Aging in Place Symposium Addresses Alzheimer’s Disease

Nancy Gault of Waldoboro enjoys games like Sudoku and puzzles. In addition to being fun, games keep her mind active, she said. They are what some would call healthy addictions. At 66 years of age, she’s hoping it will be another 20 to 30 years before she has to worry about Alzheimer’s disease or some form of dementia.

“I’d like to be prepared,” she said in a crowded community room inside the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Damariscotta last Thursday. Gault joined what seemed like more than 100 people for Spectrum Generation’s third annual Aging in Place symposium, “There’s No Place Like Home,” held at the church on Sept. 18.

Losing one’s sense of self and not being able to survive happily in old age worries a lot of people, but symposium attendees heard some positive news in the midst of depressing statistics. The theme of this symposium was, “Planning Your Life No Matter the Chapter.”

Gault attended to learn more about what makes a healthy brain, how to recognize signs of dementia and how to live a better life in the years ahead. “Alzheimer’s is a big problem; we all want to keep on being healthy,” she said.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, the disease attacks the brain and negatively affects its ability to function. Early signs of the disease include memory loss and the ability to think clearly. As the disease progresses it inhibits a person’s ability to communicate and impairs bodily function.

More than 5 million Americans are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease each year, and 500,000 people die of Alzheimer’s-related health issues annually, with women at the center of this epidemic, according to Brenda Hamilton, director of the community organization, Healthy Lincoln County. Hamilton moderated a panel discussion at the symposium titled, “Challenges, Attitudes and Approaches to Living with Dementia in the 21st Century.”

An epidemic

Women are supposedly more susceptible. Hamilton said women are more likely to get Alzheimer’s disease (one in six) than breast cancer (one in 11), and chances increase for both men and women 80 years of age and older. The risk of people getting some form of dementia (the umbrella term for a host of memory and mental function loss issues) also increases with age-about one in four after the age of 80, according to Linda Norgang, RN, Executive Director of The Lincoln Home and Harborview Cottage.

Despite these statistics, there is hope.

Symposium attendees learned how to differentiate between signs of normal memory loss and dementia, how to exercise the brain and the importance of living in an interconnected community.

“A most common problem for people who are not developing dementia is inattention,” keynote speaker Dr. Clifford Singer said to his audience during his presentation on “Healthy Brains.”

Dr. Clifford Singer discussed “Healthy Brains” with participants of Spectrum Generations’ Aging in Place symposium, which was held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Damariscotta on Sept. 18. (John Maguire photo)

Dr. Singer is chief of Geriatric Mental Health and Neuropsychiatry at Eastern Maine Medical Center and Acadia Hospital. He touched on one common memory problem: people forget where they parked their car. However, someone who gets lost in a familiar place or who is unable to follow directions might be showing signs of dementia.

Alzheimer’s disease can be treated with medication that can reduce dementia symptoms, he said. Also, individuals can be proactive in preventing dementia by building their brain’s cognitive reserve. As a Columbia University research paper describes it, cognitive reserve is the ability of the brain to cope with or compensate for deterioration associated with aging.

So, how does one do this? Dr. Singer suggested people try and decrease stress, actively address depression, get enough sleep, drink minimal amounts of alcohol, if any, eat healthy foods, exercise and stay curious. Lifelong learning and working the brain with puzzles and games also helps to build cognitive reserve.

“I’m trying to learn French and it’s a bitch,” he said, eliciting laughter from the audience. “You have to get back to it. It’s hard, but you have to.”

A panel discussion following Dr. Singer’s talk focused on diagnosing some signs of dementia, resources for caregivers and the drawing together of a community to support the elderly.

“Maine is the least church state,” said Rev. Stephen White, Chaplain of Kno-Wal-Lin Hospice and Palliative Care. Drawing laughter from the crowd, he added, “We’re all happy pagans here.”

Many times the people he meets have not or do not attend church and are seeking spiritual answers and/or want to connect with others. Rev. White steps in when people are nearing the end of their lives and helps them to re-connect. A person may not attend church, but they can still connect with a community of friends and supporters, and can also try and find answers to spiritual questions.

This explains why many of the speakers at this symposium encouraged community living, where “community members across all generations can age and thrive.”

If people are not proactive in addressing the need, Maine and the rest of the country are going to see a public health crisis, Hamilton said. More than one speaker talked about how there are not enough geriatric specialists to address the increasing need, and there are few alternatives to hospitals and nursing homes, according to Dr. Singer.

William Sadler, who is a professor of sociology and business at Holy Names University in Oakland, Cal., gave the afternoon keynote presentation, “The Art of Positive Aging.” There was also a panel discussion that afternoon that delved into “sustainable communities,” where neighbors help one another and develop an atmosphere of healthy living.

There are many resources for people to prepare for aging in place and to support their loved ones, but one overriding message that seemed to resonate was that people should talk with their family members, talk with their neighbors and talk with their friends, to form solutions.

For more information, visit Spectrum Generations and the Alzheimer’s Association online at www.spectrumgenerations.org and www.alz.org.