Alzheimer's and Dementia

MorningStar Senior Living's VP of Memory Care Rebecca Martin joins Suzanne to talk about their Lavender Sky program. Lavender Sky is the name for the communities' Alzheimer's and Dementia memory care philosophy and programming services, a holistic approach.

This segment focuses on medical diagnoses for Alzheimer's disease, Lewy body dementia and Parkinson's. The field is rapidly changing. We now have biological markers for Alzheimer's: mis-folded proteins in the brain is the common thread for all degenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease, Lou Gehrig's disease, and frontotemporal degeneration Pick's Disease. Being able to visualize these in PET scans (Positron Emission Tomography) lets us make a definitive diagnosis 15 years before someone begins having memory problems.

Athira Pharma has a clinical trial right now for patients that potentially could treat people with any type of degenerative brain disease. It is being tested now with people who have Alzheimer's disease in mid stages and also with people who have Lewy body disease and Parkinson's disease. The medication speeds up thinking and processing and a long-term effect of increasing connections between brain cells. Suzanne Newman talks with Dr. Michael Mega, Director of the Center for Cognitive Health in Portland, Oregon. The center helps patients maximize their cognitive function as they cope with Alzheimer's disease and disorders of thinking.

Certified Dementia Practitioner Amy Schenk joins Suzanne from Cape Coral, Florida, courtesy of Athira Pharma to talk about the difference between normal memory issues as a result of aging and abnormal issues, and indicators to watch for. What happens to our brains as we age normally, as well as what happens when it's not so normal. If you are seeing things that are different in the person you're concerned about, things that make you think "That's not like them," listen to your intuition.

Amy Schenk, community engagement lead at the Neuropsychiatric Research Center of Southwest Florida, joins Suzanne courtesy of Athira Pharma to talk about handling caregiver...

This fall, nationally renowned Alzheimers and dementia expert Lori La Bey joins Suzanne from Minneapolis at Alzheimer's Speaks. Lori talks about her personal experiences with her mom, who was first diagnosed in the 1980s. La Bey is a passionate advocate who searches for ways to shift our dementia care culture from crisis to comfort around the world.

The need in the community drove Suzanne to form Answers for Elders. Similarly, nationally renowned Alzheimer's and dementia expert Lori La Bey was frustrated by the lack of resources, products, tools, services, and educational support available to families and professionals back when she needed them to help care for her mom. She became committed to make a difference shifting dementia care from crisis to comfort around the world.

If you know of someone who is dealing with Alzheimer's and dementia, or caregiving for them, direct them to Lori La Bey's resources at...

Nationally renowned Alzheimer's and dementia expert Lori La Bey joins Suzanne from Minneapolis at Alzheimer’s Speaks. In this segment, Lori introduces the Dementia Map,...

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living joins Suzanne to discuss how to have the conversation about dementia or Alzheimer's with your senior loved one.