Blog

Abbi has been a part of our team at Bridges by EPOCH at Westford since our community opened in June 2013. Initially, she started out as one of our certified nursing assistants, but earlier this year, she became our Life Enrichment Assistant.In her new ...

By Dr. Brent P. Forester, MSc., Geriatric Psychiatrist, Bridges by EPOCH at Westford Although hard for me to imagine, I was in medical school 25 years ago. Back then, we were taught little about how to assess Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and nothing ...

Volunteer work is rewarding no matter who you are, but if you have a memory impairment, it can offer you a renewed sense of purpose while also keeping you socially, physically and mentally engaged – all of which help stimulate the brain and delay the ...

An Alzheimer’s diagnosis is unquestionably difficult for the whole family. Watching your loved one’s personality change and coordinating care with other family members all present challenges that can be overwhelming. Fortunately, there are steps you can ...

By Dr. Brent P. Forester, MSc., Geriatric Psychiatrist, Bridges by EPOCH at WestfordTransitioning to an assisted living community may be challenging to the individual with dementia, their loved ones and caregivers, and to the community who must help ...

According to a new study, individuals who carry a high-risk gene for Alzheimer’s can show brain changes as early as childhood—decades before the onset of the disease. The gene is called SORL1. Previous studies have shown that the gene may play a role ...

A new study supports a growing body of evidence that suggests singing helps boost cognitive functioning for people with dementia. Over the course of four months, a group of researchers examined the impact of singing familiar songs on people with ...

The latest Alzheimer’s research offers some good news for bilingual individuals: speaking two or more languages may delay dementia symptoms.The new study, published in the journal Neurology, examined 648 people with various types of dementia, ...

By Dr. Brent P. Forester, MSc., Geriatric Psychiatrist, Bridges by EPOCH at WestfordBehavioral and emotional disturbances are virtually universal over the course of an individual's journey through the illness of dementia. These symptoms vary based on the ...

November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month. Most people understand that Alzheimer’s disease affects memory as well as thinking and reasoning skills. Less commonly understood is the difference between normal aging and Alzheimer’s ...

NPR recently aired an inspirational story on Sir Terry Pratchett, a best-selling British author who was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease in 2007. Pratchett has a rare, peculiar form of the disease known as Posterior Cortical Atrophy, or ...