Dealing with dementia.THERE'S HOPE ON THE HORIZON for people with Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (ăls`hī'mərz, ôls–), degenerative disease of nerve cells in the cerebral cortex that leads to atrophy of the brain and senile dementia. , not to mention their families and professional caregivers. But the horizon is never as close as it looks. This issue's lead Newsfronts story is a progress report on a vaccine to delay or prevent Alzheimer's by keeping plaques from forming in the brain. The good news: The vaccine could be available in as few as four years if it works in people as well as it seems to in mice. The bad news: Some scientists think these plaques--masses of protein found in the brains of all people with Alzheimer's--are a result of the disease, not a cause. If that's so, cleaning them up probably wouldn't help at all. But that's only part of the story. While scientists struggle to find causes and cures, providers and researchers are making strides in how we understand and interact with people with dementia dementia (dĭmĕn`shə) [Lat.,=being out of the mind], progressive deterioration of intellectual faculties resulting in apathy, confusion, and stupor. In the 17th cent. . For examples, just flip through this issue; you'll find many progressive ideas on providing dementia-friendly care. Our cover story looks at the tension that's so often present between staff and family caregivers A family caregiver is a person who manages or provides direct assistance to a loved one who needs help with day to day activities because of a chronic condition, cognitive limitations, or aging. , offering ways to deflect de·flect intr. & tr.v. de·flect·ed, de·flect·ing, de·flects To turn aside or cause to turn aside; bend or deviate. [Latin d it--and to solicit and use relatives' input instead. The lead story of our assisted living as·sist·ed living n. A living arrangement in which people with special needs, especially older people with disabilities, reside in a facility that provides help with everyday tasks such as bathing, dressing, and taking medication. special section lays out the challenges and rewards involved in providing assisted living for people with dementia. And Shopper showcases technologies and systems that safely but unobtrusively un·ob·tru·sive adj. Not undesirably noticeable or blatant; inconspicuous. un  ob·tru monitor people who wander.
Design, programming, staff ratios and training, family relations, technology: There's no shortage of things to consider if you're providing dementia care. But probably the single most crucial element is that elusive one we call the human touch. Hire the right people in the right numbers and give them the training and support they need and you've gone a long way toward assuring good care. As Dorothy Seman of the Alzheimer's Family Care Center in Chicago told attendees at the Alzheimer's Association's annual meeting in July: "There are a lot of things we do in dementia care that cost a lot but are relatively worthless. There are other things that are hard to cost out but that are priceless price·less adj. 1. Of inestimable worth; invaluable. 2. Highly amusing, absurd, or odd: a priceless remark. ." The bottom line? Unless and until we find a universal cure for this disease, what happens in your facilities is at least as important as what happens in the research lab. Elise Nakhnikian Editor-in-Chief enakhnikian@billcom.com |
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