Tackling Alzheimer’s Disease (WAMU: The Diane Rehm Show): “We all understand that Alzheimer’s disease is a major challenge for the country and for patients and their families, and, until now, we have not had a unified national effort to address this challenge. So a year ago, the president signed the National Alzheimer’s Project Act into law, and through his commitment, this law requires our Department of Health and Human Services to establish the first-ever national Alzheimer’s plan,” said Howard Koh, assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health and Human Services. The IONA Senior Services (a Catalogue nonprofit) Director of Consultation, Care Management, and Counseling Deborah Rubenstein was a guest on the show, which you can listen to right here.
Herndon Hosts MLK Day of Service (Connection Newspapers, Alexandria): “More than 100 volunteers came to the during the day Monday, choosing to spend their holiday working on various projects for people in need. Volunteers made fleece blankets and bracelets for children in hospitals, as well as toys for local rescue shelter dogs [...] The Herndon Senior Center was one of three locations that Volunteer Fairfax had going throughout the day. Volunteers also gathered in Alexandria and Fairfax, with more than 1,000 participating.” In the words of one participant, who took part along with the Transfiguration Christian Fellowship Ministries group, “We’re just grateful for any chance to show our commitment to the community around us.”
In schools, self-esteem boosting is losing favor to rigor, finer-tuned praise (The Washington Post via For Love of Children, @FLOC_DC): “An increasing number of teachers are weaning themselves from what some call empty praise. Drawing on psychology and brain research, these educators aim to articulate a more precise, and scientific, vocabulary for praise that will push children to work through mistakes and take on more challenging assignments.” Does this match with your experience? Do you agree that “children praised for trying hard or taking risks tend to enjoy challenges and find greater success perform better in the long term when they believe that their intellect is not a birthright but something that grows and develops as they learn new things.”