Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama Information

Support Group Meetings:

• ACA’s support group with Miller & Vance, Tuesday, June 3, 11:00 – noon CT. Call (205) 871-7970 or [email protected].  Join us on zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85247427423
• CJFS CARES,  Mondays at 3 pm, contact Pam Leonard, [email protected]. 
• St Lukes Episcopal Church on Tuesdays at 10:15. Contact Betsy Smith ([email protected]) or Janis Cole ([email protected]).
• The Oaks on Parkwood, 4^th Tuesday’s, 10:00 am, Contact:  Karen Glover, [email protected].
• CJFS CARES,  Tuesdays, 7:00 pm, contact Pam Leonard, [email protected]. 
• United Way Area Agency on Aging of Jefferson County, 3^rd Tuesday of each month 11:30-12:30, contact Valarie Lawson, [email protected]
• Trussville, 3rd Tuesday, 6:00 pm. Contact Julie Slagle [email protected]
• Covenant Presbyterian Church, first Wednesday of the month, 10 am, church parlor,  Contact Kristian Hatley at [email protected].
• Asbury United Methodist Church 1^st and 3^rd Thursdays at 1:00, contact Maggie Dunaway at [email protected]. 
• Discovery United Methodist Church, Hoover, 2^nd and 4th Thursdays 10:30-noon.  Peggy Harrison: [email protected].
• St. Mark’s UMC, Vestavia Hills, Fridays at 1 pm.  Contact Donna Baird:  (205)717-9880.

Alzheimer’s News:

Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s more than a decade ago, Wally Cox recounts his early warning signs, the emotional fallout following his diagnosis, and the purpose he has found through peer support and art. Since his diagnosis, Cox chose to take control of his fate. He is living well with dementia, and serving as an advocate, a public speaker, and a mentor to others living with dementia, through peer support groups like Dementia Alliance International and Re-Imagining Dementia. “Every day is a choice,” Cox said. “I chose to look outward instead of inward at my disease and see my family, friends, motor-homing, barbecuing, riding bikes—all the things we like to do.” Cox also embraced art as therapy, transforming doodles and sketches into vivid scenes that explore fear, resilience, and hope.   Read his recent conversation with Being Patient or watch the 20 minute video:  https://www.beingpatient.com/wally-cox-dementia-life-expectancy/

How you manage a cluster of health conditions known as metabolic syndrome could have a big impact on whether you develop dementia at a young age, according to a new study.  To be diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, a person must have three of the following conditions: a large waistline, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high blood triglycerides, and low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, also known as HDL or “good” cholesterol.  People who had metabolic syndrome, or a combination of those components, were 24% more likely to develop dementia at a young age, the data showed.  The key takeaway (of the study) is that metabolic syndrome significantly increases the risk of developing young-onset dementia. The findings highlight the importance of managing metabolic health early to potentially prevent dementia and maintain brain health.  About 1 in 3 adults in the United States have metabolic syndrome.  https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2025/04/23/health/metabolic-syndrome-early-dementia-wellness

Vitamin D is important for brain health, but this might be particularly true for women but doesn’t appear to have this beneficial effect in men, early research suggested.  The large study showed an association between greater plasma vitamin D levels in females and better memory and larger subcortical brain structures. This latest study added to the growing body of literature of research on vitamin D and brain health. Previous studies have shown that vitamin D may influence cognition and brain function in older adults, potentially through its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective effects. Research also suggested it may promote brain health by increasing neurotrophic factors and aiding in the clearance of amyloid from the brain.  https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/vitamin-d-especially-important-brain-health-women-not-men-2025a1000daa

A new blood test that detects a hallmark of Alzheimer’s is poised to change the way doctors diagnose and treat the disease.  The test, the first of its kind to be cleared by the Food and Drug Administration, is for people 55 and older who already have memory problems or other signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s.  The results show whether the brain of a person with cognitive symptoms also has amyloid plaques, clumps of toxic proteins that build up in the spaces between brain cells. The presence of plaques in a person with cognitive symptoms usually confirms an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.  A PET scan is the gold standard for detecting the amyloid plaques associated with Alzheimer’s. But the technology is costly, and unavailable in many communities.  Another option is to test fluid from a spinal tap, an invasive procedure that most doctors and patients tend to avoid.  There are already lab-developed blood tests that can signal the presence of amyloid. But the Lumipulse assay, made by the diagnostic company Fujirebio, is the first to receive marketing clearance from the FDA.  Having such a test is likely to mean that many more people will be diagnosed when their symptoms are still mild, and potentially treatable.  https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/05/21/nx-s1-5403736/first-fda-alzheimers-blood-test-cleared-diagnosis

Alzheimer’s Disease International ADI) is pleased to share that Member States at the 78th World Health Assembly have agreed to extend the Global Action Plan on the Public Health Response to Dementia by 6-years, marking a momentous decision, that will have an impact for decades to come, for the more than 55 million people who presently are living with dementia and the 139 million that are forecast to live with the condition by 2050.  With dementia projected to be the third leading cause of death by 2040 and affecting millions globally, this extension to 2031 is a vital and significant step forward in driving global action on prevention, diagnosis, care, treatment, and support, through the development and implementation of National Dementia Plans.  https://www.alzint.org/news-events/news/the-78th-world-health-assembly-agrees-to-extend-the-global-action-plan-on-the-public-health-response-to-dementia/  ADI launched the latest From Plan to Impact report, alongside global dementia and health leaders at the 78th World Health Assembly.  Panelists shared global perspectives of dementia care and challenges.  Watch the 1 hour 15 minute video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ANV_gqmOFg

Listen to the latest episode of BrainStorm by UsAgainstAlzheimer’s with Muffy Walker, a psychiatric nurse, founder of the International Bipolar Foundation, and author of the novel “Memory Weavers” discusses how her personal experiences caring for family members with both Alzheimer’s disease and mental illness inspired her advocacy work. Her novel explores experiences of one person with Alzheimer’s who loses memories and another with PTSD who can’t escape traumatic memories. The 18 minute conversation with host Meryl Comer delves into the persistent stigma surrounding both conditions, the challenges of caregiving, advances in early diagnosis through genetic testing, and intergenerational trauma impacts.  Walker highlights the importance of social connection in preventing cognitive decline and the isolation many caregivers experience as well as the valuable resources now available to patients and caregivers that weren’t accessible when her mother was diagnosed 23 years ago.  https://www.usagainstalzheimers.org/brainstorm/muffy-walker-author-memory-weavers

Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) infection (cold sores) is associated with an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but treating the viral infection may offer protection, a new study found.  In a matched case-control study of nearly 700,000 older adults, HSV-1 was more common in those with AD, and antiviral therapy for HSV-1 was associated with a lower risk of developing AD.  However, the authors and outside experts cautioned that no firm conclusions can be drawn from this observational study and called for more research.  https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/cold-sore-virus-implicated-alzheimers-disease-2025a1000d1p

Sign up for one of Alzheimer’s Orange County on-line zoom classes.

Finding Meaning in Caregiving: A 3 Part Series, June 3, 17, 24, noon – 1:30 CT.|

Enhancing Everyday Activities in Dementia Care, June 10, 1:30 – 2:30 pm CT.

Mind Your Brain: 6 Pillars of Brain Health, June 17, 4:00 – 5:00 pm CT.

Brain Fit: Techniques for Memory and Focus (2 Week Series), June 17, 24, 4:00 – 5:00 pm CT

https://www.alzoc.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/AlzOC-Calendar_JUN-JUL-2025-DIGITAL-FINAL.pdf

Dementia Action Alliance offers 5 P’s for Care Partners:  Dementia is known as a companion condition; it affects not only the person who is living with it, but also their family, friends, and the larger community. One caregiver/partner shares what a difference attitude can make in a loved one’s dementia journey and that of the whole family.

• Be Positive: Positivity builds resilience and benefits your well-being. Identify and acknowledge negative feelings and activate ways to minimize their impact.
• Be Proactive: Be your loved one’s advocate, educate yourself, ask key questions, and build a support team (of friends, family members, colleagues, neighbors, and support group members) for you and your loved one.
• Be Perceptive: Be sensitive to your loved one’s evolving symptoms and triggers. Ask those you trust to be objective and share what they perceive as priorities to address as circumstances change.
• Be Persistent: Make the daily choice to be positive, to be proactive, to be perceptive—and to take breaks, too, to reduce stress.
• Preserve Your Loved One’s Personhood: Remember that your loved one is not their dementia. While dementia may impact their emotions and actions sometimes, they are always that same person who has been your partner, your parent, your friend.

For more about the 5 P’s —visit Pathways, Section 7.4 https://daanow.org/pathways/

June Webinars from Alabama Lifespan Respite: https://alabamarespite.org/events2/