Tag Archives for Alzheimer’s

Documentary Explores World of Alzheimer’s Victims, Caregivers

Published in Pawtucket Times on January 26, 2004

Sally Weiss, my 80-year-old mother, has Alzheimer’s disease.

Over the past seven years, the progression of this disease was noticeable to me when I made my trips back home to Dallas, Texas.

However, my family, just like the tens of millions of families across the nation who have loved ones afflicted with this mental disorder, tries to understand and cope with the emotional social and financial impact of this devastating disease.

Last Wednesday, a hard-hitting, nationally broadcast PBS program, “The Forgetting: A Portrait of Alzheimer’s,” sought to bring more “insight, context, hope and help” to viewers who tuned in, hoping to better understand this frightening disorder.

The 90-minute documentary explores Alzheimer’s disease by weaving together the history and biology of the disease, the real-life experiences of three Alzheimer’s patients and their families who lives are touched by Alzheimer’s and the latest research findings that may lead to a cure.

Shame on you if you missed last week’s showing of “The Forgetting,” but you’re in luck, especially if you want a second chance to see the PBS program before it comes out on video. The Rhode Island PBS program affiliate, WSBE 36, has scheduled a rerun of this broadcast for Jan. 29 at 9:00 p.m. and again on Feb. 5 at 2:00 p.m.

The PBS documentary is based on David Shenk’s best-selling book, “The Forgetting.”

After overhearing a conversation in a restaurant about a man and his wife- a woman in her 50s afflicted with Alzheimer’s – he realized that this woman could not recognize her husband. By the time Shenk left the restaurant, he was horrified at the thought of his wife not even knowing who he was, being a stranger to her during the best years of their marriage. This thought ultimately propelled Shenk, a journalist and occasional National Public Radio commentator, to explore the mysteries of Alzheimer’s leading to the writing and publication of his 292-page book.

The PBS documentary warns that with the graying of our nation, we will see a growing number of person’s afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease which is considered  to be an age-related disordered.

By 2011, the first of the nation’s 76 million baby boomers will turn age 65, ultimately setting off a demographic time bomb, creating this Alzheimer’s epidemic.  When this occurs, Alzheimer’s may well become American’s biggest public health concern.

Using special animation, “The Forgetting” helps viewers better understand how Alzheimer’s begins, how it does damage and what kind of new medical treatments are being used to treat it.

“The Forgetting” also focuses on the real-life stories of three families, showing how the disease slowly impacts the family caregivers and the loved ones afflicted with Alzheimer’s.

“Like so many coping with this tragedy, the families who share their stories in  “The Forgetting” all have one major motivation in common – they want to let other people facing similar situations know that they are not alone, that there is help and that they too, can find the strength to face a  tragedy like Alzheimer’s with dignity and grace,” said Elizabeth Arledge, a respected film producer who created the PBS documentary, in a written statement.

“These families are drawing on reservoirs of strength and compassion to stay focused on seeing the person they love instead of the symptoms of the disease,” added Arledge.

Liz Morancy, executive director of the Alzheimer’s Association’s Rhode Island chapter, calls of Rhode Islanders to watch a Rhode Island PBS program. “The 13th State,” on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2004 at 7:30 p.m.

Scheduled one day before the re-airing of “The Forgetting,” the 30-minute local PBS program will feature a panel discussion about Alzheimer’s.

Panelists included Dr. Cynthia Holzer, of Roger Williams Hospital, along with 84-year-old Sterling Ivision, who is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, and his daughter Kate Meleny.

“The Forgetting’ shows what a really hard, hard disease Alzheimer’s is,” said Morancy, “but by listening to Ivision, you will learn that he still drives and lives independently. People who have early-stage Alzheimer’s can still have a quality of life.”

Check out the Web site, www.pbs.org/theforgetting. This site will provide advice, resources, and chances for caregivers of Alzheimer’s victims to share emotions and insights. In addition, a downloadable viewer’s guide will provide practical information and answer questions.

University Study Seeks to Unlock Secrets of Alzheimer’s

Published in Pawtucket Times on December 8, 2003

 Planning bingo, finding that right word for the crossword puzzle you are working on, reading The Times or the latest bestselling book and even dancing might just be the right mental stimulation to help slow down the ravaging advances of Alzheimer’s.

Boston University researcher Nancy Emerson Lombardo, Ph.D., is seeking Rhode Island and Southern Massachusetts research participants to determine if the theory “use it or lose it” is fact or fiction.

“The brain never stops growing, especially in an enriched learning environment,” said Lombardo, who said science has shown the brain can actually replace neurons and grow connections between them.

Lombardo’s current research study is looking to prove that the brain’s ability to adapt, through cognitive training therapies can help persons who are already have Alzheimer’s disease slow down and even regain some of the cognitive losses they are experiencing.

Lombardo said that even with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, over the last decade researchers have found you can still exercise your brain, reap the benefits of improved short-term memory and experience a better quality of live.

These studies suggest keeping the mind active can help explain how some people can delay the onset of memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease symptoms for years.

In one study, research B.P. Sobel found that playing bingo improved short-term memory, Lombardo noted.  In another study, H. Wang reported in the American Journal of Epidemiology that staying active in social and leisure activities is associated with a decreased risk of memory loss, she said.

An Albert Einstein College of Medicine study even reported in a recent issue of the New England Journal of  Medicine that “reading, playing board games, playing musical instruments and dancing were associated with a reduced risk of [memory loss].”

Lombardo, serving as principal investigator at the Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Center, told All About Seniors about the BEST (Brain Enhancement Strengthening Treatment) study.  This study is currently examining whether fun, combined with a challenging set of cognitive exercises, can be performed in a home setting to sharpen up the cognitive abilities of a person diagnosed with early Alzheimer’s.

The BEST study, based on the work of Lynn Lazarnus Seper, Ed.D. – who serves as the co-principal investigator with Lombardo – is working with early-stage Alzheimer’s participant and their care partners over a six-month period.

Serper used many of these same techniques in her successful self-recovery from a major debilitating stroke. She has also experienced successful results in her clinical practice with persons with Alzheimer’s, as well as those with stroke and other brain injuries.

Lombardo’s study is currently seeking early-stage Alzheimer’s participants in Rhode Island and Southern Massachusetts, ages 58 to 85, who will meet over 26 weeks in their own homes with cognitive educator Ann Lewis.  Lewis has received rigorous training from Serper and other researchers on the BEST team.

Eligible participants, who must have at least a two-year college degree, must have a diagnosis of probably Alzheimer’s disease.  Additionally, they  must be taking one of the three medications – Aricept, Exelon or Reminyl.

Finally, they must reside within a 40-minute drive of Newton, or Billerica, Mass. Or Newport, Rhode Island.

Study participants will work on mental exercises aimed at their prior and current interests/hobbies as well as current local and world news.

The format turns theses everyday activities into brain therapy. The cognitive educators will also assist participants in developing strategies for social and conversational situations.

The Best Of…Music Reduces Alzheimer’s Patients’ Agitation

Published August 19, 2002, Pawtucket Times

        After not being home for two years, I traveled to Dallas to visit my family and to celebrate my 88-year old father’s birthday party last week.

        My trip was a bittersweet experience for me as I reconnected with my parents and siblings.  It was great to spend time and catch up with everyone, but I saw firsthand how Alzheimer’s Disease had ravaged, both physically and mentally, my 80-year-old mother, and I saw the impact the disease had on my family.

        My mother, who is in the mid-to-late stage of Alzheimer’s was largely unaware of recent events or even to who I was.

         There was no recognition of my brother or sisters, and many times she did not even recognize my father, who has been her husband for the past 60 years.

         My mother could not tell time on her watch,was not aware of what day it was or even where she lived.

         Moreover, the staff warned me of my frequent mood swings and that she could get agitated very quickly.

         However, some say “music calms the savage beast.”

         That may be true, and it’s most certainly true for victims of Alzheimer’s disease — soothing music can reduce agitation.  While Alzheimer’s robs a person of their memory or cognitive abilities, a timeless tune can reduce agitation and can have calming positive effects on Alzheimer’s patients, too.  This point was driven home to me following my visit to my mother’s 28-bed Alzheimer’s unit at Dallas-base Marriott Brighton Gardens.

         On Friday afternoons, Carrie A. Johns of Blue Rose Entertainment keeps things hopping in the Alzheimer’s unit’s television room with her music therapy program.

        Popping CDs into a compact disc player, Johns plays a continuous string of popular tunes from the early 1900s to the 1960s.  That day, about 20 songs were played, ranging from golden oldies to country and western and Broadway tuns.

       Johns chooses from 8,000 songs in her CD collection, and she often selects songs during her one-and-a-half-hour program that reflect memorable happy periods in the residents’ lives.

       Johns, who raises Arabian horses on a 12-acre ranch in Mabank, Teaxa, has a client list of more than 500 nursing facilities, assisted living facilities and senior centers in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex region.

       Swaying, Johns sings the Andrews Sisters’ 1942 hit “The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company C” into her microphone, residents Rose Grimes, Helen Webb and Francis  Donathan dance up a storm with Ashina Jackson, a personal care assistant, big smiles lighting up all of their faces.

       “It is a joy to make these residents happy when their families are not here,” Jackson tells me.  “I like to see their expressions when they remember the tunes. It’s like I’m going back to their time.”

         To the beat of the 1920s tune “in’t She Sweet,” Activity Director Dave Mandt dances with my mother.

         She belts out the song remembering all the words, not even missing a beat.

          Jane Atobajeun, special care manager, says music helps to calm the residents down.  While residents with Alzheimer’s disease don’t remember recent events — what they ate for lunch, for instance — they will remember songs that were once popular in distant eras, since they can retain long-term memory.

       “Music makes them laugh,” adds Atobajeun, noting that it “touches their very being and also triggers me memories and emotions.”

       According to Atobajeun, throughout the day residents can get frustrated if they can’t remember things.

       But singing makes them very happy because they remember the words.  Dancing can also get the residents up and moving, she adds, noting that even wheelchair-bound residents are assisted to stand and move.

       Throughout the program my father and I traded off dancing with my mother.  Several times, my smiling mother goes up to the microphone, and dances with Johns.

       You guessed it — she automatically knows every word of the song.  When the music ends, I say goodbye to my mother.

       knowing the challenges she faces with Alzheimer’s, I at least know that there is a brief period of pleasure in her life — at least twice a week when she attends the Alzheimer’s unit’s music program.

        Herb Weiss is a Pawtucket-based freelance writer covering aging, health care and medical issues.  This article was published in the August 19, 2002 Pawtucket Times.