dementia — Blog — Sage Perspectives Blog

Homelessness and Dementia: An Unspoken and Complicated Epidemic in America

As the global population grows, older adults (age 65 years or older) will also increase in size, along with cases of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (commonly referred to as dementia). Age is one of the most significant risk factors for dementia, but numerous other risk factors exist

Editor's Picks, ResearchMaria Pia TissotDecember 19, 2022dementia, homelessness

Insights on social citizenship and participation in the community among older adults with and without dementia

Participation in activities and access to places outside of the home can promote and maintain health and well-being for all of us, including older adults living with and without dementia.

Editor's Picks, ResearchMaria Pia TissotDecember 15, 2022social citizenship, dementia

Providing multiple long-term care services for people with dementia can bring great benefits to their caregivers

One goal of long-term care (LTC) services is to support heavy caregiving responsibilities of caring for people with dementia. Our research examined 10,000 caregivers’ health utilization and costs in Taiwan and found that providing multiple LTC services for people with dementia significantly benefits their caregivers.

Research, Editor's PicksMaria Pia TissotDecember 13, 2022dementia, caregiving, caregiver

Subjective, but very much real, cognitive decline in older adults

People with subjective cognitive decline are twice more likely to develop dementia compared to those who do not experience cognitive decline. A better understanding of their early, subtle, functional decline will support dementia prevention efforts, because dementia is characterized by decline in both cognitive abilities and everyday functioning.

ResearchMaria Pia TissotSeptember 13, 2022dementia, cognitive decline, memory

Is earlier detection of dementia possible?

The standard tests of memory that clinicians use are not able to reliably detect dementia until the disease has progressed significantly - can this be changed?

Editor's Picks, ResearchMaria Pia TissotAugust 30, 2022dementia, research, aging

Depressive Symptoms Worsen for Dementia Partner Caregivers: What Does This Mean in Times of the Pandemic?

The COVID-19 pandemic has shed a disturbing light on the health and quality of care of older adults. The truth is that the quality of life and care for this vulnerable population should have been of concern long before the pandemic ever began. This is especially true for older adults and families affected by Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias – a group of memory impairment disorders that primarily affect older adults and gravely impact the cognitive, physical, mental, and social abilities of those diagnosed.

Research, Editor's PicksGuest UserSeptember 18, 2020dementia, COVID-19, caregiving, alzhiemers

Treating Symptoms of Dementia with Acutherapy

Although commonly considered a memory related disease, nearly all people with dementia will experience distressing non-memory related symptoms such as agitation, aggression, depression and other psychiatric and behavioral symptoms. Psychiatric and behavioral symptoms of dementia not only impact the physical and mental health of those diagnosed, but also family members and caregivers. Specifically, these symptoms contribute greatly to depression and worsening emotional health in family caregivers, as well as increased care burden for caregivers and healthcare providers. Additionally, these symptoms can be extremely financially costly to individual families affected by the disease, as well as to the overarching healthcare system.