
The fake bus stop hack - kirubakaran
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/2071319/Fake-bus-stop-keeps-Alzheimer's-patients-from-wandering-off.html
======
gibsonf1
Let's only hope that by the time we reach the ripe old age of Alzheimers
onset, the cure has been found. It seems like a fate almost worse than death.

~~~
redorb
true, although it only seems that way to us.. To them I hope they can't
remember the pain, and everyday is a new day of learning...

~~~
LogicHoleFlaw
It's not a day of learning. It's day after day of being frightened by
unfamiliar surroundings, not knowing why you are so old and feeble, and being
afraid that everyone around you is trying to hurt you. The paranoia and
distrust and bitterness that comes with the disease is just as bad as the
memory loss itself. All of that hardship drags down entire families and can
stress old friendships to the breaking point. Alzheimer's is a frightening and
cruel disease.

~~~
redorb
emphasis on "I hope" ... it is a frightening disease my grand father has it; I
think sometimes its our reaction to him forgetting us that makes him scared..
perhaps if we just re introduced ourselves

~~~
LogicHoleFlaw
I've cared for several grandparents as they went through the stages of the
disease. In one case there was severe paranoia and distrust. In the other it
was the daily unfamiliarity which was frightening to her. In the end
introductions lasted only minutes. The best we can do right now is to show
love and care as they go through these trials. All I can say is to be strong,
and remember the good times when life wears thin.

------
bayareaguy
As far as I know there currently isn't a good way to tell if a living patient
has Alzheimers as opposed to more general dementia.

Given that my mom has been showing signs of this for the past few months I'd
be curious if anyone here actually knows more.

I've found "The 36-Hour Day" [http://www.amazon.com/36-Hour-Day-Alzheimer-
Dementing-Illnes...](http://www.amazon.com/36-Hour-Day-Alzheimer-Dementing-
Illnesses/dp/0446610410) to be somewhat helpful so far. Anyone have any other
good recommendations?

------
smanek
I believe they've already found a likely cure: etanercept.

It seems to make all symptoms disappear within minutes - undergoing large
scale testing now. Should be approved for Alzheimers within a few years.

~~~
etal
I was thinking about that the other day -- it's an anti-inflammatory drug that
seems to work immediately on many patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Why?

Apparently it's difficult to tell the difference between Alzheimer's and
vascular dementia while the patient is still alive -- examining a sample of
brain tissue is the definitive test. I think I heard that the misdiagnosis
rate is something like 50% (unreliable number, don't take my word for it). It
doesn't make much sense for an anti-inflammatory drug to clear the protein
plaques or undo neurological damage in the case of Alzheimer's disease, but it
does make sense for the drug to improve blood flow to the brain for patients
who actually have vascular dementia instead. So, perhaps there was a mix of
patients in the (small) initial trials we've seen for etanercept as an
Alzheimer's treatment that accounts for the surprising result.

------
byrneseyeview
""It sounds funny but it helps," said Franz-Josef Goebel, the chairman of the
"Old Lions" association."

Franz-Josef Goebel? Sounds suspicious.

On the other hand, here's a picture: <http://www.alte-loewen.de/dpa2g.jpg>

~~~
pmjordan
Why does that sound suspicious? The name isn't out of the ordinary in Germany.

~~~
byrneseyeview
It's still common to give people the same names as Nazi leaders?

~~~
Tichy
You're thinking of Goebbels, not Goebel.

