Recently I attended the Alzheimer’s Association Board meeting for Northern Nevada and Northern California.
Yes, I admit, that while I had promised to cut back on responsibilities, serving of this Board is enlightening and beneficial. Fortunately, most meetings are via Zoom, but once a year we gather live and thus a trip to San Jose.
Since my sister Jackie lives there, it is perfect for a visit and for creating new connections and extending awareness.
To define this Board, I would say that we are not a governing body but rather an information dissemination group.
With two jobs, one is to host events to raise funds for Alzheimer’s research and the second is education — sharing new knowledge throughout our community and beyond – perfect tasks for me even though fund-raising is not a forte.
I realize it should be as I truly believe that a small step forward with a treatment now offers hope for a cure in the future. Knowing that the Alzheimer’s Association is the largest contributor to AD research furthers my faith.
I shared facts about Leqembi before, but there is more good news. As a prescription drug that actually attacks the biology of Alzheimer’s, we understand that ridding the brain of amyloid plaque increases the chance for clarity and better cognitive health.
Medicare pays for the drug after an early-stage dementia diagnosis and some other health insurance may feel the pressure to join this worthy cause. Without insurance a yearly supply costs about $26,000.
Changing this treatment to a cure requires early diagnosis with many participants. See the desperation to get more people involved? One Board member related a story with her brother who feared dementia but refused to make an appointment with a neurologist. What finally convinced him of its importance?
Hope. Hope because Leqembi brings optimism in this new era of treatment. Diagnosis offers an “under-realized opportunity” to help others as well as oneself.
Now for some of the other advertisements for hope that in actuality do not pan out. The MIND diet – a combination of the Mediterranean diet that emphasizes fresh fruits, vegetables, and legumes and DASH that encourages leafy greens and berries – is popular with the idea of reducing cognitive decline, however, the cause and effect relationship has yet to be determined. Is it reducing fat and sugar intake that works or the beans and red wine?
Another proposal is addressing hearing loss.
Hearing aids help people hear thus enabling them to interact and connect with others in conversation. That’s good. Being left out because of the embarrassment of confusion with what has been said leads to further withdrawal – a protective mechanism to avoid criticism or mockery.
But, once again, cause and effect? Was the lack of engagement or cognitive decline the reason for presumed mental failure or the cochlea?
Similar research held that volunteering is vital to maintaining cognition but one can hardly claim that helping others changes brain function or anatomy even though the value of volunteering to keep healthy cannot be denied.
Engagement, caring, and giving all play valuable roles in positive self-image and health.
The item that most grabbed the attention of the crowd was the correlation between constipation and brain health.
Laughter filled the room, but we knew that an explanation was coming. Is bodily malfunction creating havoc on the entire system which in turn effects how the body works to digest food which touches the health of all of the body or is it a laxative a quick link to clear thinking? A dietary adjustment may solve the intestinal issue but not treat forgetfulness.
What can you do to preserve a healthy brain? Pay attention to nutrition, exercise daily, participate socially, read, write, and think, add a challenging sideline to life (a musical instrument, a language, a game), and wear a helmet when biking or playing a contact activity.
Education expands compassion and intellect. Pleasant Senior Center and I are offering a 6-session discussion group “Dementia Self-Management”. Designed for those with early-stage dementia there is value for caregivers as well as those who just want to augment understanding to better assist family and friends.