One can now do a brain scan ( PET SCAN WITH AV 45 radioligand) and predict who will get ALZHEIMER’s disease 5-10 years before it becomes clinically noticeable. OMG advances in PSYCHIATRY

Royalty free music from Incompetech by Kevin MacLeod Reference List 1 Alzheimer’s Foundation for Caregiving in Canada. (2009). Lifestyle Choices. Retrieved February 8, 2010, from www.alzprevention.ca 2 Alzheimer Society of Canada. (October, 2005). Alzheimer’s Disease Statistics. Retrieved February 8, 2010, from www.alzheimer.ca. 3 Alzheimer Society of Ontario. (2003). Alzheimer’s disease. Retrieved February 8, 2010, from http 4 Veterans Affairs Canada. (April 18, 2002). Dementia and Alzheimer Disease. Retrieved February 8, 2010, from www.vac-acc.gc.ca

Professor Donna Wilcock explains that Aricept can only provide short-term benefit in treating Alzheimer’s disease.

If a loved one has Alzheimer’s disease, it may help to know what to expect as the disease progresses.

A study by researchers at the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center finds that brain exercises initially slow down the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease but once the pathology in the brain reaches a threshold, decline speeds up more rapidly for people who were more mentally active.

This video explores some ways of reducing the stress of dementia to both sufferer and carer. Your comments and suggestions would be appreciated! This is an excerpt from the DementiaEd DVD ‘Challenging behaviour in dementia’ which is available from the Dementia Services Development Centre, University of Stirling at their dementia resource shop www.dementiashop.co.uk (www.dementiashop.co.uk Also available is the DementiaEd DVD ‘Your’re the Expert: The Relationship Between Brain and Behaviour

Alzheimer’s Training: Our insightful 60-minute webinar can help you address challenges by introducing a model of care that has improved function and quality of life for countless individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). Watch now: bit.ly Kim Warchol, OTR/L, is the president of Dementia Care Specialists, a CPI specialized offering that empowers therapists and other care professionals with a positive approach like no other. How? In situations in which it’s easy to get overwhelmed about all that’s going wrong, we focus instead on what’s working right. It’s about giving individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias the respect they deserve— helping them thrive and not just survive. The goal: to bring out the best in an individual’s abilities—improving his function, safety, and quality of life, one day at a time. With a person-centered approach and effective proven methods, our compassionate Instructors help therapists and care partners work together more efficiently. Our approach helps deliver more effective care and create more rewarding, productive workplaces in the process.

Alzheimer’s Training: Our insightful 60-minute webinar can help you address challenges by introducing a model of care that has improved function and quality of life for countless individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). Watch now: bit.ly Kim Warchol, OTR/L, is the president of Dementia Care Specialists, a CPI specialized offering that empowers therapists and other care professionals with a positive approach like no other. How? In situations in which it’s easy to get overwhelmed about all that’s going wrong, we focus instead on what’s working right. It’s about giving individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias the respect they deserve— helping them thrive and not just survive. The goal: to bring out the best in an individual’s abilities—improving his function, safety, and quality of life, one day at a time. With a person-centered approach and effective proven methods, our compassionate Instructors help therapists and care partners work together more efficiently. Our approach helps deliver more effective care and create more rewarding, productive workplaces in the process.

I am so excited to share with you another ditty of my Mother in her end stages of Alzheimer’s and the possibilities of connections. I was blessed to have come into my life a woman by the name of Melissa Hirokawa, the owner of Living Spirit Therapy and a board-certified music therapist. Melissa took time to show me her wears as a professional, and even with my Mother in her end stages of Alzheimer’s, she was able to bring Mom out of her shell and bring my her Joy. Melissa is not only a Music Therapist but a speaker who presents locally and nationally on the many benefits of music therapy with the elderly and those with medical issues. Informational and experiential presentations include music therapy with specific populations such as dementia, stroke, fibromyalgia, hospice and palliative care, and intergenerational programming among others. Melissa is also available for self-care workshops for family members and long-term care and medical staff. Here is a link to Melissa’s business Living Spirit Therapy www.livingspirittherapy.com

Some suggestions about how activity may help someone with dementia. Your comments and suggestions would be appreciated! This is an excerpt from the DementiaEd DVD ‘Challenging behaviour in dementia’ which is available from the Dementia Services Development Centre, University of Stirling at their dementia resource shop www.dementiashop.co.uk (www.dementiashop.co.uk Also available is the DementiaEd DVD ‘Your’re the Expert: The Relationship Between Brain and Behaviour