Over at Katelyn’s Stamping Mad blog, she discusses rubber stamping projects for Alzheimer’s patients.  One of these is using stamps to help the patients make cheery spring cards.You’ll have fun yourself and bring cheer to the patients.

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Creative Crafting With Alzheimer’s Patients

The study involved 165 Alzheimer’s patients in nursing homes who had been given sedative drugs such as Haloperidol (Serenace), Chlorpromazine (Largactil), Thioridazine (Melleril), Trifluoperazine (Stelazine), and Risperidone (Risperdal) for at least three months.

In the Alzheimer’s Research Trust Press Release (April 2, 2007) Professor Clive Ballard, Professor of Age Related Disorders at King’s College London, said ‘It is very clear that even over a six month period of treatment, there is no benefit of neuroleptics in treating the behavior of people with Alzheimer’s disease when the symptoms are mild – specifically when a measure of behavioral disturbance known as the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Score is equal to or less than 14. For people with more sever behavioral symptoms, balancing the potential benefits against increased mortality and other adverse effects is more difficult, but this study provides an important evidence base to inform this decision-making process.’

News Reports:

Alzheimer’s Patients Are Dying Early Because of Controversial Drugs

Why sedatives ‘are making Alzheimer’s patients die early’.

Alzheimer’s sufferers dying in drug ’scandal’

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Study says Alzheimer’s Patients dying prematurely due to sedatives.

Some researchers think that this is because of the everyday use of the spice Turmeric. Tumeric is a powerful antioxident which also has anti-inflammatory powers.

Practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine have been using it for centuries to treat inflammatory disorders. But it is only in recent years that scientists have been studying it’s effects on the brain.

Resources:

- Tumeric Shows Promise in Treatment of Alzheimer’s
- Popular Curry Spice is a Brain Booster
- Out of the Spice Box, into the Lab
- Chemical found in Curry may help immune system clear amyloid plaques found in Alzheimer’s Disease

(photo by ballookeys)

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A Curry a day to keep Alzheimer’s away?

Created in the Netherlands in the 1970s, these multisensory rooms were originally designed for children and adults with serious mental disabilities. The ideas was to provide a soothing but stimulating environment for non-directive therapy. There was a place for everything in these rooms -from lava lamps and bubble tubes to home movies, interactive art, birds in cages, fish tanks, and colorful mobiles.

Today, many health professionals and caregiviers find that these rooms are a great place for Alzheimer’s patients suffering from agitation and the need to wander. The lighting, sounds, and smells can be adapted to the individual patient. In particular, it has been found to be most beneficial for patients suffering from ’sundowners syndrome’.

Want to know more. Check out these sites and articles:

A Room Comes Alive with Color and Sounds

Have you ever snoezelened?

An Adventure in Snoezelen Therapy

You’ve got the equipment, now how do you launch the program?

Snoezelen

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Snoezelen Rooms for Alzheimer’s Patients.

Prevent or Delay Alzheimer’s Disease – a daughter of an Alzheimer’s patient searches the literature to find out what could prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Who watches out for the caregiver? Article includes tips for caregivers on how to take care of themselves as well.

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You Are Not Alone: Alzheimer’s Stories from Around the World.

Head injuries and Alzheimer’s - Looks at the research that has been done on the relationship between head injuries and dementia.

Old study Could Aid Mental Health – Help the Aged, a charity in Scotland, believes that a 60 year old Scottish Mental Health Study could hold information that might help develop new treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease and similar conditions.

(Photo: Rob ‘n’ Rae)

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Links to Recent Alzheimer’s Research.

The guidebook and DVD is available to ACP member physicians. But anyone can access a free copy of the guidebook here.

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New Alzheimer’s Disease Guide for Patients and Families released by ACP

People choose to walk for different reasons. But the three main ones appear to be to honor someone you love, to raise public awareness, and to help make a difference for people with Alzheimer’s Disease by raising money.

You can walk as an individual or set up a corporate or family team. If you don’t want to walk or prehaps, cannot walk, there are other ways of participating. There is always a need for volunteers to help plan and coordinate the event.

The walks take place throughout the year in more than 600 communities across the United States. You can find information on the walks in your community at the local chapter of Alzheimer’s Association or by checking online.

(photo by sunflowery)

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Alzheimer’s walks across America.

 Is Alzheimer’s genetic? 

Did Auntie and Mother develop it because of something in their genes? Then why didn’t their two brothers have Alzheimer’s?  Their minds were alert when they died in their 80’s.  We can’t say it’s because they were males and Mother and Auntie females since other men develop Alzheimer’s.

Although there is testing and research going on by many scientists and institutions, they’ve found no certain cause nor sure cure. The testing continues to see  whether one person is likely to get it and another is not.  Scientists also want an answer to the genetic questions, too.

So…I answer that I’m not worried because, at this point, I don’t know that there’s anything genetic to  make it more likely that my sister or I will develop Alzheimer’s.  It will be interesting to see what the scientists eventually come up with in answering the question, “Is Alzheimer’s genetic?” 

Decoding Darkness: The Search for the Genetic Causes of Alzheimer’s Disease may not have all the answers, but may give some idea of what’s being done.

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Is Alzheimer’s Genetic?

Leaning on Everlasting Arms -The recent Harris Interactive survey found that about one-third of those caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s Disease felt the experience made them ‘more religious’. Here’s one persons story…

Alzheimer’s takes away much-loved Aunt – a personal reflection…

Hundreds Walk for Alzheimer’s Cure – South Florida residents take part in 2007 Memory Walk, a national fund-raising event run by the Alzheimer’s Association. See video…

Photo: Alfredo Hisa

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You Are Not Alone: Alzheimer’s Stories from Around the World.