"The first person to one day be cured of Alzheimer's is alive today." After 58 year old Judi Polak was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, this became her mantra. The specialists they consulted were pretty pessimistic about Judi's prognosis. But Judi wanted to fight her disease. Therefore, when she heard of a groundbreaking new clinical trial aimed at treating Alzheimer's, she immediately signed up to participate. While the treatment is still in [...]
Greg O'Brien is 60 years old. And he has been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's. Greg was once an accomplished journalist. He valued his intellect and knowledge more than anything. Therefore, he intends to remain a journalist as long as he can. In pursuit of this goal, he has created a short documentary, called A Place Called Pluto. In sharing his journey, he hopes to leave his family with something. As [...]
Alzheimer's is a global epidemic. Fifty million people are affected worldwide. In addition, Parkinson's disease, another neuro-degenerative disease, affects nearly ten million. The research being done on these two devastating diseases revolves around finding medications. Yet new scientific research suggests that metabolic health in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's could be part of the answer. Specifically, insulin resistance. Fixing these metabolic issues may lead to better treatments and prevention. Psychology Today talks [...]
In the United States alone, 500,000 people will learn they have Alzheimer's disease this year. Not to mention the multitude of other forms of dementia that will be diagnosed. Nobody wants to hear that they or their loved ones have dementia. The continuous and ultimately fatal decline is devastating to go through and to witness. But at the same time, planning for life with dementia can ease the burden. And it [...]
Most people have an idea of what dementia is. Due to the 50 million people in the world affected by it, dementia is a well-known disease. People may know dementia has to do with memory loss. It is a symptom of many diseases, most commonly Alzheimer's disease. Yet despite the massive impact that dementia has on individuals, families and society, there are still many misconceptions about it. The misconceptions and [...]
At the age of 79, Michael Brody was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Many people believe their life is over with this diagnosis. Yet with his life-long love of singing, what could be more appropriate than participating in the Giving Voice Chorus? Along with a total of 170 Alzheimer's patients and their caregivers, Michael and his wife join in singing and performing a variety of uplifting songs. For these patients and their [...]
Alzheimer's disease is more common than you think. This devastating disease impacts many lives. Not only the patients are affected, but their families and friends as well. In Arizona alone, there are an estimated 140,000 people living with Alzheimer's disease. Although many of our clients and their families already deal with the effects of it, it's important to know the facts. Through awareness and knowledge, research and advances in treatment [...]
For more than two years, Nancy Daly helped care for her mother with Alzheimer's. Daly flew regularly from her home in California to her mother in Maryland. Eventually her mother had no recognition of her daughter. A slew of thoughts and emotions ran through her during her time as a caregiver. "It was as if my entire childhood had been erased... but I had to grit my teeth and bare [...]
We have treatments and medications for some of the world's most debilitating diseases. Yet finding Alzheimer's drugs is not easy at all. The problem is not that we aren't trying. The brain is an extremely complex organ and is not easily accessible. Finding Alzheimer's drugs is a challenge for many reasons. It may seem frustrating to those affected by the disease. We are able to come up with drugs for [...]
The aging brain undergoes many changes. A lot of these are completely normal. Increased forgetfulness and impaired thinking can be worrisome. Knowing what's normal and what's not is a challenge for many. Do you sometimes have a harder time learning new things than you used to? You possibly have forgotten where you put your glasses or keys on occasion. Often, these moments of mild forgetfulness are normal for the aging [...]
