Tag Archives: dementia

The Future of Treatment and Support for Dementia and Related Diseases

As the largest generation in U.S. history – the population born in the two decades following World War II – enters the age of risk for cognitive impairment, growing numbers of people will experience dementia (including Alzheimer’s and related diseases). By one estimate, nearly 14 million people in the United States will be living with dementia by 2060. As our understanding of these conditions improves, new treatments may slow the progress of dementia and reduce its social and economic impacts. Our publications offer roadmaps for research that addresses the causes of dementia and that improve treatment and support, for both people living with dementia and those who support them. As always, all are free to read online or download.

Reducing the Impact of Dementia in America: A Decadal Survey of the Behavioral and Social Sciences

Reducing the Impact of Dementia in America: A Decadal Survey of the Behavioral and Social Sciences

As the largest generation in U.S. history – the population born in the two decades immediately following World War II – enters the age of risk for cognitive impairment, growing numbers of people will experience dementia (including Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias). By one estimate, …[more]

The National Imperative to Improve Nursing Home Quality: Honoring Our Commitment to Residents, Families, and Staff

The National Imperative to Improve Nursing Home Quality: Honoring Our Commitment to Residents, Families, and Staff

Nursing homes play a unique dual role in the long-term care continuum, serving as a place where people receive needed health care and a place they call home. Ineffective responses to the complex challenges of nursing home care have resulted in a system that often fails to ensure the well-being …[more]

Mechanisms for Organizational Behavior Change to Address the Needs of People Living with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias: Proceedings of a Workshop

Mechanisms for Organizational Behavior Change to Address the Needs of People Living with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias: Proceedings of a Workshop

Patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) rely on family members, their community, and the health care system for progressively increasing support over the course of their disease. These people receive care through a frequently siloed health care system across …[more]

Implications for Behavioral and Social Research of Preclinical Markers of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias: Proceedings of a Workshop–in Brief

Implications for Behavioral and Social Research of Preclinical Markers of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias: Proceedings of a Workshop–in Brief

On June 28-29, 2021, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine held a virtual workshop, “Behavioral and Social Research and Clinical Practice Implications of Biomarkers and Other Preclinical Diagnostics of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and AD-Related Dementias” (AD/ADRD). The …[more]

Meeting the Challenge of Caring for Persons Living with Dementia and Their Care Partners and Caregivers: A Way Forward

Meeting the Challenge of Caring for Persons Living with Dementia and Their Care Partners and Caregivers: A Way Forward

Millions of people are living with dementia in the United States and globally. To live well with dementia, people need care, services, and supports that reflect their values and preferences, build on their strengths and abilities, promote well-being, and address needs that evolve as cognitive …[more]

Understanding Nursing Home, Hospice, and Palliative Care for Individuals with Later-Stage Dementia: Proceedings of a Workshop–in Brief

Understanding Nursing Home, Hospice, and Palliative Care for Individuals with Later-Stage Dementia: Proceedings of a Workshop–in Brief

On July 7, 2020, the Committee on Developing a Behavioral and Social Science Research Agenda on Alzheimer’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Dementias hosted a public workshop via webcast. This Proceedings of a Workshop-in Brief summarizes the key points made by the workshop participants …[more]

Quality of Life, Preventing Elder Abuse, and Fostering Living Well After a Dementia Diagnosis: Proceedings of a Workshop–in Brief

Quality of Life, Preventing Elder Abuse, and Fostering Living Well After a Dementia Diagnosis: Proceedings of a Workshop–in Brief

On July 8, 2020, the Committee on Developing a Behavioral and Social Science Research Agenda on Alzheimer’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Dementias hosted a public workshop via webcast. This Proceedings of a Workshop-in Brief summarizes the key points made by the workshop participants …[more]

Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias: Experience and Caregiving, Epidemiology, and Models of Care: Proceedings of a Workshop–in Brief

Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias: Experience and Caregiving, Epidemiology, and Models of Care: Proceedings of a Workshop–in Brief

On August 14, 2019, the Committee on Developing a Behavioral and Social Science Research Agenda on Alzheimer’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Dementias convened a public workshop in Washington, D.C., as part of the study “Developing a Behavioral and Social Science Research Agenda on …[more]

Considerations for the Design of a Systematic Review of Care Interventions for Individuals with Dementia and Their Caregivers: Letter Report

Considerations for the Design of a Systematic Review of Care Interventions for Individuals with Dementia and Their Caregivers: Letter Report

Considerations for the Design of a Systematic Review of Care Interventions for Individuals with Dementia and Their Caregivers: Letter Report provides input into the design of an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) systematic review of evidence on effective care-related …[more]

Preventing Cognitive Decline and Dementia: A Way Forward

Preventing Cognitive Decline and Dementia: A Way Forward

Societies around the world are concerned about dementia and the other forms of cognitive impairment that affect many older adults. We now know that brain changes typically begin years before people show symptoms, which suggests a window of opportunity to prevent or delay the onset of these …[more]

Families Caring for an Aging America

Families Caring for an Aging America

Family caregiving affects millions of Americans every day, in all walks of life. At least 17.7 million individuals in the United States are caregivers of an older adult with a health or functional limitation. The nation’s family caregivers provide the lion’s share of long-term care for our older …[more]

Supporting the Health and Well-Being of Older Adults in a COVID-19 World

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the vulnerability of the elderly population, particularly those who require caregiving for a health or functional limitation. A network of family, friends, and professionals provide care, and changes that challenge the availability of these resources can cause significant impacts on the health and well-being of older adults. Our titles explore the challenges of aging and the ways that science can expand our knowledge and inform decision making. As always, these publications are all free to download.

Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults: Opportunities for the Health Care System

Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults: Opportunities for the Health Care System

Social isolation and loneliness are serious yet underappreciated public health risks that affect a significant portion of the older adult population. Approximately one-quarter of community-dwelling Americans aged 65 and older are considered to be socially isolated, and a significant proportion …[more]

Families Caring for an Aging America

Families Caring for an Aging America

Family caregiving affects millions of Americans every day, in all walks of life. At least 17.7 million individuals in the United States are caregivers of an older adult with a health or functional limitation. The nation’s family caregivers provide the lion’s share of long-term care for our …[more]

Cognitive Aging: Progress in Understanding and Opportunities for Action

Cognitive Aging: Progress in Understanding and Opportunities for Action

For most Americans, staying “mentally sharp” as they age is a very high priority. Declines in memory and decision-making abilities may trigger fears of Alzheimer’s disease or other neurodegenerative diseases. However, cognitive aging is a natural process that can have both positive and negative …[more]

Preventing Cognitive Decline and Dementia: A Way Forward

Preventing Cognitive Decline and Dementia: A Way Forward

Societies around the world are concerned about dementia and the other forms of cognitive impairment that affect many older adults. We now know that brain changes typically begin years before people show symptoms, which suggests a window of opportunity to prevent or delay the onset of these …[more]

Future Directions for the Demography of Aging: Proceedings of a Workshop

Future Directions for the Demography of Aging: Proceedings of a Workshop

Almost 25 years have passed since the Demography of Aging (1994) was published by the National Research Council. Future Directions for the Demography of Aging is, in many ways, the successor to that original volume. The Division of Behavioral and Social Research at the National …[more]

Aging and Disability: Beyond Stereotypes to Inclusion: Proceedings of a Workshop

Aging and Disability: Beyond Stereotypes to Inclusion: Proceedings of a Workshop

Many different groups of people are subject to stereotypes. Positive stereotypes (e.g., “older and wiser”) may provide a benefit to the relevant groups. However, negative stereotypes of aging and of disability continue to persist and, in some cases, remain socially acceptable. Research has …[more]

New Directions in the Sociology of Aging

New Directions in the Sociology of Aging

The aging of the population of the United States is occurring at a time of major economic and social changes. These economic changes include consideration of increases in the age of eligibility for Social Security and Medicare and possible changes in benefit levels. Furthermore, changes in the …[more]

Fostering Independence, Participation, and Healthy Aging Through Technology: Workshop Summary

Fostering Independence, Participation, and Healthy Aging Through Technology: Workshop Summary

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the National Research Council (NRC) have had prominent roles in discussions of aging, disability, and technology for decades. In 1978, Aging and Medical Education (IOM, 1978) raised national awareness of the challenges to physicians posed by the aging of the …[more]

Nutrition Across the Lifespan for Healthy Aging: Proceedings of a Workshop

Nutrition Across the Lifespan for Healthy Aging: Proceedings of a Workshop

In September 2016, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a workshop to examine trends and patterns in aging and factors related to healthy aging in the United States, with a focus on nutrition, and how nutrition can sustain and promote healthy aging, not just in …[more]

Nutrition and Healthy Aging in the Community: Workshop Summary

Nutrition and Healthy Aging in the Community: Workshop Summary

The U.S. population of older adults is predicted to grow rapidly as “baby boomers” (those born between 1946 and 1964) begin to reach 65 years of age. Simultaneously, advancements in medical care and improved awareness of healthy lifestyles have led to longer life expectancies. The Census Bureau …[more]

Dying in America: Improving Quality and Honoring Individual Preferences Near the End of Life

Dying in America: Improving Quality and Honoring Individual Preferences Near the End of Life

For patients and their loved ones, no care decisions are more profound than those made near the end of life. Unfortunately, the experience of dying in the United States is often characterized by fragmented care, inadequate treatment of distressing symptoms, frequent transitions among care …[more]

What You Need to Know About Cognitive Decline and Dementia

Societies around the world are concerned about dementia and the other forms of cognitive impairment that affect many older adults. It is now known that brain changes typically begin years before people show symptoms, which suggests a window of opportunity to prevent, slow, or delay the onset of these conditions. Our reports explore the state of knowledge on cognitive aging, and set a direction for future research.

Preventing Cognitive Decline and Dementia: A Way Forward

Societies around the world are concerned about dementia and the other forms of cognitive impairment that affect many older adults. We now know that brain changes typically begin years before people show symptoms, which suggests a window of opportunity to prevent or delay the onset of these …

[more]

Families Caring for an Aging America

Family caregiving affects millions of Americans every day, in all walks of life. At least 17.7 million individuals in the United States are caregivers of an older adult with a health or functional limitation. The nation’s family caregivers provide the lion’s share of long-term care for our …

[more]

Neurodegeneration: Exploring Commonalities Across Diseases: Workshop Summary

Neurodegeneration: Exploring Commonalities Across Diseases is the summary of a workshop hosted by the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM’s) Forum on Neuroscience and Nervous System Disorders in Spring 2012 to explore commonalities across neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, …

[more]

Financing and Payment Strategies to Support High-Quality Care for People with Serious Illness: Proceedings of a Workshop

Millions of people in the United States live with serious illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and dementia—often for many years. Those facing serious illness have a range of interconnected …

[more]

Future Directions for the Demography of Aging: Proceedings of a Workshop

Almost 25 years have passed since the Demography of Aging (1994) was published by the National Research Council. Future Directions for the Demography of Aging is, in many ways, the successor to that original volume. The Division of Behavioral and Social Research at the National …

[more]

Cognitive Aging: Progress in Understanding and Opportunities for Action

For most Americans, staying “mentally sharp” as they age is a very high priority. Declines in memory and decision-making abilities may trigger fears of Alzheimer’s disease or other neurodegenerative diseases. However, cognitive aging is a natural process that can have both positive and negative …

[more]

Assessing the Impact of Applications of Digital Health Records on Alzheimer’s Disease Research: Workshop Summary

Health information technology is providing patients, clinicians, and researchers with access to data that will enable novel approaches to science and medicine. Digital health records (DHRs) are capable of being shared across different health care settings for the examination of possible trends …

[more]

The Mental Health and Substance Use Workforce for Older Adults: In Whose Hands?

At least 5.6 million to 8 million–nearly one in five–older adults in America have one or more mental health and substance use conditions, which present unique challenges for their care. With the number of adults age 65 and older projected to soar from 40.3 million in 2010 to 72.1 million by …

[more]

Considerations for the Design of a Systematic Review of Interventions for Preventing Clinical Alzheimer’s-Type Dementia, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Age-Related Cognitive Decline: Letter Report

The National Institutes of Health – and many other organizations and individuals worldwide – are interested in the state of the science on preventing Alzheimer’s disease, mild cognitive impairment, and age-related cognitive decline. This letter report reviews the evidence on interventions to …

[more]