The 90+ Study

Claudia Kawas, MD and Maria Corrada, ScD  are the principle investigators for the 90+ study. This research project from the University of California at Irvine started in 2003 to determine factors associated with longevity, to investigate dementia and ways to prevent it, and to find out how people can prevent memory loss and disability in this age group. Some of the major findings from this project are:

• People who drank moderate amounts of alcohol or coffee lived longer than those who abstained. 
• People who were overweight in their 70s lived longer than normal or underweight people did. 
• Over 40% of people aged 90 and older suffer from dementia while almost 80% are disabled. Both are more common in women than men. 

You can read more about the study here. Here is a link to a "60 Minutes" television segment about this study: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/living-to-90-and-beyond-part-one

Recent Caregiving Books

Do you care for an elderly relative or friend? Do you need information to help you with your caregiving? Pasco County Public Library System has the following recently published books for caregivers: 

                            Caregiver's Handbook

                         An Unintended Journey

                        Dr Ruth's Guide for Alzheimers

                         Life's Little Emergencies

                         No One Has to Die Alone

                     The Caregiving Wife's Handbook

                            The Good Caregiver

                     Loving Someone Who Has Dementia

                    Healing Your Grieving Heart

September is World Alzheimer's Month

The theme for World Alzheimer's Month 2013 is "Dementia: a journey of caring".  This event is a way to increase awareness of Alzheimer's disease, which is the most common form of dementia. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 35.6 million people have dementia worldwide and 5 million Americans aged 65 years or older have Alzheimer's disease. The number of Alzheimer's cases in the United States is predicted to nearly triple in the future. In addition, Alzheimer's disease is currently the 6th leading cause of death among adults aged 18 years or older. The CDC reports that the direct and indirect costs of dementia among those aged 70 and over totaled an estimated $159 billion to $215 billion in 2010.

Do you know the signs of Alzheimer's disease? It can be hard to separate normal age-related change from the symptoms of Alzheimer's. The Alzheimer's Association lists 10 warning signs for this disease here. If you would like to get involved in raising awareness about Alzheimer's disease, you can see a list of events here.

"How to Keep a Healthy Brain" Workshops

HPH Hospice will be providing two free workshops in Pasco County about how to maintain a healthy brain. TaWanna Noel, a program specialist for the Alzheimer’s Association will facilitate these workshops for Baby Boomers and Seniors.  The program will be presented on February 22nd in New Port Richey and on February 28th in Dade City (see below). Registration is required.  Please contact Jan Double, HPH Hospice community relations coordinator, at (727) 705-0107 to register.

                  Wednesday, February 22nd 
                  1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m
                  South Pasco HPH Hospice Team Office
                  6807 Rowan Road, New Port Richey, FL
             
                  Tuesday, February 28th      
                  1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
                  East Pasco HPH Hospice team office
                  37445 Clinton Avenue, Dade City, FL