[The latest post is a synopsis I've written up for Alzheimer's Services on the National Institute of Health (NIH), at the NIH State-of-the-Science Conference.]
At the end of April, the National Institute of Health (NIH), at the NIH State-of-the-Science Conference made public their independent report on preventing Alzheimer's disease and cognitive decline. There were a few statements that came up again and again: "currently no evidence", "inadequate to conclude", "insufficient evidence", "quality of evidence was low", and so on. In a nutshell the studies that have been done on prevention of Alzheimer's are inconclusive and more randomized controlled trials (RCTs) need to be done (among others).
What the research panel states without hesitation is that 'Alzheimer's disease exacts a significant toll'. There is no doubt that the financial costs and the physical and mental well-being of the caregiver are being exhausted and need support. In the recommendations, the NIH state that caregivers are a valuable source of information about the daily function of the elderly person with Alzheimer's disease.
Not only are caregivers taking the brunt of the disease, but they are also one of the keys to better research in prevention. With the NIH concluding that the current research is inconclusive, the support of the caregiver is still the key to Alzheimer's disease and other related dementias. Support services such as respite, education, and support groups are still the life-blood of people with Alzheimer's disease, their caregivers, and their families. On the Cape & Islands this is especially true. We need to provide the best care possible for the 10,000 individuals living with a dementia.
We encourage you to read the full report by the National Institute of Health. FULL REPORT
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