Fight Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s is a sinister disease that robs people of their memories and personality. The brain disorder affects more than 5 million Americans and can devastate family members.
It begins with forgetting important things, then progresses to being confused, having trouble organizing or expressing thoughts, misplacing things, getting lost in familiar places and suffering personality and behavioral changes.
There is no cure, and much more research is needed to find one. The Alzheimer’s Association is looking for people to take action toward defeating Alzheimer’s by joining a memory walk, volunteering to support events and services in your community, writing to Congress or funding the cause.
Want to learn more? Go to the Web site of the association at actionalz.org.
Find long-distance care
Finding help to care for an aging relativecan be difficult, especially for people who live far away, have a busy life of their own or simply don’t feel competent to do what needs to be done.
Sometimes, friends, neighbors or local church groups can offer help. Check there first, suggests a feature in the March issue of Consumer Reports on Health. If extensive care is needed, look for a geriatric-care manager. To determine what you or the elderly person can afford, contact the National Council on Aging, benefitscheckup.org; 202-479-1200. Some of the cost may be covered by Medicare or Medicaid.
Here are four reliable caregiver resources:
Caring From a Distance, cfad.org; 202-895-9465.
Family Caregiver Alliance, caregiver.org; 800-445-8106.
The National Family Caregivers Association, nfcacares.org; 800-896-3650
The National Respite Network, archrespite.org; 919-490-5577.
Take pre-trip precautions
Before heading off for that great travel adventure, check with your local travel medicine specialist for vaccines you may need in developing countries and information on areas that pose significant health threats.
A special report in the March issue of the Mayo Clinic HealthSource suggests contacting the Web site of the International Society of Travel Medicine, istm.org, to locate a travel clinic near you that is affiliated with a medical center or university. Schedule your visit at least four weeks before your trip.
While clinics vary, most offer vaccinations, information on health hazards at various travel sites and details on how best to avoid getting sick. It is important to get such information when traveling to Africa, Asia and Latin America and especially if you have a medical condition.
Life can be a game
You can have fun, increase your vocabulary and, more important, feed hungry refugees in Bangladesh simply by playing a word game at the non-profit Web site freerice.com.
The game works this way: Every time you select the right answer for the definition of a displayed word, the site donates 20 grains of rice to the World Food Program, a United Nations frontline agency aimed at fighting global hunger by improving nutrition.
The rice is paid for by the advertisers at the bottom of the vocabulary screen. If you’re feeling more generous, you can choose to give more through a standard donation elsewhere on the site.
