Hope for Patient's with Alzheimer's Disease

After seeing the effects that music can bring to patients with dementia, I began a mission to bring "preferred music" to some patients and hopefully a little help to their caregivers as well.

There are so many ways to help others and each of us has the opportunity to reach people in our little corner of the world. Even a short visit to talk, sing, or listen to music might brighten their day! Thanks to a grant funded by The Johnson County Community Foundation for my UIndy Master of Science in Gerontology Capstone project, 43 patients at The Indiana Masonic Home were able to receive players with their preferred music. ​

We relied on caregiver and family input for preferred music selections because patients with dementia cannot always communicate their wishes. To get the process started, my husband who is a DJ helped by making song suggestions, and I created a list of 92 songs that we thought might appeal to some of the patients. With the experience of the first project, we were able to determine some favorites from that list. Some of their favorite artists were found to be Elvis Presley, Hank Williams, Tammy Wynette, and Patsy Cline. Some of the song favorites were "You are My Sunshine" by Johnny Cash, "King of the Road" by Roger Miller, and "Amazing Grace" by Judy Collins (See current Music List).     For future projects, it would be great to replace some of the first songs that were not chosen and replace them with other favorites. If you'd like to help by making some suggestions, perhaps a few songs that your parents liked to listen to or that are played for special occasions in their lives or yours, the information may be used to adapt the song list for future projects. You can provide input on the Music Survey. 
 
With millions affected by Alzheimer's disease and dementia, finding treatments and prevention options is critical. Recently, promising opportunities for cures have been in the news.
     
Research at The University of Queensland found that the neurotoxic amyloid plaques that cause cognitive decline and memory loss can be removed by ultrasound waves, possibly even restoring back to the original level prior to plaque development. The research now involves mice and is moving to larger animals. Research on humans is at least two years away, but shows promise. The details can be found in this 2015 article, Alzheimer's breakthrough uses ultrasound technology.
     
Another study has found that young blood can have a positive effect on muscles and possibly the brain. By removing the plasma from blood and using it in mice with dementia, they have seen positive results. 
I love Ted talks. Here's one about the effects of using young plasma: How young blood might help reverse aging. Yes, really
     
A research study found that the salicylic acid found in aspirin may stop central enzymes in glucose production from participating in cell death. This research may help provide treatments for many diseases, including Alzheimer's disease.  WISH TV reported on it today: Study: Aspirin has potential to treat Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's
     
​Hopefully a cure will soon be found.  Until then, I am so grateful for the many caregivers that give of themselves each day, going above and beyond to make patients comfortable. 
Resources that you may find helpful:

• ​The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People Who Have Alzheimer Disease, Related Dementias, and Memory Loss

• Chicken Soup for the Soul: Living with Alzheimer's & Other Dementias: 101 Stories of Caregiving, Coping, and Compassion are a couple of helpful resources. ​