Thursday, March 31, 2016

Duck Facts: Ideal for a discussion

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Check out these duck facts by

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What are ducks?
What is a duck bill ?
What do the duck's feet look like?
Water-proof feathers
How does a duck clean itself?
What do you call male duck or baby duck ?
What type of food does the duck eat?
Do you know what affects duck's production of eggs?
Importance of ducks to human beings
Do you know what a duck says?
Take a look at the other species of ducks
Related duck activities, worksheets
Questions & Help about ducks?
More duck facts
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What are ducks ?

Ducks are birds. They are also called "waterfowls" because they are normally found in places with water, like ponds, streams and rivers. They are related to geese and swans. The duck is the smallest of them all. Ducks also have shorter necks and wings and a stout body. They can live from 2-12 years, depending on breed.



Ducks have webbed feet, designed for swimming. Their webbed feet act like paddles for the ducks. A duck waddles instead of walks because of its webbed feet. Do you know that the duck's feet cannot feel cold even if it swims in icy cold water? Well, the reason for this is because its feet have no nerves or blood vessels

Water-proof feathers

Another special thing that the duck has is its water-proof feathers. There is a special gland that produces oil near the duck's tail which spreads and covers the outer coat of the duck's feathers, making it water-proof. Beneath the water-proof coat are fluffy and soft feathers to keep the duck warm.


How does a duck clean itself ?

Ducks keep clean by preening themselves. They do this by being able to turn their heads completely backwards, and putting their beaks into the feathers on their wings, breast and back. They preen themselves very often



Do you know what does a duck say ? quacking here. However, not all ducks quack. The Wood Duck does not quack, it gives out a "squeal" instead.
Ducks are birds. They are also called "waterfowls" because they are normally found in places with water, like ponds, streams and rivers. They are related to geese and swans. The duck is the smallest of them all. Ducks also have shorter necks and wings and a stout body. They can live from 2-12 years, depending on breed.




Ducks have webbed feet, designed for swimming. Their webbed feet act like paddles for the ducks. A duck waddles instead of walks because of its webbed feet. Do you know that the duck's feet cannot feel cold even if it swims in icy cold water? Well, the reason for this is because its feet have no nerves or blood vessels!
Another special thing that the duck has is its water-proof feathers. There is a special gland that produces oil near the duck's tail which spreads and covers the outer coat of the duck's feathers, making it water-proof. Beneath the water-proof coat are fluffy and soft feathers to keep the duck warm.

Ducks keep clean by preening themselves. They do this by being able to turn their heads completely backwards, and putting their beaks into the feathers on their wings, breast and back. They preen themselves very often.

Ducks give out a special sound. Listen to the sound of ducks
Ducks were once wild until they were domesticated by the Chinese over 1,000 There are still many different breeds of wild ducks. Most of the farm ducks are of a breed called "Pekin". It is harder to tell a male from a female with the Pekin ducks because they look almost the same. The male has two to three curly feathers on top. Pekin ducks have white or cream colored feathers and orange colored bills. These ducks do not fly and do well in captivity. They are also excellent for egg and meat production. The Pekin duck originated from China and is the most popular breed in the United States, having been first brought by ship from China to Long Island, New York in 1873.
 How do they hunt for food ?
The duck's mouth is called a "bill". Normally, it is broad and flat and has rows of fine notches along the edge called "lamellae". The lamellae helps the duck to grip its food so that it will not slip off. However, ducks bills come in different shapes and sizes. The shape of the bill and body features will determine how the duck hunt for its food.
Female Northern Shoveler
Male Northern Shoveler

Where are ducks found ?
Ducks are found in wetlands, marshes, ponds, rivers, lakes and oceans. This is because ducks love the water. Some species of ducks migrate or travel longs distances every year to breed. Usually they travel to warmer areas or where the water does not freeze so that they can rest and raise their young. The distance may be thousands of miles away. Ducks are found everywhere in the world except the Antarctica which is too cold for them.


Ducks which have broad beaks, sift their food for insects, snails and seeds from the mud. These are called the shovelers. The Northern Shoveler is an example.

Some ducks have long and narrow beaks. The narrow beaks are also covered will with saw-like edges which help them to grab fish. Sea ducks usually have this kind of beak. Sea ducks are also divers. Examples are the Mergansers, Eiders, Harlequins, Goldeneyes and Buffleheads.
Some ducks do not dive for food. Their beaks are broad and short. They are called dabbling ducks or dabblers. They eat plants, seeds, grasses, small insects and animals that they find on or under the water. Usually they up-ends and stretch their heads into the water to reach their food. Dabblers usually have shiny colored patches on their wings. The domestic ducks are dabblers too. They are descendents of the Mallards. Dabbling ducks take off from the water in quick jumps. Examples of dabbling ducks are the mallards, cinnamon teals, shovellers, green and blue-winged teals, pintails, black ducks, baldpates and gadwalls.
Ducks with long necks dive their head down into the shallow water and pick up their food.
Ducks look different Wood Ducks, Muscovy Ducks and Mandarin Ducks.
Ducks of different breeds look different. Some are very colorful like the Perching ducks. They are called Perching ducks because they like to perch or rest in trees. Perching ducks are found in North America, tropical regions of Asia, Africa, Central and South America. Examples of Perching ducks are the
Another breed is the "Stiff-tailed" duck. Examples are the Ruddy Duck and the Masked Duck.
Ducks that come under the Pochards breed are the Canvasbacks, Ringnecks, Redheads and Lesser Scaups. They swim underwater with their wings closed and their legs sticking out to the sides. Their legs are closer to the rear end of their body compared to the other breeds of ducks. They run on the water surface before they lift-off and fly, just like an airplane!
The sea ducks' bills does not look like a duck's bill. It is long and narrow with sawlike edges for catching and holding on to a fish. Example is the Merganser.



You can take a look at the different species of ducks here :
Different Duck Species
Which is the male and which is the female ? Mating Do you know what affects duck's production of eggs ? Importance of ducks to human
The males (drakes) are usually the brightly colored ones while the females (ducks) are usually a dull-colored brown so that they can hide be camouflaged from their enemies when they are in their nests.



Wood duck pair.
The Wood Duck in the picture is an example of the colorful male. The males use their colorful plumage to attract females. However, they will lose or molt their colorful feathers when the females are busy hatching the eggs. The males will now look like the female in color and will be unable to fly temporarily. They will molt again in early Fall (autumn) and get back their colorful feathers and be able to fly again. The females also molt. They replace all their feathers, get new ones after their babies or ducklings are hatched.
Ducks usually look for a mate or partner in winter. The males will attract the females with their colorful plumage or feathers. The females will then lead the males to their breeding ground in spring. Instinctively, the breeding ground will usually be the place where she was hatched � it�s as if they have a built-in homing device. The female builds her nest with grass or reeds or even in a hole in a tree. The male will guard their territory by chasing away other couples. Once the female lays 5-12 eggs, she will start to sit on her eggs to keep it warm so that they can hatch into ducklings. The males on the other hand, will be with the other males. The eggs will hatch within 28 days normally, except for the Muscovy which takes about 35 days to hatch.
The mother duck will keep her brood of ducklings together to protect them from predators. Animals like the raccoon, turtles, hawks, large fish and snakes will eat the ducklings. Ducklings are able to fly within 5-8 weeks. Their feathers develop really fast. When the young are ready to fly, all the ducks will gather in flocks on large lakes, marshes or the ocean to migrate to their wintering home. When the ducks fly, they usually do so in a "V-shaped" formation or a long line.

The production of eggs is affected by daylight. When there is more daylight, the ducks will lay more eggs. In the months of July to December when daylight is short, they slow down their production of eggs. Sometimes, they stop laying eggs completely during these months. To prevent this from happening, farmers use artificial lighting so that the ducks have about 17 hours of light a day to produce eggs efficiently.

Ducks, like other animals, are useful to human beings. They provide us with eggs and meat to eat. Some ducks provide us with feathers are used for stuffing quilts and pillows. The feathers are usually from the Eider duck. Thus, the name "eiderdown" for stuffed quilts. To line their nests, the females pluck feathers from their breast. Their feathers are harvested in Iceland where they are found everywhere along the coast and are a valuable source of income for the people here. Eiders feed on mussels, sea snails, crabs, shrimps, barnacles, catch fish, dig for snails and eat other small crustaceans and some sea-weeds.


Saturday, March 26, 2016

Essential Tips for Dementia Caregivers

Activities directors and other healthcare professionals here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals.Benevolant Society

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be


Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care  professionals to get an easyceu or two


Follow alzheimersideas on twitter

Marguerite Manteau-Rao

The journey of dementia is never easy, and it can be made many times worse if family members do not have the internal tools to take care of themselves and their loved ones. Here, based on years of experience in successfully navigating the dementia care landscape, are 13 tips that may save you a lot of grief as a care partner (caregiver) of someone with dementia.
1. Start your day with a few minutes of sitting mindfulness practice, and end the same way.
Mindfulness practice, even for a few minutes a day, can reduce stress. It is also a good way to start your day from a calm, centered place, which is what your loved one needs most from you. If you're not sure how to practice, simply find a quiet place, close your eyes, sit in an alert yet relaxed posture, take a few minutes to check in with yourself and then turn your attention to your breath. Let your body breathe, and simply watch the in and out flow of your breath. You will notice thoughts and sounds coming and going. That is a normal part of the experience. When that happens, simply return to observing the breath. Sit like this for a few minutes.
2. Incorporate mindfulness into your routines: walking, doing chores, caring for loved one, etc.
The same way you were observing your breath while sitting, you can also pay attention to the sensations of your feet on the ground while walking. You can practice while walking alone or with your loved one -- the slower the better. While washing your hands, you can become aware of the sensations of the water running over your hands. While assisting your loved one with dinner, you can focus on the experience of filling up the spoon, bringing it to the person's mouth and their experience of eating. Remember, it is about being present for the experience in the moment, all of it and regardless of what it is. You may do this as often as you want throughout the day.
3. Practice recognizing and being with your emotions, including difficult ones.
When caring for someone with dementia, you are bound to experience many -- and sometimes difficult -- emotions: grief, anger, boredom, tiredness, fear, anxiety, frustration. A very powerful and simple practice is to simply acknowledge the emotion and its physical manifestations in your body. Where am I feeling it? How does it feel? What are the sensations? Also, recognize whether it is pleasant or unpleasant and feel the whole extent of the pleasantness or the unpleasantness. And when you need a break, focus your attention on the breath and watch it come and go. Lastly, identify the thoughts that come with the emotion and see where you are getting caught. Are there changes you can make in the outside world, or do you need to change your attitude?
4. Practice loving kindness for yourself, and also for your loved one.
When the fear or the anger get to be too much, mitigate with some kind energy of your own. Think about someone, something or a place that is very dear to you. Feel the love and kindness emanating from your heart and send it to yourself. While you may not "believe" in it at first, trust that it will make its way through to you eventually. You are working on rewiring your brain, and it takes time! Quietly say something like this to yourself: "May I be at peace, may I be at ease," and repeat a few times, wishing you well. You may then send that same kind energy to your loved one, this time repeating the words, "May you be at peace, may you be at ease," wishing him or her well. This is a simple yet very powerful practice if you do it often.
5. Share your mindfulness practice with at least one other care partner.
When led into a sitting mindfulness practice for the first time, caregivers almost always report feeling incredibly at peace and say they wish they could start their days in that way. Then comes the question of: Why not? That's the thing about mindfulness -- simple in principle, yet very difficult to practice and sustain on one's own. Unless you find at least one other person to practice with or who encourages you to practice every day, chances are you will not keep up with it. It could be another family member, the paid caregiver who is helping you or people in your local caregivers support group.

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Another tip for running a successful group activity

Activities directors and other healthcare professionals here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals.

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be


Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care  professionals to get an easyceu or two


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.I triple E
Involve everyone in the group in some way be enthusiastic engaging and excited about the activity.
 
The section of my book.
 Adorable Photographs of Our Baby  , how to have super successful activities works  most of the time

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Cat-another dice game

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information


Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,


Your residents will love the Amazon Kindle Fire




Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be


Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care  professionals to get an easyceu or two


Follow alzheimersideas on twitter

The Dementia Caregiver's Little Book of Hope [Kindle Edition]


Actually you can use any favorite animal for this game.


Equipment:
One die
Printable sheet (optional)
Pencil and paper


How to play


The aim of the game is to be the first to complete cat. Each roll of the die enables a particular body part to be drawn as follows:
6 = body
5 = nose
4 = whiskers
3 = eyes
2 - ears
1 = tail




 YOU or the participants can draw the parts to the cat as a number comes up.The first one to draw a cat wins. Alternally you can give each participant a picture of a cat and they can trace over the part as it is called.
Also you can play until every player has drawn a cat


Make sure you do plenty of cheering when someone finishes his or her cat


Many residents love cats. Before or after you play,you can have a discussion about cats or read a story about cats


Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Laughter for those wiith Alzheimer's disease and related dementias is the best medicine

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

Your residents will love the Amazon Kindle Fire

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care  professionals to get an easyceu or two

Follow alzheimersideas on twitter

What better way to put your dementia residents in a good mood than by making them laugh.
Here are a couple good riddles
Why did the chewing gum cross the road?
It was stuck to the leg of a chicken !!!

What did the egg say to the other egg?
Let's get cracking!

click below for jokes and riddles sure to make all laugh http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/games/riddles/jokes/jokes-galore/index.htm

Monday, March 14, 2016

Laugh with Limericks (Part 2)

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information


Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,


Your residents will love the Amazon Kindle Fire




Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be


Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care  professionals to get an easyceu or two


Follow alzheimersideas on twitter

The Dementia Caregiver's Little Book of Hope [Kindle Edition]



The first two are baseball limericks


Baseball


If pitching a shutout is one of your goals
Show batters your pinpoint ______
Finesse them ________
But whatever you do
Don’t hang a curveball _______




Baseball Caps


Baseball caps are meant for _______
When after fly balls you're _______.
But worn ______
Only by ________
And those who lack an _________.


There once was a pauper named Meg
Who accidentally broke her _______.
She slipped on the ______.
Not once, but ______
Take no pity on her, I __________.


The artist who's working in wood
Must be certain her handtools are ____
For if those knives be ____
It's certain she'll ____
Over blood spilled for her ______.


Describe a librarian's day?
Peaceful and quiet, you___
There is one thing it ____
Back there in the stacks____
And that thing is more decent ____.


The secret of love is the power
To weather the sweet and the _____
Your joy will not _____
With love as your ______
Through sunshine and through _______.


Saturday, March 12, 2016

Laugh with Limericks

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information


Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,


Your residents will love the Amazon Kindle Fire




Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be


Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care  professionals to get an easyceu or two


Follow alzheimersideas on twitter

The Dementia Caregiver's Little Book of Hope [Kindle Edition]


Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be


Laughter is the best medicine

Here is a mind stimulating activity about limericks

What are limericks and how can people with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias write them?

A limerick is meant to be funny. Therefore they are sure to bring a smile to the faces of the folks with or without dementia in your audience.

Limeriks are five-line poems where lines 1,2 and 5 rhyme, and lines 3 and 4 rhyme. It is said that the limerick was invented by soldiers returning from France to the Irish town of Limerick in the 1700’s.

In order to make this a successful activity, you may have to have most of the limerick written except for the last word in the sentence.

You can think of rhyming words with the group members after you read the unfinished limerick to them.

Why do this activity? You ask

It is a fun way to stimulate the mind and have a good laugh

Come back soon for a senerio of this

Thursday, March 10, 2016

Simple Fitness for Senior Citizens

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information
Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

by Pamela Veselinovic

More of the simple guide to help a beginner activity director or volunteer to introduce fitness routines to a nursing home.

Facial Exercises:
Open and close your mouth five times. Repeat.
Open and close your eyes five times. Repeat.
Make a huge smile, or a giant frown. Look angry or happy.
Lift eyebrows as high as possible, and then relax. Repeat ten times.

Neck Exercise:
Lean your head to the right, then lean it back to the left. Repeat five times.
Nod your head up and down for fifteen seconds.
Shake your head back and forth for fifteen seconds.

Shoulder Exercises:
Shrug both shoulders up and down at a comfortable speed. Alternate shoulder shrugs. Do these five times each.
Interlock fingers in front of chest. Raise hands high, and then bring down behind the head. Repeat five times.
Clap hands! Do this twenty times.
Clap hands over your head. Do this ten times.

Wrist Exercises:
Holding fingers out, rotate your wrists in a circular pattern. Do this ten times. Reverse the direction and repeat ten times.
Holding fingers straight, move your hand up, and then back down. Repeat five times.
Do the last exercise, using both hands together.

Finger Exercises:
Make a fist, and then relax fingers. Repeat twenty times.
Move your fingers like a spider. Continue for one full minute.
Spread fingers open as wide as they will go. Repeat twenty times.
Rub hands together quickly for thirty seconds.
Starting with a loose fist, release one finger at a time. Reverse the process by returning fingers to loose fist.

Stomach Exercise:
Sit up straight as possible and suck in your stomach. Hold for two seconds. Repeat five times.


Waist Exercise:
Turn sideways in your chair and look at your neighbor on the right. Now, reverse and look at the person on your left. Do this five times each side.


Rear End Exercise:
Squeeze your buttocks, and then relax. Do this five times.


Lower Back Exercise:

Sitting with feet flat on the floor, lean over and try to touch your toes. Feel the stretch? Repeat five times.


Leg Exercises:
Walk in place, while seated. Move each foot up and down in a walking motion. Do these thirty seconds.
March in place, while seated. The same as walking, but a little bit faster. Do these thirty seconds.
Lift one leg up from floor, and straighten. Repeat with other leg. Repeat five times.

Foot and Ankle Exercises:
Ex Extend leg and foot, and rotate ankle in a circular motion five times. Repeat with other leg.
Point your toes and flex your feet, rotating each foot in a circle. Do this ten times each foot.
Toe Exercises:
Spread toes as wide as possible, and then relax. Repeat five times.
Wriggle toes for thirty seconds.

Relax!
:

Sunday, March 6, 2016

Healthy Breakfasts

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

Your residents will love the Amazon Kindle Fire

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care  professionals to get an easyceu or two

Follow alzheimersideas on twitter

The Dementia Caregiver's Little Book of Hope [Kindle Edition]

March is breakfast month

  • Ready-to-eat whole-grain cereal topped with fruit and a cup of yogurt
  • Whole-grain waffles topped with peanut butter, fruit or ricotta cheese
  • A whole-wheat pita stuffed with sliced hard-cooked eggs
  • Hot cereal topped with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice or cloves
  • Peanut butter on a bagel with fresh fruit (banana or apple wedges) and low-fat milk
  • Breakfast smoothie (milk, fruit and teaspoon of bran, whirled in a blender)
  • Vegetable omelet with a bran muffin and orange juice
If your taste buds just do not crave breakfast foods in the morning, try:
  • Lean ham on a toasted English muffin and vegetable juice
  • Cheese pizza and orange juice
  • Grilled vegetables mixed with beans and cilantro topped with cheese
  • Heated leftover rice with chopped apples, nuts and cinnamon and fruit juice

Friday, March 4, 2016

Some Great Calendar Ideas

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

Your residents will love the Amazon Kindle Fire

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care  professionals to get an easyceu or two

Follow alzheimersideas on twitter

The Dementia Caregiver's Little Book of Hope [Kindle Edition]


Here a useful site that will help you with activity ideas for those with Alzheimer's disease, related dementias and other people living in long term care facilities



Bizzarre,Crazy and Silly Holidays for March


Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Alzheimer's Progression Slower After 80: Study


Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

Your residents will love the Amazon Kindle Fire

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be


Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care  professionals to get an easyceu or two


Follow alzheimersideas on twitter

The Dementia Caregiver's Little Book of Hope [Kindle Edition]

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter
(HealthDay News) -- The deadly march of Alzheimer's disease is slower in people aged 80 or older than the younger elderly, researchers have found.

The risk of developing Alzheimer's disease increases with age, and by 85, the risk is about 50 percent. But those who develop the progressive brain disorder that late in life will experience a less aggressive disease than those whose symptoms appear at 60 or 70 years, according to investigators at the University of California, San Diego.
Lead researcher Dominic Holland from the university's neurosciences department said doctors will need to consider these findings when assessing older patients for Alzheimer's disease.
"Methods for early detection, which will rely on biomarkers as well as mental ability, will need to take into account the age of the individuals being assessed," he said. Because the "old" elderly may deteriorate at a slower pace than younger patients, doctors may not realize these people are suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
The findings also have implications for clinical trials evaluating potential Alzheimer's treatments and cost-of-care projections for different Alzheimer's patients, Holland and other experts say.
Currently, no effective treatments exist to slow or cure Alzheimer's disease, which gradually destroys brain cells and robs people of memory, and their ability to communicate and carry out everyday tasks.
The report was published Aug. 2 in the online journal PLoS One.
To study Alzheimer's disease progression, Holland and colleagues used data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative study. They looked at more than 700 people aged 65 to 90, some with normal mental functioning, some with mild signs of dementia and others suffering from Alzheimer's.
Participants were tested every 6 or 12 months.
The researchers found that younger Alzheimer's patients lost their mental abilities faster than older patients.
These declines among younger patients paralleled the accelerated rate of brain tissue loss and the increase in a spinal-fluid indicator of Alzheimer's seen among the younger age group, compared with older patients, the study authors added.
The researchers aren't sure why Alzheimer's is more aggressive in younger patients. One explanation might be that the older patients have been declining at that slower rate over a longer time, with some unknown factor keeping symptoms at bay, they suggest.
Another possibility is that the older patients have dementia plus Alzheimer's, which might stall the full effect of Alzheimer's on the brain. But such a diagnosis must be made with an autopsy, which is the only way Alzheimer's is accurately diagnosed, Holland noted.
Alzheimer's disease currently affects an estimated 5.6 million Americans, and that number is expected to triple by 2050 as the baby boom generation ages.
The finding that the earlier one develops the disease, the more aggressive it is isn't good news for those younger elderly patients who will suffer the worsening loss of their mental abilities for a long time, Holland said.
Another expert said the findings may affect both health cost projections and clinical trials.
"This is an extremely important paper with implications for both the projections of cost of care for Alzheimer's disease and for planning clinical trials," said Dr. Sam Gandy, associate director of the Mount Sinai Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.
If the clinical picture in the over-85 population is milder than what is typical in younger populations, those older patients would remain independent longer, and the projections for the economic burden to the health care system should be adjusted, he said.
"The annual cost now is $200 billion in the U.S.; the projection is $1 trillion annually by 2050," Gandy said.
"Maybe that $1 trillion is really only $500 to $750 billion. Still catastrophic, but it is worth considering this in projection," he added.
Equally important, if the rate of decline is slower in 85-year-olds than in 65-year-olds, that must be taken into account when recruiting for clinical trials, Gandy said.
For example, if all the patients receiving a drug were over 85 and all the patients receiving an inactive placebo were much younger, it might appear the drug was working when, in fact, the populations were improperly matched, Gandy pointed out.
"We have known that we wanted populations to be as identical as possible, but we didn't really know of this specific phenomenon before," he said.
More information
For more information on Alzheimer's disease, visit theAlzheimer's Association.