by Dr. Shelly Sternberg
"Missing: 84 year old woman with Alzheimer’s disease." This headline makes my heart sink as I envision another older woman wandering off, getting lost and endangering herself. Why do people with dementia wander and what can be done to prevent it?
The Melabev library on dementia care has books and magazines in various languages, including French, Russian, Tagalog and Spanish. The library is open to family caregivers, students and professionals. For non-academic homecare workers hired by the family, training sessions are offered to help them improve their knowledge and practical work skills with the elderly. Our Melabev staff are one of the best resources on the latest in Alzheimer's care. For more information contact us
FACT SHEET on MELABEV
The people we serve:
In our day care centers and Memory Clubs for the elderly with Alzheimer's-like symptoms the average age of our participants is past 80, 1/3 of whom are Holocaust survivors
Not only does Melabev care for the person with dementia , but also for the family caregivers. In many ways we offer support to the family so they may cope with their burden of care. This is done through support groups and family meetings with the social workers from the day care centers or home care. Melabev also believes that giving the family knowledge empowers them in their task so we provide a library and resource center, website, and lectures with the latest updated information on care of people with dementia.
Safety Tips for Seniors
These safety tips are not meant to frighten or alarm anyone G-d forbid, but rather to help us all be more aware of potential danger. These tips are applicable to everyone and are meant to help us develop safer habits for self- protection.
The elderly are often especially vulnerable due to their trusting nature (they grew up in a safer generation) and their weaker physical state. Unfortunately crime has increased due to drug abuse and addiction. However, the police are working round the clock to increase security especially among the elder population throughout Israel.
Melabev's Resource center includes a library , this interactive website with new articles regularly, and our Melabev staff. With these you can keep updated on the latest in Alzheimer's care. There is also a section on memory improvement - information we give as a service to those entering our website.
Sharon Ron , speech language pathologist and director of MAYTAV clinic, gave an in-service training session to MELABEV staff titled ”Better treatment for Alzheimer's patients with swallowing problems” to enable Melabev staff to be better equipped to help their clients with swallowing difficulties. For our readers, we asked Ms. Ron about swallowing issues that could affect dementia patients, at home.
Sharon Ron, M.Ed. CCC-SLP
Years ago the word Alzheimer's disease was never heard. Now it is a problem that affects millions of people around the world and can be seen in newspaper headlines in many different languages. Researchers from all disciplines are trying to add to the body of knowledge on this devestating disease in the hope of improving the quality of life of the people suffering from its effects and their family caregivers. Maybe one of them may find a cure. What is the best way to find updated reliable information in this vast field? Continue reading for links to some reccommended places to start.
Spinal-Fluid Test Is Found to Predict Alzheimer’s
(Source:Archives of Neurology)
A recent research study found that a spinal fluid test can be 100 percent accurate in identifying patients with significant memory loss who are on their way to developing Alzheimer’s disease.The new study included more than 300 patients in their 70s whose spinal fluid was analyzed for amyloid beta, a protein fragment that forms plaques in the brain, and for tau, a protein that accumulates in dead and dying nerve cells in the brain.
The results showed that nearly every person with Alzheimer’s had the characteristic spinal fluid protein levels. Nearly three quarters of people with mild cognitive impairment, a memory impediment that can precede Alzheimer’s, had Alzheimer’s-like spinal fluid proteins. And every one of those patients with the proteins developed Alzheimer’s within five years. And about a third of people with normal memories had spinal fluid indicating Alzheimer’s. Researchers suspect that those people will develop memory problems.
Name that tune: Alzheimer's patients more easily recall new information when it is sung to them
(Source:Journal Neuropsychologia) Researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine set out to determine whether Alzheimer's patients would be better able to recall new information if it was sung to them, as opposed to merely spoken. Alzheimer's patients and older healthy control subjects were visually presented with the lyrics to 40 songs. Half of the lyrics were presented along with the original recordings. The other half was presented in a spoken format. They found that the Alzheimer's patients could more easily recall the lyrics when they were accompanied by the musical recording.
Israel tests new Alzheimer's treatment
(Source:Israel21c.org)Israel-based Avraham Pharmaceuticals has received a $9 million investment to pursue a Phase IIb clinical trial of Ladostigil, a novel drug for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Ladostigil was envisaged by Prof. Marta Weinstock-Rosin (wife of Prof. Rosin from Melabev) of the Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Prof. Moussa B.H. Youdim of the Eve Top and National Parkinson Foundation Centers of Excellence Rappaport School of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
New Alzheimer's Drug May Reverse Dementia Symptoms
(Source: Medicalnewstoday.com)Prana Biotechnology announced findings that the company's experimental drug, PBT2, may be able to reverse dementia symptoms.
Combination of Depression and Diabetes Doubles the risk for Dementia
(Source: University of Washington) - According to a recent study, adults who have both diabetes and major depression are more than twice as likely to develop dementia, compared to adults with diabetes only.
Atitudes of families to the use of GPS-tracking devices
(Source:Social Science research network)This study examined the attitudes of family and professional care-givers towards the use of advanced electronic tracking such as GPS (Global Positioning Systems) and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) for elderly people with dementia.
Use of Psychotropics in Nursing Homes Dangerous for Dementia Patients
Greek study shows Memantine has positive effects on Alzheimer's Patients
(Source: Docguide) Cognitive and neuropsychiatric symptoms improved or remained the same in 80% of 1,469 Alzheimer's patients after 6 months of treatment with memantine.
The previous study days for professionals working with the elderly , held by Melabev about care for people with Alzheimer's disease and dementia were fully booked and some people had to be turned away. For that reason we are offering another study day on 26/4/2010 from 9:00 -13:45 . The title is "Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia - Making the Most of the Moment". If you are a nurse, social worker or in another profession that works with the elderly this is for you. A light lunch will be served. Read on for the full program and for information on how to register.
