Dementia / Alzheimer's

Perhaps you think you’re too old to learn a second language (although find out why that may be an aging “myth” by Reading Here). But for those of you who speak more than one language, or who have younger people in your life who are contemplating a second language, the…

This doesn’t smell good: apparently, scientists have now found a link between the impaired ability to recognize and remember smells, and an increased risk of Alzheimer’s. With a new study published in the Annals of Neurology, researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital have developed a non-invasive test that demonstrates that…

Mental confusion and trouble with daily activities often trigger alarms: Is my loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s? It could be some kind of dementia or it could be some other treatable illness that’s causing mental cloudiness. The only way to know for sure is to have a physician check it…

There’s little doubt that pets can provide loving companionship, especially to seniors living alone or those with impaired cognition. But attending to the real needs of pets- the walking, feeding, vet visits- often means that owning a pet is beyond the ability of many. Now Hasbro, the venerable toy company,…

September is World Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. As the recent death of Gene Wilder reminds us, Alzheimer’s afflicts millions of people every year.  In fact, as the 6th leading cause of death in the US, more people die of Alzheimer’s than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined. However, the latest word…

Many of us who have watched family members battle with Alzheimer’s have wondered if we, too, will someday succumb to that fate. In a certain percentage of Alzheimer’s cases, genetic inheritance does play a role. For those at high genetic risk there’s now a new research protocol to try to…