Patty's Place
A place to talk about grief, dementia and caregiving. A place to find comfort when you are going through a difficult time.
A place to know you are not alone as you go through this difficult time.
Patty's Place
Beyond Memory: Understanding Dementia's True Impact-Guests Dr. Travis Stroub from Rush University Medical Center & Dr. Timothy Weldon from University of St Francis
I would love to hear from you. Send me questions or comments.
The staggering truth hits like a punch to the gut: 7.2 million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer's, and that number could nearly double to 13.8 million by 2060. As the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, dementia's impact reaches far beyond those diagnosed – it transforms families and tests the limits of our healthcare system.
Our guests, Dr. Tim Walden from the University of St. Francis and Dr. Travis Staub from Rush University Medical Center, bring clarity to this complex topic by explaining that dementia isn't just one condition but an umbrella covering various disorders affecting cognition. While Alzheimer's may be the most recognized, vascular dementia, Lewy body disease, and frontotemporal dementia each present unique challenges requiring different approaches.
The financial burden is almost incomprehensible – nearly 12 million family members provide 19 billion hours of unpaid care annually, valued at over $413 billion. Monthly care costs range from $4,000 to over $8,000, creating immense strain on families already struggling with the emotional devastation of watching someone they love slowly slip away.
Yet amidst these sobering statistics, our experts offer powerful hope through prevention strategies backed by research. Exercise emerges as perhaps the most effective intervention, with a clear relationship between fitness levels and reduced dementia risk. The MIND Diet developed at Rush University Medical Center provides a nutritional roadmap specifically designed for brain health. Social connections, continued learning, and regular medical check-ups all contribute to building what researchers call "cognitive reserve" – the brain's resilience against decline.
For those already on the caregiving journey, our guests offer this profound wisdom: though the person may seem gone, they're still there. The challenge lies in continuing to see and honor the individual beyond the disease. Whether you're concerned about your own brain health, supporting a loved one, or simply want to understand this growing health crisis, this episode provides essential insights that could change how you think about aging and memory.
Okay, all right. All right, so well, welcome to Patty's Place, the place where we talk about grief, dementia and caregiving. Today we have two special guests Dr Tim Walden, who's a professor here at University of St Francis, and we also have Dr Travis Staub. Did I say that right?
Speaker 1:Yes, that's right, travis Staub, did I say that right? Yes, that's right, and you work with Rush University Medical Center. So today we're going to talk a lot about dementia and the research that's going on. Dr Walden, you wanted to start with talking about dementia, and it's one of the top 10 leading causes of death as well.
Speaker 3:Yes, thank you, lisa. It's great to be here, hi, travis.
Speaker 2:Hi, great to be here.
Speaker 3:Yeah, thank Hi. Unfortunately, 7.2 million Americans live with Alzheimer's disease dementia in the USA. Now that number could grow to 13.8 million by 2060. And Lisa was exactly right it's the seventh leading cause of death. In 2022, over 120,000 Americans died from Alzheimer's. Now the affliction is so named after it was so named in 1906 after the German pathologist Aloy Alzheimer's.
Speaker 3:Now, alzheimer's dementia is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting memory, mood, language, mood, language, situational tension and more. And I want to get to some other factors dealing with Alzheimer's to show the influence of the scourge. Nearly 12 million family members and other unpaid caregivers provide over 19 billion hours of Alzheimer's just in 2024. Unpaid care for Alzheimer's was valued at over $413 billion that same year. This is really important. Mt Connolly, the author of the Measure of Our Age, writes that caring for another is a profound act, and that statement there says it all. We can continue. Just one more note on this, or just a few more. In 2025, the total payments for health care for Alzheimer's and this includes hospice and long-term care was $384 billion. As a philosopher, I'm concerned with this, because I'm concerned with and focused on thinking. I come from a tradition that says, for example, know thyself, and I think, therefore I am, and whenever thinking is impaired and something like memory is affected, it's really important. So I think it's something that we have to understand better and commit to more.
Speaker 1:Definitely, we definitely need to do that. So, dr Travis, can you tell us a little bit about the Rush University, the Alzheimer's Disease Center and the research you're working on?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so the Rush Alzheimer's disease center, located here in the fine city of chicago, has been in business for quite some time now and we do many different studies throughout the chicagoland area. I was a I was a graduate student when I started working with the center here. I'm no longer working with them now, but I did a lot of work in neuroimaging and Alzheimer's disease. So one of the things that I wanted to talk about was dementia, kind of like the umbrella.
Speaker 2:Dementia is considered to be like the umbrella of many different types of cognitive difficulties, and one of those cognitive difficulties is classified as Alzheimer's disease and there's many others that can be kind of overlapping with Alzheimer's disease, something like vascular dementia, having tiny little strokes in different areas of the brain, dementia with Lewy bodies having different type of pathology from Alzheimer's disease, and sometimes a different type of dementia cognitive decline. There's also something called frontal temporal dementia, which affects the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, which causes sometimes different types of cognitive decline than Alzheimer's disease. So I kind of wanted to go over that for our listeners here and kind of talk about the different types of this. So it's not just Alzheimer's disease that we're dealing with here. There's other dimensions, but Alzheimer's disease tends to be the largest of them all and what the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center deals with and researches the most.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I think that people do get confused. They hear Alzheimer's and they think it's just one, but there's so many different ones. The Lewy body disease I know that was part of what Robin Williams had too, I believe, with the Parkinson's.
Speaker 2:Right, yes.
Speaker 1:And sometimes some of those symptoms can be a couple different things, because when it comes to the brain, then we have motor skills different. I think that people don't always realize when they think they think, oh, you're just losing your memory, but really it's the whole brain that these, the dementia, affects.
Speaker 2:That's right, yeah, and there's different. You know these areas are tightly related and closely, you know, close to each other. So sometimes you have some overlap. And for instance, there was a study done, a couple, a few studies done, that looked at the pathology of Alzheimer's disease and they noticed that it wasn't just Alzheimer's pathology in a lot of these brains there was sometimes Lewy body disease and Alzheimer's disease and some vascular dementia too. So as we age a lot of these things can combine and we can have multiple different types of dementia in one, you know, in one brain and it can be pretty common.
Speaker 2:And there's also other factors, like when we think about maybe you know someone, a family member or something is having memory issues, it might be important to see a neurologist because it could be other diseases that can be easily cured. Things like epilepsy can cause very, you know, acute memory loss, but then you'll get that back after you have your seizures over. So things like that, like depression increases, you know certain hormones in the body that can cause memory problems, but if you treat the depression, sometimes the memory gets better. So these are things that it's really important that if you do start to have some memory problems, that you see a neurologist, because a lot of things, some of these things, can be preventable that you see a neurologist, because a lot of things, some of these things, can be preventable.
Speaker 1:Yes, that's very true. A lot of people they don't realize how it's all connected with everything. What would you say would be the signs or symptoms of dementia that somebody should really like get more studies done or get more testing done.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I always bring up the point of you know, remembering what you had for breakfast or dinner the previous day, or if you notice odd behavior from a family member where they keep repeating things that they just told you. Things like that are kind of red flags for a dementia memory problem. And then, of course, other things. Like you know, acute changes like that can be more indicative of vascular um. Issues like stroke are very important too, um, and I think you know we need to increase awareness for those things and um that can also contribute to like a vascular dementia that can also contribute to like a vascular dementia, and because you know that's how people think oh, it's just normal aging.
Speaker 1:But those are things that people should look at and really kind of watch their family member or themselves, Right, Because?
Speaker 2:that's right. Yeah, yeah, definitely. You know, we, the people that we talk to every day, we kind of notice these little things over time. The people that we talk to every day, we kind of notice these little things over time. And these are things that we need to. You know, hey, you know grandma, or hey, you know mom doesn't seem like she used to. Let's maybe bring her to a neurologist to have them do some more formal testing so we can understand better what's going on. I have a story about my father-in-law recently had an infection. We had no idea, but he started to talk funny and start to see things what we call delirium. That was easily cured when we found out that his skull bladder was infected and he had that removed and now he's back to his normal self of good memory and not having hallucinations. So these things are as we age. We have our as we age. You know we have to watch our loved ones and notice these things going on and bring that attention to our physician.
Speaker 1:Definitely, because, yeah, sometimes it is something completely different and it can be fixed easily, you know. But I know people get scared right away. They're like, oh no, I have. You know, I have dementia and it might not be. I know there's been a lot of stories in the news lately too about Alzheimer's drugs and stuff. They all seem to be effective if we catch the disease early. Do you have any idea, like why you think that is, if they can catch it early with the drugs or if it's even beneficial.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's a great point, so, right.
Speaker 2:So there's, there's some. There are some good drugs that are that are out now Um, um, um, not really curing or um, alzheimer's disease totally Um, um, so that that drug is still um, hopefully, that there's labs that are working on that that cure Um, but that can start to slow down the disease. And the issue is, you know, if the destruction is already done, it's really hard to repair the brain, right? So if we can stop this as early as possible and there's an early point in Alzheimer's disease, what we call mild cognitive impairment and that's kind of like the first signs of some memory problems or maybe some language problems or something similar like that, if you notice those things, that if your loved one or yourself are, you know it's okay for them to get the medication. They can maybe be trialed on it.
Speaker 2:You know when they're diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, as soon as they are. You know when they're diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease as soon as they are. So there's a lot of encouraging studies coming up, but we don't have that drug that can cure it just yet. But you know, I would say that if you have a loved one that you know that you're concerned about talk to your neurologist, because they're the ones that are going to know what the newest, best treatments are for those people.
Speaker 1:Do you think we'll ever get a medicine that can maybe help when they're in the later stages? Or is it just the brain? So far gone it's just not going to.
Speaker 2:I certainly hope you know there was some encouraging drugs that were out in the past that we thought were going to be, you know, plaque, what we would call plaque busters that's one of the main pathologies in Alzheimer's is these amyloid plaques, and it didn't turn out to be. The problem is they have a lot of side effects and, you know, amyloid is actually not a bad thing unless it's, you know, in the bad form, as it is in Alzheimer's disease. So these are the things that I think more and more research will help us understand better what we have to target exactly. My work was in neuroimaging and we could detect the disease pretty early before actually there was a decline. The issue was, as always do we have that drug that we can use? At that time? We really don't know who exactly is going to develop Alzheimer's disease, so it's a tricky area to try to predict who's going to get it and who should be treated.
Speaker 1:Because we really don't know what causes it right?
Speaker 2:We really don't know why yeah, why this happens. There are some genetic causes of Alzheimer's that we understand, but the you know the big but big issues like that. Dr Weldon was talking about the large numbers of what we call sporadic or random Alzheimer's disease. There's really no, we don't really know why some people get it and why some people don't. That's why this research at these different centers in Chicago are very important, at these different centers in Chicago are very important.
Speaker 3:Yes, definitely, it is very important which then leads into oh yes, definitely Travis. I was wondering, because I think our listeners will wonder about this too is there a way to prevent dementia, or is there a best way to prevent dementia? And I have one article that I was reading, since we've talked last Travis, which was just about a month or six weeks ago. His name is Dr Patty Barrett and he said the best way to prevent dementia is exercise and he says there's a clear linear relationship between fitness levels and the risk of dementia. Higher fitness equals lower risk of dementia. Risk of dementia, higher fitness equals lower risk of dementia. And he said this in an April 12, 2025 article.
Speaker 2:I wonder what would be your opinion on something like that. Yeah, that's a great point. So how can we, what can we do? Right, because we don't have these blockbuster medications and what can we do? So there's many different things. So the things that are great for the brain are also that are great for the heart excuse me, are great for the brain. So exercise is so valuable.
Speaker 2:I think we don't know, we don't understand the mechanisms of why it's so valuable, but we know that from the outcome studies that we've seen that exercise is really, that we've seen that exercise is really and actually for Parkinson's disease. Exercising early is actually the first treatment that they tell patients with Parkinson's disease because, for some reason, it really helps before you start giving medication. So exercise, I think, is underrated. And there's other things too, like your diet, and I know it's really hard for me as well to exercise too, but also to change your diet so that you know we stop eating saturated fats and poor foods, fast foods and things like that, and we eat things that are healthy, you know. So Rush came up with a diet called the Mind Diet, and if you look that up on Google, you'll see it's like a Mediterranean diet, high in fish and nuts and berries and things like that, things that we know are good for us and that we should be eating every day, and so those are the things that can really help exercise eating healthy and then keeping your mind active.
Speaker 2:That's one of the things that there's help exercise, eating healthy and then keeping your mind active. That's one of the things that there's been a few studies that have shown that keeping your mind active is really important and that can be, you know, reading, doing crossword puzzles, games, things like that, to keep your mind sharp, and the idea of you know use it or lose it is really a thing you know your brain will do what you want it to do as long as you keep it active. So those are the best ways, I think, to try to reduce your risk. There was a study that recently came out from Rush here that's showing that the areas in the city with lower income and lower resources they tend to have more incidence, more, you know, awareness about helping to prevent, but also having these people having the lower income areas. See, you know neurologists have access to, to medicine, so those are that's important as well.
Speaker 1:Well, definitely, and I think, yeah, people get scared and don't realize that they can go to the doctor. And those are easy things that we can all do, because you do fall into that trap. It's so easy to get fast food and oh, I'm too tired to exercise, and all that. Well, I know I've also read too like socialization being able, especially when because a lot of times people think Alzheimer's it's in the elderly, so it's important for them to also have social right to be out and talking to people. That can help.
Speaker 2:That's right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they found that there's been research that has found that people with more connections, more individual friends that they speak with on a weekly basis or mostly on a daily basis, they actually are able to have less incidence of Alzheimer's disease.
Speaker 2:So that's important is to keep those social connections so that you don't seem isolated. And it's important for loved ones who become disabled too. They might still be very sharp, but if they're disabled they might not have that contact that they used to have with other people. So it's important to try to remain in contact with your family members who may not have the access to do that, and that can help, you know, stave off the disease. And also, education is a big deal, and I know talking to you know university people here, so I encourage people to stay to keep you know studying, and they found that people with higher education are actually able to stave off the disease longer, but they also decline faster. So it seems to be what we call this cognitive reserve. If that's higher, you're able to stave off the disease longer before you start to decline.
Speaker 1:Well, there's just another good reason to go to college. Then right, that's, right, that's right University of St Francis. There you go, that's right, you could push off the dementia longer because you're studying. That's right, that's a good thing. So you know what? What are some things we need to consider when a family member is diagnosed with dementia, like the cost of care and different things that all go into it, because it really truly they're there, but they're no longer there.
Speaker 1:You know, with it and it's hard for someone to understand that that you really have to start taking care of them almost like they're a toddler again.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Care is a big issue and it puts a lot of stress on family members. But also thinking about your own care at that age too and that's one of the things that I saw when I did Alzheimer's research was that the family members were under a lot of stress and they're worried about themselves in the future, you know, being like mom or dad, and it's really a global issue and we have different cultures, right. So here in the US we tend not to live with our parents, where in Asian countries, or so they may take in mom and dad when they're older. So it's also part of the culture too and it's really important and it's a really big issue. As far as, like you say, cost and caring for mom and dad when they start to decline with Alzheimer's disease, it's a real big issue. As Dr Weldon said in his remarks, it's very expensive and a lot of time caring for our family members.
Speaker 1:Don't you have a stat, Dr Weldon, about the cost?
Speaker 3:Yeah, the cost I've seen on the low end is $4,000 a month, but it goes up in excess of $8,000 a month, which could be daunting for just not only Americans but people the world over, because, according to the United Nations, aging is a defining global trend well, yeah, because the baby boomers are all getting older now, so it's coming into play.
Speaker 1:And yeah, four thousand is very cheap. I know for myself. When my mom was in memory care, my dad paid over seven thousand a month, and that doesn't count any. Like like supplies that you need. You know, know they end up with diapers and pads and and like the insure shakes and all those types of things that you end up having to get with it. So there's so much to consider, and even if you're taking care of your family member at home, you still have all those costs as well, too, with it.
Speaker 2:Definitely in your time. Those costs as well, too. With it definitely in your time, um, and and you know, uh, we're dealing with it right now with my, my in-laws, um, and you're right that that 7 000 is the low, not the low end because there's so much more that goes into it.
Speaker 2:They have, they need nursing care and things like that. And um, they have other health issues, you, that they have to deal with there. Not only do they have, you know, the Alzheimer's, but they may have, you know, high blood pressure and other issues. So you know it's really difficult nursing care and very expensive and a financial burden for society as a whole.
Speaker 1:Yes, it definitely is, and it's hard to get them Sometimes not only getting them, they get the diagnosis but then to actually get them into a facility is difficult too, sometimes to find the right place for them.
Speaker 2:A lot of them have waiting lists and things like that. Yeah.
Speaker 1:What that, uh, Dr Weldon, do you have more about that?
Speaker 3:Yeah, just people ask well, what is going on here? And a lot of this deals with the longevity dividend here. I mean, in 1950, the average American lifespan was 65 years old. That's again in 1950. Now we're approaching 78 years and we see that there are great things that go with that, I think. But we also have to combat what comes with it. That may be, you know, negative, and certainly dementia is one of those, and it will only continue. The number of Americans, for example, ages 100 and older is projected to more than quadruple in the next three decades, and older is projected to more than quadruple in the next three decades. So you'll have more than 400,000 in 2054. And that's a great thing.
Speaker 2:We just want to make sure that we can take care of everyone. Yeah, that's a great point. And so there's a study that there's actually a group of studies that Northwestern is doing on what we call super-agers. These are people who are living into their 90s and over 100, but still have this great super memory like they're in their 20s still, and what they're trying to do is understand. You know what are they doing? That's different from you know, those who declined to get dementia, and it's a great study. Those are great studies to read. And what can we do and what can separate these quote unquote super-agers from the rest of people who decline? Because there's a theory that, like you were saying, dr Weldon, as you get older, that you will. You know that age is a risk factor for dementia and so, as you get older, your chances of having dementia is much higher. And so what can we do to help prevent that and the cost and the crisis of time and money that go with this crisis?
Speaker 1:and money that go with this crisis. Yeah, definitely. I mean it's combined, and then it gives you anxiety sometimes when you start thinking about all of that. So, like for somebody like me who my mom had Alzheimer's, you know, I think I go back and forth because there's blood tests and stuff right that you can take to see if you would have it, have the gene.
Speaker 2:Oh right. Yeah, let's talk about genes a little bit. So there's an early Alzheimer's, a whole set of genes and you kind of know from your family because these are like before 65. So people are getting Alzheimer's early, so those are more rare. Yeah, there's one gene called APOE and you can look at your risk factor If you have the APOE allele 4, especially if you have two of those that you're at higher risk for getting Alzheimer's. We don't know the details of why this is the case, but, like you say, like we were saying earlier, if you're eating healthy and exercising and doing everything you can, that's really all you can do as of right now to prevent. So do you really want to know if you're going to, if you have a higher chance of getting Alzheimer's by looking at that gene?
Speaker 2:I think most of those over-the-counter gene testing. I think they actually will look at that. Now look at those alleles to see if you have that. But that's, you know, that's one of the major risk factors that can predict Alzheimer's, but otherwise there really is no other predicting factor.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I know I go back and forth. I'm like, do I want to know? I don't know, Like it's kind of scary.
Speaker 2:It is scary, it's very scary, and you know what are you going to do if you know? Right, yeah, it's really. Some people say I just want to know because I want to get things in order and I want to know. But some people are like, hey, I don't want to know because you know it's like you say it's scary, but we can do these, we can do preventable things that can, even if you have those alleles that can reduce your risk.
Speaker 1:Well, that's good to know. With that, Dr Walden, do you?
Speaker 3:have. No, I just want to say it's always great talking with you, Travis, because we appreciate the positivity here. I'm heartened and I'm encouraged you know, inspired to kind of like change what I'm doing, looking at, you know, looking again at diet, habits and information that we have to keep updated on.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and you know, and going to your doctor. I mean this sounds silly, but going to your doctor every year is a really big deal because you know having high blood pressure can increase your chance. You know these things that we just have high cholesterol you can get, you know, have a higher risk for vascular dementia. So getting those yearly checkups is a big deal and some people like, especially men, you know we always, whatever we don't need to go to the doctor, right?
Speaker 3:Yeah, there's some doctor dodging going on there. Right, that's right. I'm one of the biggest problems. I'm like go to the doctor.
Speaker 2:I'm like, okay, getting your skin checked for cancer, because you know that sort of thing skin cancer can lead to, you know, metastasis and death and things like that. So all these things that we can do to prevent, and this is why, like you said, dr Weldon, this is why everybody's living so long. We have this great health system in the US and great care, and we need to utilize that and to improve our own health. There's such great medications for cholesterol now that can reduce your risk for vascular issues and stroke and Alzheimer's or, sorry, vascular dementia and things like that, and so all the things that we know that we're supposed to do. We need to do these and I'm one of the biggest violators of that. You know.
Speaker 3:The cheeseburger looks much better than salmon with broccoli, go for the black beans and rice next time Travis. Okay, next time I see you, that's what we'll have.
Speaker 2:And even the director, david Bennett, of the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center. He said I force myself to exercise every day. You know, that's an inspiration for me, like, hey, I need to do this. He sees the results of his studies, you know, so I need to get out there and do some cardio today. It's not easy, though.
Speaker 1:So if somebody wanted to be part of a trial or a study, is that easy to do, you know? Because sometimes people feel like, well, my family member had it or they might be able to help others my family member had it, or that they might be able to help others.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so if you go on the, if you kind of search the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, they have different studies that are going on all the time and they have a big group of studies in the Beverly area of the city, so like the south part of the city that they focus on. But but if there's any studies that you see there, you can definitely check that out and sign up for a study. It really helps when, when we have volunteers that can help us out in our research, we really appreciate those. Those are the lone heroes, the people that are that we can volunteer for studies.
Speaker 1:Well, definitely, because it can always help someone else. And one last thing too, like when you're dealing with a person with dementia, what do you think are some of the best things you can do for that person, because they're still your loved ones even though they have this huge disease? What advice would you give the caregiver?
Speaker 2:Yeah. So I still think you know the golden rule, right? I mean, do unto others. And how would you feel if you were in that position and how would you want to be treated? And that's really the key is you know mom and dad. Although they may not remember you, they're still mom or dad, right, and they still need our love and care, and more so in these trying times.
Speaker 2:It's really difficult, though it's really hard, because they disappear slowly. And we're dealing with this with my mother-in-laws my wife the other day. She's crying in the bathroom like, oh, I lost my mom already. It's so heart-wrenching and it's really difficult to go through these things. But having that support with your family, when you know another family is dealing with this, it's such a big deal to say, hey, do you need some help? And reach out and provide that help to your friends and other family members who have family members that are experiencing this. And I think we had a great discussion a few times ago when I was at St Francis about you know that person is gone, but they're still there.
Speaker 2:It really made me think and I still think about that.
Speaker 3:Travis, that's exactly right. That's great advice. We're treating the disease. However, always, we're loving the person.
Speaker 2:That's right. That's right. And it's really difficult when they slip away slowly and you're watching this happen. They have good days and bad days and it's really hard. You know these things aren't easy, but you know we have our faith and hopefully medicine will make strides and I know that there's a lot of dedicated people, especially here at Rush, that are looking for answers.
Speaker 1:It, definitely it is. You do you feel like you lose the person twice with it and it is really hard with it. Go ahead, dr Walden.
Speaker 3:No, just keep up the great work, travis. I mean you're one of the lone heroes out there as well. I mean coming to visits. The students are always anticipating your visits and talking about it still.
Speaker 2:Oh, I love it. I love to talk about it and get the word out and educate. It's really great and thank you so much for the invitation. I love talking with you guys.
Speaker 1:Oh well, thank you, and, like I said, people can go onto the Rush University website and learn more about the Alzheimer's Disease Center as well. I've been on that website and they have a lot of good information too, like what we talked about. There's a whole thing on there about the MIND diet and things that you could do. There's a whole book about it as well.
Speaker 2:you can get from the library or somewhere else, yeah, and they have all their research studies that they have published all on one site, so it's a really great resource if you're interested.
Speaker 1:Definitely, because I think for me, I know I found with my mom and even now, the more I can understand and the more I learn about it, I feel like I can help. I was able to help her and then help other people because it's such a big disease. We're always learning.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and there is the Alzheimer's Association too, and they're based out of Chicago and you know they're right down the road here and they really are there to support patients and families. So if you need resources, reach out to them, to the Alzheimer's Association, and if you're thinking of donating, that's one great thing and I've been on the grant review process for that. They have some great research that is coming through there, so it's a great resource that we have right in our city.
Speaker 1:Oh, definitely yeah, their website is. They have a lot of good information on there as well, too.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they focus a lot on people that are supporting those who have Alzheimer's as well, so it's a really good resource.
Speaker 1:Yes, and Dr Walden, do you have any parting words for us?
Speaker 3:Yes, one great takeaway here. I'm pledging here the mind diet.
Speaker 1:Yes, I'm getting on that, yes.
Speaker 2:Let's do it.
Speaker 1:Okay, yeah, we can do it. We can do it because you got it.
Speaker 2:And, like you said, what's good for the heart is good for the brain.
Speaker 1:That's right, exactly that's one good takeaway for us. Well, thank you so much for joining me here on patty's place. Yes, and hopefully, you know, I'm sure we'll talk again for it. So I hope every all of our listeners have enjoyed it, hope they had a good cup of coffee, good cup of tea, and we will see you next time right here on Patty's Place. Thanks, thank you.
Speaker 3:Thank you.