NASHVILLE, Tenn.  — An art museum in Tennessee has partnered with the Alzheimer's Association to provide people living with dementia and their care partners to experience art together.

When health is only getting worse for the people we love most, caregiving can be an overwhelming job. There are places looking to give something to those caring families.

Something Judith Plummer loves to share is that she has a great mom.

"My mom's name is Jane Smith," she smiled. "She worked until age 70 as a child care center director here in Nashville where she did art and especially music. She's always been involved in the creative arts."

In fact, when Judith was a little girl, Jane took her everywhere. There were trips to the old Children's Museum, to the Hermitage, to the state capital.

"I was three years old and got to sit in the governor's chair!" Judith laughed.

"I noticed she was going downhill and having cognitive deficits," Judith continued, referring to her mother. "Then, in the last few years, it's been much more pronounced."

Jane has a form of dementia.

In just the way her great mom took Judith everywhere, Judith is now returning the favor.

The Frist Art Museum is partnered with the Alzheimer's Association to offer people living with dementia and their care partners free tours of an exhibit.

Anne Henderson of the Frist said this happens quarterly throughout the year in what's called the Making Memories program.

"It's about offering stimulation to people who have dementia of some form," she said. "The opportunity to come to the Frist is to have that exposure to go back to what memories people with dementia may have. Works of art can help create those connections. They might remember a sound. They might remember a story or connect with a story."

Included in this are art and music therapy. People make art while listening to music.

"Both the caregiver and the person doing the care can become so isolated, especially when dementia and Alzheimer's are involved," said Judith. "I make sure she gets art enrichment, and music therapy."

To see her mom making art again, to be around others making art, means a lot to Judith.

"She always had these interests all her life, and now they're being presented to her in a way someone with dementia can absorb and appreciate," said Judith.

She said a day like this is another 'thank you' to someone she'll forever know as a great mom.

For more on the Making Memories program, visit here.

Forrest Sanders at WTVF first reported this story.

Brad Stolz cherishes every moment he has with his 92-year-old grandmother, Marion. She’s been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

“Bradley, I love him," Marion said. "The best grandson ever. Well, they're all good.”

Alzheimer's is a type of dementia that affects memory, thinking and behavior. Stolz says he tries to visit his grandmother whenever he gets the chance.

“Dementia gets a lot worse when they don't interact with people," Stolz said. "I saw that with another grandparent of mine where he was very isolated just because of the circumstances and kind of where he ended up being later in life. And he declined very quickly.”

Social isolation among older people was already a problem before the pandemic. COVID-19 has only made the situation worse.

Farhana Ferdous, who is an assistant professor at Howard University, recently released a report that analyzes the impact of COVID-19-related social distancing requirements on older adults living in long-term care facilities.

“There has been a growing body of research about the social isolation and how it is associated with anxiety, depression and faster cognitive decline,” Ferdous said.

She calls social isolation a public health threat that increases a person’s risk for dementia by 40%. Jim Herlihy with the Alzheimer’s Association of Colorado says a person's quality of life is significantly better when those with dementia have social interaction.

“The people who have been isolated, we've heard from their loved ones who said, ‘I've seen my mom or my dad decline faster than I've ever seen them,'" Herlihy said. "And it becomes a spiral.”

That’s one reason why Memories in the Making was created. Herlihy says Memories in the Making is designed to help people with dementia recreate memories through watercolor painting.

“Drawing and art taps into parts of the brain that are still more active than maybe the verbal centers and gives people a chance to tap into memories and express themselves and give them a way to communicate,” Herlihy said.

Kelly Nixon has led the class as an administrator at her facility for six years.

“Once they start that process of painting something, you can generally pull a memory from what they're painting,” Nixon said.

Although the classes were put on hold in the thick of the pandemic, Nixon says she continued with one-on-one sessions.

“But a one-on-one isn't the same as them being together," Nixon said. "Being with each other is really what it's all about to get those memories and to share those memories with everybody.”

Nixon says she loves seeing friendships build through the class.

“You can really see the anxiety lift off of people by being around people that are of that same mindset,” Nixon said.

"The social aspect, I think, definitely helps to keep her sharp and keep her engaged on a day-to-day basis,” Stolz said.

Because of his past experience with his grandfather, Stolz says his family didn’t let the pandemic keep them from visiting Marion. He says he’s happy to see his grandmother is in good hands.

“I was thrilled when I got here to see that she, not only is she, you know, being a part of it, but she's actually enjoying herself and, you know, enjoying the conversation and sort of putting some of her thoughts and ideas on paper,” Stolz said.

 

BONDURANT, Iowa —

Iowa authorities call the death of a woman at an assisted living facility "suspicious."

Around 6:30 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 21, Polk County deputies responded to a call for medical assistance.

A woman staying at the Courtyard Estates at Hawthorne Crossing, an assisted living facility for people with dementia, was found outside.

The low temperature that morning was -9 degrees.

"Everything there on scene will be taken into consideration, including the bitter cold temperatures," Lt. Ryan Evans said.

Evans said when deputies arrived, the woman was conscious and being treated inside the facility, but she later died at the hospital.

The official cause of death has not been released.

The Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals tells sister station KCCI that assisted living programs for people with dementia are required to have an operating alarm system on each exit door.

According to reports from the Iowa DIA, Courtyard Estates was fined $1,500 in summer 2020 for not having a policy or procedure for their alarm system.

The 2020 report showed somebody on staff noticed a resident was missing. The man was returned by police and he showed the nurse how he exited the door and climbed over a secure fence.

The facility was later found to be compliant in a 2021 report.

Evans says the Polk County Sherriff's Office is working quickly to find answers.

"To have this exact situation is not common at all," Evans said. "Our investigators are really getting involved in it. This isn't going to be a prolonged event I would say. They really want to find out why this happened. If there's any criminal aspect to it at all, the charges could go, I suppose, to neglect of a dependent person if they were in fact dependent."

Evans said the Courtyard Estates is cooperating with their investigation.

They failed to respond to KCCI's request for a statement.

The name of the woman who died has not been released.

The cup of coffee or tea you reach for in the morning — OK, maybe it's a few — may be associated with a lower risk for stroke and dementia, according to a new study.

Among more than 360,000 participants studied over a period of 10 to 14 years, those who drank two to three cups of coffee, three to five cups of tea or a combination of four to six cups of coffee or tea a day had the lowest risk of stroke and dementia, according to researchers from Tianjin Medical University in Tianjin, China.

"Our findings suggested that moderate consumption of coffee and tea separately or in combination were associated with lower risk of stroke and dementia," the authors of the study said in a release.

Around the world, 10% of deaths are caused by stroke, according to a 2017 study published in The Lancet. Dementia refers to a general decline in brain function, but it can set in after a stroke.

Drinking coffee or tea alone also was associated with lower risk for both conditions, but people who had two to three cups of coffee and two to three cups of tea daily — four to six cups total — faired the best, with a 28% lower risk of dementia and 32% lower risk of stroke than those who didn't drink either, according to the study.

The participants' information came from the UK Biobank, a database of anonymous health information from around half a million volunteers in the United Kingdom gathered between 2006 and 2020. The study looked at health participants between ages 50 and 74 who self-reported their consumption of coffee and tea.

Over the course of the study period, 5,079 participants developed dementia and 10,053 experienced at least one stroke, according to the study, which was published in PLOS Medicine.

There have been many studies suggesting health benefits may be associated with drinking coffee and tea, but it is important to note that the researchers could only say the two were linked — not that the beverages necessarily offered protection.

There are limitations to the accuracy of the data because the participants reported their own tea and coffee drinking, and their estimates could be influenced by their own bias, Dr. Lee H. Schwamm, chair of the American Stroke Association Advisory Committee and chair in Vascular Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital, said via email.

"We cannot impute causality, and say 'drinking more coffee or tea is good for your brain.' What we can only say is that in this study, people who reported moderate coffee/tea drinking were less likely to have a stroke or dementia occur in the 10 years of follow-up," Schwamm said.

Is it time to start drinking coffee?

Past research has suggested that coffee may be beneficial to brain health.

Another 2021 study that utilized the UK Biobank showed that for people with no diagnosis of heart disease, regular coffee consumption of 0.5 to three cups of coffee a day was associated with a decreased risk of death from heart disease, stroke and early death from any cause when compared to non-coffee drinkers.

Several studies have also shown that three cups of coffee a day can decrease the risk for Alzheimer's Disease.

Caffeinated coffee can help the brain in several ways by increasing production of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor, according to the UK Alzheimer's Society. Called G-CSF, it helps protect and repair neural brain cells.

Neither decaffeinated coffee nor caffeine alone was shown to help in this way, "suggesting that there could be a combination effect between caffeine and an unknown compound in coffee," the society said.

More is not always better when it comes to coffee. People drinking more than 6 cups a day were at an increased risk of dementia and smaller total brain volumes, according to a study published in June in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience.

The results of the most recent study may point to some benefits of drinking coffee and tea, but that doesn't necessarily mean that everyone should start to brew more cups across the day.

"A word of caution, one man's cappuccino is another man's expresso," Schwamm said. "Not all coffee beverages have the same amount of caffeine, and people estimate a cup's worth of coffee or tea differently, so we should keep in mind that most things are best consumed in moderation."

If you avoided caffeinated beverages in the past, there may have been a good reason, and there isn't evidence yet that there is a benefit to starting a coffee or tea habit, he added. For most things, moderation is the best approach, Schwamm said.

"Enjoy your morning cup of coffee, and don't swear off additional cups if you enjoy them," he concluded.

A new study found that those with dementia were more at risk of contracting COVID-19.

The study, which researchers at Case Western Reserve University conducted, reviewed electronic health records of 61.9 million adults in the U.S. and found the risk of contracting COVID-19 is twice as high for people with dementia than for those without it.

The study was published Tuesday in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.

“On behalf of the millions of people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementia that we represent, these preliminary findings suggest a frightening reality of the vulnerabilities associated with dementia,” said Maria Carrillo, Ph.D., Alzheimer’s Association chief science officer in a news release. “It is critical we develop and implement strategies that strike a balance between keeping people, especially long-term care residents, safe from COVID-19 but also protecting them from health-related harms associated with social isolation.”

The study also found that those with dementia, including Blacks, had three times the risk of being infected with the coronavirus than Caucasians.

The findings also suggested that the mortality risk for patients with COVID-19 was 5.64%, while the mortality rate for those with dementia jumped to 20.99%.

The hospitalization risk for those without the cognitive disease that had COVID-19 was 25.17%, but those who had COVID and dementia doubled to 59.25%.

COLUMBUS, Ohio —

Jack Hanna has been diagnosed with dementia, according to a letter shared by his family on Wednesday.

Hanna, 73, will withdraw from public life as his condition has “deteriorated quickly,” that letter reads. Doctors believe Hanna may have Alzheimer’s disease.

“His condition has progressed much faster in the last few months than any of us could have anticipated. Sadly, Dad is no longer able to participate in public life as he used to, where people all over the world watched, learned and laughed alongside him,” a statement from his family reads in part.

“While Dad’s health has deteriorated quickly, we can assure you that his great sense of humor continues to shine through. And yes - he still wears his khakis at home.”

The beloved animal advocate retired from his duties at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium at the end of last year, but retained the title director emeritus.

“Jungle” Jack Hanna is largely responsive for elevating the zoo's reputation, appearing on several prominent television shows — including David Letterman — over the years. Hanna first arrived in Ohio in 1965 to attend Muskingum University— always the animal lover, he even brought his pet donkey with him to live in the fraternity house. While at Muskingum, Hanna met his wife, Suzi, and they married in 1968.

Just 10 years later, Hanna was asked to serve as director of a little-known zoo in Columbus, Ohio.

The Hannas say they never anticipated the adventures ahead but, together, they were perfectly positioned to lead the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and the entire zoological world into the 21st century.

Hanna served as the Columbus Zoo’s director from 1978 to 1992 before becoming director emeritus.

He has authored 15 books, hosted several televisions series, has been the media’s go-to wildlife correspondent and permeated pop culture while sharing amazing animals with audiences nationwide.

"Our mom – Suzi – has been by his side for 53 years in every corner of the world. She continues to be his rock (and ours, too). We have great respect and admiration for Mom as we move through not only this difficult time with Dad, but also Julie’s continued life-long challenges from her childhood leukemia, as she is currently recovering from major surgery," family members said.

The Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved the use of the experimental drug aducanumab for early phases of Alzheimer's disease — despite an FDA advisory committee concluding last year that there is not enough evidence to support the effectiveness of the treatment.

The drug was developed for patients with mild cognitive impairment, not severe dementia, and intended to slow progression of Alzheimer's disease — not just ease symptoms.

The FDA has not approved a new Alzheimer's drug in nearly 20 years.

'We have to really temper expectations'

In November, the FDA's Peripheral and Central Nervous System Drugs Advisory Committee was asked to vote on several questions about evidence of the drug's effectiveness. In response to a question about whether it was reasonable to consider data from one positive study as the primary evidence of aducanumab's effectiveness for the treatment of early Alzheimer's disease, none of the committee members voted yes — 10 voted no and one was uncertain.

The committee's opinions were then left with the FDA as the agency mulled whether to approve the drug or pump the brakes.

The pharmaceutical company Biogen and its Japanese partner Eisai developed aducanumab, administered through intravenous infusion to treat early Alzheimer's disease. The drug was developed for patients with mild cognitive impairment, not severe dementia.

"This drug targets the earliest symptomatic phase of the disease, called mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's. Treatment of this pre-dementia period is what the FDA is deciding on," Dr. Richard Isaacson, director of the Alzheimer's Prevention Clinic at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian in New York, who had patients in the original aducanumab clinical studies, told CNN.

"We have to really temper expectations and explain to people that this drug is meant for the earliest symptomatic phases," he added. "It pains me to say this but if I have a severe Alzheimer's patient that can no longer speak or interact much with others and their family member is begging me to give them this drug, I won't be able to do it."

Controversy and high price tag

Aducanumab's road to seeking FDA approval has been rocky — and controversial.

In March 2019, Phase 3 clinical trials of aducanumab were discontinued because a futility analysis found the trials were unlikely to meet their primary goals at completion.

"The futility analyses showed the studies were most likely to fail," said Isaacson of the Alzheimer's Prevention Clinic at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian.

Several months later, Biogen announced that a new analysis, which included more patients, showed that those who received high doses aducanumab experienced a reduction in clinical decline in one trial.

The company noted in FDA briefing documents last year that patients treated with high-dose aducanumab showed 22% less clinical decline in their cognitive health at about 18 months — meaning the progression of their early Alzheimer's disease slowed — compared with those who received a placebo.

Results for some patients in another study supported those findings, as well.

"Now the messaging was like, 'Wait a minute. It worked, and it especially works if you pull all the high dosages from the two studies,'" Isaacson said. "Because it would take years to repeat a study, and considering the lack of available therapies to treat the pre-dementia phase, the company made an uncharacteristic decision — to still apply to the FDA."

In July 2020, Biogen completed its submission to the FDA for a Biologics License Application for approval of the drug.

Since then, Alzheimer's disease researchers, doctors and patients have been waiting for the FDA's decision.

Some groups, including the nonprofit Public Citizen's Health Research Group, argued that the FDA should not approve aducanumab for treatment of Alzheimer's disease due to lack of evidence of its effectiveness.

In April, the nonprofit wrote a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra asking the department's Office of Inspector General to investigate the "close collaboration" between FDA and Biogen regarding the company's application for approval of aducanumab.

There have also been concerns around cost.

In May, the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review released a draft report estimating that the drug should cost between $2,560 to $8,290 per year — not up to $50,000 based on market analyst estimates — and noted that "the evidence is insufficient to conclude that the clinical benefits of aducanumab outweigh its harms or, indeed, that it reduces progression" of Alzheimer's disease.

Other organizations, such as the Alzheimer's Association, have supported approval of the drug.

On Friday, the Alzheimer's Association's website said, "Whatever the final decision by the FDA, this is an important moment. We have never before been this close to approval of a medication for Alzheimer's that could change the progression of the disease, not just the symptoms. Together, we can continue working toward our vision of a world without Alzheimer's and all other dementia."

There has been so much attention around the drug that Washington University's Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center in St. Louis issued a statement on Friday noting that if the drug is approved, "it will still likely take several months for the medication to pass other regulatory steps and become available to patients."

'The infusion gives us the basis for hope'

For those with mild cognitive impairment and their families, the drug had given hope.

Jenny Knap, 69, has received infusions of the aducanumab drug for about a year now as part of clinical trials in two six-month stretches. She told CNN that she underwent treatment for about six months before the study was put on hold in 2019, and then continued treatment about six months ago.

"I can't say if I noticed it on a daily basis, but I do think overall, I'm doing much better in terms of looking for where my glasses are — things like that," Knap said.

In 2015, when Knap was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment, a clinical precursor of Alzheimer's disease, the signs of the condition were subtle, but they were there.

She often would misplace her glasses or she would repeat herself, forgetting conversations from moments ago, her husband, Joe Knap, said.

As these occurrences became more frequent, "we were aware that things were starting to slip through the cracks," Joe said.

Jenny visited the Cleveland Clinic's Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Ohio for testing and received her diagnosis. Then a couple of years later, in early 2017, Jenny learned that she was eligible to participate in clinical trials for the Biogen drug aducanumab at the Cleveland Clinic. She signed up to volunteer — and has been in the trial ever since.

"It turned out that for the first year and a half Jenny was in the placebo category," Joe said, which means she did not receive the treatment.

The trial was blind so they did not know she was in the placebo group until recently. As the study went on, Joe said that she was later given the drug around August 2018 and continued until February 2019. Biogen suspended the trial in March 2019, but it then resumed last fall and Jenny began receiving infusions again.

Now, every four weeks, with Joe by her side, Jenny receives aducanumab infusions at the Cleveland Clinic, which is about a half-hour drive from their home. Even though she just recently started treatment, Jenny said that she thinks it has been helping some, along with maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly — she goes on 4-mile runs.

"Aducanumab's promise is to slow down the progression of the disease and not to improve the cognition. In her case, we did not appreciate any major decline," Dr. Babak Tousi, Jenny's doctor who led aducanumab clinical trials at the Cleveland Clinic site, wrote in an email to CNN.

"This treatment is very different than what we have had before. We have never had a medication that would slow down Alzheimer's disease progression," he said. "Current available medication such as donepezil or memantine only help modestly with the symptoms but do not slow down the disease's progression."

Jenny said that she has not experienced any noticeable side effects of the drug.

"At one point, it was a while back, there was evidence of some very slight bleeding in the brain. It was actually very low levels," Joe said about Jenny, but he added that doctors were not concerned.

Tousi noted in his email that with continued treatment, "blood vessels may become leaky so fluid and red blood cells may leak out to surrounding area" and these "micro hemorrhages have been reported in 19.1% of participants of the trial who received" the maximum dose of treatment.

So far, the infusions and maintaining a healthy lifestyle have given Jenny and Joe a more "upbeat" outlook on the future, Joe said. They were also happy to participate in the trial — an effort to make a helpful difference in the lives of others.

"Before we got into the clinical trial, there was this fear of what lay ahead," Joe said. "The medical component of the infusion gives us the basis for hope. But then the exercise on a daily basis gives us immediate positives."