November 14, 2023 by
It’s safe to say that we all want to spend as little time in the hospital as possible. The aim is to get the necessary treatment or procedure over with as soon as possible and move on to recovering. Unsurprisingly, the growing trend in hospital-at-home services is one being met with open arms. Imagine being able to avoid: (more…)
November 10, 2022 by
Finding a cure for Alzheimer’s has become as tangled as the tau threads long thought to be the root cause of the disease. Now, however, researchers may be drawing a step closer to unraveling the mystery of Alzheimer’s disease, aboard a different train of thought. The latest research on Alzheimer’s is pointing to the possibility of an inflammatory response in the brain, which poses the question: could Alzheimer’s disease actually be an autoimmune disorder? (more…)
October 3, 2022 by
Fall is the start to cold and flu season, which is also the time our immune systems get a good workout. Fortunately, our natural immunity is remarkable with its capacity to identify and eradicate invading infections. Wouldn’t it be amazing if it could do the same with cancer? As it turns out, just such a cancer treatment option may be on the horizon. (more…)
January 7, 2022 by
If 2021 will be remembered as the year for COVID-19 vaccines, perhaps 2022 will be marked with a different kind of life-changing shot: a vaccine for Alzheimer’s disease that might actually slow or prevent the further advancement of the disease.
December 1, 2021 by
If there is one constant in the race to unravel the mystery of Alzheimer’s, it’s change. Every time scientists start to wrap their heads around new information about Alzheimer’s, the data evolves their hypotheses into a new direction. That is certainly the case with the astounding new development in the progression of the disease. (more…)
June 22, 2021 by
For decades, experts have been exploring the development of Alzheimer’s through one basic model, even though not all Alzheimer’s diagnoses present with the same symptoms and progression. (more…)
October 20, 2020 by
With many seniors taking multiple prescriptions, and with doctors adding and changing medications and dosages to determine the perfect solutions, it is critical to know what to do with medications that are no longer needed or which have expired. There are several options: (more…)
May 20, 2020 by
You might not recognize her by name, however you’ve probably come across her story. Joy Milne has a remarkably specialized talent: detecting Parkinson’s disease through her sense of smell. Her gift came to light when she sensed what she explains as an “overpowering sort of nasty yeast smell” in her husband of ten years. Subsequently identifying other changes in her husband, such as personality and mood changes, he ultimately went to the doctor for medical assistance, and received a diagnosis of Parkinson’s.
Subsequently, upon joining a Parkinson’s support group meeting, that exact same odor permeated the room – even though reportedly only Joy was able to notice it. As a matter of fact, she was even able to detect varied degrees of the scent – some whose scent was weak, while for other people, it was more powerful. With both her own and her husband’s medical backgrounds (she a nurse and he a physician), this revelation was unmistakably important and called for additional action.
Her story led her to help Tilo Kunath, a Parkinson’s disease researcher at the University of Edinburgh, with the aim of creating an instrument to provide earlier detection – and in the long run, treatment – of Parkinson’s.
Although first skeptical of the possibility of Parkinson’s being identified through scent, he was open to additional investigation into the way we diagnosis Parkinson’s through smell after finding out about the success dogs were having in picking up on the odor of cancer in patients. He then designed an approach to assess her talents, by giving her a random selection of t-shirts – half which had been worn by a patient clinically identified as having Parkinson’s, and 50% by those without the disease – and, her accuracy rate was remarkable. As a matter of fact, she missed the mark on only one of the shirts, worn by someone without Parkinson’s, but who actually was later identified as having the condition as well.
Kunath says, “Imagine a society where you could detect such a devastating condition before it’s causing problems and then prevent the problems from even occurring.” Dr. Thomas Hummel of the Technical University of Dresden’s Smell & Taste Clinic, concluded that while the idea is interesting, there are still a number of questions to first address.
Parkinson’s disease, along with a host of other chronic health issues, can be more successfully managed with the help of a home care provider like At Home Independent Living. Reach out to us at (315) 579-HOME (4663) to learn more about our elder care in Syracuse, NY and the surrounding area.
May 13, 2020 by
An older adult who exhibits loss of memory, confusion, poor judgment, repetition, and problems with completing day to day activities has the distinguishing signs of Alzheimer’s disease, right? Actually, what seems like an obvious case of Alzheimer’s may in fact be a newly recognized dementia.
Known as LATE, or limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy, this diagnosis presents with almost identical symptoms, but the root cause is another story. As opposed to the buildup of amyloid plaques and tangles inherent with Alzheimer’s, LATE is diagnosed by deposits of TDP-43 protein, according to Dr. Julie Schneider, associate director for the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center.
And TDP-43 protein issues are in fact quite common in seniors, with as many as one in four older adults over age 85 impacted enough to cause recognizable cognitive and/or memory issues. Yet it continues to be an under-diagnosed condition, which might result in mis-diagnoses, and consequently, inappropriate treatment plans.
The latest guidelines call for seniors who have been diagnosed with LATE to be pulled from Alzheimer’s medication research, focusing research alternatively on establishing biomarkers to better detect LATE, to locate therapeutic intervention methods, and to expand testing to include a broader array of diverse populations, in an effort to perfect both prevention and treatment.
Being familiar with the differences between both types of dementia is paramount to appropriate treatment, and according to Dr. James Pickett, head of research at the Alzheimer’s Society, “This evidence may also go some way to help us understand why some recent clinical trials testing for Alzheimer’s disease have failed – participants may have had slightly different brain diseases.”
Key components of LATE include:
Whether Alzheimer’s disease, LATE, or some other form of dementia, At Home Independent Living provides the fully customized, skilled and creative caregiving that helps senior loved ones live the highest possible quality of life where it’s most comfortable: at home. Our care aides are fully trained and experienced in assisting those with dementia, as well as family caregivers, to more effectively manage the varying challenges experienced in each stage.
Contact us any time at (315) 579-HOME (4663) to ask about further dementia care resources, find answers to your questions, or to schedule a consultation to discover more about how we can assist with dementia care services. Learn why families trust At Home Independent Living, one of the leading home care agencies in Syracuse, NY and the surrounding areas.
May 6, 2020 by
Being aware of the best place to turn to for the current, most dependable COVID-19 resources, especially as it pertains to seniors and family members who provide caregiving assistance for them, is essential – and complicated. Due to many sources and differing viewpoints on this topic, we want to help make it easier to locate what you need by sharing the following list of top resources for seniors and those they love. (more…)