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From the journal of Biotech & Genetic Engineering:

The results of an open-label pilot study have found that treating patients with an advanced form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) using the Parkinson’s disease drug, levodopa, stabilized their disease and improved vision. The study demonstrated that oral levodopa therapy was safe and well-tolerated, and reduced the need for patients with neovascular AMD (nAMD) to receive anti-VEGF injections.

Short version: the same drug which seemed to help macular degeneration (MD) patients, also seems to help those with Parkinson’s disease. How much it helps remains to be seen, but further studies are in the works.

Brought to you by smpltec.com, Technology for Seniors News.

We’re approaching the warm weather holidays of Mother’s Day & Father’s Day, so now is as good a time as any to start planning what to get the seniors in your life.

• Digital Picture Frame. A great way to keep up with the grandkids. You can put thousands of family photos on a single memory card, and the device will automatically rotate through them. You can get models with wi-fi that let you upload images remotely, or ones without if they don’t have wi-fi in the home. The wi-fi model will require them or a caregiver to input their wi-fi password to set it up, so think of that before you purchase.
• Music Player. Another device you can have shipped to you, set it up, and send over to a loved one without any need for contact. Add all of their favorite songs & radio stations, and let them control the music with just one touch.
• Indoor Herb Growing Kit. With many of us cut off from the outdoors, it’s the best time to bring some of the outdoors, indoors. Flowers would be nice, but an herb garden has the added benefit of providing a pop of freshness to food. You can go with the fancy hydroponic rigs where everything is managed for them, or the simpler – but more elegant – traditional setup where they can get their hands dirty.
• Lawn Games for Groups. The past few years has seen an explosion of fun & simple outdoor games which can be played even by people with moderate physical disabilities. Cornhole, Yardzhee, Backyard Bowling, Bean-Basketball and more can encourage seniors to get outside, get some exercise and socialize with their peers.

Even in these difficult times, there are plenty of gifs out there to make everyone happy in these trying times.

From the Washington Post, another possible discovery in the fight against neurodegenerative disease.

“Forget the soul — it turns out the eyes may be the best window to the brain. Changes to the retina may foreshadow Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, and researchers say a picture of your eye could assess your future risk of neurodegenerative disease.

Pinched off from the brain during embryonic development, the retina contains layers of neurons that seem to experience neurodegenerative disease along with their cousins inside the skull. The key difference is that these retinal neurons, right against the jellylike vitreous of the eyeball, live and die where scientists can see them.”

A team at Cedars-Sinai has developed a low cost eye test to – hopefully – provide a method of early detection of these diseases. This isn’t a cure, but early treatment can greatly extend both the quantity and quality of life.

Brought to you by smpltec.com, Technology for Seniors News.

Computer use is a fact of life in today’s world. But for someone who grew up in an analog world, the switch to digital can be disorienting. You can help make your senior loved ones’ time on the computer a much more enjoyable – and less frustrating – experience. 

• Keep their computers updated. Make sure their operating system and virus protection programs have been updated recently. Many seniors either delay or altogether disable updates, but these are essential security measures.
• Password security. Set up a spreadsheet or text file where they can record all passwords and login credentials. Even better: get them a password manager program (like 1Password) to handle their passwords for them
• Make computer use comfortable. Sometimes, the greatest difficulties when using a computer are physical. Mice can be tough to use when your hands are arthritic. Keyboards aren’t always readable by those with visual impairments. Even sitting at a computer for long periods can be painful. But, devices like vertical mice, large type & high-contrast keyboards and ergonomic chairs can make using the computer less of a physical chore. 
• Make flashcards for common commands or chores. Those of us who grew up with computers take for granted how difficult they can be for anyone else. Sit down one day while doing your basic computer tasks – web browsing, bills, email – and think about how many basic commands you may use in those tasks. Even simple things like right-clicking, copy-pasting, or holding shift to highlight text may be entirely unknown to your senior loved ones. Taking a few minutes to write down and explain some of the basic commands can make their computer time much less frustrating.

When helping your loved one with their computer, remember to be patient. This is often a new and daunting activity for seniors, and many technically proficient people tend to be a bit too brusque when trying to teach others about tech. Teach, don’t lecture.

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From McKnight’s, a great example of the benefits of music therapy.

Group music therapy in an eldercare setting reduces agitation and may be a useful tool in  managing aggressive behavior, according to a new study […]

Compared with residents who did not receive music therapy, the 30 residents who participated in the study exhibited fewer agitated behaviors at the end of the eight weeks. For example, an average CMAI score of 3.67 for screaming prior to receiving music therapy was reduced to a group mean score of 1.50 eight weeks later.

A drop from 3.67 to 1.50 isn’t just statistically significant, it’s actually a massive improvement over the control group. We should also note that SMPL’s own Music Player is a great tool to facilitate music therapy, both at home and in group settings.

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An elderly relative wandering off never to be seen again is the single greatest fear of most caregivers. Simply put, there is no way to completely safeguard against it, but there are some steps which can be taken to help prevent a wandering incident.

Identity jewelry or cards. The old standby of a piece of jewelry – be it a bracelet, pendant or other – with their name and contact info for a caregiver is still one of the best safeguards. It won’t prevent a wandering incident, but it will help get them home after one. If they won’t wear jewelry, make sure they have cards with your cell phone number printed on them in their w

allet, purse or coat.

Door alarms. Another simple but very effective tool. An alarm which goes off whenever the door it is mounted on is opened. Our own SMPL Entry Alert is one such device. The wireless alarm receiver can be carried around the home, so you will always know when your door is opened. Experts recommend pairing the alarm with a basic chain or slide lock from the hardware store, which will delay their exit without locking them in. That little bit of time needed to open the lock can give you the chance to intercept them.

GPS Trackers. This is a more extreme measure, but it may be an option for many. Most personal GPS trackers take the form of a watch. At any time a caregiver can access an app or web portal to quickly locate the wearer on a map. Most of these devices also allow for 2 way voice communication in the event of an emergency.

“Have You Seen Me” Cards. Another analog tool which won’t stop a wandering event, but may help get them home safely & quickly. These are simply cards you have printed up – maybe the size of a postcard – with your loved one’s picture & name, with your contact info on it. You distribute these to places within walking distance where your loved one may go to: stores, restaurants, businesses, libraries, houses of worship. If they are seen by workers in those places, they can call you or EMS to help bring them home safely.

At the end of the day, the most

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I can’t bend over without pulling something, and this man is climbing a 7,300 ft mountain without the use of his legs.

Paralympian Sam Tait has successfully become the first paraplegic to climb Mount Kosciuszko in the NSW Snowy Mountains, self-powered and without mechanical assistance.

The 29-year-old conquered Australia’s highest mountain last month, accompanied by a team of six people consisting of some of his closest friends who hiked alongside him to help carry his gear and skis.

It took the athlete seven hours to ascend the 16-kilometre route and reach the summit.

Tait was rendered paraplegic after a motorcycle accident when he was 22. He’s since become an acclaimed paralympian in nordic events.

Brought to you by smpltec.com, Technology for Seniors News.

From ZDNet.

With this in mind, IBM Research and MJFF designed a modelling method aimed at helping clinicians understand how the disease progresses in relation the emergence of symptoms so they can pinpoint exactly how far a patient’s PD has advanced.

Using algorithms, the model has been designed to consider factors that can mask the outward appearance of someone’s PD, including medication that can alleviate symptoms such as tremors, improve motor controls, and modifying other common symptoms.

“Patients’ responses to medication may not be consistent across the population, motivating a need for personalising predictions,” IBM Research said.

Parkinson’s Disease is notable for the sheer number of symptoms which can be associated with it. This makes diagnosis difficult, as the symptoms can be attributed to a huge number of other conditions and there is not yet any bright line test for the disease. This AI model can help doctors more accurately diagnose the disease in sufferers, and get them on a treatment regimen sooner.

Brought to you by smpltec.com, Technology for Seniors News.

Dementia and related conditions are horrible in their own right. But they’re even scarier when they’re happening to people in their 30s, 40s and 50s. The New York Times has an interesting look into that world.

“While most of the 5.3 million Americans who are living with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia are over 65, some 200,000 are younger than 65 and develop serious memory and thinking problems far earlier in life than expected.

“Young-onset dementia is a particularly disheartening diagnosis because it affects individuals in the prime years,” Dr. David S. Knopman, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., wrote in a July 2021 editorial in JAMA Neurology. Many of the afflicted are in their 40s and 50s, midcareer, hardly ready to retire and perhaps still raising a family.”

Chief among the causes of early-onset dementia is a condition called Lewy Body dementia (LBd), where abnormal protein deposits on the brain cause dysfunction. As with most other dementia and dementia-adjacent conditions, the exact causes and mechanisms of the disease are not fully understood, but LBd is notable for how many of its sufferers are younger people. Most of us think of dementia as an “old person disease”, but it can strike people of any age. While it may not be preventable, the worst of the symptoms can be treated if discovered early enough. Even younger people who find themselves suffering from frequent memory loss, severe navigational dysfunction, or “brain fog” should consult with a doctor and get checked out. It likely will not be LBd, but it could be a host of other neurological or vascular conditions, and knowing about the disease is the first step towards treating it.

Brought to you by smpltec.com, Technology for Seniors News.