Archives for Alzheimer’s Disease

Music Therapy Shown to Have Powerful Healing Effects in Memory Care

Freedom Home Care has noticed that over the past few years, amazing strides have been made in memory care. As the body ages, so does the mind.  Alzheimer’s is an all too familiar disease that affects the memory.  There are approximately 5.2 million people in the U.S. with Alzheimer’s. Of that number, about five million are adults aged 65 or older. Memory care can be provided in an assisted living setting or through a nursing home. As Alzheimer’s progresses, those who suffer from it usually require more assistance.  Patients may also receive services like 24 hour supervised care in a private
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Memory Tests Could Indicate Alzheimer’s Years in Advance

Surprisingly, many people don’t realize that one of the earliest signs of Alzheimer’s are low scores on memory tests. It could be a mental aptitude test taken prior to being hired for a job, or maybe even a reading comprehension test for a college course. According to recent studies, consistent, incorrect answers or mistakes made on tests like these are a good indicator of progressive brain disease.  What’s even more important is that the results of these memory tests could serve as a warning sign up to 18 years before the disease is even diagnosed. Currently, there’s no definitive way
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Links Found Between Air Pollution and Degenerative Brain Diseases

The latest research indicates yet more reasons to go green — namely because not doing so could cost us our mental health. Air pollution has now been linked with degenerative cognitive diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. The immense number of cars on the road with inefficient combustion infuses the air we breathe with fine and ultrafine particles — specks of waste at least 36 times finer than a grain of sand, often riddled with toxic combinations of sulfate, nitrate and ammonium ions, hydrocarbons, and heavy metals. We have long known that these tiny particles cause and exacerbate respiratory problems like asthma and
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Join Us In Celebrating and Extending the Reach of Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month!

Did you know that June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month? Don’t worry if you didn’t, we understand! With many high-profile campaigns being mounted on behalf of undoubtedly deserving causes lately, suddenly popping up into the public eye and often seemingly disappearing almost as quickly, it can sometimes be tough to keep track of exactly where and how to stay in touch with the causes that really matter to you. This month, Freedom Home Care would like to take the excellent opportunity to see Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month not only as a short-term effort to raise visibility on relative
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Chicago Family Organizes 26 Mile Run For Alzheimer’s Awareness

Nearly five million adults in the U.S. suffer from Alzheimer’s, according to the National Institute on Aging. And while that number varies among experts, those of here at Freedom Home Care, your home care agency of Chicago, know that the effects of a disease like this one can radically alter the lifestyles of everyone it touches. Alzheimer’s or ALZ, is the most common form of dementia, the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S., and by some estimates, the third leading cause of death in older Americans. Many people caring for loved ones with Alzheimer’s seek help and support in
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A New Way to Prevent Alzheimer’s

The latest research into Alzheimer’s suggests there may be a new way to prevent the debilitating disease. Scientists have not yet discovered the exact cause of Alzheimer’s, but it is believed it has something to do with abnormal amounts of faulty proteins – amyloid plaques and tau tangles – frequently found in sufferers’ brains. The production and accumulation of beta amyloid plaques in the brain cause irreversible memory as well as cognitive and motor impairments. It is the major neurotoxic agent in Alzheimer’s Disease. The use of certain compounds may block the formation of beta-amyloid, a faulty protein that clogs
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Could Being Underweight Increase Your Risk of Dementia?

Researchers have discovered a new possible link to dementia: being underweight. In the largest study ever to look at relationships between body weight and likelihood of developing dementia, nearly two million people in the U.K. were observed over a period of about nine years. Those who were underweight had the highest dementia risk in old age, with body mass index (BMI) being inversely proportional to the likelihood of developing dementia. Dementia is a term used to describe a number of conditions associated with a decline in memory and thinking skills. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, accounting
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Glen Campbell’s Family on Coping With His Alzheimer’s Diagnosis

Since 2011, country music icon Glen Campbell has been living with Alzheimer’s disease. You may have already heard though, since Campbell and his family have been working hard to raise awareness for the disease for several years now. Upon receiving his diagnosis, the Grammy Award-winning singer embarked on a farewell tour with his family, including his wife Kim Campbell, and their three kids Cal, Shannon and Ashley. The tour became the centerpiece of a documentary called Glen Campbell… I’ll Be Me, which the family says will offer an uplifting and positive outlook on handling an Alzheimer’s diagnosis. The tour ended
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Industry Spotlight: Interview with Lynn Harris – Founder and CEO of ALZcarestore

Each year, thousands of families in America and around the world are affected by the scourge of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. This is why Lynn Harris, Founder and CEO of ALZcarestore started her business to help caregivers get the information and home healthcare supplies they need  quickly, easily, and at a great value. On top of that, ALZcarestore donates proceeds to support Alzheimer’s research and care. We sat down with Lynn to talk about the story behind the founding of ALZcarestore, her personal experience with Alzheimer’s disease, and her vision for making a difference in the lives of those affected. 1. Can you
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Georgia Man Walks Across the US to Fight Alzheimers

As of last week, Jack Fussell has walked a total of 11,800 miles. He has staved off exhaustion and braved hazardous weather nearly every day since he began his journey on November 16, 2014. His goal is noble – to help raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s disease, the illness that claimed his father in 2000. Fussell began his journey at the Atlantic Ocean, near his home in Tybee Island, Georgia. It’s not his first cross-country walk, but he remains extraordinarily impassioned for his cause. “Alzheimer’s is devastating,” Fussell says. “It’s hard for the individual that is diagnosed, but it’s
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