The Alzheimer’s Research & Prevention Foundation (ARPF) is dedicated to the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease by funding research studies and providing educational outreach and memory screenings.
INSIDE
On the Cover:
• President’s Message
Page 2:
• Presentation by Lori La Bey
Page 3:
• What Others Are Saying
Page 4:
• ARPF Outreach Update
Page 5:
• ARPF Research Update
Page 6:
• Donor List – Thank You!
Page 7:
• Community Outreach
Page 8:
• Keep in Touch!
PRESIDENT/MEDICAL DIRECTOR
Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D.
VICE PRESIDENT
Randal Brooks, MA, LPC
TREASURER
Carolyn S. Sechler, CPA
SECRETARY
Kirti K. Khalsa
MEMBER
Carolyn Lucz
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR
Conni Ingallina
PUBLIC RELATIONS
The Professional Image
NEWSLETTER EDITOR
Tryn Rose Seley
SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY COUNCIL
Ma Gloria Borras-Boneu, M.D.
GRD Health Institute – Barcelona, Spain
Karen E. Innes, MSPH, Ph.D.
Western Virginia University School of Public Health – Morgantown, WV
Sat Bir Singh Khalsa, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Medicine Harvard Medical School Brigham and Women’s Hospital – Boston, MA
Miia Kivipelto, M.D., Ph.D.
Aging Research Center and Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center Karolinska Institute – Stockholm, Sweden
Karen Koffler, M.D.
Medical Director, Canyon Ranch Miami Beach Miami Beach, FL
Helen Lavretsky, M.D., M.S.
Professor, Department of Psychiatry UCLA Semel Institute and Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital – Los Angeles, CA
Roberta A. Lee, M.D.
Vice Chair, Department of Integrative Medicine Beth Israel Medical Center – New York, NY
George Perry, Ph.D.
Dean and Professor, College of Sciences University of Texas at San Antonio – San Antonio, TX
Michelle Sierpina, Ph.D.
Founding Director
UTMB Osher Institute for Lifelong Learning University of Texas Medical Branch – Galveston, TX
Yaakov Stern, Ph.D.
Director, Cognitive Neuroscience Division Taub Institute for the Study of Alzheimer’s disease and the Aging Brain Professor of Clinical Neuropsychology Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons – New York, NY
N E W S L E T T E R
Women Getting Crushed By Alzheimer’s
According to the most recent Alzheimer’s Association report, called 2014 Facts and Figures, the fight against Alzheimer’s isn’t faring very well, and women are taking the brunt of it! Yes, you read correctly. According to this report, women are at the epicenter of the Alzheimer’s epidemic.
I’ll have some good news for you soon, so please read on. In the meantime, however, I’d like to share some sad statistics so you will appreciate what I’ll reveal further on in this article.
At the moment, about 5.4 million people are living with Alzheimer’s disease in the USA, and 200,000 of them suffer from what’s called Younger Onset Alzheimer’s disease. That means that they’re less than 65 years of age. Staggeringly, every 67 seconds, someone in the United States develops Alzheimer’s. And while it is officially our 6th leading cause of death, and the 5th leading cause for those aged 65 and older, emerging data reveals that deaths from Alzheimer’s are actually underreported. This means that, in fact, the numbers are higher.
This report, published in the important medical journal Neurology, states that Alzheimer’s death rates are equal to our two biggest killers: heart disease and cancer. Indeed, one in three seniors dies with Alzheimer’s or another dementia.
What’s the reason Alzheimer’s deaths are so under-reported? It’s because the actual listed cause is usually the final event, such as pneumonia, for example, rather than the Alzheimer’s disease from which the person suffered for so many years, and which led to his or her passing.
WHERE DO WOMEN FIT IN?
- In her 60’s, a woman’s estimated lifetime risk for developing Alzheimer’s is 1 in 6. For breast cancer, it’s almost half of that, 1 in 11. Perhaps that’s why almost two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer’s are women.
- Of the 5 million people aged 65 and older with Alzheimer’s in America, 3.2 million are women, and 1.8 or so are men.
- More than 60 percent of Alzheimer’s caregivers are women.
- There are 2.5 times more women than men providing intensive, on-duty care 24 hours a day for a loved one living with Alzheimer’s.
I recently met a woman who lost her husband after a four-year struggle with Younger Onset Alzheimer’s. She shared with me that this was the most stressful and difficult time of her life. She told me that not only was it sad, but it was dangerous too, as she felt her own mental and physical health slipping away. Her feelings are not incorrect.
Research does show that caregivers are prone to develop depression, memory issues, and other stress-related illnesses.
Finally, as we Baby Boomers age, the number of people expected to get Alzheimer’s in the coming years is amazingly predicted to skyrocket from the current 5.4 million to as many as 16 million by 2050.
But here’s where typical thinking, and my own, differ.
Conventional researchers pessimistically discuss the above facts and figures as if there have been no medical breakthroughs in the past decade to change that dynamic, possibly prevent Alzheimer’s, and soothe caregiver stress. I am much more optimistic than that, and for good reason.
And here is the good news I promised you at the beginning of this article: we now know that how you live your life can not only create a very high level of brain fitness now, but will also go a long way to decrease your risk of developing Alzheimer’s later.
As one of my colleagues said recently, “Prevention is hot right now.” It’s also a reality.
You can discover all the most modern, up-to-date research on how our 4 Pillars of diet, yoga/meditation, exercise, and spiritual well-being is the true Alzheimer’s prevention medicine for women and men. Simply go here:
www.alzheimersprevention.org/4-pillars-of-prevention/.
Or view all our latest research on a simple 12-minute yoga meditation that has been proven to improve brain fitness, create an anti-aging effect at the level of your genes, and soothe caregiver stress and depression.
www.alzheimersprevention.org/research
You can also download the simple 12-minute singing memory exercise here:
donatenow.networkforgood.org/ARPFStore
I urge you to follow this Brain Longevity® prescription. Your family, your loved ones, and you will be thrilled now, and in the years ahead.
Let’s leave the tragedy of Alzheimer’s behind.
May all your memories be great,
Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D.
Founding President/Medical Director
P.S. Our mission of innovative research depends on your donations. Please contribute any amount by mail or website. It will go toward new Alzheimer’s Prevention research.
It Takes A Community: Becoming Dementia-Friendly
by Tryn Rose Seley, Contributing Editor
On February 27th, we enjoyed Lori La Bey’s presentation called “Dementia: The Power of Simplicity.” She joined us from Minnesota, and we had the perfect weather for her. Lori is an expert in the field of Alzheimer’s support. Her kind, centered, personal approach to her work positively affected those who attended the program. She has been named by Dr. Oz as the best online resource in 2012 for her radio show, Alzheimer’s Speaks Radio. She has cared for her mom for 30 years, and shares the voices of many with her platform. You can follow her shows and access her interviews at alzheimersspeaksradio.com.
In her talk, she highlighted the idea that we are all caregivers, actually. In her words: “Caregiving is viewed as a state of crisis versus a natural state of being.” Often, we speak of “caregiving” as an unusual or different role in life, when in reality, we all need to be mindful and proactive in our relationships with co-workers, family, friends, and associates. It’s not some “other” separate role that some must do, and the rest of us don’t have to. We are all in relationship to one another, and we need to find ways to give and receive in our relationships, which makes them better. Lori empowered attendees to be thankful for what we have in our lives, and to advocate to make communities more dementiafriendly, which results in helping people move from crisis to comfort.
We thank Lori for sharing her insights with attendees, which included registered nurses, home care agencies, and family caregivers. We also thank our co-host, Zach Shaw, of Affordable Home Care Solutions, his associate Dr. John DenBoer for speaking about his programs, and Har Zion Congregation for hosting this valuable event for the East Valley.
“What a delightful profile of two intriguing people!! It’s proof positive that relationships do not need to be limited by similarities in age and family relationships. I’m certain that many people, including some of my friends and family, will enjoy this ‘favorite senior’ story.”
Carolyn Lucz, ARPF Board Member
Tucson, Arizona
Robert Froelich, M.D.
Phoenix, Arizona
Above, from top to bottom:
• Volunteer Erich Sweet, RN, LMT
at the ARPF Exhibit Booth at the
Scottsdale Senior Expo.
• ARPF COO Kirti Khalsa and
Brain- Based Solutions Ruth
Curran, M.S. at the ASA Conference.
• Volunteer Linda Sharp, M.Ed.
doing memory screenings.
by Conni Ingallina, ARPF Communications Director
It’s spring! My favorite time of the year – with everything budding, new life everywhere and a sense of expectancy in the air. Here at The Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation, we have been busy with lots of things, including participating in a very well-received senior expo, Tele-seminar, conference workshop, and memory screening. Two of these participating events spread the word about Brain Awareness Week, March 10-16, 2014.
Scottsdale “All Things Senior Expo,” February 26, 2014 – This annual expo in Scottsdale, Arizona, is one of the largest in the state of Arizona, and attracts thousands of people to learn about all kinds of senior resources. The ARPF was fortunate to have a prime location and attracted many to hear how to prevent Alzheimer’s disease and learn about our research and educational offerings. Thank you to volunteer Erich Sweet, RN, and staff member Laney Townsend for their hard work at this event.
ARPF Tele-seminar, March 6, 2014 – The first Tele-seminar of 2014 was entitled “The Power of Medical Yoga in Creating Optimal Health,” with guest speaker Linda Stern Lang, Yoga Therapist. This Tele-seminar discussed the main benefits of a yoga practice, the differences between medical and therapeutic yoga, and how to take your yoga practice to a new level. This free Tele-seminar was very popular with over 300 registrations. Thank you to Linda for sharing her fantastic knowledge and passion.
American Society on Aging, March 13–16, 2014 – This 4-day event was held in San Diego, California, and featured a workshop co-presented by ARPF COO Kirti Khalsa and Brain Based Solutions Ruth Curran, MS, called “Reducing Caregiver Stress 3 Minutes at a Time.” This workshop presented quick, effective methods to reduce stress, and energize through meditation, yoga, guided relaxation, and a variety of practices that fit into the lives of busy people. The event was very well-received by the attendees.
Memory Screening, March 15-16, 2014 – In conjunction with Tucson’s Festival of Books in Tucson, Arizona, not only were we able to increase awareness about the work of the ARPF during the 2-day event, we were also happy to offer free memory screenings to help individuals discuss their concerns about cognitive function, and reduce the stigma about this widespread concern. It was rewarding to see so many people take advantage of this opportunity. Special thanks to our wonderful staff and volunteers: Valerie Powors, Liz Christensen, MA, LPC, and Linda Sharp, M.Ed.
Did you participate in an event to strengthen brain health, or tell others about Alzheimer’s prevention this spring? Tell us about it. We love to hear your stories.
Blessings, Conni
Communications Director
7949 E. Acoma Drive, Suite 207
Scottsdale, AZ 85260
Phone: 1-888-908-5766
Fax: 480-289-5765
Conni@alzheimersprevention.org
ARPF Research Update
We are delighted to feature the details of the ongoing study, titled:
Promoting Virtual Balance Exercise to Prevent Falls and Improve Cognition in Older Adults
The Interdisciplinary Consortium on Advanced Motion Performance (iCAMP) and the Arizona Center on Aging, within the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson, has been awarded a prestigious foundation grant from the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation to perform an innovative pilot study on fall prevention and cognitive performance in residents living at Villa Hermosa Senior Living Center in Tucson.
At least 30% of persons aged 65 years and older experience one or more falls each year, and this percentage increases to 40% after the age of 75. Falls are a major health problem in older adults, causing fall-related sequelae such as fractures, head injuries, and post-fall anxiety.
Major fall risk factors are reduced gait and balance performance. More recently, attention-demanding tasks such as talking while walking have been identified to amplify gait and balance problems in older adults. Deficits in simultaneous processing of two tasks, otherwise known as “dual-tasking,” have been identified as a strong predictor of future falls. This tells us that reduced balance and gait difficulties may indicate the beginning of impaired brain function. Balance training may help to improve both balance and attention, thereby improving dualtask performance.
Study co-principal investigator, Dr. Michael Schwenk, said, “This generous grant from the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation will help us to evaluate an innovative virtual reality-based balance training intervention for reducing the risk of falling in older adults. What we learn can be translated to older adults living in the home and community to help them remain independent, fall-free, and with optimal cognition.
The virtual reality-based exercise training has been developed by biomedical engineers (Dr. Gurtej Singh Grewal and Dr. Bijan Najafi) at iCAMP, and involves specific balance tasks with lower-extremity joint position feedback using wearable sensors. Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa, President of the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation, helped design the study. Professor Jane Mohler from The Arizona Center on Aging, an expert in the field of Geriatrics, acts as scientific advisor for this innovative study.
If you would like more information on any of these studies, please contact Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D., ARPF Medical Director, at info@alzheimersprevention.org.
THANK YOU to Our Generous Donors
FEBRUARY – MARCH 2014
| Donations Made In Memory of/Honor of: | |||
| Daniel Casetta Jonathan M. Casetta Rose DiDomenick Anonymous Ben Goldman Eileen Carnaggio Sheri Coster Janet Downes Kathy Klein Penny Koontz Janet Mattson Foteni T. Tiffany |
Judith M. Hazard Mary Ann Gurnack Valerie B. Yokie June Jankowski Paul Yarman Dr. Dimitri Kececioglu Ellen Wijesinghe Ruthanna and Frank Massari Philip Meschia Eleanore McDonell Timothy & Judy Early |
Gage Mersereau Kay McDonald Fereydoon Motamed Leilani Ho MaryAnne O’Meara Jenn Cambra Lena Marie Parrish Keith Hiatt Jean K. Whalen Mary Kay Buffington Jean Wyatt Nichole L. Mataisz |
 |
Individual Donations
| Anonymous Jennifer Abbott Eileen Altman Lori Andrews Sheila Baldwin Laura S. Beaton Sheri Beckstrom Eric Berger Jennifer M. Biber Courtney B. Boscoe Michael Brennan Becky Brimhall Gail Brown Roberta Chagnot Lawrence Clowry Jane Crawford Kevin Critendon Greta Cummings Annette Davis Debra Dollins |
Barbara Dorn Emily Dreyfus Patricia Dutko Mary M. Eary Arlene A. Fidalgo Dana Fisher Deborah Fuerte Daisy Garcia-Morquecho Gary Neal Goldstein Sandy Gross Karen Hairfield Doreen Hartley David Hasstedt Jeanne Hayes Jennifer Herold-Bonilla Kali Higgins Mary A. Hunter Howard Kempsell Margaret Kennedy |
Katherine J. Kerchner Sat Kartar Kaur Khalsa Acacia Koa Sandy Lehan Lynn Leu Marcia Linville Shane Lizama Johnny Loi Silvia Lom-Ajan Gary Lowe Linda Mandeville Robert Matias Rosie Matthews Jenice McKissick Phyllis O’Connell Carlos Perez Tina Pint-Hathcock Gina Plummer Jonathan B. Price |
Lourdes Ramac Arnold Reifer Joseph M. Robbins Marie S. Robinson Jackie Roller Ramea Salmon Gordon L. Storrings Craig Sutton Grace R. Sym Grant Tait David P. Tapscott Harold Terry Sarah Trobaugh Nicole M. Valdez Gina Valentine Robert Venezia Phyllis Vosbeck Alice Wagman Lucinda Wead Sarah Wilce Dey Young |
| In-Kind Donations | Workplace Campaigns (ARPF is a proud participant in the following workplace campaigns) |
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| Aristocrat Printing Cranium Crunches Puzzles to Remember, Inc. Textile Gems Trader Joe’s Julia Ross (Vehicle donation) Matthew Vasallo (Vehicle donation) |
American Express AT&T Foundation Bank of America Boeing British Telecom Discover Financial Services IBM |
JP Morgan Chase Lockheed Martin Microsoft Macy’s East National Instruments Unilever Foundation United Health Wells Fargo |
On April 9th, “Arizona Gives Day,” we received $1,100 in donations from two dozen donors! Thank you so much for your support of the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation. Please donate any time at www.alzheimersprevention.org
| As part of our commitment to helping individuals maximize brain health and function, regardless of age or stage of life, the ARPF participates in education and advocacy activities across the U.S. and around the world. Please join us! April 24, 2014 Presentation at the Texas Holistic Nurses Association Annual Conference in Waco, TX. April 25, 2014 Resource table at the Faith Communities and Mental Illness Conference in Tucson, AZ. May Mother’s Day Contest: Share your favorite Mother story and picture at contest@alzheimers prevention.org. Great prizes for all those who participate! |
May 5, 2014 Exhibit booth at Born To Thrive Women’s Conference in Phoenix, AZ. May 8, 2014 Tele-seminar: Nutrition and Your Brain: The Latest Discovery. Guest Speaker: David Perlmutter, M.D. Renowned neurologist and author of Grain Brain. Register at www.alzheimersprevention.org/events. May 13, 2014 Exhibitor booth at the International Research Congress on Integrative Medicine and Health in Miami, FL. June Father’s Day Contest: Share your favorite Father story and picture at contest@alzheimers prevention.org. Great prizes for all those who participate! |
June 5-8, 2014 Exhibitor booth at the Symposium on Yoga Therapy and Research in Austin, TX. July 12-17, 2014 Poster Presentation at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark. Stay tuned for more events in the second half of 2013. Please check our website at www.alzheimersprevention.org/events for dates and topics for frequent Tele-seminars. Want to host an event? Call Conni at 1-888-908-5766 or conni@alzheimersprevention.org |
ARPF BEQUEST SOCIETY
• Mrs. Ethel A. Hoff
• Dr. and Mrs. Dharma Singh Khalsa
• Mr. and Mrs. Randy Brooks
• Mrs. Marjorie Olmstead
• Shaol and Evelyn Pozez Endowment Fund
LEAVE A LEGACY:
Remember Us in Your Will
If you would like to receive information on how you can Leave a Legacy to support the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation’s critical research initiatives or to support one of our many other programs – please contact ARPF’s Vice President Randy Brooks at 520-749-8374 or randy@alzheimersprevention.org.
If you want to receive all the latest updates from the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation, then make sure we have your most up-to-date email address! The ARPF is sharing more information via email, from news about Alzheimer’s and dementia, to information about the latest research results around the world, to contest winners and more.So contact us at info@alzheimersprevention.org to be certain we have your latest e-mail address in our database, and then keep an eye out in your Inbox for ARPF news.
For the latest, up-to-the-minute news on appearances, activities, announcements, what’s going on in the Alzheimer’s world, and pictures of ARPF at work, make sure you ‘Like’ us on Facebook. That’s where all the latest information is posted on a daily basis.
Just like all information you give to ARPF, your e-mail address will remain private and will never be given or sold to an outside organization.
Discover all the exciting activities the ARPF has in store for you for 2014 by visiting us on the web at
www.alzheimersprevention.org,
following us on Twitter at
https://twitter.com/PreventAD,
or ‘Liking’ us on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/PreventAD
The ARPF is a Proud Member of
