Bethany Hein, Manager, External Relationships, at bhein@alz.org or 847.779.6952.

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Moore named to Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Research, Care, and Services

The Alzheimer’s Association applauds the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for selecting former Congressman Dennis Moore (D-Kan.) to share his perspective on living with Alzheimer’s as the newest member of the Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Research, Care, and Services. The Association urged the creation of this important role on the council to ensure the voice of this growing population is heard.

FORMER CONGRESSMAN DENNIS MOORE TO SHARE HIS PERSPECTIVE
ON LIVING WITH ALZHEIMER’S AS A MEMBER OF THE ADVISORY
COUNCIL TO THE NATIONAL ALZHEIMER’S PLAN
– Alzheimer’s Association Statement –
 
WASHINGTON, D.C., November 21, 2013 – The Alzheimer’s Association® applauds the Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS) on selecting former Congressman Dennis Moore (D-KS) to share his
perspective on living with Alzheimer’s as the newest member of the Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Research,
Care, and Services to the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease. The Alzheimer’s Association urged the
creation of this important role on the Advisory Council to ensure the voice of this growing population is heard.
 
“I am honored to join a group that is focused on preventing and effectively treating Alzheimer’s disease by 2025,”
said Congressman Moore. “Alzheimer’s is a bipartisan issue, and I urge my former colleagues to unite behind it,
allotting the necessary resources to fight a public health crisis that millions of families just like mine are facing.”
 
Two years ago, Congressman Moore publically announced that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease
after noticing difficulty remembering events and managing personal finances. Since then, Congressman Moore and
his wife, Stephene, have worked diligently to raise the profile of Alzheimer’s disease, by advocating to Congress
and participating in the Alzheimer’s Association Advocacy Forum.
 
“By sharing his experience living with Alzheimer’s, Congressman Moore is helping everyone living with the
disease and focusing even more attention on implementing the strongest possible National Alzheimer’s Plan,” said
Harry Johns, President and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association and member of the Advisory Council. “As a
member of the Advisory Council, his perspective will contribute significantly to the conversations about the
human and economic threats of the Alzheimer’s epidemic.”
 
The Alzheimer’s Association encourages early detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s so that people living with the
disease are able to participate in decision-making and advocate for themselves. In addition to having national board
members living with the diagnosis, in 2006, the Alzheimer’s Association established a National Early-Stage
Advisory Group of people in the early-stages of the disease. The Early-Stage Advisors help the Association provide
the most appropriate services for people living with early-stage Alzheimer’s, raise awareness about early-stage issues
and advocate with legislators to increase funding for research and support programs.
 
There are currently more than 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease and that number is poised to
grow to as many as 16 million by 2050, according the Alzheimer’s Association 2013 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and
Figures report. For more information, visit alz.org.
 
About the Alzheimer’s Association
The Alzheimer’s Association is the world’s leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s care, support and
research. Our mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research; to provide and
enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer’s.

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