Hands to Help Seniors

The Alzheimer’s Association will be hosting a caregiver support group at their offices in Ryan Ranch on May 18 from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.  If you have a family member who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia disorder, a caregiver support group can offer you an opportunity to find out more about community resources and to learn from others who are going through similar experiences.  Regular readers of my blog know that both my grandmother and my father had this terrible disease when they passed away.  The Alzheimer’s Association is a great non-profit that can help you deal with this stressful situation of caring for someone with increasing memory loss.  For more information call the Alzheimer’s Association at 1-800-272-3900 or drop by their office at 21 Lower Ragsdale Drive, Suite B, in Ryan Ranch in Monterey.

Comments (0)     

It’s critical to get important papers drawn up such as a POLST (Physician’s Order For Life Sustaining Treatment), living trust and will before it’s too late.  A story in the New York Times today pointed out that studies show that simple math problems and handling financial matters are typically one of the first skill sets to go when a person comes down with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia.  Research has also found that even people with normal cognitive function may reach the point where financial decision making becomes more challenging.  “A person can appear to have their wherewithal cognitively, but not have the ability to understand money in the same way anymore,” Helen Clark, a retired registered nurse and family therapist, told The New York Times.  That’s why it is so important to have these legal documents drawn up while you are still thinking straight.  We also recommend that people talk to their friends, family and anyone involved in their financial or medical affairs to tell them personally how they want to be treated should various scenarios occur.  This sometimes doesn’t come across fully in legal documents and so it’s better to do it in person so there isn’t fighting amongst family members should you go into the hospital or become impaired in some manner.

Comments (0)     

NBC's medical drama The Night Shift cast Eoin Macken (TC Callahan), Jill Flint (Jordan Alexander) and Ken Leung (Topher) are starring  in a new public service message inviting people to take part in Alzheimer's Association The Longest Day.  "Here on set, our days can be pretty long, but not nearly as long as they are for families affected by Alzheimer's. There are over five million Americans living with the disease, and more than 15 million who serve as their caregivers," says Flint in the cast message.  Held on June 21, the longest day of the year, teams around the world come together to raise money and awareness for Alzheimer's care, support and research by participating in an activity that they love from sunrise to sunset.  The event symbolizes the challenging journey of those living with the disease and their caregivers. Teams are encouraged to create their own experience as they fundraise and participate in an activity they love to honor someone facing the disease.  We have long been a supporter of this great non-profit which has free services to the community for those struggling with this terrible disease.  For more information about The Longest Day, please visit alz.org/tld

Comments (0)     

It was great to read the latest issue of Off 68 which raised awareness of a support group for families struggling with a member who has early onset of Alzheimer’s disease.  I have been a big supporter of the Alzheimer’s Association for years.  They do great work and their services are free.  One of the most valuable is the Early Stage support group offered to Central Coast residents and facilitated by Wayne Lavengood, a licensed clinical social worker, and Nan Heflin, a marriage and family therapist.  Participants meet with peers in a similar situation and share strategies for dealing with memory loss.  For more information on the meeting which is held on Thursdays from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. in eight sessions (the next starts on May 28) call the Alzheimer’s Association at 1-800-272-3900 or drop by their office at 21 Lower Ragsdale Drive, Suite B, in Ryan Ranch in Monterey.

Comments (0)     

I was glad to read that Johnson & Johnson has appointed a well-known bioethicist to create a bioethics panel which will have the final decision on whether critically ill people can get access to new drugs before they are approved by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA).  This will only apply to drugs made by J&J.  However, given the size of the drug maker, many people believe this will set a precedent and other companies will follow suit.  Dr. Caplan will not be paid and his decisions will not be influenced by the drug company.  There is currently a process for granting emergency access to drugs where the FDA signs off on the prescription, but the decision whether or not to give a patient the drug remains with the manufacturer.  Unfortunately, many drug companies haven't given critically ill patients drugs that have not yet received FDA approval because they fear litigation if something goes awry.  Hopefully J&J's new approach will bring much-needed drugs to patients.

Comments (0)