Spring 2011

The Hope Connection
THE NEWSLETTER OF THE ALVIN A. DUBIN ALZHEIMER’S RESOURCE CENTER
Where there’s hope...
Spring 2011
Volume 16, Issue 2
First Biomarker for
Creutzfeldt-Jakob
Caregivers Face Major Financial Burdens,
Increased Stress, and Work Struggles
With the population of
America continuing to age,
and 2011 bringing the highest percentage ever of U.S.
citizens above the age of 65,
there is now a greater need
for caregivers than ever
before. A new survey from
Caring.com has revealed that
the majority of caregivers
are deeply impacted by the
financial and emotional costs
of caring for their loved
ones.
Caring for a loved one
takes a heavy toll on the
caregivers' work life, as
more than one-third of all
survey respondents indicated
that their work situation was
impacted by either having to
quit their job, retire early,
reduce hours, or take a
leave of absence. Combined
with the 37 percent of
respondents
who
aren't
working, the survey shows
that a startling 74 percent of
caregivers have either had
to change their job situation
or are not working.
These results, coupled
with the findings that 42
percent are spending more
than $5,000 a year on caring
and over 60 percent are
concerned about the impact
that providing care is
having on their savings,
clearly demonstrate that the
financial toll of caregiving is
a major issue for the
millions of Americans who
care for their loved ones.
Caregiving also results in
measurable emotional costs.
The survey indicates that
caring for a loved one is
the number-one source of
stress among respondents
(69 percent), ahead of the
downturn in the economy
and other family medical
problems.
In terms of family relationships, more than a
quarter said their relationships had been negatively
impacted by providing care.
However, 75 percent say
their caregiver role is a
source of pride because
they're making a difference
for their loved one.
"As Americans age and
live longer, many continue
to live at home or move
in with relatives by choice
or as a result of tough
economic times requiring
care from family members,"
said Andy Cohen, cofounder and CEO of
Caring.com.
"These survey results
illustrate the significant
impact that caring for an
aging parent, spouse, or
relative is having, as well as
the opportunity to provide
more support to this
growing population now 43
million strong."
Caregivers perform a
variety
of
tasks
for
their loved ones, including
shopping,
talking
with
doctors, and obtaining and
administering medications.
Fifty-eight percent spend
more than 10 hours per
week providing caregiving
service, while 22 percent
spend more than 40 hours
per week. Many respondents
represent the "Sandwich
Generation" including 27
percent who have children
under age 25 living at home.
Caregivers in the Sandwich
Generation are more likely
to experience stress from
their jobs and relationships.
Sixty
percent
of
respondents live with the
loved one for whom they
provide care. Half of family
caregivers surveyed have
searched online for a senior
living facility or in-home
care. Among those surveyed
were
caregivers
whose
loved ones have Alzheimer’s
disease or another form of
dementia.
In total, close to 1,000
family caregivers participated in the Caring.com
Usage and Attitude Survey
in November 2010.
Taken from: Caring.com
Featured in this issue..........
Financial Incapacity May Signal Worsening Dementia .................................................................
Caregivers’ Corner & Support Group Information.......…....................................................................
Government Report Finds Elder Abuse on the Rise............................................................................
Researchers and Providers Urge US Senate to Safeguard Research Funding ..................
Study Points to Liver Not Brain as Origin of AD Plaques...................................................................
4
5
7
10
11
US researchers have
identified the first biomarker
for the human form of mad
cow disease, a rare and fatal
brain condition that typically
kills people within one year
of onset.
At present the only way
to diagnose CreutzfeldtJakob disease is by studying
brain tissue after a person
dies. There is no cure.
If the biomarker can be
used to develop a common
test for the disease, it could
help prevent its spread
among healthy people and
reduce
misdiagnosis
of
potentially treatable dementia cases, the researchers
said.
Scientists believe the
disease can transfer from
infected cattle to humans
when people eat tainted
meat.
"Levels of the irontransport protein transferrin
(Tf) are significantly decreased in the cerebrospinal
fluid (CSF) of patients with
sCJD well before the end
stage of the disease, potentially allowing for earlier
diagnosis," said the study in
the online scientific journal
PLoS ONE.
The biomarker was 80
percent accurate at distinguishing between mad cow
and dementia, said the study
led by Neena Singh and colleagues at Case Western
Reserve University School
of Medicine in Cleveland,
Ohio.
Taken from:www.google.com
The Hope Connection
Board of Trustees
Britton Swank, President
Osterhout, McKinney & Prather
Jamie Seneca, Vice President
G.E. Medical
Al O’Donnell, Treasurer
O’Donnell Landscapes
Carol Osterhout, Secretary
BB&T Bank
Peg Gray-Vickrey, Past President
Florida Gulf Coast University
Tim Ficker
Cypress Cove
Stan Grigiski
Medical Claim Service
Archie B. Hayward, Jr
Lee County Court Judge
Jill Jamieson
Fallback Productions
Keith Kyle
Circuit Court Judge
Jim Nolte
Wells Fargo Advisors
Pam Pence, Advisory Board Chair
Community Volunteer
Lou Pontius
Community Volunteer
Kathy Shimp
Community Volunteer
Doug Waldorf
Henderson Franklin
Craig Wolf
Community Volunteer
From the Director’s Desk … Dotty St. Amand, Executive Director
It is our
pleasure to
take
the
opportunity
each spring
to acknowledge
the
dedication
and hard work of our center’s volunteers. We join
the many charitable organizations around the country
who are celebrating National
Volunteer Appreciation
Week in April.
While we recognize the
value and importance of our
volunteers on a daily basis,
it is fitting to carve out a
to each and every one of the
talented people who serve on
our Boards, volunteer in our
office, help us with special
events, and host our donor
appreciation
receptions.
We are especially grateful
to all of our volunteers who
quietly go about their way
bringing new people in need
of our services to our door.
This is the true mark of our
success when a caregiver
who has spent his journey
with us becomes a volunteer
to help us expand our outreach to others in need.
We thank each of you for
your dedication to our cause.
A Light To Remember 2011
Advisory Board
Scott Anstadt, PhD, DCSW, LCSW
Florida Gulf Coast University
Ronnie Goodwich, MD
Radiology Regional Center
Norma Hand Brill
Elder Law Attorney
Janette L’Heureux
Leading Edge Financial Group
Tracy Lima
Trusted Financial Services
Mabel Lopez, PhD
Mind and Brain Care
Jim McLaughlin
WINK News Radio
Dawn Moore
Lee Memorial Health System
Hudson Rogers, DBA, Vice Chair
Florida Gulf Coast University
Shirley Ruder, EdD MSN, MS, RN
Florida Gulf Coast University
Frederick Schaerf, MD, PhD
Neuropsychiatric Research Center
Michael Skaggs
Heartland Health Care Center
Halcyon St. Hill, EdD, MS, MT
Florida Gulf Coast University
special week to shine light
on their efforts to help make
our community a better place
to live.
The numerous hours that
volunteers give to our
center make a huge
impact on our ability to
carry out our mission
to provide education, information, and support to
people with dementia and
their caregivers.
It is through the many
talents and treasures given
by our volunteers that we are
able to reach our goals and
realize success in our efforts.
Our sincere thanks goes out
Sponsored by
Fox Electronics
Please visit our web site to view the list of individuals
whose lives were celebrated at A Light to Remember
www.alzheimersswfl.org
Emeriti Board
Bill Beckwith, PhD
Memory Management
John Belisle
BB&T - Oswald Trippe and Company
Bill Enslen
Community Volunteer
Patricia Hessel
Retired Certified Public Accountant
Douglas Newland, MD
Neurologist
Julie Osterhout
Osterhout, McKinney & Prather
Nancy Silvers, RN C
Retired Registered Nurse
Nancy Zant
HealthPark Care Center
Become a fan of the Alvin A.
Dubin Alzheimer’s Resource
Center on Facebook!
The Alvin A. Dubin Alzheimer’s Resource Center, Inc. is a non-profit organization. The Hope Connection is a quarterly newsletter published
by the Alvin A. Dubin Alzheimer’s Resource Center, Inc., 10051 McGregor Blvd. Ste. 101, Ft. Myers, FL 33919. Advertisements that appear
in this newsletter are paid advertisements, not endorsements by the Dubin Alzheimer’s Resource Center.
The New Medicare Annual Wellness Exam
The Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act, also known as
“Health Care Reform,” signed into law
in 2010 made a few upgrades to
Medicare with a focus on prevention
and early detection.
The Alzheimer’s Foundation of
America (AFA) has published a userfriendly hand-out which outlines the
inclusion of assessment of cognitive
functioning as part of the annual
wellness exam.
AFA’s hand-out includes the
following information:
Facts about the Medicare exam:
• Starting in January 2011, Medicare
will now pay for a wellness exam
once every 12 months.
• There are no deductibles or copayments for this visit.
• The exam includes the creation or
update of a personalized prevention
plan based on your current health and
risk factors.
• The exam also includes the detection
of any cognitive impairment.
• The visit may be performed by a
doctor or any other healthcare
provider recognized by Medicare.
More details about cognitive
impairment:
• The detection of a cognitive impairment is not necessarily a diagnosis of
Alzheimer’s disease. Some memory
problems can be readily treated,
such as those caused by vitamin
deficiencies or thyroid problems.
Other memory problems may result
from causes that are not currently
reversible, such as Alzheimer’s
disease. If your practitioner suspects
a problem, additional tests can be run
to more accurately determine the
cause.
Note: Further tests or
doctors’ visits not included in the
annual wellness exam may require
some out-of-pocket costs. Ask your
doctor or Medicare if you have
questions about coverage.
• If you have questions or concerns
about your memory, don’t hesitate to
ask your doctor or other healthcare
professional during this visit or at
any other time.
Qualifying for the visit:
• You must have been receiving
Medicare Part B benefits for at least
12 months.
• If you have had your initial, one-time
“Welcome to Medicare” physical
exam within the last 12 months, you
will be eligible for your first wellness
exam one year from the date of that
initial visit.
For a copy of the complete hand-out,
call 437-3007 or visit www.alzfdn.org.
The Hope Connection
Spring 2011
Dolores Bertolini presents a check
from the Charles J. Bonaparte
Lodge 2504 to Dotty St. Amand of
the Dubin Alzheimer’s Resource
Center to help support caregiver
programs in our community.
Success has nothing
to do with what you
gain in life or accomplish
for yourself.
It’s what you do
for others.
- Danny Thomas
Page 3
The Hope Connection
Spring 2011
Financial Incapacity May Signal Worsening Dementia
Many Americans have the community with focal
The authors suggest that
AstraZeneca to pay
struggled
with
the
thorny
memory
or
other
cognitive
timely
identification and
$68.5M settlement
The pharmaceutical giant
AstraZeneca, which has
its U.S. headquarters in
Delaware, has settled claims
that it "promoted its blockbuster psychiatric drug,
Seroquel, for insomnia,
Alzheimer's,
and
other
unapproved
uses,"
the
Philadelphia Inquirer reports
in an Associated Press story.
Thirty-six states and the
District of Columbia will
share in a $68.5 million
settlement, with New Jersey,
which led the case, getting
$1.85 million and Delaware
getting $1.4 million.
Pennsylvania's share was
not yet reported, the story
said. The company resolved
federal government claims
regarding Seroquel's marketing last year for $520
million.
"While we deny the
allegations,
AstraZeneca
believes it is important to
bring these matters to a close
and move forward with our
business
of
providing
medicines to patients," a
company spokesman said.
Taken from:
www.bizjournals.com
issue of taking the car keys
from an aging parent or
grandparent. But how do
you know when to take
away the checkbook?
Physicians need to help
patients and families dealing
with Alzheimer's disease
and
its
pre-cursor,
mild cognitive impairment
(MCI), recognize when an
older patient is losing the
ability to manage their
own financial affairs, say
researchers at the University
of Alabama at Birmingham
and the University of
California at San Francisco
in commentary published in
the Journal of the American
Medical Association.
"Financial capacity is
essential for an individual to
function independently in
our society," says study
co-author Daniel Marson,
J.D., Ph.D., professor of
neurology and director of
the
UAB
Alzheimer's
Disease Center. "Diagnosis
of cognitive impairment
generally, and MCI and
Alzheimer's disease specifically, should signal likely
financial impairment and
prompt
physicians
to
encourage patients and
families to seek financial
and legal advance planning."
Patients with MCI typically still are functioning in
impairments but are beginning to show initial signs of
functional decline. Marson
and his group have published
a number of empirical
studies detailing impairments of financial skills in
patients with Alzheimer's
disease.
In 2009, Marson and his
group published a major
paper on declining financial
capacity in MCI and
progression to Alzheimer's,
which involved a tool
developed at UAB called the
Financial Capacity Instrument. The FCI measures
capacity across 20 tasks,
including understanding a
bank statement, balancing a
checkbook, paying bills, preparing bills for mailing and
counting coins and currency.
"Declining financial capacity is a good barometer
for progression of both MCI
and Alzheimer's disease,"
said Marson, "Our previous
research has shown that a
decline
in
checkbookmanagement skills can be
a harbinger of a patient's
progression from MCI to
early Alzheimer's dementia.
Emerging impairments in
financial skills and judgment
often are the first functional
changes demonstrated by
patients
with
incipient
dementia."
informal
assessment
of
financial impairment by
clinicians often can lead
to the establishment of
effective financial protections for affected patients
and limit the economic
and legal hardships that
often accompany financial
incapacity.
They
offer
guidance on recognizing
possible impaired financial
capacity and signs of financial abuse.
Marson says it's important for families, caregivers
and health-care professionals
to be vigilant about changes
in an older patient's financial
abilities to avoid potential
catastrophic financial losses
due to poor decision-making,
fraud and other forms of
exploitation.
Caregivers should oversee a patient's checking
transactions, contact the
bank to detect irregularities
such as bills being paid twice
or become co-signers on a
checking account so that
joint signatures are required
for checks above a certain
amount.
Online banking
and bill-payment services are
also options for families.
Source: University of
Alabama at Birmingham
Taken from:
Medicalnewstoday.com
Page 4
Caregivers’ Corner
The Hope Connection
Spring 2011
In the Resource Room
The Alvin A. Dubin
Alzheimer’s Resource Center
invites you to join your
fellow caregivers for a
relaxing morning walk in the park
with Laugh Yoga followed
by lunch at Perkins
April 11, 2011
9:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Meet at Lakes Park
7330 Gladiolus Dr, Fort Myers
Cost: Your lunch and parking at the park
For more information, call (239) 437-3007
RSVP by April 7, 2011
Mama Moves In: 5 ½ Years of Eldercare
in My Home by Thomas A. Dyke.
This book is laid out to guide you through
the author’s experience caregiving for his
mother. He explains everything in great
detail, but makes it very easy to read and to
relate back to your own experiences. The
book is very interactive. A compact disk
is included with the book to supplement information provided. There is also a website
that the author has put together with links
to research databases pertinent to the topics
covered in the book. The author discusses
topics such as home safety, practical and
emotional aspects of caregiving, rewards
of eldercare, and resources for caregivers.
Mama Moves In is a great read not only for
adult children caring for parents, but also for
spouses or others who are caregivers for a
loved one.
ALZHEIMER’S SUPPORT GROUPS OF LEE COUNTY
BONITA SPRINGS
Hope Lutheran Church
CAPE CORAL
Gulf Coast Village
FORT MYERS
Broadway Community Church
Mt. Herman Baptist Church
Westminster Presbyterian
Congregational Church
Pine Lakes Country Club
PINE ISLAND
Pine Island United Methodist
LEHIGH
United Way House
SANIBEL
Sanibel Congregational
United Church of Christ
LABELLE
First Christian Church
ADULT CHILDREN GROUP
Dubin Alzheimer’s
Resource Center
LONG TERM CARE ISSUES
Dubin Alzheimer’s
Resource Center
Monthly
10:30 AM - 4th Monday
2:00 PM
- 1st & 3rd Thursdays
2:00 PM
2:30 PM
9:45 AM
10:00 AM
2:00 PM
- 2nd Tuesday
- 3rd Wednesday
- 2nd & 4th Wednesdays
- 3rd Wednesday
- 4th Thursday
10:30 AM - 1st Thursday
2:00 PM
- 3rd Monday
1:30 PM
- 4th Wednesday
Speakers:
Addressing Challenging Behaviors
Lois Coleman, MS, Health Educator
Alvin A. Dubin Alzheimer’s Resource Center
Cape Coral - April 21st 2:00 p.m.
Westminster - April 27th 9:45 a.m.
Transitioning Between Levels of Care
Leigh Ann Hagedorn, MSW Intern
Lisa Troulis, MSW, Social Worker
Alvin A. Dubin Alzheimer’s Resource Center
Cape Coral - May 19th 2:00 p.m.
Westminster - May 25th 9:45 a.m.
Protecting Yourself from Frauds and Scams
1:00 PM
- 1st Wednesday
Beth Schell, Community Outreach
Lee County Sheriff’s Office
6:15 PM
- 1st Tuesday
Cape Coral - June 16th 2:00 p.m.
Westminster - June 22nd 9:45 a.m.
10:00 AM - 3rd Tuesday
FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL (239) 437-3007
New PATH - Early Stage Alzheimer’s Group
A special program for individuals with
early stage dementia.
For information, please call (239) 437-3007.
Page 5
The Hope Connection
Gifts to the Dubin Alzheimer’s Resource Center
Spring 2011
Our sincere thanks to the following individuals and businesses who gave a memorial, honorary or general gift during
the months of October, November, and December. Gifts not listed will appear in the Summer issue.
I
n Memory Of
Clients and clients' relatives of
Osterhout, McKinney & Prather
Dr. Anthony Billett
Carole Billett
Trixie M. Pottorf
Goodwill Industries of SW FL
Madeleine Plummer
W.C. Cupe Family of Schools
Joan Mason Stephans
Oren Stephans
Lillian Baste
Marg and Don Keighley
Joan and Carl Bice
Barbara and Fred Pelletier
Marie C. Loew
Charles Pomerening
Dena Glidden
Marilyn and Lloyd Andrews
Deborah Pavelka
Edith and Lee Schick
Sharon and Jerry Nelson
Rosemarie Hammond
Steven Whitley
Roetzel & Andress
Kristine Hawkins-Tye
Judy Mass
Stephanie Sitkins
Karen Pati
Mary Ellen Scherzer
Marcia Siler
Alice and Richard Pego
Beverly and Armand Ball
George Kratsios
Regina Klein
Ann Kratsios
Estelle M. Feldman
Mary Moorcroft
John Lodwick
The Regency Social Club,
Friends and Neighbors
Al Lowry
Charlene Bretl
John (Jack) E. Kiburz
Charles Maloy
Meredith and Glenn Higgins
Sophia Humpidge
Mary and Bill Cyzewski
Ralph Hegsted
Raymond "Raymo" Thompson
Ina Hunsucker
Frances Maiorca
Pat Honess
Joanna S. Bach
Ronald Bach
Margareta E. West
Carolyn and Herbert Conant
Francine T. Smith
Deanne Butindaro
John Butrick
Janet Graverson, Jen and Loren
Mildred Fahey
Estella Holloway
Ron and Deborah Woolever
Carl Lorman
Joan Lorman
Charles Sandone
Elizabeth Person
Dr. Milton Richards
Adele Richards Wright
Merlie M. Hall
Bob Hall
Titania Tarwid
Taicia Ryan
Bruce A. Jamieson
Jill Jamieson
Donald Plumley
Lowell DeVasure
Dorothy DeVasure
Mary J. Porter
Beta Sigma Phi
Laureate Delta Xi
My Husband Jack E. Moore
Virginia Moore
Thomas H. Baker
Donna Baker
Charlotte L. Howley
Edmund Howley
Gus Marcantonio
Nancy Marcantonio
Marie Knouse
Shirley Koplow
Sara Davis Shackleford
Rosalyn Davis and Family
Gary Wells
Sherri Coburn
Grace Koch
Carol Emrick
Hank Young
Henry Young
John L. Driefer
Jan Driefer
Judith Singer
Emanuel Singer
Lloyd B. Hicks
Florence Hicks
Malcolm B. Henderson
Pamela and Michael Lariviere
Nancy Lottie
James Warder
Tom Shirkey
Katie and Tom Bartholomew
Winton Kloosterman
Marilyn Kloosterman
Velma Hanson
Mary Giarratani
I
n Honor Of
Betty Seidenwand
Karen Shemansky
Joseph Lane
Karen Miller
Mary Layne
Jodie and Gary Layne
Patricia Graddy
Nicole and Albert Frierson
Kathleen E. Singleton
Walter Singleton
Betty Williams
Ed Williams
Edith W. Lyon
Nancy Van Buskirk
James Wahlert
Robert and Donna Wahlert
Mr. Alfonso Palmietto
Gloria Palmietto
Genevieve Meyers
Genevieve and Richard Meyers
Dr. Gaitono Raineri
Dorle Samuels
Sheila Wilson
Sheila and Andy Wilson
Christie and Arthur Knudsen's
63rd Anniversary
Mary and Jack Woods
Cliff Herdman
Doris Herdman
Thelma Padawer
Micha Klugman-Caspi
Rosemary J. Hilton
William Hilton
Samuel Stratton
Anna Kerstner
Mary Elizabeth Woods' Birthday
Christie and Art Knudsen
Helen Hunt
Donald Hunt
Mary E. and Thomas J. Woods
Mary Smith
I
ndividual Donations
Edward Kurek
Jennifer Felt
Amy and Pete Gravina
Ruth Morgan
Jamie and Matt Seneca
Deirdre Sullivan Mann
Frances Resca
Gary Booth
Gayle and Chris Bundschu
Mr. and Mrs. Allen Prather
Timothy Ficker
Brent Hall
Doris Herdman
Isabelle Schuessler
Adrianne Gerard
Danielle Mauder
Marsha McDermott
Roberta Shannon
Karen Shemansky
Dotty St. Amand
Dolores Bertolini
Tracy Lima
Joyce Westmass
Ellen De Tournillon
Dorle Samuels
Ann and Bob Leininger
Jane Sweeney
Mary Ann Ferrarese
Arthur Hartman
Charlene Miller
Kenneth Walker
Keith Kyle
Richard Raney
Joseph Kotler
Donald Prohaska
Lisa Cronin Miller
Flo States
T.W. Quinn
Floyd Fought
Joan and A.J. Richter
Pat and Bob Brown
Paul Dwyer
Carl Queck
Kathleen Webb
Bev and Fred De Wolfe
Steve and Kathy Shimp
Carol and Kevin Conway
Lynda Leonard-Boyce
C
ivic Gifts and Grants
United Way of Lee, Hendry
& Glades
Lee Memorial Health System
Sanibel Congregational
United Church
Zelda Dubin Memorial
Philanthropic Fund of the
Columbus Jewish Foundation
C
orporate Gifts
Fox Electronics
A Light To Remember
Gulf Coast Village
Brushstrokes From the Soul
Fred's Award World
USAdocufinish
Schlager, Schlager & Levin
Abby Services
SeniorBridge Fort Myers
Direct Access Home Health
Law Office of Norma Hand Brill
Senior Living Guide
The Windsor
Winkler Court
Millennium House
Mind and Brain Care
Right At Home
Skaggs LTC
Nolte Wealth Management
Accent Business Products
Emeritus at the Lakes
and Fort Myers
Professional Nurses Registry
Home Instead
Bright Star Healthcare
Page 6
Government Report Finds Elder Abuse on the Rise
A rising number of
elder abuse cases threatens
to overwhelm inadequately
staffed
adult
protective
service agencies in many
states, according to a report
released by the federal
Government Accountability
Office.
At a hearing of the
Senate Special Committee
on Aging, Kay Brown,
director of education, work
force and income security at
the accountability office,
testified that state agencies
also were seeing increasingly
complex cases involving
multiple types of abuse. Yet
funding for state-level adult
protective services agencies
which Kathleen Quinn,
executive director of the
National Adult Protective
Services Association, described as the “boots on the
ground in the fight against
elder abuse” is not keeping
pace.
In the report’s survey, 25
of the 39 responding states
reported that total funding
for adult protective services
over the past five years
decreased or remained the
same. As a result, staffing
and training have suffered at
state agencies handling elder
abuse cases, she said.
“If you want to work at
Starbucks, you have to go
through 40 hours of training
before you make your first
latte,” Ms. Quinn told
members of the Senate
Special
Committee
on
Aging. “But we will send
an A.P.S. person out in
some jurisdictions because
they have no money right
out of college, and hope
they learn on the job.”
Ms. Quinn and other
witnesses called for more
federal leadership and coordinated efforts to help stem
elder abuse.
Also at the hearing,
the actor Mickey Rooney
testifies
that
he
had
experienced elder abuse.
Mr. Rooney, 90, said that
money had been stolen from
him and that he had not
been allowed to make
important decisions. When
he complained, he was told
that he didn’t know what he
was talking about.
“I felt trapped, scared,
used and frustrated,” Mr.
Rooney said. Yet he was
also afraid to tell anyone, he
added.
Federal agencies need a
more centralized system for
tracking elder abuse, said
Dr. Mark Lachs, co-chief of
geriatric medicine at Cornell
University. “People move
from system to system, from
housing to law enforcement
to any number of venues,
and no one has ownership of
the entire case,” said Dr.
Lachs. “I think we need
some über knowledge of
how these individuals are
traversing the system.”
Indeed, in many states
it’s not even clear what
constitutes elder abuse.
Citing officials at the
federal Administration on
Aging, the Government
Accountability Office report
said establishing a nationwide data collection system
was difficult because there
is no common state-level
definition of elder abuse.
The report’s recommendations call for the secretary
of health and human
services to develop a
national resource center for
elder abuse information for
protective services agencies
in the states. Further, the
report said a federal body
should help determine what
state-level elder abuse data
would be useful for all states
and the federal government
to collect.
The chairman of the
Special
Committee
on
Aging, Senator Herb Kohl,
(D)-WI, reintroduced the
Elder Abuse Victims Act.
The bill would establish an
office of elder justice within
the federal Justice Department charged with protecting
the elderly by strengthening
law enforcement responses
to abuse.
Taken from:
newoldage.blogs.nytimes.com
The Hope Connection
Spring 2011
LEAPP Hosts
Events in
Lee County
Lee Elder Abuse
Prevention Partnership
Shred-a-Thon
will be held on
Saturday, May 21, 2011
9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Locations in Lee County
to be announced
World Elder Abuse
Awareness Day
June 15, 2011
Watch for details about
LEAPP’s event to mark
World Elder Abuse
Awareness Day
Call (239) 437-3007
for details
Page 7
The Hope Connection
Spring 2011
Mark Your Calendar for these May Events
Justin Schaeffer of Irresistible
Confections was awarded the
Favorite Chocolate Creator Award
at the 2010 Sweet Memories gala event
Annual Meeting of the Alvin A. Dubin Alzheimer’s Resource Center
May 2011 - Date to be announced
5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Reception & Program
Caregivers, donors, and all guests are welcome to join us as
we celebrate another successful year
Call 437-3007 for details.
Page 8
CARING ACROSS GENERATIONS
The Hope Connection
Spring 2011
An Educational Series for Family Caregivers
Offered by Dubin Alzheimer’s Resource Center in collaboration with LEAPP
Caregiver Education funded by the Area Agency on Aging for Southwest Florida
May 10, 2011
Being an Informed Caregiver
Lois Coleman, Dubin Alzheimer’s Resource Center
Lisa Troulis, Dubin Alzheimer’s Resource Center
Linda Pankow, United Way 211
Eric Flusche, Senior Friendship Center
May 17, 2011
Making Sense of Legal Matters
Beth Prather, Elder Law Attorney
Osterhout, McKinney, & Prather
Learn about basic legal documents, how/when to prepare
Learn about local programs and services available to caregivers
legal documents, guardianship and other legal issues.
as well as respite and long term care options.
May 24, 2011
Making the Most of Your Money
May 31, 2011
Considering Care Throughout the Illness
Reina Schlager, CPA, RHU, CSA
Schlager, Schlager, & Levin
Dotty St. Amand, Executive Director
Dubin Alzheimer’s Resource Center
Learn about helping your loved one increase income, lower
tax bill, and find funds you may not know are available.
Learn about strategies to help ease stress related
to the caregiving journey.
Call (239) 437-3007 for more information or to register. Sessions will
be offered from 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. at United Way of Lee, Hendry, and
Glades County (7273 Concourse Drive, Fort Myers) for spouses, families
or other primary caregivers. Light refreshments will be provided.
Page 9
The Hope Connection
Spring 2011
Nearly 400 Alzheimer’s
researchers and service
providers from across the
country sent a letter in late
February urging Senators
to defend maintenance of
FY2011 funding for the
National Institutes of Health
(NIH) at FY2010 funding
levels or better.
Pointing to the already
massive costs of caring for
individuals with Alzheimer’s
disease, which will only
continue to accelerate as
baby boomers turn 65, the
letter highlights the fiscal
wisdom of NIH investments
aimed at preventing or
curing a disease that threatens to bankrupt our healthcare system.
“Alzheimer’s is a cancersized problem requiring a
cancer-sized response,” said
Dr. Stanley Prusiner, Nobel
Laureate, recent recipient of
the National Medal of
Science and director of the
Institute for Neurodegenerative
Diseases
at
the
University of California, San
Francisco. “Yet, to date, the
Alzheimer’s field is grossly
underfunded, at a level of
Hundreds of Alzheimer’s Researchers and Providers Urge
US Senate to Safeguard Federal Research Funding
less than ten percent that of
cancer and the level of
meritorious peer-reviewed
grants is at an all time low.”
The letter signatories also
emphasize that shrinking
already minimal support for
research on Alzheimer’s
disease and other agingrelated disorders at a time
when our population is
aging will only increase
ballooning Medicare and
Medicaid costs. Currently,
Medicare beneficiaries with
multiple chronic conditions,
including Alzheimer’s disease, cost three times as
much as those without
Alzheimer’s disease; and for
Medicaid, the costs of an
Alzheimer’s beneficiary are
nine times that of a nonAlzheimer’s beneficiary.
“If
we
do
not
invest today in biomedical
innovation for major chronic
diseases that affect older
Americans,
such
as
Alzheimer's disease, we will
bankrupt Medicare and
Medicaid in the years
to come,” said George
Vradenburg, chairman and
co-founder of USAgainst
Alzheimer’s. “This is a
reality our nation simply
cannot afford and cannot
accept. Without striving for
a cure for Alzheimer’s, we
are accepting the fact that we
will be a nation in the
nursing home business - the
iron-lung-and-leg-bracesbusiness of the 21st century.”
Last year, Alzheimer’s
disease costs were estimated
at $172 billion, yet the
federal investment at the
NIH in Alzheimer’s disease
research was less than one
percent of that amount.
With an estimated 5.1 million Americans diagnosed
with Alzheimer’s disease,
and the incidence expected
to increase drastically over
the coming decades, the burden of the costly disease will
fall on the shoulders of
American families.
“Failing to support promising research for a cure
to this devastating disease
is morally indefensible,
especially as millions of
American
families
are
already struggling to care for
loved ones with Alzheimer’s
disease,” said Eric J. Hall,
president and chief executive
officer of the Alzheimer’s
Foundation of America.
“The time for investment in
NIH research is now.”
Cuts to NIH funding are
also putting at risk the global
competitive advantage the
United States has traditionally enjoyed in bio-medical
research.
“The best places to start
new careers in Alzheimer’s
research are no longer in
the United States because
the NIH is inadequately
supported by the Federal
budget," said Dr. Sam
Gandy, director of the Mount
Sinai Center for Cognitive
Health in New York. "The
Federal government must
adequately
invest
in
Alzheimer’s research or lose
a global advantage it has
enjoyed for fifty years.
Promising leads for preventing Alzheimer's in the aging
Boomer population are dying
on the vine. Sadly, I see no
prospects for improvement.”
Full text of the letter is
available at: http://3092662.r
62.cf0.rackcdn.com/EAD_Le
tter_to_the_US_Senate.pdf
Page 10
Scripps Research Study Points to Liver Not Brain
as Origin of Alzheimer’s Plaques
Unexpected results from
a Scripps Research Institute
and ModGene, LLC study
could
completely
alter
scientists'
ideas
about
Alzheimer's disease pointing
to the liver instead of the
brain as the source of the
"amyloid" that deposits as
brain plaques associated with
this devastating condition.
The findings could offer a
relatively simple approach
for Alzheimer's prevention
and treatment.
The study was published
online in The Journal of
Neuroscience Research. In
the study, the scientists
used a mouse model for
Alzheimer's
disease
to
identify genes that influence
the amount of amyloid that
accumulates in the brain.
They found three genes that
protected mice from brain
amyloid accumulation and
deposition. For each gene,
lower expression in the liver
protected the mouse brain.
One
of
the
genes
encodes presenilin a cell
membrane protein believed
to contribute to the development of human Alzheimer's.
"This unexpected finding
holds promise for the
development of new therapies to fight Alzheimer's,"
said
Scripps
Research
Professor Greg Sutcliffe,
who led the study. "This
could greatly simplify the
challenge of developing
therapies and prevention."
In trying to help solve
the Alzheimer's puzzle,
in the past few years
Sutcliffe and his collaborators have focused their
research
on
naturally
occurring, inherited differences
in
neurological
disease susceptibility among
different mouse strains,
creating extensive databases
cataloging gene activity
in different tissues, as
measured
by
mRNA
accumulation. These data
offer up maps of trait
expression that can be
superimposed on maps of
disease modifier genes.
As is the case with nearly
all scientific discovery,
Sutcliffe's research builds on
previous findings. Several
years ago, researchers at
Case
Western
Reserve
mapped three genes that
modify the accumulation of
pathological beta amyloid
in the brains of a transgenic
mouse model of Alzheimer's
disease to large chromosomal regions, each containing
hundreds of genes.
The
Case Western scientists used
crosses between the B6 and
D2 strains of mice, studying
more than 500 progeny.
Using the results from
this study, Sutcliffe turned
his databases of gene
expression to the mouse
model of Alzheimer's, looking for differences in gene
expression that correlated
with differences in disease
susceptibility between the
B6 and D2 strains. This
intensive work involved
writing computer programs
that identified each genetic
difference that distinguished
the B6 and D2 genomes,
then running mathematical
correlation analysis (known
as regression analysis) of
each difference.
Correlations were made between the
genotype differences (B6 or
D2) and the amount of
mRNA product made from
The Hope Connection
Spring 2011
each of the more than 25,000
genes in a particular tissue in
the 40 recombinant inbred
mouse strains. These correlations were repeated 10 times
to cover 10 tissues, the liver
being one of them.
"A key aspect of this
work was learning how to ask
questions of massive data sets
to glean information about the
identities of heritable modifier
genes," Sutcliffe said. "This
was novel and, in a sense,
groundbreaking work: we
were inventing a new way
to identify modifier genes,
putting all of these steps
together and automating the
process. We realized we could
learn about how a transgene's
pathogenic effect was being
modified without studying the
transgenic mice ourselves."
Taken from:
www.scripps.edu
Friends of the Center
Receptions
The Dubin Alzheimer’s Resource Center
invites you to join us
at our next friends reception.
Bring a friend and join us for refreshments
followed by a brief presentation
about the center’s programs and progress.
Receptions are held on various dates.
Call for details
(239) 437-3007
Page 11
Alvin A. Dubin Alzheimer’s Resource Center
10051 McGregor Blvd. Ste. 101
Fort Myers, FL 33919
(239) 437-3007
www.alzheimersswfl.org
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A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY
ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. THE TOLL-FREE NUMBER IS: 1-800-435-7352. FL SOLICITATION OF CONTRIBUTIONS REGISTRATION #SC-06629. 100% OF EACH CONTRIBUTION IS
RECEIVED BY THE ALVIN A. DUBIN ALZHEIMER’S RESOURCE CENTER, INC.
Sweet Memories
Glimmers of Gold
May 14, 2011 at 6:00 p.m.
Your Name:
___________________________________
Address:
___________________________________
YOUR GIFT MATTERS..............
The Alvin A. Dubin Alzheimer’s Resource Center is a
United Way partner agency addressing the needs of people
with memory impairment and their families through support,
education, and advocacy. Please join us by completing and
returning this form to:
The Alvin A. Dubin Alzheimer's Resource Center
10051 McGregor Blvd. Ste. 101, Fort Myers, FL 33919.
City/State/Zip: ___________________________________
Name:
_________________________________
Phone:
Address:
_________________________________
City/State/Zip:
_________________________________
___________________________________
Names of Guests Attending: ________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
Number of tickets _____ x $75.00 = $__________
(total enclosed)
___ I cannot attend - enclosed is my donation
Please send reservation and check to:
The Alvin A. Dubin Alzheimer's Resource Center
10051 McGregor Blvd. Ste. 101, Fort Myers, FL 33919
Phone: _________________________________________
MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS:
Corporate Sponsor
$5000
$1000
$500
Individual Sponsor
$500
$250
Other $ _______
$100
$250
$50
$100
$10
In Memory of _________________________________
In Honor of __________________________________
Call (239) 437-3007 to make a donation via Visa, MasterCard or Discover!
Make your check payable to:
The Alvin A. Dubin Alzheimer’s Resource Center•10051 McGregor Blvd. Ste. 101•Ft. Myers, FL 33919