Nova this week on Alzheimer’s research

M1

Just saw this ad, airs here on Wednesdays. Likely pretty interesting

Stuck in the middle

Thank you, I'll watch for it.

JoseyWales

I'm adding that to my watch list.  Thanks

Joydean

M1, Thanks for the information .

toolbeltexpert

I just watched it. It covers some about caregiver, it covers some of the research that has been going on. I was a little scared when they showed some of the cognitive test and I didn't do well. But in the end they told about those they tested , that didn't  do well and had no issues. It Discussed the behavior that can have an positive impact. Exercise and diet plus memory exercises. Maybe my wife doing sudoko and word find is helpful. I strongly believe Exercise is the most important.  I know that treatments to cure Alzheimers are probably not gonna happen. in my lifetime.The treatments that slow the progression, to me are bad. Why would I want to slow the hell  my dw is in or prolong it. I know that it usually takes this kinds of treatments to get to the cure. It takes a lot of failures to get success.

I didn't learn anything new that I hadn't already researched. This might be helpful to the general population. But I think  Bruce Willis will be more helpful in bringing awareness to Alzheimers. 

On a side note I saw Glynn Campbell live at the Opry  in probably one of his later performances, and he had a little trouble with the songs he had sang for a lifetime. His wife is a big alzheimers advocate. I have included a link to Kim Campbell's website. 

http://www.careliving.org/ 

NylaBlue

Thanks I will watch and record this. The more information on media for the general public the better. I wish there was a way to show the grinding hour by hour reality of caregiving, but it would be difficult to film and most people would not sit through it, too much of a downer, LOL.

M1

I thought they did a pretty good job, especially for the public consumption level.  I thought the stresses of caregiving were fairly depicted--one could do a whole program just on the lack of caregiving resources in our society (and not just for Alzheimer's).  The overall striking thing to me, again, is just what a primitive state our research is still in.  Yes the family studies, lifestyle studies, and studies of early cognitive change are very important, but we are sadly still a long, long way from definitive diagnosis and definitive therapy, much less prevention.  Wouldn't surprise me a bit if it all takes another 50 years or longer.  Would love to be wrong on that one.

Stuck in the middle

One thing they reported is the need to balance when caring for more than one person.  

One woman took on the care of her mother with dementia, thinking her 4-year-old son "could wait."  12 years later, the son was being expelled from Catholic high school due to poor marks and weighed at least 400 pounds.  He had apparently "waited" for 12 years watching TV and eating chips.  He will never regain those developmental years.  He graduated from an alternative school but faces a 30-year "career" of menial labor and an early death from diabetes, hypertension, etc.  His grandmother would not have wanted him to bear such a heavy cost for her care.

We all care for at least two people, ourselves and one or more LOs.