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Brochure
La Enfermedad de Alzheimer: Ayudandote a Ayudar a un Ser Querido
In order to educate family caregivers on how to care for themselves while caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease, the Alliance for Aging Research created this workshop kit. This translated workshop kits assist community groups in hosting workshops for Spanish-speaking family caregivers.
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Brochure
La Enfermedad de Alzheimer: Ayudándote a Ayudar a un Ser Querido - Guía para Líderes
El propósito de este taller es educar a los familiares encargados de cuidar a
un ser querido con la enfermedad de Alzheimer a darles el mejor cuidado
posible sin descuidar sus propias necesidades. Esta Guía para Líderes servirá
de guía para los que trabajan en el ambiente de la salud, personal médico,
coordinadores comunitarios, etc, y les ayudará con la conducción del taller.
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Brochure
La Enfermedad de Alzheimer: Ayudándote a Ayudar a un Ser Querido - Guía paraQuienes Cuidan a Personas con la Enfermedad de Alzheimer
Como familiar y persona encargada de cuidar a alguien con
la enfermedad de Alzheimer, tienes demasiadas tareas y
mucho que hacer. Hay tanto por aprender, tantas cosas que
planear, tantas preocupaciones. Por eso necesitas leer ésta
guía, no solamente por la persona a quien cuidas, si no
además por tí mismo.
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Feature Article
Searching for Answers & Hope Learning About a Disease that Steals Memories
First they told her she had Alzheimer’s disease. Next they suggested that the medications they had prescribed to control her anxiety and depression were the cause. Then they told her it was Parkinson’s. It was years before doctors finally figured out what was making Susan Grant’s mind slip away.
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Brochure, Report
The Silver Book: Chronic Disease and Medical Innovation--Neurological Disease
The first volume of The Silver Book was launched in 2006 and has quickly become a trusted resource for health policy practitioners. The Silver Book®: Neurological Disease is the latest volume in this important collection. Each section in the volume includes charts, statistics, and key findings that together paint a comprehensive picture of the burden of neurological disease, focusing on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, and the tremendous potential of innovation. Much of the data focuses on the older population.
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Alliance Views
Battling Health Disparities: Closing the Gaps
Thanks to enormous advances in public health and exciting breakthroughs in medical innovation, over the past century Americans have seen dramatic gains in health and longevity. The United States currently spends more on health care than any other nation and for most people, this means access to one of the best health care systems in the world. Unfortunately, it doesn’t benefit all people equally and the reality is that most minorities have less access to care, fewer options for prevention and treatment, and higher rates of disease and illness.
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Feature Article
Navigating Health Care Transitions: Tools for Information Sharing
At some point in our lives, most of us will face an illness where we have to deal with many different health care professionals—often spread out in different locations and settings across the health care system. Our primary physician may refer us to a specialist, or we may have an emergency that sends us to the ER and later requires that we be admitted to the hospital or see our primary physician for follow-up. We may even have to move from the hospital to a rehabilitation or long-term care facility.
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Report
2009 Task Force on Aging Research Funding
The 2009 Task Force on Aging Research Funding--more than 65 non-partisan disease groups, patient advocates, and foundations--urges Congress and the President to restore a national commitment to medical research on behalf of America's aging population. This year's report of the Task Force calls for a at least a 7% increase in funding for the National Institutes of Health in FY 2010. It also presents data on the burden of diseases and conditions that predominately affect older Americans, highlights the emerging research the NIH is doing to decrease these burdens, and serves as a resource for policymakers working to establish the funding levels necessary to advance healthy aging.
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Brochure
Living with Alzheimer's Booklet
This booklet is part of the larger Living with Alzheimer’s:
Personal Health Organizer. It provides detailed information to guide you through using the worksheets, tips on finding help in your community, and a list of resources for more information.
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Brochure
Living with Alzheimer's Worksheets
These worksheets are part of the larger Living with Alzheimer’s:
Personal Health Organizer. They are designed to help you record important information throughout your diagnosis.
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Brochure
Living with Alzheimer's: Personal Health Organizer
This 3-ring, hardcover binder includes the necessary tools you need to sort through all the Alzheimer's information you come across and keep track of only that which is relevant to you. Since no one experiences Alzheimer’s in the exact same way, your binder can be organized in a way that best fits your needs. This binder is designed to help the person who has just been diagnosed, but many of the worksheets can be used together with family members or by caregivers of those who are in later stages of the disease.
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Get Mad Column
Investing for Falls Prevention
Falls are a menace to older adults and our overstrained health care system. The direct medical costs of falls among older adults now total more than $19 billion, most of which must be absorbed by Medicare and Medicaid. A new bill recently passed by Congress seeks to address the problem of falls, but will have little impact without adequate funding.
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Feature Article
Helping Alzheimer's Caregivers Take Care of Their Own Health
The role of caregiver for a loved one diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease can be a stressful one. Caring for someone with a memory-related disease is more stressful than helping someone with a physical injury. Due to the demands of caring for someone with Alzheimer’s, caregivers tend to neglect their own health care and well-being. One study shows that up to 47 percent of family caregivers experience depression, but with the right resources, caregivers can successfully balance their time and provide the care their loved ones need.
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Document
Key Phone Numbers Worksheet
A support network can help you accomplish your tasks as a caregiver by offering physical and emotional assistance. Look for support through family, friends, and the community. Use this worksheet to record these key contacts as well as those from your loved one's health care team.
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Document
Clinical Trial Worksheet
While there is no cure for Alzheimer's disease, there are drugs that may improve or stabilize symptoms. New drugs are also under development that offer hope for Alzheimer's patients, and clinical trials test whether these treatments are safe and effective. If you haven't already, you may want to consider enrolling your loved one in a clinical trial. This worksheet is a log that can help you keep track of clinical trials that you find.
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Document
Financial & Legal Checklist
By starting the financial and legal planning process now, you can make sure that your loved one is cared for as their disease progresses. It's important for you to start this process early, because Alzheimer's disease will gradually make it harder for your loved one to participate in planning. Use this checklist to get you started.
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Document
My Personal Schedule Worksheet
As Alzheimer's disease progresses, your loved one will need more and more care. While you may feel that you don't have time to think about yourself, it is important to remember your own health and well-being. By exercising, thinking about your health, and giving yourself time to relax, you will stay healthier and be able to spend more time with your loved one. Use this log to keep track of health care appointments, your exercise schedule, social engagements, etc.
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Document
Medication List Worksheet
Your loved one may take many medications for Alzheimer's disease and other health conditions. Keeping track of them helps the health care team make sure the medications are working well together, and find possible drug interactions. You can use this medication list worksheet to keep all of the information about your loved one's medications in one place.
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Document
Health Care Appointment Worksheet
Taking your loved one to health care appointments may become difficult at times. If you prepare for appointments by writing down questions and scheduling the appointments at a good time for your loved one, you can make sure that the appointment goes as smoothly as possible. Use this worksheet to record information about the appointment so that it's all in one place.
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Document
Health Journal Worksheet
It's useful to keep a health journal so you can ensure that your loved one's health care team is able to provide the best care possible. By keeping track of day-to-day health information that only you may observe, you can provide valuable information to your loved one's health care team. A journal also makes it easy to record information about Alzheimer's disease and other conditions your loved one may have, so you can make the most of your time at appointments and be sure not to forget anything.
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Brochure
Alzheimer's Disease: Helping Yourself Help a Loved One - Caregiver Workbook
This caregiver workbook provides the information, resources, and tools that caregivers need to develop personalized action plans and to take better care of their loved ones and themselves. The workbook includes worksheets, checklists, and other tools on important issues such as making your home safe, dealing with financial planning, and keeping a health journal.
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Brochure
Alzheimer's Disease: Helping Yourself Help a Loved One - Caregiver Resources
As a family caregiver of someone with Alzheimer's, you have a lot on your plate. There's so much to learn about, so much to plan, and so much to worry about. This guide provides some of the many resources that can help you take care of your loved one, as well as yourself.
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Brochure
Alzheimer's Disease: Helping Yourself Help a Loved One - Leader's Guide
This leader's guide helps facilitate a workshop to educate family caregivers on how to best care for a loved one with Alzheimer's disease while also taking care of themselves. This is an updated version of the Leader's Guide and includes the latest information on treatments and research.
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Brochure
Alzheimer's Disease: Helping Yourself Help a Loved One - Workshop Kit
This kit includes all of the resources necessary to conduct a workshop for caregivers of those recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. It is an updated version of the Alliance's award-winning kit from 2006 and includes additional information on treatment and research, as well as a brand new caregiver workbook.
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Get Mad Column
Caring for Caregivers
Chronic illness takes its toll in many ways, including decreased quality of life and increased mortality. But while the suffering of patients is well known, the effect such illness has on caregivers can be just as crippling, and even deadly.
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Report
2007 Task Force Report on Aging Research Funding
The 2007 Task Force on Aging Research Funding--more than 85 non-partisan disease groups, patient advocates, and foundations--urges Congress and the President to chart a better course for medical research on behalf of America's aging population. This year's report of the Task Force calls for a 6.7% increase in funding for the National Institutes of Health in FY 2008. It also presents data on the burden of 27 diseases and conditions that predominately affect older Americans, highlights some of the exciting work the NIH is doing to decrease these burdens, and serves as a resource for policymakers working to establish the funding levels necessary to advance healthy aging.
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Brochure
La Enfermedad de Alzheimer: Ayudandote a Ayudar a un Ser Querido - Guia para Quienes Cuidan a Personas con la Enfermedad de Alzheimer
Como familiar y persona encargada de cuidar a alguien con la enfermedad de Alzheimer, tienes demasiadas tareas y mucho que hadar. Hay tanto por aprender, tantas cosas que planear, tantas preocupaciones. Por eso necesitas leer esta guia, no solamente por la persona a quien cuidas, si no ademas por ti mismo. You may also purchase this as part of the larger
Alzheimer's Disease Workshop Kit.
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Brochure
Alzheimer's Disease: Helping Yourself Help a Loved One - Leader's Guide
This leader's guide helps facilitate a workshop to educe family caregivers on how to best care for a loved one with Alzheimer's disease while effectively taking care of their own needs. This guide will provide guidance to leaders (healthcare leaders, community outreach coordinators, etc.) for conducting the workshop.
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Brochure
Alzheimer's Disease: Helping Yourself Help a Loved One - Resources for Caregivers
As a family caregiver of someone with Alzheimer's disease, you have a lot on your plate. There's so much to learn about, so much to plan, so much to worry about. But you need to read this guide--not only for the person you're caring for, but for
yourself. You may also purchase this as part of the larger
Alzheimer's Disease Workshop Kit.
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Brochure
Alzheimer's Disease: Helping Yourself Help a Loved One - Financial Checklist
Alzheimer's disease interferes with many daily life functions, including financial tasks. This can be frustrating for the person with Alzheimer's, and can have both short-term and long-term ramifications. This checklist will help you ensure that your loved one's financial matters are in check. You may also purchase this as part of the larger
Alzheimer's Disease Workshop Kit.
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Document
Colon Cancer - Caring for the Aging:
Key Survey Findings
The Alliance commissioned a survey, conducted by Harris Interactive, that interviewed oncologists on the importance of caregivers for elderly colon cancer patients. 77% of physicians interviewed agreed that colon cancer patients 65 and older experience better disease outcomes when a caregiver is involved because of better communication. 81% also said that they depend on caregivers at least somewhat, and some a great deal, to act as an intermediary between them and the elderly patients. 100% fell the caregiver is part of a team involved in the patient's disease management.
The physicians felt that the primary roles of the caregivers are to provide emotional support, participate in doctor's visits and in disease management decisions, and to provide transportation to and from doctor's appointments. Unfortunately, only around three out of five colon cancer patients age 65 and older have the support of a caregiver.
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Fact Sheet
Colon Cancer:
Tips for Patients and Caregivers
Caregivers play an important role in ensuring that colon cancer patients age 65 and older receive the best possible care. One of the many important roles that a caregiver plays in treatment is facilitating communication with doctors and making sure the right questions get asked. Both caregivers and patients should read this Tip Sheet and take a proactive role in disease management.
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Feature Article
Caregiver Involvement Leads to Better Cancer Outcomes
Those who have been diagnosed with colon cancer will tell you that the support of friends and relatives is invaluable.
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Brochure
How to Talk to Your Elderly Parent About Depression:
A Guide for Caregivers
Depression in older adults is often dismissed as inevitable or a "normal" part of aging, when in fact depression is a treatable medical illness. This brochure outlines the signs of depression in older adults, offers advice on how to approach an older person if you notice these signs, and provides places to get more information.
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Document
Dealing with a Parent's Depression
This article shares the story of an older woman and her struggle with depression.
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Get Mad Column
Respect Your Elders
We see them sometimes on the evening news-stories about another scam targeting the elderly or the discovery of an employee physically abusing residents of a long-term care facility.
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Get Mad Column
Demand Better Training for Your Healthcare Provider!
Americans over the age of 65 represent over one-half of physician visits annually, yet only a small percent of healthcare professionals actually have specific training to appropriately care for this population.
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Get Mad Column
Lost Independence: A Costly Problem You Can Avoid
Imagine what it must be like to move to a nursing home.
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Report
Seven Deadly Myths:
Uncovering the Facts About the High Cost of the Last Year of Life
This report tests some of the most common myths surrounding the financial and medical impact of end-of-life care, separating fact from fiction to show what really happens for most people during their last years of life.
