Fred Wilson -- People I Follow and Recommend

Fred Wilson has a terrific Blog -- AVC musing of a VC in NYC. The website is full of excellent information slanted to private investing and "tech". Fred also likes to branch into finance and investing topics. Like this one on Gold. This article received 211 thought provoking comments.

Fred has a great portal on Eqentia. This contains all the information that is interesting to Fred in a given day. If this fits your appetite I suggest you take Fred's daily digest email from Eqentia.

I am hoping that Fred notices my blog -- Alzheimer's Reading Room someday and adds it to his news feed.

There can be little doubt that a high percentage of his readers have been touched by or are worried about Alzheimer's disease -- 100 Million Adults Touched by Alzheimer's

Louis Gray --People I Follow and Recommend

I am an old guy. When I started the Alzheimer's Reading Room I did not know anything about search engines and social media. I received all kinds of tips by reading the articles on louisgrey.com

In November, 2008, I had 300 readers and 1,000 page views for the month. Thanks in part to Louis, during April, 2010 I had 26,000 visitors and 85,000 page views (Google Analytics).

Louis is worth following via email or RSS. Rated Five Stars by me.

From Louis Gray...

I write LouisGray.com without a hidden agenda. In the years of writing the blog, I've enjoyed learning and listening to some of the thought leaders in the world of tech, and have, at times, been surprised to how much they are listening back. I've had a unique opportunity to help provide direct feedback to companies, from the very largest, to the very smallest, using my blog as a megaphone.

This is Your Brain on Google

A brain study conducted by Dr. Gary Small, a UCLA expert on aging, found that people who search the Internet use more of their brain while engaging in Internet searching.

This suggests that just searching on the Internet may train the brain -- that it may keep it active and healthy," said Small, whose research appears in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

To continue reading go here.

A Wonderful Moment in Time--Mom dances for the first time in years

Wonderful people.

I have a vivid image of the look on mom's face and of us dancing. I will have that image in my mind forever. This is the kind of moment that really knocks home to me why I am here with mom. Moments like this help keep me energized and focused.

My name is Bob and I am the sole caregiver for my mother who suffers from Alzheimer's disease.


One of the biggest problems I face as a caregiver is keeping my mother socialized. If it was up to her she would sit around all day in the dark, rarely speaking. If you have experienced this you know how really disconcerting this can be.

Special Reminder: PBS Presents The Future of Alzheimer's

PBS will present a special evening of programming focused on Alzheimer's disease on Sunday, August 3 starting at 9 p.m.

The programming starts with a national encore broadcast of the Emmy-Award-winning THE FORGETTING: A Portrait of Alzheimer's, followed by a new half-hour discussion, The Future of Alzheimer's, moderated by actor and Alzheimer's champion David Hyde Pierce.

The early signs of Dementia (Alzheimer's)

Looking back, there is little doubt in my mind that if I had had the proper education or information I would have realized my mother was suffering from dementia sooner. Most people like me tend to ignore the symptoms at first believing they are simply signs of "old age". Anyone who ends up in my shoes knows and understands that a person in the early stages of dementia or Alzheimer’s can function with some normality--even drive a car. It is not until they deteriorate or until some "event" takes place that we wake up to reality.

The article on the next page is one of the best I have read. The basic underlying premise is that behavior changes slowly in the elderly and if they begin to suffer cognitive impairment it will be evidenced in behavioral changes. Sometimes these changes can be quite subtle but if detected could raise a “red flag”.

If my mother had been enrolled in any of these studies I feel certain she would have been diagnosed with dementia sooner. This would have allowed me to get her in an exercise program, get her proper nutrition, and insure that she was taking her medicines as prescribed. I leaned in the last three years how important these three factors are in the quality of her life.

My mother turned 91 years old in June and she suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. I am her CarGiver.


I am an Alzheimer's Caregiver: The early signs of Dementia (Alzheimer's)

Exercise slows decline in Alzheimer's patients

I can attest, exercise makes a difference. My mother now has the tendency to sit around all day. On those days when I can get her to go to Gold's Gym with me she is a completely different person. The look on her face, from dull to smiling, is more than enough to tell me that exercise works to her benefit.

"Nursing home residents with Alzheimer's disease who participate in a moderate exercise program have a significantly slower deterioration than those who receive routine medical care, researchers have shown."

Read the article in its entirety at the CareGiver: The Book Weblog