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The results of our study indicate that all physical activities including exercise as well as other activities such as cooking, washing the dishes, and cleaning are associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease,” said Dr. Aron S. Buchman, lead author of the study and associate professor of neurological sciences at Rush. “These results provide support for efforts to encourage all types of physical activity even in very old adults who might not be able to participate in formal exercise, but can still benefit from a more active lifestyle.
“Daily Physical Activity May Reduce Alzheimer’s Disease Risk at Any Age” By: Bob DeMarco
Alzheimer’s Reading Room
April 18th, 2012
Paul Raia, vice president for patient care and family support at the Massachusetts and New Hampshire Alzheimer’s Association says the most significant developments in memory care have been on the care side, rather than pharmaceutical approaches. Given the proper tools, it can be managed and the lifespan of a person can increase. “The focus now is teaching techniques and giving support to people, By doing this, we can help avoid problematic symptoms that occur in the later stages of the disease. Looking down the horizon, we want to be able to help people maintain Alzheimer’s in the earlier stages.”
As a way to help patients and caregivers deal with the disease, Raia developed a concept called “Habilitation Therapy.” He says this makes it possible for Alzheimer’s patients to deal with their emotions and maximize whatever mental capabilities they still possess. Not to be confused with the word “re-habilitation,” Raia is aware that this isn’t a therapy that can restore people, but give them an opportunity to lead a longer and more productive life.
“Caring for a Loved One With Alzheimer’s: New Insight on Memory Care” By: Jessica Levco
US News
Thanks to an unusually warm winter, allergy season has come early this year. As pollen fills the air weeks ahead of schedule, people afflicted by seasonal allergies are beginning to groan.
Like many millions of Americans, the elderly are not exempt from the stuffy noses and watery eyes that accompany allergies. But, unlike most of those millions, seniors often have complicating factors such as chronic diseases that can make it difficult to deal with their allergies.
“5 Ways to Safely Survive Allergy Season” By:By Anne-Marie Botek
Agingcare.com
April 10th, 2012
Aging seems to make us more vulnerable to depression, but it’s not a foregone conclusion. “Even though so many things happen as we get older — lots of losses and physical changes — most people weather those by adapting, and adapting without becoming depressed,” says Susan Lehmann, director of the Geriatric Psychiatry Day Hospital at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. There’s a difference, she adds, between feeling profoundly lonely or blue and true clinical depression, which is a mood state involving physical and behavioral manifestations that does not shift easily.
“Aging makes people more vulnerable to depression, but the problem can be treated” By: Carolyn Butler
Washington Post
April 9th, 2012
A gerontologist and professor at Cornell University, Karl Pillemer set out to interview elderly men and women. He had seen studies indicating that many senior citizens were happier than people who were decades younger, despite being plagued with chronic disease, various disabilities and sagging skin. He wanted to know why — or, more to the point, how. Over the past six years, as Pillemer and his research team talked to 1,500 people age 70 and older, they gathered thousands of pages of transcripts filled with practical guides to a happy life.
“Life lessons from the elderly in ‘30 Lessons for Living’” By: Maggie Fazeli Fard
Washington Post
April 9th 2012
About one in six workers has elder care responsibilities of some kind.Given longer life expectancies, that share is likely to grow.Workplaces have spent a lot more effort responding to employees’ child care rather than elder care needs, but demographics are pushing the attention meter toward the other end of the age spectrum. Experts in the elder care field are finding that many workers are quietly stressed by juggling attention to their aging relatives with devotion to their jobs.
“Workers Need Help Caring For Elderly” By: Diane Stafford
Lansing State Journal
April 8th, 2012
The first smart home, “iHome”, has newly opened in Hong Kong revealing the future of home care for the elderly. iHome is a high-tech elderly resources centre featuring smart innovations that support independent living. As age takes its toll, we may experience lose of health, physical ability and independence, that leads to inconvenience and discomfort in our daily lives. Smart healthcare technology allows people to age well by keeping them at home, safe and comfortable, despite mental and physical limitations.
“iHome for Smart Elderly” By: Wilfred Lai
Phys.org
April 4th, 2012
The food you eat may have a lot to do with the health of your brain as you age, according to the latest nutritional research. People in their late 80s with higher blood levels of B, C, D and E vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids (found in good fats) did better on cognitive tests and had less of the brain shrinkage typical of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a recent study led by Gene Bowman, a scientist at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland.
“Foods That May Lower Risk Of Dementia” By: Michael Haederle
AARP
March 23, 2012
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