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Angela Lunde
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Angela Lunde
Angela Lunde is a dementia education specialist in the education core of Mayo Clinic's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at the Abigail Van Buren Alzheimer's Disease Research Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
Angela Lunde
The transfer of information about dementias, as well as understanding the need for participation in clinical trials, is an essential component of the education core.
Angela is a member of the Alzheimer's Association board of directors and co-chair of the annual Minnesota Dementia Conference. She is a member of the Dementia Behavior Assessment and Response Team (D-BART), a multidisciplinary outreach service assisting professional and family caregivers in understanding and managing difficult behaviors often present in dementia. She facilitates several support groups, including Memory Club, an early-stage education and support series, and more recently, helped to develop and now deliver Healthy Action to Benefit Independence and Thinking (HABIT), a 10-day cognitive rehab and wellness program for people with mild cognitive impairment.
Angela takes a personal interest in understanding the complex changes that take place within relationships and among families when dementia is present. She is particularly interested in providing innovative and accessible ways for people with dementia and their families to receive information and participate in valuable programs that promote well-being.
"Amid a devastating disease, there are tools, therapies, programs and ways to cope, and it is vital that families are connected to these resources," she says.
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Alzheimer's blog
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Oct. 3, 2009
Alzheimer's crisis emerging, but progress being made
By Angela Lunde
Alzheimer's is an emerging crisis as the population ages.
One in eight persons 65 and older has Alzheimer's, and that number increases to nearly 1 in 2 persons aged 85 and older, according to the Alzheimer's Association 2009 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures report.
By 2050, the number of individuals aged 65 and older with Alzheimer's is projected to number between 11 and 16 million unless medical breakthroughs identify ways to prevent or more effectively treat the disease.
"The fact is that the older the population the more cases of Alzheimer's there will be," says Dr. David Knopman, a Mayo Clinic neurologist.
Seventy percent of people with Alzheimer's live at home where friends and family take care of them. More than 40 percent of family and other unpaid caregivers rate their emotional stress as high or very high.
So, what are we doing about it?
The Alzheimer's Association organizes memory walks nationwide to help research and fund support and education programs in local communities, including the Alzheimer's Association Helpline. Helpline has highly trained and knowledgeable staff answering the phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in 140 languages. Call 1-800-272-3900.
In Minnesota, legislation was recently passed to establish an Alzheimer's working group to examine the needs of individuals diagnosed with the disease, the services available to them, and the capacity of the state to meet current and future needs. The working group and other interested persons is made up of researchers, professional and family caregivers, and persons diagnosed with the disease. The group will ultimately present a comprehensive report to the governor.
In North Dakota, recent legislation resulted in passage of a dementia services bill. This bill created a care consultant system to provide community education and individual consultation to families impacted by Alzheimer's. This is a tremendous victory and one that will impact families immediately. Other states and communities are beginning to take similar action.
Research has made considerable progress over the past decade and is moving forward with great momentum. Research has lead to current therapies that can ease symptoms and reduce the rate of cognitive decline. We now know the fundamentals of the disease process and how it damages and destroys brain cells and their ability to communicate. Experimental drugs are being explored every day. The next generation of drugs will target not only the symptoms but rather the underlying pathology.
Evidence from epidemiological studies suggests that the factors affecting heart health, such as blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose, may play a role in risk factors and protective factors involved in Alzheimer's. Research offers us hope that we can one day prevent the disease.
Most of you reading this blog have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, or are caring for someone with it. Yet, it may seem that our efforts are focused on better days down the road, not today. So, what can you do today? Many things! My recommendations to persons with memory concerns, or who have a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, or who are caring for someone with dementia are:
- Know the 10 warning signs.
- Seek a diagnosis early and get treatment.
- Maintain overall brain and body wellness.
- Seek out and understand the resources in your area.
- Get support (in your own way).
- Plan ahead.
- Reduce stress by improving/changing the way in which you (caregivers) communicate.
- Believe that if you are a caregiver, you must first care for yourself.
- Join the efforts to move research forward.
Over the next several blogs, I will speak to each of these recommendations in detail. Meanwhile, continue to share with one another your concerns and struggles, but also your joys and successes and the ways you are taking action to live with Alzheimer's.
9 comments posted
October 24, 2009 5:04 a.m.
My grandmother died of complications r/t Alzheimers. Unfortunately, as a nurse I could not take care of her when she was on the same unit that I was. I know that she knew it was me every time that I walked by her room. I'm sorry that I didn't lie & state "no relation" 'cause the nurse that she had did not attend to her as I would have, knowing her traits & personality. Many people think that they no longer understand just because they no longer can express themselves. That is a huge mistake. Just imagine how it must feel hearing your family talk about "Euthanasia" because your life supposedly has nothing more to offer. And, on top of that you, the patient has no choice in the matter because of your lack of mental faculites your opinion on the decision has not even been considered. I am pleading with families that think it is the right thing to do to select "Euthanasia" as a comfort measure for not only the patient, (releasing them from this miserable life), but also for the family who feel that they can no longer tolerate seeing & dealing with this difficult, trying diagnosis. Just try to recall the good times, (if any) & have mercy on your family member or friend, knowing that even though it may seem like they know what they are saying & doing, they don't. Only God, (if He or She or It really exists), should be the one making the decision to end a life. Love it all that really matters. Would you want to be Euthanized
- Rena
October 23, 2009 4:09 p.m.
"Know the 10 warning signs." Which are?
- Max
October 23, 2009 2:21 p.m.
The article as well as the comments point out how overwhelming the situation can be when you or a loved one is diagnosed (or something is suspected). It is good that nowadays there is more information easily accessible, but it can also make us more overwhelmed. A good resource to consider if you are facing this is a professional geriatric care manager-www.care manager.org-professionals with a lot of experience helping families navigating this stuff. Whether for a consultation to get you to the right professionals to get a good diagnosis & treatment plan, or planning for future needs, or oversight for families at a distance...a care manager is your personal advocate. If you get a chance you may want to peruse www.agingwisely.com too...info. sheets on memory loss ("Alzheimer's, Dementia, Old Age-What is it?") and topics like concerns about driving and how to talk to your loved ones about concerns.
- Shannon
October 23, 2009 1:00 a.m.
Dear Marian, Rifampin is a very powerful antibiotic given to patients with TB and other mycobacterium diseases. It is a horrible drug with very bad side effects. I was treated with it twice for NTM and could not tolerate it. Be careful what you work so hard to get for your mother.
- Patty
October 10, 2009 6:44 p.m.
Stephanie, my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimers at the age of 78 and passed away at the age of 88. While she was in the nursing home a fellow by the name of Rod came and played the piano. My mother came to life when he played. She loved the old songs and especially "Take me out to the ball game". She would also dance while Rod played. He'd walker with her to the elevator and give her a peck on the cheek before he left. Thank you for what you are doing, I hope you can get some financial help.
- Terry
October 8, 2009 12:22 a.m.
Alzheimers is a scary thing. and the research in this article scares me more. My mother had zero heart,blood pressure, cholesterol problems, yet, it was the dirty little family secret, that she had early onset diagnosed. My Dad passed away in 1993, I had promised him to take care of Mom, not knowing what the changes would be. I still have memories of how great it was to see her live life large, but the heartbreak comes when one has to face reality, and call the nursing home. She was a fighter, I recall watching the news with her, when Reagan announced he had Alzheimers, she turned to me and said, that's what they're saying I have? And I had to tell her yes. That was years ago, she passed 2 years ago, and to this day, I'm not sure it was from Alzheimers. Labels come to quickly in medicine. What about the other Big A, Autism, all of a sudden there are multiple cases. What used to be the strange little kid is now Asbegers, what used to be a depressed and grieving woman is diagnosed as Alzheimers. I sought help from a Dr., and was handed a presciption for my Mom, after taking it for 2 days, she refused. It makes me feel funny, was what she said. I finally looked up what he had presciribed, it was an anti psychotic drug. Did more harm than good. Nadine, if you're still online, keep fighting the way you are, and question every treatment proposed to you. And, please, ask for second,third opinions, because Dr. does not make you God.
- Beth
October 7, 2009 2:05 p.m.
I am the patient. I find that by exercising regularly and playing games online and any other place I can find helps to keep my mind focused. As soon as I lapse, things do happen....like forgetting things. The more social I am and the more I keep focusing my brain on something more than my disease...the better of I am. I will be 78 next week and most of my friends tell they don't see much of a decline. This is not an easy path but with my family and freinds I will make it safely into the next nasty step. Nadine
- Nadine
October 6, 2009 4:42 p.m.
I have been trying to find where this research is taking place. it was in the Original Article:HYPERLINK "http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/alzhei
mers-treatments/AZ00048"http://www.mayoc linic.com/health/alzheimers-treatments/AZ0004 8 Antibiotics ?A three-month course of antibiotics, specifically doxycycline and rifampin, reduced the rate at which cognitive problems worsened in a group of people who had mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. The antibiotics appear to interfere with the development of amyloid plaques in the brain. I WANT MY MOTHER TO HAVE THESE MEDS, WHERE DO I GET HER TREATED?? - marian
October 5, 2009 9:24 p.m.
I have found a way to bring joy to many individuals diagnosed with Alzheimers disease. I visit them with my karaoke equipment and sing songs from the 1930s and 1940s. Every time, I see an invisible curtain lift from their eyes as they recognize the melodies and rhythms of their favorite years. If family members are visiting, they treeasure the experience of catching one more glimpse of the person they thought they had lost forever! It's such a renewing experience for me, too. Regrettably, with our economy, I have been jobless since Halloween 2008, so I've been trying to get by on my disability check...I am legally blind and cannot drive, so I've had to cut way back on singing for these very deserving people. They especially love singing along to patriotic songs. If someone has an idea for me to get sponsored by a medical facility or a drug company so I can continue giving this healing gift, please let me know. When so much of their world is confusing, hearing songs they remember, and singing along with me, provide comfort and joy.
- Stephanie
9 comments posted