The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today unveiled the first-ever “National Plan To Address Alzheimer’s Disease,” as mandated by the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA). The comprehensive plan calls for the prevention and effective treatment of Alzheimer’s disease by 2025 and lays out strategies related to awareness and education, clinical care standards, long-term care and supportive services for family caregivers, and up-to-date training of healthcare professionals.
In a statement issued immediately after the release of the national plan, Eric J. Hall, president and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA), commended the plan for providing “solid stepping stones toward substantial change. It offers the prospect of transforming the way our nation and the world view Alzheimer’s disease, altering the trajectory of this tragic disease, and changing lives forever. It substantiates the plight of millions of Americans and validates the concerns of generations to come. For the first time, we are making progress toward defeating this public health crisis.”
See Dr. Gary Small’s interview on the Today Show about keeping your brain healthy: preventing Alzheimer’s.
Holidays such as Thanksgiving are a time when family and friends come together to spend time together and to share memories. However, the holiday season is also a time that can raise questions about whether aging family members are experiencing signs of Alzheimer’s disease. It’s important to know what is normal aging and what isn’t. The Alzheimer’s association emphasizes the difference between normal aging and early signs of Alzheimer’s. 
Problem behavior is often a way the Alzheimer’s patient tries to communicate with others. As a caregiver for a loved one with dementia, it can be extremely worrying and upsetting to experience the behavior problems associated with mid-stage Alzheimer’s disease. Patients may exhibit a wide variety of behavioral problems that can threaten their own or other people’s safety, including wandering, aggressiveness, hallucinations, or sleeping and eating. 
