200 Alzheimer's Patients now being implanted with Microchip

Florida-based VeriChip has developed an FDA-approved microchip that can be implanted in an Alzheimer's patient's arm. The VeriChip contains a unique 16-digit number which allows for wearer identification and immediate access to that persons medical record. The medical information is contained in a database managed by VeriChip and could be accessed from a hospital emergency room. The microchip about the size of a grain of rice must be scanned in order for the information to become available. The chip is being positioned by VeriChip as a critical part of emergency medicine. It is obvious that the majority of early adopters are interested in the chip for wandering and identification of lost loved one’s.

One disadvantage of the chip is that it must be read by a scanner and they are not readily available to law enforcement or outside a hospital. Another disadvantage is that the chip is not clearly visible. In order for a wearer to be identified they would need to be taken to a hospital. The chip does allow for immediate access to medical records and this is certainly an advantage in situations were immediate medical treatment is necessary.

In comparison to the chip, the Alzheimer’s Association offers a low-tech alternative, the Safe Return bracelet. The Safe Return bracelet contains a toll free 800 number that allows for fast identification of the wearer. The bracelet which cost $40 is an inexpensive alternative. Most law enforcement personnel can identify the bracelet on sight.

The microchip is “riling" up privacy advocates because it allows for immediate assess to private medical records. The security of the VeriChip scanner/reader is an issue. Who will have access and is the system secure?

My feeling is that the majority of families directly involved with Alzheimer’s disease would favor the chip if it were cheap and as effective as the bracelet in identifying lost or wandering loved one's. It is my belief that privacy advocates should stay out of the way of the development of the system and allow the families involved to make decisions concerning their use of the chip.

VeriChip based in Delray Beach, Florida intends to implant the chip in 200 volunteers in the next week. There are more then 250,000 people suffering from Alzheimer’s in south Florida.



Forty Dollar Alzheimer's Association Safe Return Bracelet Saves Life

Safe Return Bracelet

Wikipedia, VeriChip

VERICHIP CORPORATION AND ALZHEIMER’S COMMUNITY CARE OFFICIALLY LAUNCH VERIMED PATIENT IDENTIFICATION PROJECT ON AUGUST 28

ABC News Alzheimer's Patients Lining Up for Microchip

The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People with Alzheimer Disease and Memory Loss in Later Life

What If It's Not Alzheimer's: A Caregiver's Guide to Dementia

60 second test could help early diagnosis of Alzheimer's like Dementia

Researchers from the University of Minnesota Medical School and Brain Sciences Center at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center have identified a way to diagnose Alzheimer's and other brain diseases. Using magnetoencephalography (MEG) and various mathematic algorithms, the researchers were able to identify and classify the brain disease in 142 research subjects that had been previously diagnosed. Magnetoencephalography is a non-invasive measurement of magnetic fields in the brain and the tests last between 45-60 seconds.

"This elegantly simple test allows us to glimpse into the brain as it is working," Apostolos P. Georgopoulos said. "We were able to classify, with 100 percent accuracy, the various disease groups represented in the group of research subjects."

This study should be of particular interest to anyone that is genetically predisposed to Alzherimer's and other forms of Dementia.

Currently, brain diseases are diagnosed with behavioral exams, psychiatric interviews, and neuropsychological testing.

Read more about this study being conducted at the University of Minnesota Medical School and Brain Sciences Center on the next page.



Original Source U of M Researchers Discover Noninvasive Diagnostic Tool for Brain Diseases


Additional Source Institute of Physics

Until recently physicians have had to rely on time-consuming and uncertain behavioural examinations to diagnose the onset of brain diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's and schizophrenia.

Research published next week in the Institute of Physics' Journal of Neural Engineering suggests that we could soon be able to diagnose the onset of many brain diseases by analysing the tiny magnetic fields produced by neuron activity in the brain.

This is a significant breakthrough for neurologists and psychiatrists as it could present a fast and simple screening test for brain diseases, while also helping differentiate between different brain diseases that have similar symptoms.

A team of investigators from the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis, US, led by Professor Apostolos P. Georgopoulos, has been analysing the magnetic charges released when neuronal populations in our brains 'couple'. By comparing the patterns of tiny magnetic charges in healthy brains to those afflicted with common diseases such as Alzheimer's, the team has been able to identify the patterns commonly associated with these debilitating diseases.

A process called magnetoencephalography (MEG), a non-invasive measurement of magnetic fields in the brain, has been used to examine a total of 142 volunteers during tests which last between 45-60 seconds. The team first studied 52 volunteers to find patterns of neural activity that could identify all the different illnesses.

They then tested a further 46 patients to see whether the patterns found from the first group could accurately diagnose disease within a second group. Here, many of the predictors found from the first set of participants also correctly diagnosed more than 90% of subjects in the second sample.

Professor Georgopoulos said, "We want to continue and acquire data from a large number of subjects - patients and matched controls. The throughput of this MEG test is large so we can continue a high rate of testing and we hope that clinical applications can become a reality in a year or two."

Diagnosing illnesses like Alzheimer's has always been very difficult, particularly in the early stages. Physicians are forced to rely on conversations with patients, memory tests, physical examinations and, occasionally, brain scans. It is sometimes not until post-mortem or after a biopsy that cause of illness can be confirmed.

What If It's Not Alzheimer's: A Caregiver's Guide to Dementia

The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People with Alzheimer Disease and Memory Loss in Later Life

Magnetoencephalography

The Validation Breakthrough: Simple Techniques for Communicating with People with Alzheimer's Type Dementia

You might get the impression from the title that this book is only for professionals; this is not the case. The validation theory works and it is simple to apply. The case studies are invaluable and provide you with specific situations that you are sure to encounter. I am convinced everyone involved with elderly parents suffering from dementia or Alzheimer's will benefit greatly from this book.

I give The Validation Breakthrough five stars and put it on my must read list. You will certainly reduce stress by learning these techniques.





The Validation Breakthrough: Simple Techniques for Communicating with People with Alzheimer's Type Dementia

Please take a moment to read the reviews on the next page.

Buyer Reviews

By Martine Davis

If you live with or care for someone with Alzheimer's or other age related dementia, you must read this book ! What an eye-opener! For the first time I finally understood why Alzheimer's patient say what they say and do what they do. It all makes so much sense now. This small book reads quickly and is full of examples of real people who have been helped with the author's techniques. It shows you how to handle the blaming, accusing, name-calling and the repetitive motions ... It also explains why the way most of us react to Alzheimer's patients actions actually worsens the situation and can cause them to progress to a more advanced stage of Alzheimer's disease ! This book could extend the relationship between the patient and caregivers and should be MANDATORY reading for all staff working in nursing homes and long-term care facilities !

By J. Summers, CNA (Alaska)

An excellent book for both the professional caregiver and families trying to deal with this sometimes unfathomable disease. Gives practical ideas and techniques for helping people with dementia deal with issues from paranoia and blaming to sadness and helplessness. I have just begun to explore these techniques and am finding they work so well that they should be mandatory training for nurses, PCAs and CNAs. Instead of treating our seniors like they are children we at last have a way to talk to them on an adult level, tap into where they are at, deal with the problem at hand and we all come out better for the experience.


Reviewer: A reader

More and more relevant as we care for aging parents. With a title like this one might think: "Boring" Absolutely not so! Right from the start, the stories of the people are so real and so touching that one of my friends said she was moved to tears. She was so sad not to have known about this way of relating to her father. "It works," she told me. "Validation Breakthrough" shows a new way of relating to people with dementia of Alzheimer's type. This approach is effective in helping the person to clear up unresolved issues in their lives. You do not have to be a professionally trained therapist to use validation. Validation will make the relationship more rewarding for both people. It is not hard to learn and makes wonderful sense. Some readers may want to ask new questions of care facilities (like nursing homes) as the validation approach will keep loved ones from slipping into a vegetative state. It will also make the care much kinder, and more rewarding for the care givers





The Validation Breakthrough: Simple Techniques for Communicating with People with 'Alzheimer's-Type Dementia'

alzheimer's, caregiving, dementia, family, Naomi Feil, stress, Validation Therapy

A Descent Into Alzheimer's (Slideshow)

Over nearly four decades, self-portraits by William Utermohlen chronicle his descent into dementia.

This slide show is very eerie, well worth viewing.

A Descent Into Alzheimer's

The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People with Alzheimer Disease and Memory Loss in Later Life

Forty Dollar Alzheimer's Association Safe Return Bracelet Saves Life

"When he approached him and asked if he was ok, he recognized the signature on his bracelet which is with the Safe Return program at the Alzheimer's Association, as far as I am concerned that saved his life."


The Alzheimer's Association Safe Return bracelet cost $40. The bracelet carries the name of the Alzheimer's person and a toll free number that can be called if the person is unable to provide their address or phone number.

For more information on the bracelet, call the Association at 1-800-861-7826. Or, go to Safe Return on the Internet.

Bracelet saves Boca Raton man with Alzheimer's

Source WPTV.com

Lou Bigman is known as "Lucky Lou" at the Mae Volen Senior Center in Boca Raton.

Bigman participates in daily activities at the center.

Denise Parsons the Director of the adult day care says Wednesday afternoon once he got home with his wife, he got lost.

"He took his usual walk with his wife, she went into the house he took his walk alone and he didn't come home".

His wife called the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies started a search. A stranger found Bigman wandering around.

"When he approached him and asked if he was ok, he recognized the signature on his bracelet which is with the Safe Return program at the Alzheimer's Association, as far as I am concerned that saved his life."

The bracelet had Bigman's name on it, and a toll free number to call if the person wearing the bracelet had memory impairment.

Dottie Carson with the Alzheimer's Association says this incident, which had a happy ending, is a reminder that these bracelets could save many more people suffering from Alzheimer's.

"There are 200,000 people in the Southeast Florida chapter with Alzheimer's that is from Vero to the Keys and we only have 5,400 people with Safe Return bracelets."

Bigman's family is thankful for the bracelet and thankful deputies would not give up on the search.

Captain Matt Eisenberg with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office says it's nice the deputies were thanked for keeping up the search.

"We appreciate what they did by making sure that their family member did in fact have an Alzheimer's bracelet on."

The Alzheimer's Association says it cost $40.00 to get your loved one a "Safe Return" bracelet.

For more information, call the Association at 1-800-861-7826.

What If It's Not Alzheimer's: A Caregiver's Guide to Dementia

Zen and the Art of Coping With Alzheimer’s

During the YouTube forum with the Democratic presidential candidates in July, the first question about health care came from two middle-age brothers in Iowa, who faced the camera with their elderly mother. Not everybody with Alzheimer’s disease has two loving sons to take care of them, they said, adding that a boom in dementia is expected in the next few decades.

“What are you prepared to do to fight this disease now?” they asked.

The politicians mouthed generalities about health care, larded with poignant anecdotes. None of them answered the question about Alzheimer’s.

Read the entire article at the The New York Times.

Sniff Test May Signal Disorders’ Early Stages

What If It's Not Alzheimer's: A Caregiver's Guide to Dementia

Alzheimer’s care classes help but who has the time?

To be honest I am not aware of any Alzheimer's care classes and I am almost four years into caring for my mother. I have no doubt these kinds of classes would be more then useful. It takes a long time to figure out how to communicate effectively and just as long to develop a mind set that allows you to deal with the irrational behavior that comes at you like a tsunami.

In my case, it was talking to others that had come before me that helped me the most. Simply knowing that others had experienced the behaviors that I was experiencing somehow comforted me. Seeing the look of understanding and feeling the empathy taught me an important lesson—I was not alone.

My goal when I started caring for my mother was to keep her out of a nursing home as long as possible. I thought a year or two when I started.


Alzheimer’s care classes help, but few have time

The findings are stunning: Offering simple training to people struggling to care for loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease not only eases their burden — it even can keep patients out of nursing homes for an extra 1½ years.

But the exciting research also runs headlong into a grim reality.

Alzheimer’s caregivers seldom can make time in their daily grind to seek out that kind of help.

And when they do, they too often find waiting lists for services, or programs geared only toward people with advanced disease and not the larger pool in the purgatory that is dementia’s decade-long middle ground between independence and helplessness.

That is one of Dolores Melnick’s biggest frustrations.

Her husband refused to enroll in the “day care” for Alzheimer’s patients near their Hainesport, N.J., home. It was hosting a singalong, and workers were setting up plastic bowling pins, too childish for Bob Melnick.

That meant no time for her to sneak off to a caregiver support group. On weekdays she worries about whether he’ll be OK because he’s home alone while she’s at work.

“I feel bad sometimes because he’s home. I feel bad that I have to leave in the mornings,” Mrs. Melnick says, eyes brimming with tears. “I think he realizes he can’t do much.”

A skyrocketing problem

More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease. It afflicts one in eight people 65 and older, and nearly one in two people over 85.

Worse, as the population ages, Alzheimer’s is steadily rising. Sixteen million are forecast to have the mind-destroying illness by 2050, not counting other forms of dementia.

Those figures are cited repeatedly in the push for more research into better treatments. But a frightening parallel goes largely undiscussed: As Alzheimer’s skyrockets, who will care for all these people?

And will the long-term stress of that care set up an entire population — once-healthy spouses and children — to suffer years of illness, even early death?

“I don’t think society and policymakers have fully grasped the future magnitude of what we’re up against, and how massive an operation we have to begin ... to deal with this,” says Dr. Richard Suzman of the National Institute on Aging.

Already, an estimated 10 million people share the task of caring for a relative or friend with dementia, the Alzheimer’s Association estimates. Nearly one in four provides care for 40 hours a week or more.

Handling the wandering, aggressive outbursts and incontinence — plus eventual round-the-clock monitoring — is very different than, for example, learning to lift someone who’s physically impaired but won’t fight the caregiver.

Those are skills that families must be taught, says Mary Mittelman of New York University’s School of Medicine, who is leading a new movement to develop customized training programs for Alzheimer’s care.

Today, most learn through trial and error.

Finding their balance

Louise Eckert sits her 85-year-old mother, Dorothy, in a chair backed against the wall and pushes a heavy table in front of her. It keeps her from tipping her chair backward like a schoolchild.

It’s noon, but Dorothy roamed her Norristown, Pa., home for much of the night and just woke for breakfast. Louise spoon-feeds her mother: grapes and prunes mixed into cereal; toast cut into bites; Alzheimer’s pills crushed into cottage cheese so she no longer can spit them out.

The conversation is, well, unconventional.

“I want to hit you,” Dorothy whispers.

“You do not want to hit me,” Louise calmly responds. Minutes later mother and daughter are grinning affectionately.

“She’ll hit you and two minutes later, she loves you,” says Dorothy’s husband, John Eckert, 88.

Not too long ago, the Eckerts despaired of achieving this calm. Dorothy’s mild-mannered Alzheimer’s suddenly morphed into outright aggression. She climbed furniture, pulled the TV on herself, tried to climb out the window.

Area aging services offered little advice. The Eckerts finally found the right mix of medication and caregiver tricks. Take Dorothy’s night roaming, a dementia trademark. Her husband installed bed rails; she crashed over them. He slept holding a belt tied to her waist; she slipped it off without waking him.

Now the couple sleeps on a mattress on the floor. Large wind chimes jangle when Dorothy’s up.

“In the beginning there was pressure. Now we expect it’s going to happen,” her husband says of new symptoms. “You go along with the flow.”

John Eckert brushes aside questions about the strain. He looks fit but has had prostate cancer, a small heart attack and mild stroke. Louise tried to hire a respite-care service so her dad could take a walk. But it requires a four-hour daily minimum, more than they need. Alzheimer’s day care runs in the mornings, when Dorothy sleeps.

They manage because Louise, the couple’s youngest daughter, lives with them and can rush home from her counseling job at a nearby school if needed.

What If It's Not Alzheimer's: A Caregiver's Guide to Dementia

Alzheimer’s care classes help

Early signs of Alzheimer's (Dementia)

I ran across this description of the "early signs of Alzheimer's" on the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center (Penn State) some time ago. I felt it might be helpful and decided to post it.


Source Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

Alzheimer’s Disease

What is it?

Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of a condition called dementia. Dementia is a general decline in mental ability, such as memory, language skills, judgment, and concentration. Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease, which means symptoms occur gradually and become worse over time. It is named for the German doctor who first described it, Alois Alzheimer.

Who gets it?

Alzheimer’s disease affects most commonly affects those over the age of 65, although it has been diagnosed in people in their 40s and 50s.

What causes it?

The degeneration of parts of the brain, which destroys brain cells, causes the symptoms of Alzheimer’s. However, at this time researchers are not sure what causes this degeneration. Those with a family history of Alzheimer’s are more likely to develop the disease as they age, so there is a gene abnormality that causes the disease in some people. Researchers are looking for links between Alzheimer’s disease and the environment, lifestyle, nutrition, and viruses.

What are the symptoms?

Alzheimer’s usually progresses in three stages, with each lasting anywhere from one to several years. The first symptom of Alzheimer’s disease is usually mild forgetfulness. Someone in the early stages may find him or herself unable to find the right word, recall where something was placed, or recall someone’s name. It may be difficult to concentrate. At this point, symptoms are so general that they do not signal a serious problem or have a great impact on day-to-day functioning. As the disease progresses to the second stage, the forgetfulness becomes worse, making it difficult to function at work, remember directions, or to even make it through the day without difficulty. The person may be restless and unable to sleep at night. His or her personality may change considerably, with increasing anxiety and decreasing emotions. By the late stages of Alzheimer’s, patients suffer from extreme confusion and memory loss. They are unable to recall the names of close friends and family or recent events, and cannot function socially or perform basic daily personal care. Late-stage Alzheimer’s patients may have hallucinations and delusions.

How is it diagnosed?

Alzheimer’s disease is diagnosed by taking a complete medical history and performing a thorough physical examination. Alzheimer’s is generally suspected when there is a gradual deterioration in mental ability. The doctor will perform tests, such as blood tests and brain scans, to rule out other possible causes of the symptoms. The doctor will also ask the patient a series of questions to test his or her mental status. One type of test of mental status is called neuropsychological testing, which is a standardized test of memory, concentration, and visual-spatial skills. Because a definite diagnosis can only be made by performing an autopsy after death, patients are diagnosed with “probable” Alzheimer’s. An autopsy of brain tissue, however, will show areas of abnormal tissue, called plaques, made up of abnormal proteins; a loss of nerve cells; and areas of tangles in the nerve cells that remain in patient’s with Alzheimer’s disease.

What is the treatment?

At this time, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Treatment focuses on maintaining the best possible quality of life for the patient by providing a supportive environment. Memory aids, such as calendars and other daily reminders of time and place, can help the patient feel more secure and reduce confusion. There are some medications that, when used in the early stages of this disease, can slow memory loss in some patients for a limited amount of time. However, these drugs are used with caution because of potential side effects. Other drugs may be prescribed to treat anxiety, sleeplessness, depression, and hallucinations, as necessary. In the early stages of Alzheimer’s, it is important to help the patient maintain as much independence as possible. As the disease progresses, it may be necessary to seek the help of a home healthcare aid, an adult daycare, or nursing home. While there is currently no treatment to prevent or stop the progression of Alzheimer’s, researchers are continuing to study this disease and test new drugs. There is a possibility that certain types of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may slow the progression of Alzheimer’s.

Self-care tips

A diagnosis of probable Alzheimer’s is devastating for someone who has been accustomed to living an independent life. It is important to provide the patient with emotional and physical support as he or she adjusts to living with this disease. Keeping the daily routine consistent and as stress free as possible is helpful. Because depression is so common in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, you should be aware of the signs of depression and seek help for the patient as soon as possible. Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s can be demanding and discouraging, especially when the loved one does not remember who you are. Your doctor or local social services agency can direct you to support services to help make this time a little easier. Also seek legal advice so it is clear who has the power to make medical and financial decisions once your loved one is no longer able to do this for him or herself. If you have a family history of Alzheimer’s disease, see your doctor for regular checkups. An early diagnosis is important, especially as the medical community learns more about this disease and its treatment. While there is no way to prevent this disease, you can lower your risk and protect yourself from many illnesses by following a healthy diet that is high in fiber and antioxidants and low in saturated fat, and participating in regular physical exercise. Performing activities that stimulate your brain on a regular basis, such as crossword puzzles, word searches, or memory games, may also help maintain mental ability longer.


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This information has been designed as a comprehensive and quick reference guide written by our health care reviewers. The health information written by our authors is intended to be a supplement to the care provided by your physician. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice.

What If It's Not Alzheimer's: A Caregiver's Guide to Dementia