Tag Archives: alzheimers

Active brain 'keeps dementia at bay'

Keeping mentally active by reading books or writing letters helps protect the brain in old age, a study suggests.

 Can the brain build up a memory reserve?

A lifetime of mental challenges leads to slower cognitive decline after factoring out dementia’s impact on the brain, US researchers say.

The study, published in Neurology, adds weight to the idea that dementia onset can be delayed by lifestyle factors.

An Alzheimer’s charity said the best way to lower dementia risk was to eat a balanced diet, exercise and stay slim.

In a US study, 294 people over the age of 55 were given tests that measured memory and thinking, every year for about six years until their deaths.

Despite Alzheimer's, Couple Holds Tight To Old Memories

Pansy Greene, 73, is one of 5 million Americans with Alzheimer’s disease. She and her husband, Winston, say that their daily lives have changed little despite the diagnosis.

 

Right now, 5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. One of them is 73-year-old Pansy Greene. She’s in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, and she and her husband, Winston, want people to know that so far, their daily lives have changed little despite the diagnosis.

They sit side by side on a loveseat in their den, each with a dog in his or her lap to cut down on the barking. That makes it easier for the Greenes to talk about what they call their “journey,” a term that refers to much more than Pansy’s struggle with Alzheimer’s; it describes the partnership that began when they met at a party as teenagers.

“He didn’t let go of me the whole night,” recalls Pansy. “He wouldn’t let anybody else dance with me.” He asked for her phone number. “I guess I gave it to him,” she says with a laugh.

Pansy and Winston Greene got married when she was 16 and he was 18. They raised three daughters and spent their entire careers in the aerospace industry. Winston worked on the B-1 bomber; Pansy worked on the space shuttle. They now have the kind of retirement people dream of: a comfortable suburban home with a view of the hills north of Los Angeles. It’s close to two of their daughters, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

“Five minutes is enough.” says Dundee United legend's wife

Dundee United legend’s wife takes dementia campaign to Holyrood
By Jenny Thomson, 28 June 2013 8.03am.

The woman leading a campaign to get free personal care for people with early onset dementia is to make her case at the Scottish Parliament.

Amanda Kopel, from Kirriemuir, started her campaign after her husband, former Dundee United star Frank Kopel, 64, was diagnosed with the disease in 2009.

As he is under 65 his care is paid for by his family, at a cost of £400 a week, but Amanda wants a change in the law to see all those with the disease receive the same benefits.

She started a petition calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to raise awareness of the daily issues suffered by people with Alzheimer’s and dementia and to ensure that free personal care is made available for all sufferers regardless of age.