Reason to Hope – Alzheimer’s Association

There has never been a more critical time to support the Alzheimer’s Association. Today, 5.3 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, including an estimated 200,000 under the age of 65. This number is projected to jump to 16 million by 2050 unless we can find a cure or effective way to slow down the progression. You are invited to help alter the trajectory of this disease by attending an upcoming Reason to Hope event.

There has never been a more critical time to support the Alzheimer’s Association. Today, 5.3 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, including an estimated 200,000 under the age of 65. This number is projected to jump to 16 million by 2050 unless we can find a cure or effective way to slow down the progression. You are invited to help alter the trajectory of this disease by attending an upcoming Reason to Hope event.
Reason to Hope is a powerful one-hour fundraising luncheon and program on Alzheimer’s disease. Guests will learn more about our efforts to provide care and support to the many families in need in Illinois, as well as help advance the important field of Alzheimer’s research. You will hear an impactful first-hand account from someone living with the disease or caregiver that will reflect the positive impact our programs have on families and the Illinois healthcare community.
While the event is free, at the program’s conclusion, guests are given the opportunity to reinforce their commitment to the Alzheimer’s Association by making a contribution. The funds raised from Reason to Hope help us provide care and support to more than 210,000 people living with Alzheimer’s in Illinois and the estimated 589,000 caregivers.

2016 Reason to Hope Events

Chicago Luncheon
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
Noon – 1:00 p.m.
Mid-America Club – Aon Center
200 East Randolph Drive, 80th Floor
Chicago, IL 60601
North Shore Luncheon
Thursday, April 14, 2016
Noon – 1:00 p.m.
Highland Park Country Club
1201 Park Ave West,
Highland Park, IL 60035
Oak Brook Luncheon
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Noon – 1:00 p.m.
Hyatt Lodge at McDonald’s Campus
2815 Jorie Boulevard
Oak Brook, IL 60523

Sponsorship Opportunities

We are pleased to announce that sponsorship opportunities are now available. Your company can join in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease while elevating brand awareness among an affluent audience. For more information, please contact Katie Lane, Manager of Relationship Events and Intermediate Giving at kmlane@alz.org or call 847.324.0359.

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Early detection of Alzheimer’s disease is important in many ways

Are you or someone you know experiencing any of the 10 signs of Alzheimer’s disease? If so, make an appointment to see your doctor as soon as possible. Early detection of Alzheimer’s will help you learn about available treatments, plan for your future and aid you and the person with Alzheimer’s in finding the best care and support.

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A New Year, A New Commitment – Alzheimer’s

Last month, Advocates just like you helped push Congress to pass an historic increase in federal funding for Alzheimer’s disease research. Let’s carry that momentum into the New Year and make history right here in Illinois by being the first state to have Alzheimer’s awareness license plates issued!

Background

Alzheimer’s Association license plates are coming to Illinois. This is a incredible opportunity to raise funds as well as the profile of this critical cause and, in turn, mobilize our leaders in government and citizens to prioritize Alzheimer’s.

Funds generated by orders of the license plates aid the Alzheimer’s Association Illinois Chapter Network in its mission to provide care, support, education and awarness programs throughout the state. After the initial year, $23 of the annual $25 renewal fee goes directly to the Alzheimer’s Association.

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Lack of deep sleep may play a part in Alzheimer’s disease

Evidence is growing that a lack of sleep may leave the brain vulnerable to Alzheimer’s. Sleep disorders are common among people with the disease, but it was thought this was due to Alzheimer’s affecting areas of the brain responsible for regulating sleep. Researchers are now suggesting the relationship may be more complicated.

There’s growing evidence that a lack of sleep can leave the brain vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease.

“Changes in sleep habits may actually be setting the stage” for dementia, says Jeffrey Iliff, a brain scientist at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland.

The brain appears to clear out toxins linked to Alzheimer’s during sleep, Iliff explains. And, at least among research animals that don’t get enough solid shut-eye, those toxins can build up and damage the brain.

Iliff and other scientists at OHSU are about to launch a study of people that should clarify the link between sleep problems and Alzheimer’s disease in humans.

It has been clear for decades that there is some sort of link. Sleep disorders are very common among people with Alzheimer’s disease.

For a long time, researchers thought this was simply because the disease was “taking out the centers of the brain that are responsible for regulating sleep,” Iliff says. But two recent discoveries have suggested the relationship may be more complicated.

The first finding emerged in 2009, when researchers at Washington University in St. Louis showed that the sticky amyloid plaques associated with Alzheimer’s develop more quickly in the brains of sleep-deprived mice.

Then, in 2013, Iliff was a member of a team that discovered how a lack of sleep could be speeding the development of those Alzheimer’s plaques: A remarkable cleansing process takes place in the brain during deep sleep, at least in animals.

What happens, Iliff says, is “the fluid that’s normally on the outside of the brain, cerebrospinal fluid — it’s a clean, clear fluid — it actually begins to recirculate back into and through the brain along the outsides of blood vessels.”

This process, via what’s known as the glymphatic system, allows the brain to clear out toxins, including the toxins that form Alzheimer’s plaques, Iliff says.

“That suggests at least one possible way that disruption in sleep may predispose toward Alzheimer’s disease,” he says.

Jeffrey Iliff (left), a brain scientist at Oregon Health & Science University, has been studying toxin removal in the brains of mice. He’ll work with Bill Rooney, director of the university’s Advanced Imaging Research Center, to enroll people in a similar study in 2016.

Courtesy of Oregon Health & Science University

To know for sure, though, researchers will have to study this cleansing process in people, which won’t be easy.

Iliff studied the glymphatic system in living mice by looking through a window created in the skull. The system also involved a powerful laser and state-of-the-art microscope.

With people, “we have to find a way to see the same sort of function, but in a way that is going to be reasonably noninvasive and safe,” he says.

The solution may involve one of the world’s most powerful magnetic resonance imaging machines, which sits in a basement at OHSU. The MRI unit is so sensitive, it should be able to detect changes that indicate precisely when the glymphatic system gets switched on in a person’s brain, says Bill Rooney, who directs the university’s Advanced Imaging Research Center.

When humans enter deep sleep, and toxin removal begins, there should be a particular change in the signal coming from certain salt molecules. That would indicate that fluid has begun moving freely through the brain.

In young, healthy brains, the signal should be “robust,” Rooney says, indicating that the toxin removal system is working well. In the brains of older people, and those who are likely to develop Alzheimer’s, the signal should be weaker.

Rooney and Iliff have received funding from the Paul G. Allen Foundation to test their approach. They hope to begin scanning the brains of participants within a year.

One challenge, though, will be finding people able to fall asleep in the cramped and noisy tunnel of the magnetic resonance machine.

“It’s a tricky thing because it’s a small space,” Rooney says. “But we’ll make people as comfortable as possible, and we’ll just follow them as they go through these natural stages of sleep.”

If Rooney and Iliff are right, the experiment will greatly strengthen the argument that a lack of sleep can lead to Alzheimer’s disease. It might also provide a way to identify people whose health is at risk because they aren’t getting enough deep sleep, and it could pave the way to new treatments.

“It could be anything from having people exercise more regularly, or new drugs,” Rooney says. “A lot of the sleep aids don’t particularly focus on driving people to deep sleep stages.”

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Eating may become a challenge as Alzheimer’s disease progresses – Alzheimer’s disease

Distractions, too many choices and changes in perception, taste and smell can make eating more difficult for a person in the middle and late stages of Alzheimer’s disease. As the person’s cognitive function declines, he or she may become overwhelmed or have difficulty with utensils.

Nutrition tips

From our Blog
Cooking with Alzheimer’s
Award-winning cookbook author Paula Wolfert talks about food, family, and cooking after an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.Read more.

Proper nutrition is important to keep the body strong and healthy. For a person with Alzheimer’s or dementia, poor nutrition may increase behavioral symptoms and cause weight loss.

The basic nutrition tips below can help boost the person with dementia’s health and your health as a caregiver, too.

• Provide a balanced diet with a variety of foods.
  Offer vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy products and lean protein foods.
• Limit foods with high saturated fat and cholesterol.
  Some fat is essential for health — but not all fats are equal. Go light on fats that are bad for heart health, such as butter, solid shortening, lard and fatty cuts of meats.
• Cut down on refined sugars.
  Often found in processed foods, refined sugars contain calories but lack vitamins, minerals and fiber. You can tame a sweet tooth with healthier options like fruit or juice-sweetened baked goods. But note that in the later-stages of Alzheimer’s, if loss of appetite is a problem, adding sugar to foods may encourage eating.
• Limit foods with high sodium and use less salt.
  Most people in the United States consume too much sodium, which affects blood pressure. Cut down by using spices or herbs to season food as an alternative.

People with Alzheimer’s or dementia do not need a special diet. As with anyone, eating a well-balanced, nutritious diet is important for overall health.

As the disease progresses, loss of appetite and weight loss may become concerns. In such cases, the doctor may suggest supplements between meals to add calories.

Staying hydrated may be a problem as well. Encourage fluids by offering small cups of water or other liquids throughout the day or foods with high water content, such as fruit, soups, milkshakes and smoothies.

Possible Causes of Poor Appetite

• Not recognizing food. The person may no longer recognize the foods you put on his or her plate.
• Poor fitting dentures. Eating may be painful, but the person may not be able to tell you this. Make sure dentures fit and visit the dentist regularly.
• Medications. New medications or a dosage change may affect appetite. If you notice a change, call the doctor.
• Not enough exercise. Lack of physical activity will decrease appetite. Encourage simple exercise, such as going for a walk, gardening or washing dishes.  
• Decreased sense of smell and taste. The person with dementia may not eat because food may not smell or taste as good as it once did.

Make mealtimes easier

Caregiver Stress Check

Alzheimer caregivers frequently report high levels of stress. Take our quiz and get resources to help.

During the middle and late stages of Alzheimer’s, distractions, too many choices, and changes in perception, taste and smell can make eating more difficult. The following tips can help:

• Limit distractions.
  Serve meals in quiet surroundings, away from the television and other distractions.
• Keep the table setting simple.
  Avoid placing items on the table — such as table arrangements or plastic fruit — that might distract or confuse the person. Use only the utensils needed for the meal.
• Distinguish food from the plate.
  Changes in visual and spatial abilities may make it tough for someone with dementia to distinguish food from the plate or the plate from the table. It can help to use white plates or bowls with a contrasting color placemat. Avoid patterned dishes, tablecloths and placemats.
• Check the food temperature.
  A person with dementia might not be able to tell if something is too hot to eat or drink. Always test the temperature of foods and beverages before serving.
• Serve only one or two foods at a time.
  Too many foods at once may be overwhelming. Simplify by serving one dish at a time. For example, mashed potatoes followed by meat.
• Be flexible to food preferences.
  Keep long-standing personal preferences in mind when preparing food, and be aware that a person with dementia may suddenly develop new food preferences or reject foods that were liked in the past.
• Give the person plenty of time to eat.
  Remind him or her to chew and swallow carefully. Keep in mind that it may take an hour or longer to finish eating.
• Eat together.
  Make meals an enjoyable social event so everyone looks forward to the experience. Research suggests that people eat better when they are in the company of others.
• Keep in mind the person may not remember when or if he or she ate.
  If the person continues to ask about eating breakfast, consider serving several breakfasts — juice, followed by toast, followed by cereal.

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Encourage independence

Map out a plan to approach Alzheimer’s

There are many questions you’ll need to answer as you plan for the future. UseAlzheimer’s Navigator – our free online tool – to guide you as you map out your plan.
Learn more:
Alzheimer’s Navigator

During the middle and late stages of Alzheimer’s, allow the person with dementia to be as independent as possible during meals. Be ready to help, when needed.

• Make the most of the person’s abilities.
  Adapt serving dishes and utensils to make eating easier. You might serve food in a bowl instead of a plate, or try using a plate with rims or protective edges. A spoon with a large handle may be less difficult to handle than a fork, or even let the person use his or her hands if it’s easier.
• Serve finger foods.
  Try bite-sized foods that are easy to pick up, such as chicken nuggets, fish sticks, tuna sandwiches, orange segments, steamed broccoli or cauliflower pieces.
• Use a “watch me” technique.
  For example, hold a spoon and show the person how to eat a bowl of cereal.
• Don’t worry about neatness.
  Let the person feed himself of herself as much as possible. Consider getting plates with suction cups and no-spill glasses.

Minimize eating and nutrition problems

In the middle and late stages of Alzheimer’s, swallowing problems can lead to choking and weight loss. Be aware of safety concerns and try these tips:

• Prepare foods so they aren’t hard to chew or swallow.
  Grind foods, cut them into bite-size pieces or serve soft foods (applesauce, cottage cheese scrambled eggs).
• Be alert for signs of choking.
  Avoid foods that are difficult to chew thoroughly, like raw carrots. Encourage the person to sit up straight with his or her head slightly forward. If the person’s head tilts backward, move it to a forward position. At the end of the meal, check the person’s mouth to make sure food has been swallowed. Learn the Heimlich maneuver in case of an emergency.
• Address a decreased appetite.
  If the person has a decreased appetite, try preparing favorite foods, increase physical activity, or plan for several small meals rather than three large ones. If the person’s appetite does not increase and/or he or she is losing weight, consult with the doctor. Keep in mind, as the person’s activity level decreases, he or she may not need as many calories.
• Only use vitamin supplements on the recommendation of a physician.

Help Is Available

Alzheimer’s Association Message Boards. Exchange tips with other caregivers who are experiencing eating and mealtime challenges with a loved one with dementia.

My Plate for Older Adults. Read information from Tufts University about the unique nutritional and physical activity needs associated with age.

Eating. Get strategies from the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology for meeting the nutritional needs of people with Alzheimer’s.

Swallowing Problems in Adults. Learn about swallowing problems from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Meals on Wheels. Find out about free, home-delivered meal services for seniors.

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