Category Archives: Awareness & Activism

March 29, 2026 · 9:00 am

AARP report: Family caregivers’ economic value reaches $1 trillion

Houser, Ari, Selena Caldera, Brendan Flinn, and Rita Choula. Valuing the Invaluable 2026: Family Caregivers’ Contribution Reaches $1 Trillion. Washington, DC: AARP Public Policy Institute, March 26, 2026. https://doi.org/10.26419/ppi.00402.001.

The latest caregiver report has been released by the AARP Public Policy Institute. Titled “Valuing the Invaluable 2026” the report, researchers found that the economic value of family caregiving in 2024 was worth a whopping $1 trillion.

In comments on the report, AARP CEO Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan said, “When you look at caregiving at this scale, it becomes clear that this is not just a personal responsibility; it is a foundational part of our economy and our care system, and it is time we start recognizing it that way.”

Here are other main takeaways:

  • The $1.01 trillion amount breaks down to 49.5 billion hours devoted to family caregiving, equaling a workforce of 23.8 million full-time workers.
  • An estimated 59 million family caregivers helped an adult family member, neighbor, or friend with daily activities during the year, with 63 percent providing monthly care.
  • The economic value of family caregiving exceeded the total amount of federal, state, and local Medicaid spending in 2024 ($932 billion).
  • The cost and value of family caregiving has grown rapidly since the AARP’s first caregiving report in 2006, where the economic value of caregiving was found to be $350 billion.
  • Family caregivers now average 27 hours of care per week. This is on top of a part- or full-time job, plus for sandwich caregivers, caring for children and elder relatives at the same time.
  • More than half (55 percent) of family caregivers perform tasks typically handled by health care professionals, such as giving injections or managing a catheter. As a caregiver for my mother, I was required to care for her colostomy and after much trial and error, learned to manage her colostomy bag quite well. As I wrote in The Reluctant Caregiver, this task was well outside of my skillset and comfort zone, but as the sole family caregiver, I had no choice but to step up and take charge.

In conclusion, AARP noted: “This unpaid care generates significant public benefit, including savings for taxpayers, yet it often does so at considerable cost to caregivers’ own health, well‑being, and long‑term economic security.”

Access the full report: Valuing the Invaluable 2026: Family Caregivers’ Contribution Reaches $1 Trillion

1 Comment

Filed under Awareness & Activism

Tagged as , ,

March 22, 2026 · 9:00 am

How Alzheimer’s may impact your writing ability

How does one’s writing change due to dementia? Interesting research was recently published that analyzed the late author Terry Pratchett’s writing over time to see if it changed due to the rare form of Alzheimer’s that he had.

Pratchett died in 2015. He had been diagnosed with posterior cortical atrophy and went public with his diagnosis, becoming an advocate to raise awareness for the disease and increase research efforts, according to an article published in The Conversation. Researchers in the UK conducted a lexical analysis of Pratchett’s novels and published their findings in the Brain Sciences journal.

The researchers focused on “lexical diversity” which in layman’s terms means diversity in word choice, and specifically examined the usage and variety of adjectives. What they found was a notable decline in adjective diversity in Pratchett’s latest novels. They pinpointed the first significant decline approximately 10 years before Pratchett was diagnosed.

While their findings are intriguing, the researchers were quick to note that linguistic analysis is not a standalone diagnostic tool for dementia, and results would vary depending upon a person’s education and other factors. But for authors, it could potentially be a helpful tool. Pratchett is not the first author whose work received a lexical analysis to detect cognitive changes; Iris Murdoch and Agatha Christie’s works have also been analyzed and a notable decline in vocabulary size and lexical diversity were noted.

Lexical analysis could emerge as a helpful diagnostic tool for Alzheimer’s and other dementias because the average person already produces a good deal of content in their daily lives, from texts to emails to social media posts. For us writers, we have a large amount of material that can be analyzed. Most promising is how early such an analysis may be able to detect subtle cognitive changes. Early detection is critical when it comes to Alzheimer’s, as the current treatments on the market work best for those in the early stages of the disease.

Image generated by Google Gemini. Note: I did not prompt it to come up with such depressing book titles.

Leave a comment

Filed under Awareness & Activism

Tagged as , , , , ,

March 8, 2026 · 9:00 am

Insightful presentation on anxiety and dementia

Ted Talk: The Connection Between Dementia and Anxiety

I found this Ted Talk from Dr. Elaine Eshbaugh so insightful. She talked about the connection between anxiety and dementia: “When anxiety goes up, cognition goes down.”

She offered examples of how people with dementia may face anxiety in everyday situations that those of us without dementia may overlook. I loved her term “mental energy pennies” to describe how daily cognitive tasks can be more costly to those with dementia.

She also broke down how dementia can cause vision issues, both literally and figuratively. My father experienced vision issues, including depth perception problems that made entering and exiting elevators a challenge. He also had visual hallucinations. In his case, the vision issues elevated his anxiety levels which could cause him to lash out in confusion and frustration.

Being more aware of the connection between anxiety and dementia can help family caregivers better manage their loved one’s environments.

Leave a comment

Filed under Awareness & Activism

Tagged as , ,

March 1, 2026 · 1:35 pm

A reminder to slow down … from the dog

This weekend I got what turned out to be a funny reminder to slow down. Yesterday I was knocking out a bunch of household chores and was intent on getting the bed made before lunch. I was making ramen for lunch and had some leftover beef broth from making soup earlier in the week that I wanted to use instead of water to make it extra tasty.

Murphy, my senior dog, also enjoys a bit of Brutus Bone Broth with his meals, a special formulation for dogs with supplements for joint health. I keep the broth containers, which come in similar carton containers, on separate shelves in the refrigerator after opening so I don’t accidentally give Murphy my broth which has sodium and seasonings like onion and garlic in it.

Welp, you can probably figure out what happened next. Yesterday in my rush to have all my chores done before lunch, I started the ramen while distracted and let it cook while I made the bed. [First mistake.] Murphy was extra excited in the kitchen and getting underfoot while I was making lunch, so I shooed him out. [Second mistake.] I got the bed made and ate my lunch and then got ready to feed the dog that evening.

And when I opened the refrigerator, I was surprised to find no dog broth. How is that possible, it wasn’t near empty yet ….

Ruh-roh. That’s when my eyes saw the container of beef broth, still sitting on a lower shelf. I had accidentally used the dog’s broth in my ramen.

I probably turned a little green around the gills while I dug the dog broth carton out of the trash. My first concern was if the broth was gluten-free, as I’m a celiac and strictly follow a no gluten diet. I breathed a big sigh of relief when I saw those two magical words “gluten free” on the label. That was followed closely by two more welcomed words: “human grade.” Scanning the limited, whole-food ingredients, the dog-formulated broth was probably healthier than the broth for people. The joint supplements were also fine for people.

I’m fine and can laugh about the whole situation now, especially Murphy trying to give me a sign. He was probably wondering what yummy treat I was making him with his broth! Fortunately I had another container of dog broth in the pantry, so he will not go without. You would think the author of Slow Dog would take some her own advice. It’s a good reminder that being intentional requires daily practice.

As a caregiver, of course, it’s even more important to not be distracted when preparing meals to avoid allergies or drug interactions. Your and your loved one’s well-being is more important than when the bed gets made. Lesson learned and noted!

Looking for more caregiving tips? I’m participating in the The 17th annual Smashwords Read an Ebook Week sale. Get the e-book version of The Reluctant Caregiver for half off through March 7, 2026.

1 Comment

Filed under Awareness & Activism

Tagged as , , , , , , , ,

February 21, 2026 · 9:00 am

How dried blood spots could be valuable in large-scale Alzheimer’s screening initiatives

Over 10 years ago, I wrote about an experimental blood test being tested that could help predict a person’s risk of developing dementia over the course of the next few years. There have been a lot of developments in the blood test space since then. This month, the Alzheimer’s Prevention Registry wrote about new research exploring a promising, low-cost option for large-scale Alzheimer’s screening: dried blood spots.

Not that long ago, the idea that Alzheimer’s could be diagnosed with a blood test seemed like a major breakthrough, since prior to that, diagnosis either came post-mortem or an invasive spinal tap procedure. There are cognitive-based tests that doctors use to screen for dementia, such as the clock test, but those are not as definitive in nature as a blood test for Alzheimer’s biomarkers, which was approved by the FDA in 2025.

But blood tests still present challenges, requiring a medical professional to draw the sample, and then proper handling to ensure the same remains viable until it reaches the testing laboratory. Researchers in Europe brainstormed on how to simplify the procedure and are now actively testing a process that uses dried blood spots. A person takes the blood sample themselves at home, using a finger prick method. The sample is collected on a card, allowed to dry, and then mailed into a laboratory. Early results are promising, with high accuracy rates, but more work needs to be done to perfect the process.

One interesting point that researchers noted was that people in the study didn’t like the finger puncture, so a different collection method involving the upper arm is being explored. The issue with finger punctures may have led to more sample failures than desired. I know when I used a finger prick test at home (to check my cholesterol level), the first time it worked fine, but the second time, I struggled to get a proper sample and I received notice from the lab that my sample couldn’t be used. It was a frustrating experience and I ended up going to a medical clinic for a traditional blood draw.

Still, if the process becomes reliable and affordable, I strongly prefer at-home tests. Such a test would open up dementia screening for underserved populations and help people access treatment options earlier.

Image generated by Google Gemini.

Leave a comment

Filed under Awareness & Activism

Tagged as , ,

February 15, 2026 · 9:00 am

Recent celebrity deaths highlight colorectal cancer awareness

In the past month, we’ve lost two beloved actors: Catherine O’Hara and James Van Der Beek. They were from two different generations but one thing they did have in common was a diagnosis of colorectal cancer. The former “Dawson’s Creek” star Van Der Beek had gone public with his stage III diagnosis and shared health updates with his fans via social media. He was only 48, highlighting that while still rare, younger people can be diagnosed and die from colon cancer. “Black Panther” star Chadwick Boseman, who died in 2020 at age 43 from colon cancer, brought awareness for younger generations of Black Americans who are at greater risk.

I was a major fan of Catherine O’Hara, as I enjoyed her roles in the Christopher Guest mockumentaries and her star role in the hit TV series “Schitt’s Creek.” One of my all-time favorite comedy films is “Best in Show.” I was surprised to see rectal cancer listed as an underlying cause of death, with the primary cause being a pulmonary embolism. She was 71, and had not shared her cancer diagnosis with the public. According to the death certificate, she had been treated by an oncologist since March 2025. My mother dealt with blood clots as a result of her colon cancer, and they became a more immediate health concern than the cancer after her surgery. There are multiple reasons why cancer patients are at greater risk for blood clots: cancer thickens the blood, some chemotherapy drugs can increase blood clot risk, and those that require surgery may find themselves immobile for long periods. The latter I believe is what happened in my mother’s case. The difference between her first surgery (colostomy) and the second surgery (reversal) was night and day. While she developed blood clots after the first surgery, she didn’t after the second procedure, because staff got her up and moving much quicker. I write about my mother’s cancer experience in The Reluctant Caregiver.

Celebrity culture can be obnoxious at times but fame offers a platform and influence that can help raise public awareness. Certainly stars may have advantages when it comes to battling a disease like cancer, from more funds and better insurance than the average person to connections in accessing experimental treatments.

But cancer also serves as an equalizer, in that it doesn’t discriminate in who it touches. For example, former “Beverly Hills 90210” star Shannen Doherty was open about how physically and mentally tough it can be to go through cancer treatment, with raw and real videos and popular podcast before her 2024 death at age 53 from breast cancer. If more people are encouraged to assess their health, get a screening, or change their poor lifestyle habits in response to notable death, that can make a real difference in survival rates.

Leave a comment

Filed under Awareness & Activism

Tagged as , , , ,

February 8, 2026 · 1:13 pm

The importance of heart health for the brain

February is American Heart Month, which makes it the ideal time to discuss the connection between brain and heart health.

As the American Brain Foundation states, “Heart health is brain health.”

While in the past the connection between vascular and cognitive health was not as clear, we now have a wealth of scientific evidence that captures how the cardiovascular system supports the brain. The Mayo Clinic outlines several forms of vascular dementia, some which are triggered by strokes, while other forms are the result of chronic medical conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure.

The American Brain Foundation points out that “heart disease can be a significant contributing factor to dementia”
due to its critical role in delivering blood flow that provides oxygen and other nutrients to the brain that supports cognitive health.

Heart disease is considered a risk factor for dementia. Poor heart health increases stroke risk, which can disrupt blood flow to the brain. Monitoring cholesterol levels is important because excess cholesterol can lead to blocked arteries and increase stroke risk.

The good news is that there are several lifestyle changes people can make to support their heart and brain health. Here are recommendations from the Mayo Clinic:

  • Quit smoking
  • Maintain a healthy weight
  • Prevent or manage diabetes
  • Keep your blood pressure and cholesterol levels in check with regular montioring
  • Exercise

The American Brain foundation also recommends managing stress levels and getting good sleep on a regular basis.

My father never gave up smoking until he was forced to in the memory care center but he became obsessed with cholesterol levels in midlife. It’s hard to know what caused my father’s dementia as he already had a strong family history, and I suppose my father opted to control his diet vs a habit he didn’t think he could quit. If managing heart and brain health feels overwhelming, begin by taking one small action each day and build momentum over time until it eventually becomes a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.

Illustration generated by ChatGPT.

Leave a comment

Filed under Awareness & Activism

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,

February 1, 2026 · 2:53 pm

Researchers identify CTE as a cause of dementia

Next Sunday, many Americans will watch the Super Bowl to see who will be crowned this NFL season’s champion. I will be watching and thinking of my father, who learned to love American football though soccer and baseball were dear to his heart as well.

There is a dark side to every sport, and in the NFL, the head trauma risk from the hard-hitting game along with diagnostic and research developments have identified an alarming number of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) cases among former players. CTE can cause cognitive symptoms that mirror Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, such as memory loss, personality changes, mood swings, paranoia, and depression. CTE has been found in the brains of high-profile former NFL players who died of suicide, such as Junior Seau.

In a new study published in January 2026, researchers at the Boston University CTE Center studied over 600 donated brains, mostly of contact sport athletes exposed to repetitive head impacts and found those with the most advanced form of CTE had a four times increased odds for having dementia. The study noted that the increased risk amount is “similar to the strength of the relationship between dementia and advanced Alzheimer’s disease pathology, which is the leading cause of dementia.”

In 2023, the Boston University CTE Center found CTE in 345 of the 376 brains of former NFL players that were donated to its brain bank. Researchers cautioned that donated samples are subject to selection biases and because CTE can only be definitively diagnosed after death, it’s impossible at this time to calculate the current prevalence of CTE among NFL players.

The Boston University CTE Center stresses that the most severe symptoms and outcomes are in the minority of cases they see, and that CTE symptoms are treatable. Former players or anyone who has suffered significant and repeated head trauma should seek professional medical care as soon as symptoms emerge.

I’m grateful to the former NFL players and their families for making the generous decision of brain donation to further the research efforts into CTE. Learnings from CTE research could benefit the spectrum of cognitive-based conditions and spur better, more effective treatment options.

Image generated by Google Gemini.

Leave a comment

Filed under Awareness & Activism

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , ,

January 25, 2026 · 5:03 pm

Highlights from the 2025 Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease Conference

It was a busy year in Alzheimer’s research. In December 2025, the 2025 Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease Conference was held. The Alzheimer’s Prevention Registry shared highlights from the conference.

  • Blood biomarker testing is an area of research I’ve been closely following. There have been advancements in using blood biomarkers to accurately detect abnormal blood proteins like amyloid and tau. Developing reliable, simpler, and most cost-effective diagnostic methods for Alzheimer’s and other dementias will allow people to be diagnosed and treated sooner, when the currently available treatments are more effective.
  • GLP-1s: You may have seen reports about drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro, which have become popular weight management treatments, may also help reduce brain inflammation and offer other brain protective benefits. Research is underway to see if such drugs could be used to treat or prevent Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Early results were disappointing, as the drugs failed to slow disease progression in people with early-stage Alzheimer’s, but further research will be conducted.
  • Lifestyle interventions offer cognitive benefits: I wrote last year about the U.S. Pointer trial findings and how structured lifestyle interventions including diet, exercise, and cognitive training led to improved cognition. At the December conference, more results were shared, including small benefits for those with sleep apnea, which has been linked to an increased dementia risk. Also shared at the conference was research on the benefits of receiving the shingles and TB vaccines.
  • Updates on current Alzheimer’s treatments: While there have been controversies about lecanemab and donanemab, the latest research shows that they do help slow the progression of the disease, even after treatment is stopped. This is an important finding as these treatments raise the risk of serious side effects such as brain bleeds. The next generation of anti-amyloid treatments are being developed and tested, with a focus on reducing side effects while offering meaningful benefits.

These findings demonstrate the hard work being conducted by Alzheimer’s researchers to improve testing and develop more effective treatments with fewer side effects. The cognitive benefits of lifestyle changes should not be overlooked, as research continues to find positive impacts in this area.

Image generated by Google Gemini.

Leave a comment

Filed under Awareness & Activism

Tagged as , , , , ,

January 18, 2026 · 3:41 pm

AlzAuthors now part of the All Home Care Matters family

In case you didn’t hear the news, AlzAuthors is now officially part of the All Home Care Matters family.

I’ve been fortunate to be part of the AlzAuthors community over the years and had the opportunity to share The Memories Project blog, my personal essay collection The Reluctant Caregiver, and more recently, poetry. I look forward to this new chapter and supporting the mission of sharing the work of authors writing about the Alzheimer’s and dementia experience. In addition to showcasing books, AlzAuthors hosted a podcast and a film festival.

AlzAuthors celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2025. I’m grateful to all of the volunteers who donated their time and talent to build and grow such a wonderful organization.

You can read more about the transition on the All Home Care Matters website.

For those who have contributed to or have used AlzAuthors as a resource, the website and its helpful content will remain available. Stay tuned as new opportunities to share and connect become available.

Leave a comment

Filed under Awareness & Activism

Tagged as , , , , ,