Back To Basics: for new caregivers

Frequently Asked Questions:

From Womenshealth.gov

Q: What is a caregiver?

A: A caregiver is anyone who provides help to another person in need. Usually, the person receiving care has a condition such as dementia, cancer, or brain injury and needs help with basic daily tasks. Caregivers help with many things such as:

grocery shopping
house cleaning
shopping
paying bills
giving medicine
bathing
using the toilet
dressing
eating

People who are not paid to provide care are known as informal caregivers or family caregivers. The most common type of informal caregiving relationship is an adult child caring for an elderly parent. Other types of caregiving relationships include:

adults caring for other relatives, such as grandparents, siblings, aunts, and uncles
spouses caring for elderly husbands or wives
middle-aged parents caring for severely disabled adult children
adults caring for friends and neighbors
children caring for a disabled parent or elderly grandparent

Q: Who are our nation’s caregivers?

A: Most Americans will be informal caregivers at some point during their lives. During any given year, there are more than 44 million Americans (21% of the adult population) who provide unpaid care to an elderly or disabled person 18 years or older. Altogether, informal caregivers provide 80 percent of the long-term care in the United States.

Sixty-one percent of caregivers are women.
Most caregivers are middle-aged.
Thirteen percent of caregivers are aged 65 years and older.
Fifty-nine percent of informal caregivers have jobs in addition to caring for another person. Because of time spent caregiving, more than half of employed women caregivers have made changes at work, such as going in late, leaving early, or working fewer hours.

Q: What is caregiver stress?

A: Caregiver stress is the emotional and physical strain of caregiving. It can take many forms. For instance, you may feel:
frustrated and angry taking care of someone with dementia who often wanders away or becomes easily upset
guilty because you think that you should be able to provide better care, despite all the other things that you have to do
lonely because all the time you spend caregiving has hurt your social life
exhausted when you go to bed at night

Caregiver stress appears to affect women more than men. About 75 percent of caregivers who report feeling very strained emotionally, physically, or financially are women.
Although caregiving can be challenging, it is important to note that it can also have its rewards. It can give you a feeling of giving back to a loved one. It can also make you feel needed and can lead to a stronger relationship with the person receiving care. About half of caregivers report that:
they appreciate life more as a result of their caregiving experience
caregiving has made them feel good about themselves

Q: Can caregiver stress affect my health?

A: Although most caregivers are in good health, it is not uncommon for caregivers to have serious health problems. Research shows that caregivers:

are more likely to be have symptoms of depression or anxiety
are more likely to have a long-term medical problem, such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, or arthritis
have higher levels of stress hormones
spend more days sick with an infectious disease
have a weaker immune response to the influenza, or flu, vaccine
have slower wound healing
have higher levels of obesity
may be at higher risk for mental decline, including problems with memory and paying attention

One research study found that elderly people who felt stressed while taking care of their disabled spouses were 63 percent more likely to die within 4 years than caregivers who were not feeling stressed.
Part of the reason that caregivers often have health problems is that they are less likely to take good care of themselves. For instance, women caregivers, compared with women who are not caregivers, are less likely to:

get needed medical care
fill a prescription because of the cost
get a mammogram

Also, caregivers report that, compared with the time before they became caregivers, they are less likely to:

get enough sleep
cook healthy meals
get enough physical activity

Q: How can I tell if caregiving is putting too much stress on me?

A: Caregiving may be putting too much stress on you if you have any of the following symptoms:

feeling overwhelmed
sleeping too much or too little
gaining or losing a lot of weight
feeling tired most of the time
loss of interest in activities you used to enjoy
becoming easily irritated or angered
feeling constantly worried
often feeling sad
frequent headaches, bodily pain, or other physical problems
abuse of alcohol or drugs, including prescription drugs
Talk to a counselor, psychologist, or other mental health professional right away if your stress leads you to physically or emotionally harm the person you are caring for.

Q: What can I do to prevent or relieve stress?

A: To begin with, never dismiss your feelings as “just stress.” Caregiver stress can lead to serious health problems and you should take steps to reduce it as much as you can.
Research shows that people who take an active, problem-solving approach to caregiving issues are less likely to feel stressed than those who react by worrying or feeling helpless. For instance, someone with dementia may ask the same question over and over again, such as, “Where is Mary?” A positive way of dealing with this would be to say, “Mary is not here right now,” and then distract the person. You could say, “Let’s start getting lunch ready,” or involve the person in simple tasks, such as folding laundry.
Some hospitals offer classes that can teach you how to care for someone with the disease that your loved one is facing. To find these classes, ask your doctor, contact an organization that focuses on this disease, or call your local Area Agency on Aging (see below). Other good sources of caregiving information include:

doctors and nurses
library books
web sites of disease-specific organizations

Here are some more tips for reducing stress:

Find out about caregiving resources in your community (see below).
Ask for and accept help. Be prepared with a mental list of ways that others can help you, and let the helper choose what she would like to do. For instance, one person might be happy to take the person you care for on a walk a couple times a week. Someone else might be glad to pick up some groceries for you.
If you need financial help taking care of a relative, don’t be afraid to ask family members to contribute their fair share.
Say “no” to requests that are draining, such as hosting holiday meals.
Don’t feel guilty that you are not a “perfect” caregiver. Just as there is no “perfect parent,” there is no such thing as a “perfect caregiver.” You’re doing the best you can.
Identify what you can and cannot change. You may not be able to change someone else’s behavior, but you can change the way that you react to it.
Set realistic goals. Break large tasks into smaller steps that you can do one at a time.
Prioritize, make lists, and establish a daily routine.
Stay in touch with family and friends.
Join a support group for caregivers in your situation, such as caring for someone with dementia. Besides being a great way to make new friends, you can also pick up some caregiving tips from others who are facing the same problems you are.
Make time each week to do some¬thing that you want to do, such as go to a movie.
Try to find time to be physically active on most days of the week, eat a healthy diet, and get enough sleep.
See your doctor for a checkup. Tell her that you are a caregiver and tell her about any symptoms of depression or sickness you may be having.
Try to keep your sense of humor.
If you work outside the home and are feeling overwhelmed, consider taking a break from your job. Employees covered under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act may be able to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave per year to care for relatives. Ask your human resources office about options for unpaid leave…

The actual article is much longer and you find it at womenshealth.gov, along with a lot more great caregiver information. A little later I will be talking a lot about Guided Imagery as a very effective, inexpensive, and quick way to reduce your stress substantially. If you need a sneak peak go to www.caregiverrelief.com, or see the blog at www.easycaregiving.com or www.discoverlongevitynow.com

Alzheimer’s care is often a Thankless Task

Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s is quite literally a thankless task. Which is not to say that it’s unappreciated, but aside from the first few months of an early diagnosis, Alzheimer’s sufferers are generally oblivious of their own condition and naturally cannot comprehend the sacrifices made by their loved ones to provide care and keep them healthy?

But please don’t read the above as being a condemnation of the unfortunate souls that have no control over what has happened to them. Clearly, the tragedy of Alzheimer’s is that sufferers very early on “forget” they are ill. Rather read it as a recognition and acknowledgment of the selflessness and integrity of their caregivers. I say this because I think something happens in the heart of most caregivers that gives them the resolve to commit, in all likelihood, the next decade of their life to the care and protection of the person they love the most in the world. And sadly at the same time that a caregiver is making this internal resolution, they are also coming to terms with the finality of the diagnosis “Alzheimer’s” and grieving everything that means for their relationship.

Too often, the tragedy and heartbreak of the caregiver is pushed to the background, as the Alzheimer’s sufferer becomes the identified patient and the focus of everyone’s attention. Tragically, in addition to the personal commitment a caregiver makes to the care and well-being of their loved one, they often are subconsciously abandoning many of their own personal goals and desires. Caregivers, while taking on all these new tasks and challenges that they never expected, are subconsciously strapping themselves in for the long haul.

Stubbornness is Born

Rising to the occasion; facing financial, legal and other new responsibilities requires a certain amount of tenacity and determination. For this reason I find that caregivers seem to be uniquely strong-willed. Maybe it takes a stubborn streak to be able to focus on the day-to-day grind of meeting the needs of another adult that has lost the ability to reason and make their own ’safe’ decisions. But while stubbornness can be a positive personality trait when it keeps a caregiver going month after month, year after year; it can also be a negative trait when it suppresses an open mind to new and alternate solutions. Stubbornness can lead to inflexibility and can prevent us from accepting and opening up to new concepts and ideas. It narrows our field of vision. Like blinders on a horse our focus is reduced to what is in front of us at the moment.

As a Gerontologist I have seen it over and over again, maybe you have too. Too often I meet a caregiver that is wound up and ready to explode. It is obvious to everyone around them that they are extremely stressed out. Unfortunately they often have trouble admitting it, even to themselves. They will tell you that everything is under control. “I’m fine”, they say. And, tragically, to the extent that they are “fine”, they are heading for a very big crash. Besides the toxic effects of stress on one’s health. They are closed off to the concept of surrender and the acknowledgement that they need help. But that is exactly what every caregiver needs…help. And I will tell you why:

Stress

Caregivers need to acknowledge and overcome long-term stress. It is a good bet that long-term stress is responsible for the statistics that more than 50% of caregivers die before the person they are caring for. That’s right, half of all caregivers “check out” before the “identified patient”. Why do you think that is?

Dr. Jamie Huysman, the co-founder of Leeza’s Place, gives a great talk. In his speeches you can often hear him suggest that caregivers need to “take the oxygen first”, referring to the preflight instructions that we hear every time we fly. This is an excellent illustration of the average caregiver’s dilemma. Flight attendants, when giving preflight instructions, tell people traveling with children, that if cabin pressure is lost and the oxygen masks are deployed, they should put their own oxygen mask on before helping their children with their mask. The reason is that there are only a few seconds before you lose consciousness, and in order to be effective and save others, the parent (caregiver) needs to see to their own needs first. (or they won’t be around to see to anybody else’s needs later).

So I plead with my caregiver clients. concede that you need help, start taking more care of yourself and be willing to hand the job over to others whenever you can,. Remember that alarming statistic from above that over 50% of caregivers die before the person they are caring for. Well add another 5 – 15% that become incapacitated and no longer able to continue caregiving for their parent or spouse. The causes are many, it might be a stroke, or a serious cancer, or a fractured pelvis. Unfortunately, I have seen too many a cases of older adults with profound Alzheimer’s whose caregiver is out of the picture. I know this from managing assisted living communities for almost twenty years.

Over the years I have spoken, one-on-one, with hundreds of caregivers. My overwhelming impression is the unwavering love and commitment they have to their loved one. They genuinely believe that no one can care for their parent or spouse as well as they can. They believe that no one can possibly know their loved one as well as them. To a great extent I agree, and this is why I continue to recommend that they take action to preserve their health. Because if something happens to them, who will care for their loved one? So to manage their stress I encourage caregivers to use adult day care, to find respite care options, and to attend support groups. For example; adult day care gives them a day off from their 24/7 caregiving, respite care allows them to run errands and see to their own health care appointments, and in support groups they can share their experience with newer caregivers, while learning from more experienced caregivers. Most of all, caregivers need a way to shut down the stress response in the body. A topic for another article, I will tell you briefly that stress is a physiological response that causes the brain to release hormones and neurotransmitters into the body, that in turn alters our physiology for survival. Which is great in the short-term, but if left on too long, like in long-term or chronic stress, it causes damage to organs and the immune system. Resulting not only in burn-out, but in illness and scary statistics that say caregivers are a coin-flip away from…well… you know.

Board and Care

I also recommend board and care and assisted living. Usually, this is the option that caregivers are very specific about NOT doing. And there you have it, before I can finish my sentence: they are railing how they will never allow it. These stubborn caregivers have made up their mind, sometimes years earlier, and unfortunately they are not about to listen to anything that challenges their predetermined notions.

But there are some very good reasons for being open-minded about assisted living. For example there comes a time, especially with Alzheimer’s Disease, that the care needs of the sufferer are greater than the caregiver’s ability to provide them. Given this circumstance, it would be a terrible disservice to the loved one, to keep them at home with inadequate care. Tragically, what generally happens is caregivers put this off too long. Unfortunately, when you wait too long, the only placement option is going to be a nursing home. Your loved one’s care needs at this stage become medical not custodial, and therefore surpass the services offered by assisted living or board and care. You effectively have over-shot the window for board and care and are left with only the nursing home option.

The best way to decide on this sensitive topic is to go visit 2 Assisted Living Communities and 2 small Board & Care homes. This will give you a good cross-section of what they are like. It’s never too early to go look. Get the information and brochures and put them away for future reference.

Donahue Vanderhider, a Gerontologist practicing in Southern California, has a deep understanding and extensive knowledge of Aging and all its related disorders: both normal and abnormal. He has a Masters Degree from USC and postgraduate training in Clinical Guided Imagery, Metaphysics, and Neuro-linguistic Programming. He is also on an advisory board to the Alzheimer’s Association. His passion and life-long goal is to improve the quality of life of caregivers, especially those dealing with Alzheimer’s. Currently his active blogs are http://easycaregiving.com and recently opened to the public: http://discoverlongevitynow.com for his private clients that pay for his services.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Donahue_Vanderhider,_Ph.D.

How about a boogy break? watch this!

Reprint of Human Growth Hormone post with Links

It’s a controversial subject, but Human Growth Hormone is rapidly gaining popularity as an anti-aging drug. And as research improves, people are realizing the benefits outweigh the risks.

Currently, the only reason it’s not currently used even more is it’s still pretty expensive and out of reach of most people. But scientist think that within the next decade HGH will be as popular as estrogen, natural progesterone, and DHEA.

The benefits are amazing:

Increase in lean muscle mass

Decrease in fat mass

Increase in size and functional capacity of organs (makes you feel better)

Growth of collagen (a component in skin rejuvenation and tightening)

Besides finding a doctor that will give you shots of the real thing you can try getting some GHRH (growth hormone releasing hormone) and IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1). Which has been shown to restore HGH in older adults.

Naturally speaking, Growth hormone secretion is stimulated after a meal rich in dietary protein. Especially powerful in this regard are the amino acids, arginine and ornthine. Any source of completed protein (eggs, milk, and meat) is rich in these amino acids. Supplements, containing arginine and ornithine are available. You can start by taking 1 gram (1,000 mg) twice a day of arginine (2 grams total) or 500 mg twice a day of ornithine (1 gram or 1000mg total). This is a relatively large dose and is probably best taken in powder form and mixed with juice or in a shake.

Growth hormone secretion can be stimulated during a fast too. It has been suggested periodic short fasts to boost growth hormone production can work well. Growth hormone secretion can also be stimulated during and following a bout of exercise.

It is believed that within a few months, a moderate program of weightlefting can produce increases in lean muscle mass equal to those produced by growth hormone injections. (soruce: bottom Line’s Perscriptions Alternatives)

If you want to know more, I can’t put a link here to an ad…but you can find a link to the company that does the most research AND sells supplements for HGH…at www.easycaregiving.com

Human Growth Hormone Benefits

It’s a controversial subject, but Human Growth Hormone is rapidly gaining popularity as an anti-aging drug. And as research improves, people are realizing the benefits outweigh the risks.

Currently, the only reason it’s not currently used even more is it’s still pretty expensive and out of reach of most people. But scientist think that within the next decade HGH will be as popular as estrogen, natural progesterone, and DHEA.

The benefits are amazing:

Increase in lean muscle mass

Decrease in fat mass

Increase in size and functional capacity of organs (makes you feel better)

Growth of collagen (a component in skin rejuvenation and tightening)

Besides finding a doctor that will give you shots of the real thing you can try getting some GHRH (growth hormone releasing hormone) and IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1). Which has been shown to restore HGH in older adults.

Naturally speaking, Growth hormone secretion is stimulated after a meal rich in dietary protein. Especially powerful in this regard are the amino acids, arginine and ornthine. Any source of completed protein (eggs, milk, and meat) is rich in these amino acids. Supplements, containing arginine and ornithine are available. You can start by taking 1 gram (1,000 mg) twice a day of arginine (2 grams  total) or 500 mg twice a day of ornithine (1 gram or 1000mg total). This is a relatively large dose and is probably best taken in powder form and mixed with juice or in a shake.

Growth hormone secretion can be stimulated during a fast too. It has been suggested periodic short fasts to boost growth hormone production can work well. Growth hormone secretion can also be stimulated during and following  a bout of exercise.

It is believed that within a few months, a moderate program of weightlefting can produce increases in lean muscle mass equal to those produced by growth hormone injections. (soruce: bottom Line’s Perscriptions Alternatives)

If you want to know more, I can’t put a link here to an ad…but you can find a link to the company that does the most research AND sells supplements for HGH…at www.easycaregiving.com

Who Wants A Free Stress Management CD?

OK, My very first attempt at video about Alzheimers, to get a message across. Can you tell I did it myself? Wow, thats one hellva close up! But lets see what you think.

If you are a caregiver and you are caring for someone with Alzheimer’s, please be patient with yourself.

Providing Care for Someone with Alzheimers?

I have several websites for you look at. Each is a Review Site, which means that there are several competing sites on the same page for you to decide between.  I have picked each one because each offers unique services that cater to the needs of caregivers. Take a look at them, at the very least, if the subject suits you, you can sign up for the newsletter.

The first is identityprotection.com and has to do with protecting you identity. If you have ever known anyone that has had their identity stolen you know what a nightmare it can be. It takes months to straighten out. Think of a time when you lost your wallet and had to replace the contents – now time that by a hundred.

The second is longevityhealth.comand has 3 of the most powerful supplements for longevity: green tea, acai berry and Resveratrol and something really cutting edge – Maqui Berry.

The third is senioradvantage.com with solutions to common problems of older adults…better you take a look than I try to explain, but I really think this is the best one.
thanks, Donahue

Perfect for long distance caregiving

As hard as it is to a caregiver providing direct care day in and day out, in some ways it’s even harder being a long-distance caregiver.

When your parent(s) live far away, and you can’t be there on a moments notice – you worry. You never know from visit to visit how much has changed, or what new problems have developed.

Is mom eating right, is dad getting to his doctor visits, how serious is it really when mom says she fell down, but she’s ok?

I have heard the horror stories: the daughter who gets called by the neighbors and shows up to find that mom and dad have dementia and they are about to lose the house because they didn’t pay the taxes, or that mom fell in the kitchen, broke a hip and lay there for 36 hours until someone came to check on her when she didn’t answer the phone for 3 days.

But sometimes it is as simple as – they let the house run down and its been neglected for years.  Usually older parents that are having a hard time taking care of themselves, have already stopped taking care of their home.  The yard is overgrown, the house paint looks like something from the “Dust Bowl” era and furniture is falling apart.

Fortunately there are more and more businesses being created that can help caregivers with this stuff.  In my newsletter I have been listing these little cottage industries to help caregivers cope.  However, I have recently decided to open things up and start posting this information for everyone to see whenever they want.  Check out www.easycaregiving.com.  It’s just starting, but in a few weeks (or months) you will be able to go there and find just about anything you need.  One of the first things I want to bring you is this great service that I just unearthed that can help you tremendously. Its called Angies List, and they are amazing!

If you are a long distance caregiver, Angies List is a Godsend, because you can hire them to do just about anything. Even their banner says “From Electrician to Physician”.  So whether you want to get your parent to new dentist or get their home ready for market and everything in between, you can call these guys toll free at 1 (866) 945-3194 and you will speak to someone that can find exactly what you want.

Thats right, you don’t even need a computer, just give em call.

When are you going to ask for help?

I did an exercise recently where I wrote a description of a typical client, for a potential business venture. It was nothing I was planning to print or post. But as I was re-reading it just now, I thought it would be an interesting exercise to see how accurate I was. So please help me out. The following is my typical client exercise. If it describes you or if it is nothing like you, I would like to hear it. After all these years, I certainly don’t want to be in the dark, if I am wrong…
So please feel free to write me with your reaction:
p.s. I am even going to leave in the business description at the end. Tell me if it is something you would be interested in, why or why not.
thanks a million, in advance.

Typical Caregivers:
1. Spouses
2. Adult Children
Spouses are 65+ years old. Typically a woman. She is taking care of her husband at home, and usually has little or no support or help from other family. She never thought that this was going to be such a long process. (Alzheimer’s sufferers live on average 14 years after diagnosis.) She is stressed out, trying to keep him in control, she is on alert 24 hours a day. When he is awake, she needs to be up. She takes him to doctor appointments, but has not time for her own doctors appointment. She knows she needs to take care of herself, she has heard it often enough, but doesn’t know how. Other people that are stressed out can use outlets like going on vacation, or just to the movies, or go to the gym or garden, or walk around the block. None of these options are easy for her. When she as a little free time, she is going to catch up on her sleep or just plain rest.

The adult child caregiver is typically a daughter, usually takes care of both parents (if living) and she also has very little family support. Sure she gets plenty of advice from her brothers and sisters, but almost never do they offer to give hands-on help. If she is married, she has moved mom or dad into her home, and it’s affecting the whole family. The husband is sick and tired of the whole thing, and if the kids are around, they just complicate things. (Mom is part of the “sandwich generation” kids on one end and an aging parent at the other end). If she is single, she has moved in with the parent(s) and is overworked and under-appreciated. Stress run rampant.

Unfortunately, long-term stress is the main culprit in illnesses and death of older adults. They say the top 3 killers are Heart Disease, Stroke and Cancer. But studies show that people suffering from long-term stress are at much higher risks for…you guessed it…heart attack, stroke and even cancer.  So stress management become an unavoidable necessity. The typical outlets are not easy to use , but some other stress busters are: prayer, meditation and guided imagery.

Product/Service
I have made a stress management CD using guided imagery specifically for caregivers. The CD was originally commissioned by the University of Southern California and the Los Angeles Caregiver Resource Center. It has 5 different guide imagery recording on it, each averaging around 15 minutes. Each is different and the listener can pick their favorite, but ideally they will listen to them one after another because they are designed to build on each other, and the tracks move from basic guide imagery, to more complex techniques like neurolinguistic programming and future pacing. (The 5th track is music only, so the caregiver can use the structured time to design and build their own imagery)

My Credentials:
I am on the speakers bureau of the Alzheimer’s Association and a Gerontologist (not a doctor) that specializes in Alzheimer’s and Alzheimer Caregivers. I have a degree in Hypnosis, a certification in Clinical Guide Imagery, formal training in Neurolinguistic Programming, and a bachelors degree in Metaphysics. I have extensive knowledge about stress, and what it does to the body, (and how it does it to the body). I intend to write lots of articles and already have a content rich website at www.caregiverelief.com.

People will come to the site/sales page and this is what they get:

Caregiver Relief CD: Free for signing up for my 10 month continuity program.
The continuity program is free for the first 30 days and billed at $24.95 a month after that.
They of course can cancel any time in the first the 30 days and keep the CD and bonus items that I am including in the offer.
Each month for the next 9 months they will get another guided imagery script (digital download); 5 new Affirmation Cards (4×6)  that they can put up on their fridge, mirrors, doors, etc. that remind them to think positively; a newsletter (digital) that has tons of little known facts, money saving tricks and ideas, free stuff from agencies and government, and cutting edge news about Alzheimer’s treatment (new drugs, drug research studies they can join, behavior management ideas and tools, etc.); and if I can swing it – interviews with prominent professionals that know about dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Bonus for signing up:
An article that I wrote (maybe I will make it a PDF file or a video out of it), “Four Simple Steps to Prevent Alzheimer’s” (maybe I will jazz that title up too).
A special report on Adult Day Care (almost done writing it, wondering if maybe I should hold it back an offer it as an unadvertised bonus after they sign up, or after the 30 day trial)
The first 5 Affirmation cards to post around the house and car to keep a positive frame of mind.
And a 61 page PDF called: The Ultimate Baby Boomer’s Guide: The Baby Boomer’s Guide To Living A Long, Prosperous And Healthy Life.
Fast Action Bonuses (I only have so many of these to give away after that, one of them will never be reprinted)
A really nice workbook “How to Hire and Train Help in the Home” (by the Alzheimer’s Association). This has everything a person needs to hire help: from check lists to interview questions, to job application and employment agreements, to tools a paid caregiver will need like medication lists, Daily meal and snack schedule, forms for a Care Log, a hygiene schedule and much more. All of it on a very heavy paper stock for long-term use and durability.
An 80 page full-color book with dozens of photo, charts and illustration, by the National Institute on Aging: “Alzheimer’s Disease – Unraveling the Mystery”

So, what did you think?  Tell you what…for anyone that writes me a “real” comment about my description and business idea, and signs up on my mailing list (my list is rock-solid private and not shared with a soul), I will send you a copy of the CD.  We are talking a full length, jewel case, professionally recorded, 6 page fold-out insert, CD.  (don’t post your mailing address, I will contact you afterwards to get it).  DEAL?  Great!

shoot, wordpress does not allow me to put a link to my mailing list. but you can sign up here:caregiverrelief newsletter

So please just sign up here at wordpress, and from your comment I will get your email address and write you back personally

You can get the cure for Alzheimers right now.

Most people have only a vague understanding of how Alzheimer’s medications get approved by the FDA and come to market where we can get our hands on them. You read about promising medications that are being studied, but you never hear when and if something is going to come out. If Alzheimer’s is in your family, you sure wish they would hurry up, right?

How would you like to know what drugs are currently being tested for Alzheimer’s? How would you like to get your hands on those drugs right now, and not have to wait 5 or 10 years for them?

You should know then, that there is a way to do this without going to the Black Market. Actually, you will be surprised to know that it’s quite easy. In fact, the manufacturers of these new Alzheimer’s medications would love for you to have it. They are at this very moment actively looking for people that want to try these new medications.

The method for gaining access to these medications is ‘drug trials’ and they’re going on all the time, and you are about to learn how to find them and how to get into them. But first let me give you at least a basic understanding of the process.

When you talk about drug trials people respond in one of two ways. One groups shudders at the very thought of a drug trial; picturing themselves as proverbial guinea pigs, being fed toxic cocktails of chemicals that will cause them painful and crippling side effects and death. While the other group is practically leaping out of their chairs, hands raised to volunteer for what they believe is the best and finest medications that advanced scientific research has discovered; research based on the accumulated efforts of dozens of Universities and private laboratories. They reason that the minuscule risk is outweighed by the much more likely outcome that they or their loved one will get badly needed relief from a disease or condition that is carving away at their health and vitality.
Sounds pretty dramatic huh? Well, you get the point. People either think you are nuts to take an experimental drug or they are grasping at their last hope. You rarely find anyone on the fence about it.

But for these fence sitters, I am obliged to explain the drug trial process the best I can, because this article ends with a resource that you can use to find drug trials near you. Not just for Alzheimer’s disease, but for any condition or illness that concerns you.
First let’s look at a few of the advantages of participating in a drug trial:

* Free medication – when approved it will be very expensive. (For everyone else)

* Better yet… you get paid to participate. (both the caregiver and the patient)

* Lots of expensive examinations and medical tests for free. (seriously, you get a full workup worth thousands of dollars)

* Afterwards you get to continue with the medication indefinitely. (It’s called a follow up study and even if you were in the placebo group, you get the medication for as long as you like)

* A very good chance at symptomatic relief, if not a reversal of the condition altogether. (would they be doing this test if they did not already have a lot of promising results?)

* Hope. Never underestimate the power of hope and positive thinking.

But wait, what about all that stuff about guinea pigs, concoctions, and risky side effects? Well let’s look at the process of drug trials and FDA approval.

The heart of drug trial research is the “double-blind study” This is the only accepted method of research for the FDA.
A double-blind study is the FDA’s insurance that the results of any research is truly due to the effects of the drug, and not the opinion of the researchers that stand to make a lot of money. Nor the test subject’s psychosomatic wishful thinking that the drug did its job.

Here’s how it works; you have at least two groups of subjects, one group is getting the ‘test’ medication, and another group is getting a lookalike (a placebo), and then they check to see if there is a statistical improvement between the two groups. (Nowadays, placebos are much more than just a sugar pill. Typically they give both groups the exact same treatment, except one has the active ingredient and the other doesn’t). The researchers that are working directly with the patients do not know which treatment group is getting the active ingredient, they are ‘blind’. The patients are also ‘blind’, they don’t know if they are getting the active ingredient or not. Presto; you have a double-blind study. The reason this works so well is, scientists have learned over the years that even unbiased researchers will often think they see improvements, thus distorting the results. Then there is this strange phenomenon called the ‘treatment effect’; on average a certain percentage of test subjects improve even on the placebos. Interestingly the percentage of subjects improving is very consistent. If I recall correctly, it is around 12%. Double-blind studies eliminate the treatment effect because both groups will average the same treatment effect and cancel it out as a factor.

But you don’t want all this technical stuff, do you? Let’s get back on point. Drug studies have 4 phases they go through before they are approved by the FDA. Phases 3 and 4 are with groups of people. Phase 3 is usually the first time the drug is tried on the public, and they keep the size of the study very small. If all goes well in Phase 3, then they move to Phase 4, using a much large group of people. If you are interested in drug trials, you will almost invariably be involved in a Phase 4 study.

Getting into a drug study is a lot easier than you would imagine. All over the country there are Universities and private testing labs that are turning down drug studies because they can’t find enough participants. So don’t feel like you will be put onto a waiting list. Just be aware that these studies do have certain criteria that has to met.

Which brings us to, “how DO you get involved in a study?” That’s the problem, there are several websites dedicated to providing information about the drug studies, but none of them seem to do a very good job. You can get a list of these sites at the following website: http://alzheimersecrets.com/drugtrial/. However, you may decide to not use them because this site synthesizes all of the information for you. Not only that, but you can actually make a direct inquiry for your location and for the condition or disease you want to address with them. And remember, you can approach any of these sites for any illness or condition, not just Alzheimer’s. Now let’s get into the drugs themselves.
Current Alzheimer Research

Dimebon
This one is getting all the “Press” right now, it seems everybody knows about it and so far it has promising results. Used as an antihistamine in Russia for many years, it also protects against brain cell death. Dimebon targets mitochondria (the cell’s power generator). Phase 3 results show significant improvement in all the key aspects of Alzheimer’s, including thinking, memory, behavior and overall function. Results have been published in “Lancet” July 2008 (Lancet in England is the equivalent of the New England Journal of Medicine in the U.S.). Rumor is Dimebon may be on the market as soon as next year.

Rember (Methylthioninium chloride)
Early research is promising, as researchers announced that the compound appears to slow and even halt the progress of Alzheimer’s. It does this by dissolving tangles of tau protein inside brain cells and preventing their accumulation, stabilizing the disease progression in patients with mild and moderate Alzheimer’s over a period of one year. Over a longer period of 19 months, researchers saw an 81% slowing of the disease. Rember may be on the market as early as 2012.

AL-108
This drug, like Rember, also addresses the problem of neurofibrillary tangles, also interfering with the formation of tangles by affecting the tau protein. However, this drug is administered as a nasal spray. Which brings up a rarely discussed aspect of drug trials: not all drug trials involve taking a pill! Some are nasal sprays, eye drops, some are even administered intravenously. The good news is results with AL-108 took far less time than Rember. Researchers reported a 62.4% improvement in memory with no side effects in only 4 months time.

Lupron (Leuprolide, Memryte)
Don’t you just love the way they name these drugs? Memryte (memory right?) or Rember (Remember?). Lupron is currently an approved drug for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer. But now they are looking at it for Alzheimer’s because it alters production of beta-amyloid in the brain. Beta-amyloid, in a nutshell, is the main material that plaques are made of. The theory is, no beta-amyloid = no plaques = no Alzheimer’s Disease.
Funny story: the connection between Lupron and Alzheimer’s was discovered accidentally, when the wife of a metastatic cancer patient who was receiving Lupron told the doctor that the drug worked well on his cancer – and his Alzheimer’s appeared to improve, too. (Wow, a doctor that listens! What a concept)

Immunoglobulins
Basically these are antibodies already in our blood. These antibodies are used by our immune system to hunt down and eliminate bacteria. This is one of those treatments that is being administered intravenously. It is still in the early stages of research, and larger studies are forming as you read this.

Rosiglitazone (Avandia)
One of the little know facts about drug approval by the FDA is that Pharmaceutical companies spend 10’s of millions of dollars bringing a drug to market. Therefore it’s safe to assume they have to be pretty confident of success before they decide to start a new drug trial. Furthermore, you can imagine that the process is complicated and technical. Let me give you an example, when they apply for a new drug approval, they have to be very specific about which disease, or condition they are going to test for. That makes sense. But occasionally after a drug comes to market it may start showing effectiveness on conditions that it was not originally intended for. But if they want doctors to legitimately prescribe their established medication for this new condition they have to start the drug trial process all over again from scratch.
Thus is the case with Lupon mentioned above (currently approved for prostrate cancer), as well as this one Avandia. Avandia is currently on the market for type 2 diabetes, in diabetics it enables their cells to use the hormone insulin more efficiently. But they now think it might affect the brain inflammation seen in Alzheimer’s patients, so they are starting new drug trials for it.

Alzheimer’s Vaccines
“Another method for targeting Alzheimer’s comes in the form of a vaccine that uses antibodies from the body’s own immune system to attack and destroy beta-amyloid and clear out plaques in the brain, or to eliminate clumps of tau protein (neurofibrillary tangles) in the brain that kill neurons responsible for memory”. Phase 3 studies are also starting this year, and they look promising. * (Oops, hold that thought, just yesterday as I was finishing this article there was story making the rounds that a prominent research physician was quoted in the press as saying that he has serious doubts that beta-amyloid is the cause of Alzheimer’s and that researchers are missing the boat, and spending a lot of time and money for nothing. Time will tell…)

Gene Therapy
This is another of those methods that have been around, getting perfected for years. It is very complicated, and involves genetically altering your own cells to produce nerve growth factor (NGF) and injecting these altered cells into the brain to slow the destruction of brain cells. They may sound creepy, but naturally produced NGF has amazing promise for many different illness and diseases. Some researchers are predicting extending the life span by decades when NGF is perfected.

Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor
Researchers are making impressive claims with this one. “This compound has the potential not only to slow degenerative memory loss, but also to reverse the process and bring back lost memories”. The HDAC inhibitor compound was first formulated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). “The research suggests that people with dementia might not completely lose their memories, but that the memories might be stored away somewhere that is inaccessible. The clinical trials are expected to assess whether ADAC inhibitors can safely and effectively improve cognitions and possibly reverse memory loss in humans.
This concludes the long list of drug trials that are out there for Alzheimer’s Disease. Can you imagine…this is just Alzheimer’s? I have heard of studies for just about every other major disease, and even for conditions that I did not know were a problem. For example I read about a study that was supposed to make eye-lashes grow longer and thicker. I don’t see anyone dieing of thinning eye-lashes, but I certainly see where something like that would make a fortune.
Nevertheless, if you or someone you know is interested in drug trials please go to this site for a complete list of different websites that promote and talk about drug trials: http://alzheimersecrets.com/drugtrial/.

Source: Special Report on: Combating Memory Loss (common problems and treatments) by Massachusetts General Hospital & the editors of Mind, Mood & Memory.