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Alzheimer's

Experts are concerned about misdiagnosis rate for Alzheimer's disease

McKnight's Staff May 18, 2012

Alzheimer's experts say it's hard to quantify how often it happens, but findings from an ongoing study has found that one-third of Alzheimer's disease diagnoses were incorrect.

Alzheimer's research, resources for caregivers get federal funding

McKnight's Staff May 16, 2012

Federal officials revealed more specifics on the Obama administration's Alzheimer's initiative, including details of two new clinical trials.

People with dementia more likely to die at home than a facility

McKnight's Staff May 14, 2012

Most people with dementia don't die in nursing homes after all. In fact, they are more likely to spend their final days at home, a new study finds.

New initiatives needed to build skilled caregiver workforce

Alice Vestergaard, Ed.D May 05, 2012

The aging of the American population and the healthcare issues that go with it are creating a demographic earthquake that will shake our current system of healthcare to the core. We are on our way to becoming a nation of caregivers, a job description we are largely unprepared to fill.

Respite care cuts create opportunity for nursing homes

McKnight's Staff April 30, 2012

Nursing homes could see an uptick in admissions as many states grapple with cuts to respite care services, recent reports suggest.

House and Senate introduce resolutions for Alzheimer's treatment

McKnight's Staff April 25, 2012

A bipartisan group of Congressional lawmakers introduced a resolution Tuesday in support of the Obama administration's goal of finding a treatment for Alzheimer's by 2025.

Therapists can co-treat? Why yes, they can!

Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L April 19, 2012

Have you heard? Yes, it's true. We can now provide therapy co-treatment with another discipline WITHOUT splitting our treatment time. But, not so fast ...

'Alive Inside' a viral video

Mary Gustafson April 19, 2012

Last week, a funny thing happened: For once, I was not the first person I know to post a nursing home-related story to my Facebook page.

Study highlights needs of U.S. assisted living residents

McKnight's Staff April 17, 2012

Roughly 42% of U.S. assisted living residents has Alzheimer's and other types of dementia, and about 70% are women, according to a newly published data brief.

Caregiving. It's what you do

Celia Pomerantz April 06, 2012

I wonder how the staff at my mother's nursing home could handle so much sadness. Perhaps it was because they knew how to listen with their hearts.

Funding for Alzheimer's research in question

McKnight's Staff April 05, 2012

The $80 million President Obama designated to Alzheimer's research could have more strings attached to it than previously thought, a key senator has said.

Alzheimer's care costs could top $200 billion this year

March 20, 2012

Direct care costs for treating Alzheimer's disease are estimated to be $200 billion in 2012, a new report reveals. Fully $140 will be paid through the Medicare and Medicaid programs. While 800,000 Alzheimer's sufferers live alone, most are being treated in a skilled nursing facility, assisted living, or by a family caregiver, according to "2012 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures" report from the Alzheimer's Association. Private insurance accounts for less than one-quarter of the costs, the report states. Currently, 5.4 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease, and that number is expected to jump 30% by 2025, and triple by 2050.

U.S. caregiving costs for Alzheimer's will reach $200 billion in 2012, report predicts

March 14, 2012

Direct care costs for treating Alzheimer's disease are estimated to be $200 billion in 2012, of which $140 billion is paid for by Medicare and Medicaid, a new report reveals.

Expanded role for Alzheimer's medications?

March 14, 2012

Aricept and Namenda are typically used in the treatment of early-stage Alzheimer's disease. They might also be helpful as the disease progresses, according to British investigators. Researchers found that later use helped users better remember, understand and function. "As patients progress to more severe forms of Alzheimer's disease, clinicians are faced with a difficult decision as to whether to continue or not with dementia drugs and, until now, there has been little evidence to guide that decision," said Robert Howard, M.D., the study's lead researcher. By 2050, as many as 16 million Americans are expected to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

Study: Alzheimer's drugs should be more widely used

McKnight's Staff March 09, 2012

Alzheimer's medications typically used only in early stages of the disease can be more useful in later, more severe stages of dementia than previously thought, a new study suggests.

Lawmakers want all direct caregivers to be licensed

McKnight's Staff March 05, 2012

Iowa lawmakers are considering legislation that would require direct care workers in nursing homes to be licensed and meet training standards.

Alzheimer's taskforce plan now includes mention of assisted living services

McKnight's Staff February 29, 2012

Intensive lobbying paid off for assisted living groups vying for inclusion in the national Alzheimer's taskforce plan. The most recent taskforce plan includes assisted living in its strategy to assess and address the housing needs of those with Alzheimer's disease.

Nursing home in Japanese nuclear fallout zone remains open

February 15, 2012

Nursing home residents in the small Japanese village of Iitate have no idea they are living in what is described as a "radioactive ghost town," according to a facility administrator.

'New ground' broken in Alzheimer's, dementia research, scientists say

February 13, 2012

Deep brain stimulation, a procedure used to treat Parkinson's, epilepsy and chronic pain, enhanced the memory of epilepsy patients with memory problems, a small study has found. Neurologists say this result "breaks new ground" in exploratory treatments for Alzheimer's and dementia.

Legislation would mandate special training for dementia care workers

February 09, 2012

Dementia advocates in Massachusetts are hoping to fix a loophole that allows nursing homes to advertise dementia units without requiring special training for workers.

Obama administration boosts Alzheimer's research with $50 million in funding

February 08, 2012

The Obama administration has said it will devote $50 million to fund Alzheimer's research this year, and an additional $80 million in 2013.

ALFA: Alzheimer's taskforce ignores assisted living options

January 26, 2012

In a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services, the Assisted Living Federation of America said it was "dismayed to see the lack of acknowledgment of the role assisted living has in caring for individuals with Alzheimer's disease," in the HHS taskforce plan released Jan. 9.

Shuffling down the aisle

Mary Gustafson January 19, 2012

For anyone who's in the trenches caring for someone with Alzheimer's — either in your own home or a long-term care community — the announcement of government initiatives aimed at finding a cure might not excite you too much.

Alzheimer's experts to finalize Obama administration taskforce plan

January 17, 2012

A panel of Alzheimer's experts is kicking off a two-day meeting in Washington today to formalize an Obama administration goal of developing effective ways to treat and prevent Alzheimer's by 2025.

Patching together an Alzheimer's treatment

January 11, 2012

Previous research has suggested that smokers are less likely to get Alzheimer's disease. A new study finds that nicotine patches may be similarly helpful. In the latest investigation, 67 nonsmoking patients with mild cognitive impairment were randomly assigned to wear a transdermal nicotine patch (15 milligrams daily) or a placebo patch. After six months, those receiving nicotine patches scored higher on a battery of standardized tests that measured attention, memory and psychomotor skills. Full findings appear in the Jan. 10 issue of Neurology.

Modified bingo playing method helps cognition

January 04, 2012

Playing bingo boosts more than just nursing home residents' social skills: using the large, high-contrast bingo cards also improves cognitive skills and visual perception, researchers have found.

Drug may be first to halt Alzheimer's progression

December 21, 2011

A new medication may actually halt the progression of Alzheimer's disease, investigators have found. When given to mice with Alzheimer's, the drug, known as J147, improved memory and prevented brain damage caused by the disease. The new compound, developed by scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, could soon be tested on humans. Currently, only medications that slow the diseases' progression have received federal approval. Full findings appear in PLoS ONE.

Hearing highlights Aging Committee's accomplishments

December 15, 2011

In a Senate hearing commemorating the 50th anniversary of the formation of the Special Committee on Aging, committee chairman, Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI) said funding for home and community based services should not be cut.

Nursing homes transferring advanced dementia residents to hospitals for questionable reasons, study suggests

September 30, 2011

The rate of questionable transfers of end-stage dementia patients from nursing homes to hospitals has raised red flags, according to researchers.

Memory problems in seniors could signal lower cognitive function, study reports

September 19, 2011

Seniors with complaints about short-term memory gaps, such as difficulty recalling recent events, might be experiencing more than just age-related changes, according to researchers. They say their new study findings could lead to new protocols for clinicians treating seniors with memory problems.