'Still Alice' prescribed to patients to help beat dementia

The novel which inspired Still Alice, the Hollywood film, is to be prescribed to patients and carers to help them deal with dementia.




The novel which inspired the award-winning Hollywood film Still Alice is to be prescribed to patients who have dementia, under a new scheme for libraries.

Still Alice, which described the descent of an academic into early onset Alzheimer’s, will be recommended to patients and carers to help them understand more about the disease.

The 2007 book, by Lisa Genova, rose to worldwide fame thanks in part to a film adaptation, which saw Julianne Moore win a SAG Award and Golden Globe for her portrayal of the turmoil of dementia.

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Five golden rules to stave off dementia: Easy lifestyle changes can slash risk

Experts say that while modern science has yet to uncover a way to cure the disease, there are five easy to follow top tips which will not only delay its onset but its severity.

A growing body of research has found that making just a few changes to how you live your life could have a dramatic long-term impact on dementia risk.

Alzheimer’s experts now agree that following the five steps – regular exercise, eating a healthy diet, keeping the mind active, watching your weight and getting regular health check-ups could transform the chances of developing the disease.

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Dementia guide edited by Worcestershire psychiatrists named as national authority

A GUIDE on caring for people with dementia edited by a pair of Worcestershire psychiatrists has been named as one of the country’s top resources on the condition.

ABC of Dementia, which was edited by consultant older adult psychiatrists at Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust Dr Felicity Richards and Dr Bernard Coope, was named as one of the 25 titles on the Reading Well Books on Prescription for Dementia scheme last week.

The guide, which also includes contributions from other members of the trust as well as the University of Worcester, provides guidance for health care workers caring for people with dementia along with advice for patients themselves as well as their friends and families.

Dr Coope said: “The aim of our ABC of Dementia book is to help them develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to support those with dementia and those close to them to live well.

“So much can be done to support families and to maintain the personhood of the individual in the face of limited therapeutic options.”

The book was named as one of those on the Reading Well Books on Prescription scheme on Monday, January 26. The project makes books available on prescription from libraries and has won acclaim from GPs and government ministers.

Dr Coope said it was “a great honour” to be included on the list.

“The Books on Prescription scheme has played an important role in helping to meet the huge need for mental health support, he said.

There are approximately 8,000 people in Worcestershire living with dementia, with this number growing by about three per cent every year.

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Scientists on target for a dementia cure 'within a decade'

SCIENTISTS are on target to develop a cure for dementia within the next 10 years, the Government’s dementia tsar has revealed.




Alistair Burns, NHS England’s national clinical director for the brain disease, says he is confident there will be a cure, or at least a drug that will significantly slow down its progression, by 2025.

In an exclusive interview with the Sunday Express, Professor Burns, 56, claimed advances in treatment will eventually catch up with those made in cancer care.

More people than ever before are being diagnosed with the illness, with an extra 10,000 every month being added to the dementia register.
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