By: Tom and Karen Brenner

When we use positive language, this one seemingly simple change from negative to positive, can change everything in our lives. The use of positive language changes a parent or teacher from being a nag, or a scold into a mentor, a coach. The expected results are the same; we expect children to try and be wise, to walk in the house, to be good people. With positive language, we demonstrate that we believe that children can achieve these results.

As with many universal truths, what seems so simple and so obvious is also difficult and profound. It is not easy to turn our language patterns around. It takes a lot of thought and even more effort to break the habits of a life time, but if we can just try being conscious of using positive language, we will begin to see very real differences in our lives.

This is especially true when caring for someone who is living with Alzheimer’s or other dementia. We use the Montessori Method as the foundation for the work we do with people who have Alzheimer’s.

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The research study “Caregiver Recipient Closeness and Symptom Progression in Alzheimer Disease. The Cache County Dementia Progression Study,” started in 2002 and monitored 167 participants with Alzheimer’s disease for three years. The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, measured the cognitive and functional status of the participants and the caregiver-reported relationship of the participants. It was found that higher levels of closeness to ones caregiver were significantly associated with a slower decline in both cognitive and functional domains, especially in persons with spouse caregivers.

USU Researchers involved in the study are Maria Norton, associate professor of family, consumer and human development and principal investigator for the Cache County Memory Study, the population wide project from which persons with dementia were identified; JoAnn Tschanz, associate professor of psychology and director of the Cache County Dementia Progression Study; and Kathy Piercy, associate professor of family, consumer and human development; and Chris Corcoran, associate professor of mathematics and statistics.

“This is the first study to demonstrate that, in addition to medications that help slow the progression of the disease, there are non-pharmacologic factors in the caregiving environment that may also help to extend functional abilities and quality of life for the person with dementia,” Norton said. “Considering the aging of the ‘Baby Boomer’ generation, finding ways to reduce risk for development of dementia and slowing the rate of decline in affected individuals are urgent public health priorities.”

The researchers will now focus on finding the kind of caregiver activities that may promote the longevity and quality of brain function for those suffering from dementia. The new focus may lead to interventions that will enhance the caregiving relationship and help slow the decline caused by Alzheimer’s disease.

USU has collaborated with Duke University and Johns Hopkins University since 1994 when it began the Cache County Memory Study. The study is funded by the National Institute on Aging and has followed an initial cohort of more than 5,000 persons aged 65 and older to study the genetic and environmental factors that affect risk for development of Alzheimer’s Disease and other dementias. Persons identified with dementia by the Cache County Memory Study are then monitored by the Cache County Dementia Progression Study.

The Cache County Memory Study follows individuals to the point of dementia onset to study what factors affect risk of developing the disease. The Dementia Progression Study is focused on what factors affect the rate of progression of the disease once it has started.

“The extraordinary participation rate (90 percent of the entire eligible population) and unusual longevity of the population in Cache County, Utah (the U.S. county with the highest longevity, based on 1990 Census), have made our university and its setting an ideal place for such a large-scale epidemiologic study,” Norton said.

Norton has been involved in managing the study since its inception in 1994 and has been the local director of the project since 2001.

Utah State University

Reviewed by
Dr. Boaz Ancselovic, MD, Geriatrician, Alzheimer’s Weekly.
Edited by Peter Berger, Alzheimer’s Weekly.
COPYRIGHT © 2009 Alzheimer’s Weekly LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Here is great article about reducing the costs of health care for the elderly. Read the excerpt here and the full article at Bloomberg Business Week.

Patients diagnosed with dementia through screening ran up 13 percent less in health costs in the first year of treatment than before, according to a study suggesting wider detection could reduce U.S. medical expenses.

The one-year cost for 345 patients who were screened, found to have dementia and treated at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs clinics with specially trained nurses fell to $11,636 each on average, from $13,378 in the 12 months before diagnosis, said J. Riley McCarten, the lead researcher.

Patients with Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia and the seventh-leading cause of death in the U.S., are becoming more numerous and cost three times as much to treat as elderly patients without the disease. While screening for Alzheimer’s runs about $800 a person, it may more than pay for itself, as people diagnosed with the malady may be less likely to be treated for other illnesses, researchers said.

“Our study showed reduced costs in the short run, but we also anticipate that screening would save money in the long-run as well, since we would no longer sink costs into aggressive treatments for other conditions during end-of-life treatment when the patients already have an invariably terminal disease,” McCarten, a University of Minnesota physician, said in an interview yesterday.

The median decrease was 29 percent, according to a statement released today in Honolulu at the International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease. That number reflects the savings for the study patient in the middle of the cost curve in the group whose treatment included the services of nurses trained in dementia, according to the statement.

Early Diagnosis

The difficulties of diagnosing Alzheimer’s patients have been widely discussed at this year’s conference, and new guidelines have been proposed to help address the challenges.

Despite such hurdles, for patients whose dementia is properly diagnosed, health care may become more efficient, McCarten said in the interview. That’s because they can receive chronic care such as phone checkups with nurses, he said. Before diagnosis, patients may be “lurching from crisis to crisis,” undergoing tests and treatment for many possible maladies, after coming to the hospital repeatedly with vague complaints, he said.

…continue reading here.

For the best in Alzheimer’s and Dementia Home Care, visit us at www.mikeandmarycare.com.

HOUSTON – A Houston-area doctor says some of his patients are benefiting from a new treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease. It is not a shot or pill, but is classified as a medical food.

Dr. Steven Croft is a neurologist with Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital who offers Axona to his Alzheimer’s Disease patients.

The Food and Drug Administration classifies Axona as a medical food. Patients do not really eat it. It is just a powder that is added to liquid for patients to drink.

Axona was made to combat Alzheimer’s Disease differently than other prescription medications. Doctors say it provides an alternate source of food for the brain. They say this is important, since Alzheimer’s Disease patients have significantly decreased amounts of glucose in their brains.

The product has been around for almost a year, but more and more doctors appear to be prescribing it to their patients.

“I’ve seen some patients make somewhat dramatic improvements. I’ve had one patient’s family member who actually wanted to take the Axona, because he saw the improvement that was occuring in his dad,” explains Dr. Croft.

On the other hand, Dr. Croft says that not everyone gets the dramatic effects of Axona. Studies show that patients need to have a certain gene for it to work.

To learn more about this medical food, please continue reading HERE.

How do I know if my parent has Alzheimer’s disease?

When an elderly parent starts having trouble with memory, the family automatically think its Alzheimer’s disease. The concerns are valid. Alzheimer’s usually begins after age 60 and nearly half of people age 85 and older may have Alzheimer’s, according to the National Institute on Aging. However, only a doctor can diagnose Alzheimer’s, and there are some other diseases or conditions that may cause Alzheimer’s-like symptoms.

If you suspect your parent has Alzheimer’s, continue reading this article at agingcare.com for the warning signs.