You Can Shut Down the Government, But You Can't Shut Down Alzheimer's

Editor's note: this blog post originally appeared on Huffington Post 50 Here is something that doesn't stop when the government closes down: Alzheimer's. When Louise was 3, her mother, Zoe, who was 29 at the time, was diagnosed with dementia. She is now 42, living in a home care facility unable to walk or talk. Then there is Charlie Collier, who for 25 years traveled the country seeking donations for Harvard University. Charlie gained a national reputation in the field of family philanthropy. Now, he is speaking out -- as much as he is able -- on a topic even

'Surviving Grace': A Story Of Hope And Possibilities

Editor's note: This piece originally appeared on Huffington Post 50. As a determined woman, activist, mother and writer, I've learned to stay humble (kids help you be that), work hard and to never take "no" for an answer. It's been 26 years since my mom was first diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. This was the first time in my life that I had to accept "no, there is no cure" as the only answer available. At that time, I barely knew what the disease was. What I did know is there was no cure. My mother, this elegant lioness, was reduced

How Blue Button Can Help Caregivers and Beat Alzheimer's

Editor's note: This blog post originally appeared on The Huffington Post It's one of this century's most glaring paradoxes. You can do almost anything on your smart phone -- buy a book, find a taxi, manage your investment portfolio, watch a Yankees game while in Mogadishu -- but you can't get to your health records. The Internet, great disruptive force that it is, can't penetrate the wall between you and your own health information siloed away in your doctors' files. Remember the days, decades ago, when email systems in different companies couldn't speak to each other? It seems like ancient

Alzheimer’s Is the New HIV

Editor's note: this piece orginally appeared on David's personal blog It is not every day that I walk out of a medical school lecture truly inspired. The topic was on HIV and how far we have come in the treatment and management of the disease. We’ve all heard how “HIV is no longer a death sentence,” but actually going through the details on how much success we’ve had in treating HIV is amazing. I remember learning about HIV in school when I was in 5th grade. I recall seeing pictures of the progression of someone who had HIV and didn’t

G8: Leading a Global Response to Alzheimer's

Editor's Note: This blog post originally appeared on Huffington Post Breaking news: Political leader delivers on promise. To wit: The British government has just announced that it will host a G8 Summit in December dedicated to Alzheimer's and Dementia. The announcement of the London event delivers on Prime Minister David Cameron's pledge to use the UK's Presidency of the G8 to launch a global initiative to address Alzheimer's disease. Mr. Cameron's leadership is a notable victory not only for those who suffer from Alzheimer's, but for families, communities and society at large. The prevalence of Alzheimer's is exploding around the