Free social programs for individuals with mild to moderate memory problems

Minds in Motion program is now up and running!

The Cleveland Area Chapter is proud to announce a new social engagement program designed specifically to serve those with mild to moderate memory and thinking disorders and their loved ones. The goal of the program is to provide participants with social engagement opportunities that enrich the mind, body, and soul in a comfortable social setting. 

The free programs will be held the first Thursday afternoon of each month from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. in the Beachwood office.  Planned activities include painting, yoga, simple recipes, mini gardening and brain fitness programs. 

The program will be led by Early-Stage Specialist, Taylor Young, LSW, MSSA, who coordinates the engagement programming and leads the Early-Stage Education and Support Groups in Northeast Ohio. Volunteer guest facilitators who are trained professionals will run the activities.

Individuals living with a memory and thinking disorder must be accompanied by an adult family member or friend and be willing to participate in the group program. Although the program is offered free of charge, participants are asked to consider a donation of $10 per session in support of the chapter’s engagement services. Space is limited and registration is required. 

For more information, call the Cleveland Area Chapter at 800-272-3900.

ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION REPORT FINDS STATE MEDICAID COSTS FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE WILL INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY IN ALL STATES INCLUDING THIRTY-FOUR PERCENT IN OHIO OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS

The Alzheimer’s Association’s new report, The Impact of Alzheimer’s Disease on Medicaid Costs: A Growing Burden for States, released today, found that between 2015 and 2025, Medicaid costs for people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias will increase in every state in the U.S. and the District of Columbia. In fact, by 2025, 35 states will see increases in Alzheimer’s Medicaid costs of at least 40 percent from 2015, including 22 states that will see increases of at least 50 percent.

In Ohio, Medicaid spending on people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias will increase thirty-four percent by 2025. This year, spending will total $2.2 billion, increasing to $2.9 billion in 2025. Approximately eleven percent of the 2015 Medicaid budget in Ohio is spent on people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

In 2015, Medicaid costs for seniors living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias will exceed $1 billion in 11 states including Ohio. By 2025, 20 states will have over $1 billion in Medicaid spending for this population.

Seniors with Alzheimer’s and other dementias rely on Medicaid, which is funded by state and federal governments, at a rate nearly three times greater than other seniors due to the long duration of the disease, the intense personal care needs and the high cost of long-term care services. According to the Alzheimer’s Association’s Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report, by the age of 80, 75 percent of people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias will be admitted to a nursing home, compared with just four percent of the general population.

With the quickly rising Medicaid costs for people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, Ohio needs a comprehensive review of state preparedness to meet the immediate and future care needs of people affected by this devastating disease.

Alzheimer’s is a triple threat, with soaring prevalence, lack of treatment and enormous costs that no one can afford. Barring the development of medical breakthroughs to prevent, stop or slow Alzheimer’s disease, state governments must anticipate the demands of long-term care on their Medicaid budgets.

“As these data clearly point out, action must be taken now to rein in – and eventually end - the Alzheimer’s epidemic. The Alzheimer’s Association is calling on Congress to continue its commitment to the fight against Alzheimer’s by increasing federal funding for Alzheimer’s research by $300 million in fiscal year 2016,” said Nancy Udelson, President and CEO, Cleveland Area Chapter.

To read the full report findings, visit alz.org/trajectory.

Alzheimer’s Association

The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer's care, support and research. Our mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research, to provide and enhance care and support for all affected, and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer’s. Visit alz.org or call 800.272.3900.

ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION AWARDS RESEARCH GRANT TO CASE WESTERN RESERVE SCIENTIST

The Alzheimer's Association has awarded Gary Landreth, Ph.D., Professor of Neurosciences at Case Western Reserve University a 2015 Research Grant Award.

Dr. Landreth has been awarded the $240,000 Investigator-Initiated Research Grant to fund his research in Roles of TREM2 in Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis. The funds will be distributed over the next three years. Cleveland area researchers have received more than $11.4 million dollars since the inception of the grants program. Cleveland ranks fifth in funding behind New York, Boston, Chicago and St. Louis.

The Alzheimer’s Association is the largest nonprofit funder of Alzheimer’s research, having awarded more than $350 million to over 2,300 projects since 1982. Alzheimer's Association research grants are intended to advance the understanding of Alzheimer's disease, help identify new treatment strategies, provide information to improve care for people with dementia and further knowledge of brain health and disease prevention.

“The Alzheimer’s Association is pleased to make these research funds available to Dr. Landreth so that he can conduct innovative research in the Cleveland area. This work has the potential to uncover critical clues toward developing more effective treatment strategies for Alzheimer’s that could impact all who are affected by the disease, including individuals living with Alzheimer’s and those who care for them. We look forward to learning the results of this important research,” said Nancy Udelson, President and CEO, Cleveland Area Chapter.

The Landreth laboratory on the CWRU campus is focused on, investigating the actions of genes linked to Alzheimer’s disease and devising new therapeutic strategies for its prevention and treatment. 

“I’m honored to be awarded this important research grant from the Alzheimer's Association,” said Dr. Landreth. “Our work in the roles of TREM2 in pathogenesis will lead us to a better understanding of this complicated and devastating disease and eventually to better diagnosis and treatment.”

The Alzheimer's Association International Research Grants Program seeks to improve quality of life for everyone affected by Alzheimer's disease. This includes generating new insights about the basic biology of Alzheimer's and other dementias and using these findings to create innovative approaches to risk assessment, diagnosis, treatment and prevention, plus enhancements to care and support for those now living with the disease. 

• Alzheimer’s is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. It kills more Americans than diabetes and more than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined. More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association 2015 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report. There are 591,000 Alzheimer’s caregivers in Ohio providing 674 million hours of unpaid care valued at $369 million.

For more information, visit the Alzheimer’s Association at alz.org.