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From the NY Times, comes the possibility that Alzheimer’s could be detected early via a simple writing test.

“For the Alzheimer’s study, the researchers looked at a group of 80 men and women in their 80s — half had Alzheimer’s and the others did not. But, seven and a half years earlier, all had been cognitively normal.

The men and women were participants in the Framingham Heart Study, a long-running federal research effort that requires regular physical and cognitive tests. As part of it, they took a writing test before any of them had developed Alzheimer’s that asks subjects to describe a drawing of a boy standing on an unsteady stool and reaching for a cookie jar on a high shelf while a woman, her back to him, is oblivious to an overflowing sink.”

The study in question wasn’t even designed with Alzheimer’s or other cognitive disorders in mind. But the Framingham Heart Study – in action since 1948 – has been a treasure trove of data in the past. That data shows that signs of cognitive disorders show up in these writing & drawing tests years – or even decades – before other symptoms emerge. An AI algorithm was able to predict, with 75% accuracy, who would or would not develop Alzheimer’s based just on those tests. Tests of that nature are incredibly easy to administer, and feeding them into that algorithm could revolutionize early diagnosis of the disease.

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

If you ask your typical 30-year-old about the biggest problems with growing old, you’ll get answers about arthritis, physical infirmity, and memory issues. Maybe wandering or vision issues. But one facet of life those who care for the elderly know is a huge problem is: communication.

As we age, simple acts of communication become more and more difficult. Some of this is technological; young people adopt newer methods of communication that older folk have trouble adapting. But much of it is also neurological. The very act of initiating communication can become difficult, sometimes even borderline traumatic. On the opposite end of the spectrum, some seniors lose their verbal filter and will over-communicate, sharing inappropriate or sensitive info with the wrong people.

Be the initiator – As a family member or caregiver, you often have to be the ones

Give them the proper tools – If you can keep a landline phone active for them, try to do so. It may be an added expense, but it tends to be much easier for elders or dementia sufferers than a cell phone is. Our own SiMPL photoDIAL senior phone is a great example of a tool you can use to facilitate communication with them. If you have to get them a cell phone, spend some time customizing the phone to make it as easy and obvious to operate as possible. Create contact icons for the most common calls they’ll make. Remove home page icons for any app they don’t really need. Disable automatic updates, but remember to run them manually when you visit.

Analog is good – We are all guilty of this at times, but sometimes just a pen and paper are the best possible tools. Tech is fine, but notes, lists, and schedules written out longhand are wonderful communication aides which should be employed frequently.

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

Growing old shouldn’t have to mean falling behind. And that includes technologically.

Here are just a few items which can help your senior loved one use and enjoy the technological bounty around us.

Vertical Mice – 90 degrees can make a world of difference. Vertical mice function just like normal mice, but are ergonomically designed to alleviate stresses on the hand, wrist and forearm. They’re often used by sufferers of carpal tunnel syndrome or chronic wrist tendonitis, but they can be extremely beneficial for arthritis sufferers, too.

Digital Magnifiers – These relatively inexpensive items combine a camera and a screen to help magnify small text or objects for the reader. They have several advantages over your basic looking glass, including the ability to take still images, and even to digitally highlight or sharpen text to make it easy to read. Some now even have the ability to ‘read’ text and convert it to speech on the fly. This is a tremendous aide for persons with compromised vision who don’t want to stop living life to its fullest.

Bluetooth hearing aids – An old medical device, with a modern twist. These hearing aids can connect to audio sources via Bluetooth, allowing persons with hearing impairment to get the sound directly from the source. By connecting wirelessly to your stereo, computer or TV, the wearer can hear their media clearly without boosting all other sounds around them. Many such hearing aids can also boost the clarity of spoken words, helping those with conditions like auditory neuropathy or tinnitus.

Large-Button or Simplified TV Remotes – We take the remote control for granted. I’m sure a lot of people reading this may never have used a TV without one. But as you grow older, they can become a problem. For starters, the buttons are getting smaller and harder to press in modern remotes. A remote with larger buttons and ergonomic casing can help with that. But then you get to the issue of too many buttons. Modern remotes have so many functions which the average user will rarely – if ever – utilize. In those cases, a simplified remote with fewer functions may be helpful.

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