Parkinson's

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.

Long-term care officials will have a stake in the 23rd annual National Forum of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement from Sunday through Wednesday in Orlando, FL. Nearly 6,000 healthcare professionals from more than 40 countries are expected to take part. Sessions will focus on providing more effective patient care while lowering costs. Resident- and family-centered care, transitions and hospital re-admissions will be among the conference's focal points. Top speakers will include Michael J. Fox, the acclaimed actor and Parkinson's research advocate, and Eric Greitens, a Navy Seal officer and the CEO of The Mission Continues, a nonprofit organization focusing on wounded and disabled veterans. Maureen Bisognano, the president and chief executive of the host group also will present.

More than five million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's disease and nearly one and a half million from Parkinson's disease. And both totals are projected to rise dramatically in the coming decades. Yet relatively little is being spent on new products and other innovations that can help the nation deal better with these debilitating conditions, according to an essay in the July 5 Wall Street Journal. "With healthy brains, Americans will do more than just live longer, they will remain productive longer and contribute to the well-being of our nation instead of adding substantially to the costs and other burdens of healthcare," the article notes.

The drug lithium has been found to greatly prevent the buildup of the toxic proteins and brain cell loss linked to Parkinson's disease, according to a study conducted on laboratory mice.

Using iPods to reconnect long-term care residents with their favorite music is a simple intervention with great upside potential and no side effects. They're an inexpensive tool that can have a positive impact on resident quality of life, which, in turn, should be reflected in an important subset of MDS 3.0 scores.

Recently, two leaders at Brookdale Senior Living scaled Mount Washington, the highest peak in the Northeast. The purpose was to raise awareness of caregivers' tireless work.

A pair of recently released studies examines potential causes of falls. One study finds seniors' footwear to be a factor, while another looks at ways to predict falls among Parkinson's patients.

Caffeine helps us stay alert. Research suggests it also could slow the progression of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.