Elder Abuse Awareness Day -- June 15

NCEA urges individuals, families, community groups, organizations, and businesses to “Take A Stand” by participating in elder abuse awareness and prevention efforts. There are many ways to become involved, from attending or organizing a World Day event, to visiting an older neighbor who lives alone, to volunteering for a program that benefits seniors, to organizing a fundraiser to support a local abuse prevention initiative.

Would you like to share what you, your organization, and community are doing this year to raise awareness about elder abuse? Share your World Day plans with the NCEA! We will collect reports from across the country and make available for everyone to see. Your activities may inspire others to become involved!

Select a state from this drop down list to see what plans people are reporting in your area!   AL AZ CA CO CT DC FL GA HI IA KS KY LA MA MD ME MN MT NC ND NV NY OH OK OR PA TN TX VA VI VT WA WI WV WY

NCEA has created the following tools to help you, your family, or your organization make a difference in the lives of vulnerable elders. These tools may be especially helpful for planning World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Events and responding to public inquiries.

Webcast:
Media Moxie: Informing the Public About Elder Abuse.

Visit the NCEA YouTube page (http://www.youtube.com/nceaatuci ) to watch this webcast to learn the best strategies for recruiting the media in order to raise public awareness of elder abuse.
The following Q&A document (Media_Moxie_Q_and_A.pdf) was prepared to accompany the webcast

Read about past WEAAD events in special issues of the NCEA E-News:

The International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse, the organization that first established WEAAD in 2006, provides many resources for this global observance including a calendar of activities scheduled throughout the world.

We stand for dignity. We will not stand for elder abuse.

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Air Quality Awareness Week

The AQI is an index for reporting daily air quality. It tells you how clean or polluted your air is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for you. The AQI focuses on health effects you may experience within a few hours or days after breathing polluted air. EPA calculates the AQI for five major air pollutants regulated by the Clean Air Act: ground-level ozone, particle pollution (also known as particulate matter), carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. For each of these pollutants, EPA has established national air quality standards to protect public health .Ground-level ozone and airborne particles are the two pollutants that pose the greatest threat to human health in this country.

Think of the AQI as a yardstick that runs from 0 to 500. The higher the AQI value, the greater the level of air pollution and the greater the health concern. For example, an AQI value of 50 represents good air quality with little potential to affect public health, while an AQI value over 300 represents hazardous air quality.

An AQI value of 100 generally corresponds to the national air quality standard for the pollutant, which is the level EPA has set to protect public health. AQI values below 100 are generally thought of as satisfactory. When AQI values are above 100, air quality is considered to be unhealthy-at first for certain sensitive groups of people, then for everyone as AQI values get higher.

The purpose of the AQI is to help you understand what local air quality means to your health. To make it easier to understand, the AQI is divided into six categories:

Air Quality Index
(AQI) ValuesLevels of Health ConcernColorsWhen the AQI is in this range:..air quality conditions are:...as symbolized by this color:Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups

Each category corresponds to a different level of health concern. The six levels of health concern and what they mean are:

"Good" AQI is 0 - 50. Air quality is considered satisfactory, and air pollution poses little or no risk. "Moderate" AQI is 51 - 100. Air quality is acceptable; however, for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people. For example, people who are unusually sensitive to ozone may experience respiratory symptoms. "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" AQI is 101 - 150. Although general public is not likely to be affected at this AQI range, people with lung disease, older adults and children are at a greater risk from exposure to ozone, whereas persons with heart and lung disease, older adults and children are at greater risk from the presence of particles in the air. .
"Unhealthy" AQI is 151 - 200. Everyone may begin to experience some adverse health effects, and members of the sensitive groups may experience more serious effects. . "Very Unhealthy" AQI is 201 - 300. This would trigger a health alert signifying that everyone may experience more serious health effects. "Hazardous" AQI greater than 300. This would trigger a health warnings of emergency conditions. The entire population is more likely to be affected.

EPA has assigned a specific color to each AQI category to make it easier for people to understand quickly whether air pollution is reaching unhealthy levels in their communities. For example, the color orange means that conditions are "unhealthy for sensitive groups," while red means that conditions may be "unhealthy for everyone," and so on.

Air Quality Index Levels of Health ConcernNumerical
ValueMeaningAir quality is considered satisfactory, and air pollution poses little or no riskAir quality is acceptable; however, for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.Unhealthy for Sensitive GroupsMembers of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The general public is not likely to be affected. Everyone may begin to experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects.Health warnings of emergency conditions. The entire population is more likely to be affected. Health alert: everyone may experience more serious health effectsThis page was last updated on Friday, December 09, 2011

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Autism Awareness Month

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a group of developmental disabilities that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. CDC estimates that about 1 in 88 children has been identified with an ASD. CDC is working to find out how many children have ASDs, discover the risk factors, and raise awareness of the signs.

Learn about ASDs »

Order, download, and print fact sheets, milestone checklist, posters, a growth chart, and more.

Get free materials »

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Sexual Assault Awareness Month

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April is National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month; here are 7 ways you can get involved to help prevent sexual violence.

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Alcohol Awareness Month

April marks Alcohol Awareness Month. This year, CDC is drawing attention to the risks to women from binge drinking, a dangerous behavior that leads to many health and social problems for women, particularly if they are pregnant or may become pregnant.

April marks Alcohol Awareness Month, a nationwide campaign intended to raise awareness of the health and social problems that excessive alcohol consumption can cause for individuals, their families, and their communities. Excessive drinking is a dangerous behavior for both men and women. This year, CDC is drawing attention to the risks to women's health from binge drinking, the most common type of excessive alcohol consumption by adults.

Binge drinking is defined as consuming 4 or more drinks per occasion for women and 5 or more drinks per occasion for men. It is a common and dangerous behavior that contributes to more than 11,500 deaths among women in the U.S. each year—approximately 32 deaths per day. In 2009, more than 1 out of every 10 women reported binge drinking during the past 30 days. On average, women who binge drink said they engaged in this risky behavior at least three times per month. Among women binge drinkers, they consume, on average, almost six drinks per drinking occasion, which exceeds the threshold for binge drinking.Binge drinking usually leads to impairment, and women who binge drink with greater frequency and intensity put themselves and those around them at increased risk of experiencing alcohol-related harms, particularly if they are pregnant or may become pregnant. Binge drinking increases the risk for breast cancer, heart disease, and stroke, all of which are leading causes of death in women. Upon drinking equal amounts, women tend to absorb more alcohol when they drink, and take longer to break it down and remove it from their bodies compared to their male counterparts. These differences are caused by differences in body composition and chemistry between men and women. Even when they drink the same amount of alcohol, women tend to have higher levels of alcohol in their blood than men, and the immediate effects of impairment occur more quickly and last longer.Alcohol tends to leave the body at a slower rate in women who take birth control pills compared with those who do not. The result can be greater alcohol impairment in women who take birth control pills.Binge drinking is a risk factor for sexual assault, especially among young women in college settings. The risk for rape or sexual assault increases when both the perpetrator and victim have used alcohol before the attack.No amount of alcohol is safe to drink while pregnant. There is also no safe time during pregnancy to drink, and no safe kind of alcohol. Women who drink alcohol while pregnant increase their risk of having a baby with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). This group of conditions includes physical and intellectual disabilities, as well as problems with behavior and learning. Often, a person has a mix of these problems. FASDs are a leading known cause of intellectual disability and birth defects. FASDs are completely preventable if a woman does not drink while she is pregnant or may become pregnant. Women should not drink alcohol if they are planning to become pregnant or are sexually active and do not use effective birth control because they could become pregnant and not know for several weeks. In 2001, about one-half of all pregnancies in the United States were unplanned.National surveys show that about 6 out of every 10 women of child-bearing age (18–44 years) use alcohol, and about one-third of women in this age group who drink alcohol binge drink.Female binge drinkers are more likely to engage in unsafe sexual activities compared with women who are not binge drinkers. Binge drinking increases the risk for unintended pregnancy which may lead to a delay in recognizing pregnancy. If a woman does not recognize that she is pregnant and she continues drinking, she can expose her developing fetus to alcohol without realizing it.

Women are often more vulnerable than men to the long-term effects of alcohol on their health. Over time, drinking too much alcohol can lead to

Cancer: Alcohol consumption increases the risk for breast cancer and cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, and colon. Liver Disease: The risk for cirrhosis and other alcohol-related liver diseases is higher for women than for men.Heart Problems: Studies have shown that women who drink excessively are at increased risk for damage to the heart muscle than men. Binge drinking can lead to high blood pressure and increase the risk for heart attack and stroke.

Binge drinking and the harms that result from it can be prevented. Prevention strategies require action at individual and population levels and must consider ways to create community environments that discourage binge drinking by women and their families.

Avoid drinking alcohol if pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Remember—Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders are 100% preventable. Choose not to binge drink and help others not to do it. Binge drinking leads to many health and social problems for the drinkers, their families, and their communities. If women choose to drink alcoholic beverages, they should do so in moderation. Moderate drinking is defined as the consumption of up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. [PDF - 967KB]Seek care from a health care provider for excessive drinking. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends screening and behavioral counseling for alcohol misuse by adults, including pregnant women. Screening and Brief Intervention has been shown to significantly decrease the number of drinks consumed per week and the number of binge drinking episodes. Support efforts to implement effective population-level strategies to prevent binge drinking. States and communities can reduce excessive alcohol use, including binge and underage drinking, among their residents by implementing evidence-based population strategies recommended by the Guide to Community Preventive Services. These strategies include increasing alcohol excise taxes, regulating alcohol outlet density, and maintaining and enforcing the age 21 years minimum legal drinking age (MLDA). Continue to monitor binge drinking levels. Measuring the magnitude of binge drinking in the general population and specific groups at high risk (e.g., women of childbearing age) provides evidence for the need to implement population-level public health strategies for reducing binge drinking. The resulting data also serve as indicators of progress in reducing overall binge drinking levels, including binge drinking occasions and the number of drinks consumed.

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Alzheimer's Awareness

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks of daily living. In most people with AD, symptoms first appear after age 60.

AD is the most common cause of dementia among older people, but it is not a normal part of aging. Dementia refers to a decline in cognitive function that interferes with daily life and activities. AD starts in a region of the brain that affects recent memory, then gradually spreads to other parts of the brain. Although treatment can slow the progression of AD and help manage its symptoms in some people, currently there is no cure for this devastating disease.

AD is named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer, a German doctor. In 1906, Dr. Alzheimer described changes in the brain tissue of a woman who had died of an unusual mental illness. He found abnormal clumps (now called amyloid plaques) and tangled bundles of fibers (now called neurofibrillary tangles).

Today, these plaques and tangles in the brain are considered hallmarks of AD. The third main feature of AD is the gradual loss of connections between nerve cells (neurons) in the brain. This loss leads to diminished cell function and cell death.

We don’t know what starts the AD process, but we do know that damage to the brain begins as many as 10 to 20 years before any obvious signs of forgetfulness appear.

As nerve cells die throughout the brain, affected regions begin to shrink. By the final stage of AD, damage is widespread, and brain tissue has shrunk significantly.

This 4-minute captioned video shows the intricate mechanisms involved in the progression of Alzheimer's disease in the brain.

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According to recent estimates, as many as 2.4 million to 5.1 million Americans have AD. Unless the disease can be effectively treated or prevented, the number of people with AD will increase significantly if current population trends continue. That’s because the risk of AD increases with age, and the U.S. population is aging. The number of people age 65 and older is expected to grow from 39 million in 2008 to 72 million in 2030, and the number of people with AD doubles for every 5-year interval beyond age 65.

In the years to come, AD is expected to pose physical and emotional challenges for more and more families and other caregivers, in addition to those with the disease. The growing number of people with AD and the costs associated with the disease also will put a heavy economic burden on society.

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AD is a slow disease that starts with mild memory problems and ends with severe brain damage. The time from diagnosis to death varies—as little as 3 or 4 years if the person is older than 80 when diagnosed to as long as 10 or more years if the person is younger. Other factors that affect how long a person will live with AD include the person’s sex, the presence of other health problems, and the severity of cognitive problems at diagnosis.

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Dementia is a general term that refers to a decline in cognitive function so extensive that it interferes with daily life and activities. This loss in the ability to think, remember, and reason is not a disease itself, but a group of symptoms that often accompanies a disease or condition.

Many conditions and diseases cause dementia. Two of the most common causes of dementia in older people are AD and vascular dementia, which is caused by a series of strokes or changes in the brain’s blood supply.

Other conditions that cause memory loss or dementia include:

medication side effects chronic alcoholism certain tumors and infections in the brain blood clots in the brain vitamin B12 deficiency dehydration high fever some thyroid, kidney, or liver disorders

Many of these conditions are temporary and reversible, but they can be serious and should be treated by a doctor as soon as possible.

Emotional problems, such as stress, anxiety, or depression, can make a person more forgetful and can be mistaken for dementia. Someone may feel sad, lonely, worried, or bored when facing retirement or coping with the death of a spouse, relative, or friend. Adapting to these changes leaves some people feeling confused or forgetful. Supportive friends and family or professional help from a doctor or counselor can help older adults adjust to big changes.

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Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a condition in which a person has memory problems greater than those expected for his or her age. However, people with MCI do not have the personality changes or cognitive problems that characterize AD.

MCI has several types. The type most associated with memory loss is called amnestic MCI. People with this condition have more memory problems than normal for their age, but their symptoms are not as severe as those of people with AD. More people with MCI go on to develop AD than those without MCI within a certain timeframe. However, not everyone who has MCI develops AD. Studies are underway to learn why some people with MCI progress to AD and others do not.

Other questions? Call the ADEAR Center at 1-800-438-4380 or e-mail our information specialists.

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Mammography Awareness

Across the country, congregations of all denominations are helping to save lives by joining the Pink Ribbon Sunday Program developed by the FDA Office of Women’s Health (OWH). 

The program provides leaders like you with the free resources to help educate the women in their churches and communities about mammography. This education is vitally important because we know that mammography screening is the best tool we have to detect breast cancer early. Lack of screening can lead to later diagnosis, later entry into treatment, and even increased mortality.

Pink Ribbon activities range from mobile mammography events and health fairs to “Pink” luncheons and concerts. Pink Ribbon events can be held any day of the week, depending on the beliefs and preferences of your community.

Order your free resources Now to help you plan a mammography awareness activity for your health ministry.

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