When we learn first hand what it’s like to experience Alzheimer’s, we caregivers and family members can be more understanding and helpful.  I often tried to realize where Mother and Auntie were coming from, what was motivating their behavior and thought processes.  When I put myself into their world (at least the best I could), I found it easier to cope.  Hopefully this made an increasingly difficult life easier for them.
Richard Taylor, Ph.D., who has been diagnosed with dememtia, probably of the Alzheimer’s type, maintains a web site complete with videos, provides a monthly newsletter, and has written a book,  Alzheimer’s from the …read more

As we try to learn more about Alzheimer’s, especially if we’re caring for a family member or a resident in a nursing home, we’re appreciative of books and online resources that can help us understand this memory (actually lack of) condition better.  When Mother and Auntie became ill with Alzheimer’s, I had mainly books to turn to.  The Internet wasn’t well advanced with information and support groups for us.
So, in order to assist my readers in a better understanding, I try to find resources for them.
Psych Central, which offers information about numerous illnesses, provides many articles about Alzheimer’s for the family …read more

Alzheimer’s Awareness
Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness at EverydayHealth.com offers a great deal of information about this illness.
The Alzheimer’s Association provides a wealth of information. 
The National Institute of Aging (NIA) provides Alzheimer’s information at the Alzheimer’s Disease Education & Referral Center (ADEAR).
Alzheimer’s Australia lets you know about information and resources in that country.
OurAlzheimers.com at Health Central is another good resource.
What has been a good resource for you?

Alzheimer’s Around the World
I mentioned that I was going to give you more information about Alzheimer’s around the world and pick up on this information that Liz Lewis did such a good job reporting.  There also are some blogs or web sites where you can find a good accumulation of newsworthy articles about Alzheimer’s and caregiving, so it would simply be a duplicate if I repeated many of them.
One of these sites is Alzheimer’s Daily News.  You can subscribe to the daily e-mail edition, too, which links back to the articles on the site as well as the original sources.

AlzheimersNotes.com
World Alzheimer’s Day, September 21,  saw the launch of a new web site, Alzheimer’s Support, to aid Alzheimer’s victims and their families.  It also is available in four languages…English, French, Spanish and German.
Here people with this disease and their family, friends, caregivers can find support and resources.   Case studies will give you more information, as well as analyzing care risks and suggesting solutions.
(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

AlzheimersNotes.com
I discovered Fighting Monsters, Life and Thoughts of a British Social Worker, and found a super list of Alzheimer’s resources in the post, Lest We Forget.  In the course of writing about World Alzheimer’s Day, the blogger lists numerous resources about this disease.
You may want to bookmark this blog so you have this list at your fingertips, or jot it down, so you can go back to it for the resources.
(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

Compounds Have Potential For Diagnosis, Treatment Of Alzheimer’s Disease – “New research suggests that a select group of compounds that interact with a protein in the brain might be used in the early diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia disorders…” (more)
Polyphenols protect nerves from damage but not in Alzheimer’s – “Plant nutrients called polyphenols are known to protect nerves from damage, but to expect a similar effect in case of Alzheimer’s would be ‘unwise,’ warns Indian-Canadian researcher Charles Ramassamy…” (more)
MIT zeroes in on Alzheimer’s structures – “MIT engineers report a new approach to identifying protein structures key …read more

A book due to be published next month by Margaret Thatcher’s daughter Carol confirms that Britain’s “Iron Lady” is suffering from dementia. This is the family’s first public confirmation of what has been widely rumored in Britain for several years.
Parts of the book ‘A Swim-On Part in the Goldfish Bowl: A Memoir’, have been serialized by the Mail Online.
Here’s the first installment – Carol Thatcher: I always thought of Mum as being 100% cast-iron damage-proof – with more to follow.
(source)

Minnesota Public Radio has the ‘latest on alzheimer’s’ radio broadcast that’s worth a listen. With guests Ronald Petersen, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic Medical School and Alzheimer’s disease researcher, and Benjamin Wolozin, a neurologist at Boston University, the radio program discusses a new Mayo Clinic study. The study seems to show that more people are showing early signs of dementia at a much earlier age.

Cocoa Flavanols Linked To Improved Brain Blood Flow – “Cocoa flavanols, the unique compounds found naturally in cocoa, may increase blood flow to the brain, according to new research published in the Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment journal…” (more)
Language, Culture Barriers Affect Early Alzheimer’s Diagnosis Among Hispanics – “Language and cultural barriers cause a significant number of elderly Hispanics with Alzheimer’s disease to remain undiagnosed and untreated, experts say, the Newark Star-Ledger reports…” (more)
Study Links Statins To Dementia Prevention – “The study followed more than 1,600 people over the age of 60 for five years. Those who were taking a cholesterol-lowering …read more