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) Son jailed after ward gun suicide
His 63-year-old wife Christine was in a care home with Alzheimer's disease at the time.He drew a curtain around his bed on the six-bay Benham Ward and shot himself through the right temple.
He was discovered, still breathing, by a ward sister but medical staff did not try to resuscitate him as he had asked for this not to be carried out.
Mr Button left a suicide note addressed to police, in which he claimed that he had taken the gun to the hospital.
The judge questioned the decision by prosecutors not to pursue a charge of assisting a suicide against Button which carries a maximum prison term of 14 years.
He said: "Isn't there abundant evidence that the defendant took the gun in to the hospital so his father could kill himself?"
Graham Reeds QC, prosecuting, replied: "With the available evidence there was insufficient evidence to make a conviction probable."
Sensitive music teacher
Judge Wide said he did find that there were "exceptional circumstances" in the case which allowed him to pass a sentence of less than five years. More>>
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) Art program helps people with Alzheimer's tell their stories
Vivian is one of several artist-residents at Oak Hollow Alzheimer Special Care Center in Bedford taking part in Memories in the Making, a nationwide art program for people with Alzheimer's disease and related forms of dementia. The program was recently introduced by the North Central Texas Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association and is being conducted in six care facilities across Tarrant County.“You're more in the mood to talk and dance it looks like," said Lisa Buck, local coordinator of the program. “That's pretty what you've started. What is it?"
Vivian looked at her half-finished purple drawing. “It looks like a waterfall - or a hula dress," she said, laughing. “I can't paint. I'm afraid my painting days are over," she said. She then picked up her brush and started a new watercolor of a big, red rose. More>>
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) Study Links Dementia to Sleep Duration: Alzheimer's Society Fired Up
The Alzheimer's Society has taken issue with a recent study appearing in the European Journal of Neurology that investigated the correlation between sleep patterns and the development of dementia over a 3-year period, according to the Alzheimer’s Society.The study found that older people who reported sleeping for more than 9 hours in each 24-hour period and feeling sleepy during the day were more likely to develop dementia, information from the Alzheimer's Society stated. Although longer than normal sleep patterns resulted in an increased association with dementia, there was no direct link found between sleeping less than normal (6 hours or less in 24 hours) and developing dementia.
The Alzheimer's Society, a membership organization working to improve the quality of life of people affected by dementia in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, issued the following comment in response to the study’s findings. More>>
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) See-for-yourself exhibit lays bare dementia's toll
Payne, who had worked with Alzheimer's patients and now runs a licensed children's day-care center in her El Cajon house, got doctors to test her father. The diagnosis was early onset dementia, a largely incurable condition that progressively robs people of their mental faculties.Payne brought her father to live with her.
Soto is 56 now. It's hard for the casual observer to detect his dementia, harder still for him to describe it. That makes it difficult for others to understand the struggles he is facing or will encounter in the future.
One effort to provide such insight will occur Saturday.
The Virtual Dementia Tour is a novel approach that allows caregivers to experience a few frightening, frustrating minutes of what it's like to have dementia. More>>
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) Pet dog 'brings relief to Alzheimer's suffers'
The winner of Birmingham's Best of Breed show has been noted for bringing relief to those suffering from Alzheimer's in a nursing home.Owner Mick Oxley told the Star three-year-old Roxy's visits were "therapeutic" for his mother and other victims of the disease at Blenheim Court care home in Sheffield."Their eyes light up when [Roxy and other dogs] come in, and they bring huge smiles to their faces," he explained. Mr Oxley went on to say that when residents had to give up their own pets upon entering the home "it was like having their right arms cut off".The news source reported that after the Birmingham win, the Manchester Terrier - a rare breed - was set to try her luck at Crufts 2010. Crufts, presented by the Kennel Club, is said by the organisation to be the world's largest show with over 28,000 competing in Best in Show events. More>>