 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Your resource for specialty nutritional supplements, books, DVDs, resources for better living, health news & more! |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
| |
|
Search our extensive library for information, solutions & support
|
|
|
|
|
October 31, 2005
Eisai and Pfizer Join National Alliance for Caregiving and Creating Keepsakes
Scrapbook Magazine to Connect and Educate Families Facing Alzheimer's Disease
NEW YORK, Oct. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- A new education program will help
caregivers of people with Alzheimer's disease preserve treasured family
memories through the art of scrapbooking. The program, called Memories to
Treasure, was introduced today by Eisai Inc. and Pfizer Inc in partnership
with the National Alliance for Caregiving and Creating Keepsakes scrapbook
magazine. The campaign is designed to help caregivers connect with their loved
ones and to educate them about caregiving.
A majority of the 4.5 million Americans with Alzheimer's disease live at
home, where family and friends provide most of the daily care. Alzheimer's is
a progressive disease, characterized by a decline in memory and cognition,
function and behavior. As the disease advances symptoms worsen, increasing the
amount of time and emotional energy caregivers and families spend taking care
of their loved one.
"Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's disease can be emotionally and
physically challenging," said Gail Hunt, president and CEO, National Alliance
for Caregiving. "In addition to needing knowledge about how to address the
medical aspects of the disease, caregivers need activities that help foster
positive interactions with their loved one."
The Memories to Treasure program offers scrapbooking to engage families in
a positive environment. The program includes a Web site,
http://www.memoriestotreasure.com, educational materials for Alzheimer's
caregivers and a free scrapbooking starter kit.
The activities involved in scrapbooking, such as collecting old
photographs and keepsakes, can benefit people with Alzheimer's disease. While
people with Alzheimer's disease often have problems with short-term memory,
they may be able to recall past experiences. Scrapbooking can lead to a
conversation about people and events. Reminiscing about the past can be
enjoyable for people with Alzheimer's disease and can help facilitate
interaction between Alzheimer's sufferers and their caregivers.
"Making time for enjoyable activities like scrapbooking is one way for
caregivers to stay positive and connect with their loved one," said Daniel
Kuhn, MSW, author of Alzheimer's Early Stages: First Steps for Family, Friends
and Caregivers.
While scrapbooking can benefit families facing Alzheimer's, finding a
treatment to help slow the progression of the symptoms of the disease is
another important aspect of caregiving.
"It's important for families to understand that while there is no cure for
Alzheimer's, we do have effective prescription treatments available," said
Benjamin Seltzer, M.D., director of the Alzheimer's Disease & Memory Disorders
Center, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans. "For example,
Aricept has been shown to improve cognitive function and behavior in people
with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease."
Caregivers and family members who want to learn more about Memories to
Treasure can visit http://www.memoriestotreasure.com. They will find tips on
caregiving, information about Alzheimer's disease and a prescription
treatment, a Memory Checklist to help guide discussion with a physician, and
instruction on how to create a scrapbook to preserve treasured family
memories. The free Memories to Treasure scrapbooking kit and educational
materials can be ordered online.
Information About ARICEPT(R) (donepezil HCl tablets) Treatment in
Alzheimer's disease
While there is no cure for Alzheimer's disease, medical treatments are
available to manage symptoms of the disease. Once-a-day prescription ARICEPT is indicated for mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease.
ARICEPT is an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor and is believed to work by
inhibiting the breakdown of acetylcholine, thereby increasing available levels
of this chemical in the brain. There is an established association between the
loss of acetylcholine, a brain chemical involved in memory and thinking, and
Alzheimer's disease.
In a progressively degenerative disease such as Alzheimer's, improvement,
stabilization, or a less-than-expected decline over time is considered a
positive response to treatment. These types of responses have been observed in
patients treated with ARICEPT in clinical trials for Alzheimer's disease.
Individual responses to treatment vary, and some patients may not respond.
ARICEPT is the number one prescribed Alzheimer's disease therapy
worldwide, with more than 2.5 billion patient days of ARICEPT therapy. Nearly
2.3 million people in the United States alone have taken ARICEPT.
ARICEPT is well tolerated but may not be for everyone. Some people may
have nausea, diarrhea, not sleep well or vomit. Some people may have muscle
cramps, feel very tired, or may not want to eat. In studies, these side
effects were usually mild and went away over time. People at risk for stomach
ulcers or who take certain other medicines should tell their doctors because
serious stomach problems, such as bleeding, may get worse. Some people who
take ARICEPT may experience fainting.
ARICEPT is co-promoted in the United States by Eisai Inc. and Pfizer Inc,
which are dedicated to advances in Alzheimer's therapy. For more information
about managing Alzheimer's disease and about ARICEPT, and for prescribing
information on ARICEPT, please see accompanying full prescribing information
or visit http://www.aricept.com.
About National Alliance for Caregiving
The National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) is a non-profit coalition
created in 1996 to support family caregivers and the professionals who serve
them. Recognizing that family caregivers provide important societal and
financial contributions toward maintaining the well being of older Americans,
NAC was created to conduct research, develop national projects, and increase
public awareness of the issues of family caregiving. For more information,
visit http://www.caregiving.org.
About Creating Keepsakes
Creating Keepsakes magazine is America's leading scrapbook magazine,
providing a wide variety of scrapbook page ideas and styles for intermediate
to advanced scrapbookers who are passionate about their hobby. The magazine is
published 13 times a year, has a readership of approximately half a million
and is available at scrapbook specialty stores, Barnes & Noble, Wal-Mart,
Michael's and Hobby Lobby stores, as well as craft retailers nationwide. For
more information about Creating Keepsakes, visit
http://www.creatingkeepsakes.com or call 888-247-5282.
About Eisai Inc.
Eisai Inc. is a U.S. pharmaceutical subsidiary of Eisai Co., Ltd., a
research-based human health care (hhc) company that discovers, develops and
markets products in more than 30 countries. Eisai focuses its efforts in
three therapeutic areas: neurology, gastrointestinal disorders and
oncology/critical care. Established in 1995, Eisai Inc. began marketing its
first product in the United States in 1997 and has rapidly grown to become an
integrated pharmaceutical business with sales of $2 billion in fiscal year
2004 (year ended March 31, 2005).
Eisai Inc. employs approximately 1,200 people at its headquarters in
Teaneck, NJ, at its state-of-the-art pharmaceutical production and formulation
research and development facility in Research Triangle Park, NC, and in the
field. Between 1998 and 2004, Eisai Inc. moved up rapidly in the rankings
(based on revenues) of U.S. pharmaceutical companies from No. 44 to No. 19.
About Pfizer Inc
Pfizer Inc discovers, develops, manufactures and markets leading
prescription medicines for humans and animals and many of the world's
best-known consumer brands.
SOURCE Eisai Inc.; Pfizer Inc
Web Site: http://www.memoriestotreasure.com
http://www.aricept.com http://www.caregiving.org
http://www.creatingkeepsakes.com
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
 |
Clearing the Fog: Coping with the Cognitive Dysfunction of Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome [more]
Chocolate's Potential Health Benefits – and its Effect on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients [more]
What Is Wrong with Artificial Sweeteners? [more]
Flu Shot Pros & Cons [more]
USDA Food Guide Pyramid [more]
|
|
|
|
|
|
