As this very complicated and confusing year comes to a close, I hear many people say it can’t happen fast enough!  I echo those sentiments except in one important regard and that is the progress that has been made this year in the field of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.  November is National Alzheimer’s Awareness month and as such, it is fitting to highlight new developments in promising research, tips for maintaining our brain health, and a quick update on the role Alzheimer’s/dementia has played, and continues to play, in my life.

First, let me assure you that I have never been more optimistic than I am right now that a breakthrough is on the horizon.  The National Alzheimer’s Plan that was written into law in 2010 calls for prevention, treatment, and cure by 2025.  Despite some temporary setbacks in clinical trials due to Covid-19, things are back on track and the neuroscience experts whom I know are equally optimistic that we have a great chance of meeting or beating that goal!

As a quick reminder about why this topic is so important to me, three of four parents in my immediate family were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, the most common type of dementia.  Our “Lovies”, as we refer to them, lived for 16, 14, and 11 years with the disease and it would be an understatement to say that it changed every aspect of our lives.  While it has been six years now since our last Lovie left us, striving to rid the planet of dementia, at least in some small way, remains my purpose and passion.

I continue in my role at MINES and Associates as a provider of Employee Assistance Plan Alzheimer’s/dementia coaching and corporate client dementia training.  After recently completing a six-year term on the Alzheimer’s Association Board of Directors, I continue as a volunteer community educator for them and also serve as their public policy ambassador to Capitol Hill, where I speak with congress about dementia research funding and legislation.

I am now in my fifth year as the volunteer Community Chair for Dementia Friendly Denver, which is affiliated with Dementia Friendly America, a White House Conference on Aging program announced in 2015.  We present a free one hour program through DFD for organizations and community groups called Dementia 101 + Reducing Your Risk.  In 2019, I delivered 135 of these learning sessions around the greater Denver area and am now presenting them virtually.  FYI, you can reach me at 800.873.7138 for MINES and Associates EAP dementia coaching or at dementiafriendlycolorado@gmail.com for community group presentations.

Now for the juicy and exciting news!  Among the many dementia findings the scientific and medical community has announced this year are the following:

• New research supports the positive impact of flu and pneumonia vaccinations on risk reduction for Alzheimer’s disease. Discuss these vaccinations with your doctor as there may now be more than just the obvious advantages.
• At long last, a simple blood test for Alzheimer’s disease is in the final stages of clinical trial and may be available in a year or two! Rather than denying the knowledge of impending dementia, we now know that important lifestyle changes might delay onset.
• The next bit of great news is that the FDA has approved the drug Aducanumab for final review for the treatment of Alzheimer’s! If this last step meets standards, it will be the first true treatment for Alzheimer’s, as current drug therapies may provide some relief for symptoms, but do not slow the progression of the disease.
• To keep the good news coming, diagnosis guidelines have been improving for the past few years and PET scans can now detect excess amyloid-beta and tau, the hallmark brain proteins for Alzheimer’s, in living brains! This is big news versus waiting until autopsy to determine the pathology of the disease.

And now, because I could never conclude my yearly dementia update without a list of the 15 real things we can all do at any age to reduce our risk for Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, here you go…

• Exercise – Regular cardiovascular exercise is the closest thing we have to a silver bullet while we await a cure.  Be sure to check with your doctor to make sure it is safe for your overall health.
• Diet – Adopt a Mediterranean diet high in vegetables, fruits, and lean proteins.  Avoid salty, sugary, fatty, and fried foods, and limit red meat consumption.  Blueberries are awesome for your brain!
• Sleep – Good sound, natural sleep is critical in allowing your brain to rid itself of toxins.  Put your devices in another room, make it cool and dark, and discuss sleep issues with your doctor before taking sleep aids. Ask your doctor about classes of drugs that should be avoided by those over 50 as they may increase risk for dementia.
• Heart Health – There is a correlation between dementia and cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity.  If it is good for your heart, it’s good for your brain!
• Cognitive Evaluations – As you get older, ask your doctor to include a cognitive evaluation in your annual physical.  Staying on top of cognition changes can help you make important lifestyle adjustments to reduce dementia risk.
• Smoking – There is a direct correlation between Alzheimer’s disease and smoking.  Enough said!
• Mental Health – Depression, stress, and other emotional conditions can negatively affect cognition.  Discuss these with your doctor for treatment.  Manage your stress through safe exercise, yoga, meditation, etc.
• Hearing Loss – There is an increase in Alzheimer’s/dementia among those with untreated hearing loss in middle to older age.  Discuss hearing loss with your doctor. There should be no stigma for hearing devices!
• Social Interaction – Involvement with others is critical for brain health.  Especially in the year of Covid-19, socialize via online platforms, or safely distanced interactions.
• Continual Learning – Learn a new language, instrument, or hobby, or take online classes!
• Brain Exercise – While not every brain game may have science behind it, some do, so exercise your brain through games, puzzles, and new challenges.
• Helmets – Always use your seatbelt and wear helmets when biking, skiing, etc. Protect your most important asset, your brain!
• Air Quality – New studies show a correlation between brain health and pollution.  Protect your cardiovascular health by wearing a mask in heavily polluted cities or fire/smoke areas.
• Alcohol – Excessive alcohol consumption can contribute to cognitive decline.
• Inflammation – Studies show a correlation between cognitive issues and brain inflammation.  Avoid a diet that can increase inflammation.  Choose salmon, broccoli, walnuts, avocado, and other anti-inflammatory foods.

So…as National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month is observed during November, and this crazy year wraps up, please know that hope is plentiful on the Alzheimer’s/dementia front!  And thank you for helping to spread the word about the lifestyle practices we can all do to keep our brains healthy and reduce risk for cognitive decline.

If you are living through the pandemic with a family member with dementia, remember to physically demonstrate safe practices versus using verbal reminders and most importantly, reach out to friends and family members to take a turn at caregiving to give yourself periodic breaks.  Maintaining your patience level and taking care of yourself are key.

Reach out to me through MINES and Associates for help in making a dementia plan, increasing your dementia knowledge, and honing your communication and interaction skills.  And use the Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 helpline (800.272.3900) and website (alz.org) to stay connected to resources and the latest news.

I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving no matter what that may look like for your family this year.  Thanks for letting me share my thoughts and please stay safe and well!  – JJ

To your wellbeing

-JJ Jordan

Mines and Associates

The post National Alzheimer’s Awareness Update 2020 appeared first on MINES and Associates.

It’s November and of course that means that the holidays are just around the corner, but it also means that it is once again National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month.  You may see familiar buildings in the greater Denver area lit in purple to remind people that the quest for a world without Alzheimer’s is more determined than ever.

Much has happened since my blog entry last November.  All very positive, by the way.  I appreciate this opportunity to update you on many things that are happening in the field of Alzheimer’s/Dementia.  As a reminder, the reason for my passion and commitment around this subject is that three of our four parents were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease within a year and a half of each other, and they lived for 16, 14, and 11 years with the disease.  Although we lost our last “Lovie” four years ago, I remember vividly those many years of caregiving and how challenging it was to juggle work/life balance issues.

I have been with MINES and Associates for six years now and present a lunch and learn session called Alzheimer’s/Dementia A to Z to our client groups.  I am seeing attendees of all ages in the sessions and because we always end the presentation with an explanation of the twelve things we can all do at any age to reduce our risk for dementia or delay its onset. I am seeing more and more young people taking an interest in brain health.  I am also seeing an uptick in employees seeking coaching on the topic of Alzheimer’s/Dementia through the Employee Assistance Plan benefits that their employers provide.

One thing is for sure.  Going it alone while trying to care for someone with dementia is never recommended.  Our community offers a variety of resources to family care partners and I will talk about some of them in this posting.

But first, a quick update on promising research!  I continue to be the most optimistic I have been in years that a breakthrough is on the horizon.  So much going on!  One of the most interesting clinical trials is happening right here in the Denver area at the Rocky Mountain Alzheimer’s Research Center on the Anschutz campus.  My good friends and renowned neurologists Dr. Huntington Potter and Dr. Jonathan Woodcock are now in Phase III of the Leukine trial.  Leukine is a compound already approved by the FDA for bone marrow stimulation.  The Anschutz clinic team discovered that it might have possible benefits for Alzheimer’s as well.  Stay tuned – you may be seeing updates on the evening news about the great work being done here in our area.  There are also other promising angles on how to tackle Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.  Current thinking is definitely outside the box – many new cause and effect theories are now being explored by the medical and scientific community.

I spent a week in Washington DC in June this summer, representing the Alzheimer’s Association at our annual Public Policy Forum.  Our group spoke with every member of Congress and I am pleased to report that we got the $425 million in additional research funding we requested.  That will put the National Institute of Health’s Alzheimer’s research budget at $2.3 billion annually beginning in 2019. The National Alzheimer’s Plan that was written into law in 2010 calls for a prevention, treatment, and cure by 2025.  Hope has never been stronger that we are going to meet that goal and get this fixed.  By the way, when that finally happens, I will be throwing a party for the world so you will all be invited!

In the meantime, there is much work to do to educate, help, and support families who are living with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia.  The number one question I am asked is what is the difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia.  A good way to explain it is to say that everyone with Alzheimer’s has dementia but not everyone with dementia has Alzheimer’s.  Vascular dementia from strokes, Lewy Body dementia, and Frontotemporal dementia are other forms of the most common dementias.  While Alzheimer’s accounts for approximately 65% of all cases of dementia, many primary care physicians may not be prepared to provide a specific diagnosis.  Asking them for a referral to a neurologist or geriatrician can help a family learn what type of dementia they are facing with their loved one.

While there are no treatments that stop the progress of dementia at this time, there are some drug therapies that may help with symptoms in some cases to some extent for some period of time.  Asking your specialist about these options can get a conversation started about what might be beneficial for your loved one.

Aside from the dementia coaching provided through the MINES EAP program, The Alzheimer’s Association provides a 24/7 helpline (800.272.3900) that family members can call regardless of what type of dementia their family is dealing with.  This is a powerful resource tool for caregivers who have questions or simply need to chat with someone about behaviors, etc.

Another organization that I am involved with is also at the forefront of trying to improve the quality of life for those living with all forms of dementia and their family care partners.  Dementia Friendly Denver is part of Dementia Friendly America, a not for profit, grassroots, all-volunteer initiative that was introduced at the White House Conference on Aging in 2015.  Our volunteer team is working on eight projects in the greater Denver area and you can check them all out at dementiafriendlydenver.org.  The goal of the projects is to make our community more dementia-friendly and to reduce the stigma surrounding the topic of dementia.

And please remember that you can still enjoy the holidays with family members with dementia.  The key is to practice the “Holiday Lite” approach.  Things don’t need to be extravagant or perfect.  Make sure holiday activities and outings are short in length.  Our Lovies wear out faster than we do.  An hour for us is like five hours for them.  And make sure holiday decorations that look like candy or food are out of the reach of those with dementia.  Be prepared for upsets due to the disruption of routines during the festivities and provide rest periods for everyone!

So in closing, as we enter November and National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, remember that you are not alone.  Utilizing the dementia resources available throughout our city can help you get organized and knowledgeable.  And most importantly, don’t forget to take care of yourselves.  Respite care is available in our community and the Alzheimer’s Association can help you investigate options.  Exercising, taking walks, meditation, and outings with friends can help alleviate the stress associated with being a dementia caregiver.  Best wishes for a peaceful and enjoyable holiday season!  – JJ

JJ Jordan

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