Very Elderly People Could Prevent Dementia By Treating High BloodPressure

Reduction of blood pressure could reduce the risk of dementia for patients aged 80 years or more, according to research released on July 8, 2008 in The Lancet Neurology.

The Hypertension in the Very Elderly Trial (HYVET) was established to observe the benefits and risks of hypertension in the very elderly, and includes several subdivisions in various areas of health and development. The dementia sub-study of HYVET, known as HYVET-COG, examines previous research in terms of cognitive functioning over the course of the study. When combined with the results from other placebo controlled trials, researchers found that a 13% reduction in dementia is associated with antihypertensive treatment. 

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
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New 'Everyday Cognition' Scale Tracks How Older Adults Function In Daily Life

As more adults age into the high-risk period for cognitive impairment, clinicians need simple and reliable methods to identify where they may have problems in everyday life that reveal underlying changes in the brain. A new, carefully validated questionnaire called Everyday Cognition (ECog), when filled out by someone who knows an older adult well, can sensitively evaluate the performance of everyday activities that reflect basic mental functioning, according to a report in the July issue of Neuropsychology, published by the American Psychological Association.

Keeping track of things, sorting the mail, following a conversation, shopping for a few things without a list, finding the car in a parking lot - activities such as these, if compromised, could signal the risk for or presence of disease. The quick and easy identification of mild functional problems in older adults could be extremely useful in primary-care settings, where dementia and its early warning signs are frequently missed.


Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

Study of Elderly Women Shows Health Benefit of Friendship and Family Ties

June 20, 2008 -- Elderly women who maintain close friendships and strong family ties are less likely to develop dementia than women who are less sociable, according to new research funded by the National Institute on Aging.

The latest findings, published in this week's American Journal of Public Health, add to the growing body of evidence suggesting that strong social networks can protect against dementia.

Previous studies have showed that adults who live alone or who have no social ties have a much higher risk for cognitive impairment than those who have more social connections.

Dementia is a decline in cognitive (thinking) function that greatly affects one's day-to-day activities and relationships. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia.

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

Free Dementia Care Guide Now Better than Ever

A dementia care guide that has been helping direct-care workers since 2006 is now better than ever.

Knowledge and Skills Needed for Dementia Care: A Guide for Direct Care Workers in Everyday Language helps direct-care workers determine whether they have the skills they need to deliver person-centered dementia care — and where to go for assistance if they need training. It also helps supervisors, policymakers, and others evaluate dementia care training programs. It was developed by a team of experts and reviewed by many more, including more than 60 home health aides and CNAs.

“Most people who provide hands-on care for individuals with dementia have big, warm, caring hearts,” says Dementia Project Coordinator Micki Horst. ”They want to learn all they can about how best to care for and interact with someone with dementia. We developed this guide to give them a tool for assessing their own competencies.”

The updated version includes useful additions:

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
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Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

End-Stage Dementia Patients Deserve The Same Access To Palliative Care As People With Cancer

There is an urgent need to improve end-of-life care for older people in the final stages of dementia, according to an international review published in the May issue of Journal of Clinical Nursing.

"We must act now to stop people with dementia from suffering from protracted, potentially uncomfortable and undignified deaths" says Jan Draper, Professor of Nursing for The Open University, UK.

"The management of dementia is becoming a major international public health concern because people are living longer which means that more people are likely to develop this disease."

Professor Draper teamed up with Deborah Birch, a Clinical Nurse Specialist working with older people in Lincoln,UK, to review 10 years of published research. They carried out a detailed analysis of 29 studies, from the USA, UK, Canada, Israel, Switzerland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden and Finland.

"Our review has reinforced the importance of providing appropriate palliative care to individuals suffering from end-stage dementia and clearly identified some of the barriers to extending such provision" says Professor Draper.

"These include concerns that such an expansion might lead to skills and funding shortages and, in turn, compromise the ability of existing palliative care teams to provide care to cancer patients, who tend to be the main recipients of this kind of care.

"We believe that clinicians and patient groups caring for patients with advanced dementia need to work together with specialist palliative care providers and health commissioners to develop, fund and evaluate appropriate cost-effective services that meet the needs of both patients and their families.


Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

Silver Alert helps rescue lost seniors

hen 83-year-old Helen Long left her North Carolina home without notice last January, her daughter called state police.

The police alerted the community using automated road signs and radio and television ads that aired descriptions of Long and her truck and explained that she had dementia. Within six hours, a UPS driver spotted her vehicle, called for help, and Long was returned home unharmed.

But not all elders with dementia who go missing are rescued with such efficiency — or at all.

North Carolina is one of only six states with a new type of missing persons program called Silver Alert that experts say is urgently needed to address a growing problem.

How Telecare Helps People with Dementia To Stay Living At Home, UK

Dementia currently affects 700,000 people in the UK - and it is estimated that 150,000 of these live alone. Many people with dementia live in their own home but rely on support from an older carer, who may have their own health concerns. Consequently, as the effects of dementia progress, there has been little alternative to residential care.

However, innovative models of support are being developed which promote independence - allowing people to stay in their homes for as long as possible. Telecare plays a key role in facilitating the shift from traditional models of residential care, to supporting people with dementia at home.

A range of sensors can be installed in the home, to support existing social care services, by managing environmental risks. These sensors include a natural gas detector, carbon monoxide detector, flood detector, temperature extremes sensor, bed occupancy sensor and property exit sensor. Should a sensor be activated, an alert is sent either to a monitoring centre or a nominated carer. Telecare supports both safety in the home and security outside the home - where 60% of people with dementia experience the risk of 'wandering' dangers.

Dementia is often very distressing for carers, as it places them under immense pressure to provide round the clock support. Telecare can help relieve some of this pressure - enabling carers to take a well-earned break, secure in the knowledge that they will be contacted immediately if needed.

Families Need Help Coping With Mild Cognitive Impairment

The age related memory condition known as mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is more disruptive of day-to-day life and relationships than once believed, gerontology researchers at Virginia Tech have discovered.

Funded by the Alzheimer's Association, Karen Roberto, director of the Center for Gerontology at Virginia Tech, and Rosemary Blieszner, associate director, set out to determine the issues and needs of families responding to MCI. After interviews with 99 families, the researchers reported, "Primary family members reported that their relatives were experiencing memory-related changes that interfere with their daily activities and responsibilities, decision-making processes, and relationships."

New Episode Of The Senior Care Podcast By LivHOME Focuses On Caring For Seniors With Dementia

LivHOME, the nation's largest provider of professionally led at-home care for seniors, has released a new episode of The Senior Care Podcast by LivHOME that discusses caring for seniors with dementia.

In Episode 4, LivHOME Chief Professional Officer Steve Barlam describes common caregiving mistakes in working with dementia sufferers, how to identify the causes and precursors to challenging behavior, and explores ways to reduce anxiety among seniors suffering from dementia. Drawing on more than 20 years of geriatric social work experience, Barlam provides advice for caregivers and offers poignant examples based on actual caregiving experience.

The episode is particularly important for caregivers, since about half of Americans age 85 and over suffer from some form of dementia, which includes Alzheimer's disease.

Episode 4 of The Senior Care Podcast by LivHOME can be found at the podcast's homepage (http://www.livhome.com/podcast). Listeners can subscribe to the show via RSS feed, email or through the iTunes store. Episode 4 has a runtime of 14 minutes, 22 seconds.