ADI News

Two weeks to ADI conference 2012!

Sarah.Smith — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:52:19 +0000

21 February 2012 - Just two weeks remains until the start of the 27th International Conference of Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI). The conference, which will take place from 7 to 10 March in London, will host a variety of speakers from the fields of dementia care, treatment, research and policy.

For the first time, a stream of sessions run by people with dementia has been incorporated into the conference programme and a number of people with dementia and carers will be sharing their experiences and knowledge during the conference.

The conference Opening Ceremony promises to be a memorable event with speakers including British author, Sir Terry Pratchett, who is living with Alzheimer's disease.

The full conference programme is now available to download from the conference website.

Standard advance registration for the conference will close on 2 March.

Latest HelpAge newsletter highlights dementia worldwide

Sarah.Smith — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:50:31 +0000

22 February 2012 - ADI has collaborated closely with HelpAge International on the development of the latest issue of Ageways, a regular HelpAge publication.

The issue covers a range of topics, including basic information about dementia, ideas for helping carers to continue to care effectively for people with dementia, and some inspirational and successful care programmes from around the world. This publication is just one part of a larger ongoing collaborative effort between ADI and HelpAge International.

View the March issue of Ageways here.

Alzheimer Scotland welcomes landmark DVD

Sarah.Smith — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:16:08 +0000

21 February 2012 - In the first joint education initiative of its kind in Scotland, NHS Education for Scotland (NES) and the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) have produced an educational resource for the entire health and social services workforce in Scotland. [Read more]

Alzheimer's Australia create Valentine's Day to remember

Sarah.Smith — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 10:51:30 +0000

13 February 2012 - This Valentine's Day, Tuesday 14 February, Alzheimer's Australia are encouraging the public to ask their political leaders what they would you do if their loved one couldn't remember them by sending them a Valentine's Day card. [Read more]

USA dedicates resources to Alzheimer's

Sarah.Smith — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:59:27 +0000

8 February 2012 - The USA's Alzheimer’s Association have commended President Obama's Administration for dedicating new resources in the fight against Alzheimer’s in a uniquely challenging fiscal year in advance of the first ever National Alzheimer’s Plan. [Read more]

New findings from 10/66 Dementia Research Group

Sarah.Smith — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:35:59 +0000

8 February 2012 - A new paper prepared by the 10/66 Dementia Research Group has been published today. The paper, Prevalence, Distribution, and Impact of Mild Cognitive Impairment in Latin America, China, and India: A 10/66 Population-Based Study, looks at the latest findings on the prevalence and impact of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in low and middle income countries.

Data from the study was gathered from Cuba, Dominican Republic, Peru, Mexico, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, China, and India, with more than 15,000 individuals aged 65 and over being surveyed. Participants completed standardised assessments of their mental and physical health and their cognitive function and the researchers also interviewed relatives and carers for further details about any memory loss or other decline in cognitive function or the presence of any neuropsychiatric symptoms.

The study found that, in low and middle income countries, mild cognitive impairment - an intermediate state between normal signs of cognitive aging, such as becoming increasingly forgetful, and dementia, which may or may not progress - is consistently associated with higher disability and with neuropsychiatric symptoms but not with most socio-demographic factors.

By using a clinical framework and a statistical model, the authors found that mild cognitive impairment with related memory problems was associated with disability, anxiety, apathy and irritability but not with depression.

Increasing age or former education level did not seem to be linked but the authors found that men had a slightly higher prevalence of mild cognitive impairment than women. Furthermore, the prevalence of this type of mild cognitive impairment ranged from 0.8% in China to 4.3% in India.

The authors say: This is one of the first studies, to our knowledge, to investigate the prevalence of [mild cognitive impairment with related memory problems] in [Low and Middle Income countries], where the large majority of older people and people with dementia currently live.”

They conclude: “Further evaluation is needed of the associations with disability and neuropsychiatric symptoms since our findings do suggest higher than expected comorbidity and there are large absolute numbers of older people with [mild cognitive impairment with related memory problems] in these rapidly ageing and populous world regions.”

The full paper is published in PLoS Medicine and can be viewed online here.

Caribbean associations join forces

Sarah.Smith — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:31:37 +0000

26 January 2012 - National Alzheimer associations from islands within the Caribbean gathered in Oranjestad, Aruba this week to discuss a variety of topics, including the formation of a regional group of associations working together together for people with dementia and their carers across the Caribbean.

Participants at the meeting included representatives from Fundacion Alzheimer Aruba, CEAFA in Spain (a member of Alzheimer Iberoamerica alongside a number of the Caribbean associations) and Asociacion de Alzheimer de Puerto Rico, as well as ADI Chairman, Daisy Acosta, who is based in the Dominican Republic. [more]

DAlzG welcomes insurance reform

Sarah.Smith — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:56:23 +0000

23 January 2012 - Deutsche Alzheimer Gesellschaft (DAlzG) have welcome the announcement from Germany's Federal Health Minister on 18 January that improvements will be made to the country's statutory nursing care insurance services. These changes are likely to be particularly beneficial to people with dementia who are cared for by family members in their own homes. [more]

NCD Alliance appeal to WHO Executive Board

Sarah.Smith — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:22:34 +0000

20 January 2012 - Alzheimer's Disease International joined the forty-nine other NGOs making up the NCD Alliance this week in Geneva, Switzerland, at the World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Board meeting. The Alliance appealed to the WHO member states to push forward the adoption of five targets to address the growing issue of non-communicable diseases across the world. [read more]

USA national plan within reach

Sarah.Smith — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 11:20:55 +0000

20 January 2012 - At the recent second meeting of the USA's Advisory Council on Alzheimer's Research, Care and Services, the country's Department of Health and Human Services outlined its timetable for the development of a national Alzheimer's plan. [read more]