9 Brain Foods that Prevent Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease

Eat your way to a healthier mind with these essential foods for the brain

Repeating a question over and over again, having problem spelling commonly used words and losing control over one’s behaviors and emotions are some dementia symptoms that slowly destroy the life of the victim as well as the lives of those around him.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia in people aged 65 and older. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, up to 5.3 million Americans are suffering from this disease and every 70 seconds, someone develops Alzheimer’s!

While it may seem that Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia is an inevitable side effect of aging, some studies are suggesting that dietary interventions may help protect against mental decline and even prevent brain-wasting diseases.

As the cause of dementia is linked to long-term inflammation in the body, foods that possess prominent anti-inflammatory effects may be able to delay age-related cognitive disorders when they are included into one’s diet. In this article, we look at nine commonly available foods that hold this promise.

1. Dark Chocolate
2. Red Wine
3. Clam
4. Asparagus
5. Wild Salmon
6. Walnut
7. Cherry
8. Termeric
9. Apple

Click here to read full story

Moms More Likely Than Dads to Pass Alzheimer’s to Kids, Study Shows

by Mary Beth Sammons 
Mar 1st 2011 12:45PM

First, moms were blamed for the baldness gene. Now, Mommy Dearest is getting the bad rap for putting kids at risk for Alzheimer’s disease.

Research has already shown that people with a family history of Alzheimer’s disease are four to 10 times more likely to contract the condition. But a new study provides evidence that the chances of getting Alzheimer’s are worse if your mother, rather than your father, had it, the Los Angeles Times reports.

The findings, reported in the journal Neurology, however, don’t mean children of mothers with Alzheimer’s disease will develop the condition, Jeffrey Burns, director of the University of Kansas Medical Center’s Alzheimer’s and Memory Program, which conducted the study, tells the Wall Street Journal.

“It’s not clear on an individual basis how much this risk applies,” he tells the newspaper.

Click to read more

Always Best Care of Kane County can provide a caregiver to take care of your loved one, from hourly to live-in.  Caregiver burnout is very common, you deserve a break today.  If you have any questions please feel free to call our office (630) 365-9755 or check out our website at www.alwaysbestcarekanecounty.com.

Alzheimer’s nose spray: New Alzheimer’s treatment?

By Mayo Clinic Staff

Question

Alzheimer’s nose spray: New Alzheimer’s treatment?

I recently heard about a new Alzheimer’s treatment, a nose spray containing insulin. How does it work and is there an Alzheimer’s nose spray available?

Answer

from Glenn Smith, Ph.D.

Insulin — a hormone that helps regulate your blood sugar — appears to play a role in normal memory processes. Insulin irregularities may contribute to cognitive and brain changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

In the past several years, researchers have been investigating the use of insulin to treat Alzheimer’s disease. One of the challenges is how to provide insulin in such a way that it improves brain function without disrupting your blood sugar levels. If your blood sugar drops too low, for example, it can create complications, such as confusion, heart palpitations, anxiety and visual disturbances.

Preliminary research suggests that when taken as a nose spray, insulin reaches the brain within a few minutes and improves memory. However, this research involved small groups of participants who had either early Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment. Although this research is promising, more research on the safety and effectiveness of intranasal insulin therapy for Alzheimer’s disease is necessary.

A phase II clinical trial on the use of inhaled insulin to treat Alzheimer’s disease is under way. This treatment is available only to current study participants. The study involves about 170 people who have Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment.

‘The Talk’ With Mom and Dad

FEBRUARY 23, 2011             By SUE SHELLENBARGER

 …It’s an agonizing discussion for adult children: whether elderly parents can no longer live on their own. Some 42% of adults between ages 45 and 65 cite the topic as the most difficult one to discuss with their parents, according to a 2006 survey of 1,000 people by Home Instead Inc., an Omaha, Neb., provider of in-home care. And 31% said their biggest communication obstacle is getting stuck in the parent-child roles of the past.

“We take on old family roles,” says Paula Spencer, a senior editor at Caring.com, a caregiving website, and a speaker on elder-care issues. “We don’t want to rock the boat. We’re concerned about parents’ privacy, worried about the consequences, thinking, ‘Maybe Dad will hate me if I move him to assisted living.’ “…

Read More of the Article

Always Best Care of Kane County, we specialize in Non-Medical In-Home Care and Free Assisted Living Placement Services.  We are also trained and certified with the American Red Cross to teach their new Family Caregiving Program.  If you have any questions please feel free to call us (630) 365-9755 or check us out on the web at www.alwaysbestcarekanecounty.com.

Please Help Me, My Mother Needs A Shower & I Don’t Know What to Do!

The call came in at 7:30 PM on a Friday evening.  John said “My mother is visiting for the weekend, and she soiled herself.  I need your help desperately!  She needs a shower and I don’t know what I am going to do, can you please help me.”  John had gone through a long list of Home Care Companies.  John was getting know where, every company he called had a minimum of six to eight hours of care.  John was very surprised when one of the companies he called said sorry we can’t help you, but try calling Always Best Care of Kane County.  John called us and we were able to send our community liaison  to their home to do an assessment on his mother and had a caregiver at their residence within the next couple of hours.  John was so relieved and surprised that we were able to respond so quickly.  John said that he could not be happier with the service we provided for his mother. 

Always Best Care of Kane County is unique from other Home Care Companies in that we offer a 30 minute response time, a minimum of one hour of care, and the owner of ABC personally stops and visits all of our clients at least once a month.

If you need care for your loved one please call Always Best Care of Kane County.  You can reach us at (630) 365-9755 (office),  e-mail us at jtait@abc-seniors.com, or visit our website @ www.alwaysbestcarekanecounty.com.