Cruise Away Your Caregiving Worries If you or someone you know is a devoted family caregiver, you understand the stress that comes with caring for a senior loved one each day. That's why residents of Burbank and Glendale are invited to nominate deserving family caregivers – or themselves – for the opportunity to win a free, five-day cruise. Read more Answering the Call: Local Program Helps Family Caregivers Prepare for Senior Emergencies If you're an adult son or daughter who lives in fear of getting "the call" – the one that tells you "Mom has suffered a stroke," or "Dad accidentally overdosed on his medications" – do you have the information you need to help your loved one? Many don't, according to research conducted for the Home Instead Senior Care® network. The organization conducted research with family caregivers to find out how much they know and developed a public education program with resources that can help family caregivers keep important information at their fingertips. Read more Scientists Developing Blood Test For Alzheimer's
Scientists have developed an antibody-screening blood test that may one day be used to detect diseases such as Alzheimer's.
Researchers say while this test is in its infancy, there is cause for excitement because the test allows them to identify biomarkers for any disease to which the immune system reacts. However, additional testing needs to be conducted in a larger patient sampling. The study was published in the Jan. 7 issue of the journal Cell. Researchers agree a blood test would be less invasive than current diagnostic methods, HealthDay News reported.
In related news, investigators at Tufts University asked 1,463 study participants to respond to randomly generated scenarios in which they were asked if they would get a blood test to find out if they had a disease such as Alzheimer's. The scenarios stipulated that the disease was not preventable and that the out-of-pocket fee for the test is high.
Researchers found that the majority of respondents would get the test anyway. Those who did want to know said they'd be more likely to sign up for an advance directive and spend more time with friends and family members. This study was published in the journal Health Economics. Read moreBattle of the Ages
Just when you thought that a family caregiver’s job couldn’t get more difficult, consider this: Many of the estimated 783,000 households caring for a senior in Los Angeles County are trying to help an aging relative who’d rather not have help. Read more |
