Debbie Moore thought she needed glasses. But a visit to the optometrist and subsequent tests indicated a more serious problem behind her impaired vision. Moore was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Six years later, Moore, an Oldsmar resident, is looking forward to both M.S. Awareness Week from March 2 to March 6 and the annual walkM.S. fundraisers in various central Florida locations on March 14 and March 28, in which walkers raise money for the National M.S. Society Mid Florida Chapter. ...more

February 25, 2009

Patient's financial future must be considered with Alzheimer's diagnosis. ...more

February 16, 2009

I believe anyone who cares for someone with severe memory impairment today or in the future can benefit greatly by reading this letter from a former caregiver: ...more

October 11, 2008

A caffeine regimen — the human equivalent of five cups of coffee daily — protected Alzheimer's mice from the memory impairment that they otherwise would have developed. And when caffeine was given to Alzheimer's mice that were already memory-impaired, their memory was restored to the level of normal mice. ...more

December 28, 2007

One of our greatest joys is volunteering as facilitators of a weekly caregiver support group. Every Thursday at 1 p.m., we meet with a number of Highlands County residents who care for loved ones with dementia. Since October 2000, Crown Pointe Assisted Living Facility has donated its activity room, coffee and cookies. At present, the majority of caregivers in our group are spousal caregivers - they take care of their husbands or wives. Most of them don't work outside the home and a daytime meeting works best for them. However, there's also a growing need in the county for an evening group. Many adult children with daytime jobs care for elderly parents. Some spousal caregivers may prefer to attend an evening meeting. ...more

September 21, 2007