Las Vegas Non Profit Provides Physical Fitness For Those With Disabilities

Many medications prescribed for this community come with the side effect of weight gain. And typical gyms are not made for people who have limitations. Up until recently, there weren't any gyms in Las Vegas designed for people with disabilities. That has since changed.

It was a few years ago that personal trainer Chris Salas was working at a local gym. He was an independently contracted trainer with years of experience and a personal story of weight loss. What seemed like any other day at work for Chris turned out to be the first day of the rest of his life. That was the day Chris met a woman in the gym. A mother. She approached Chris about training her daughter, Madison. Madison has Down Syndrome and struggled with certain physical demands of her school life.

It didn't take long of working with Madison that Chris realized he had found his life's purpose. After helping Madison with her physical fitness, the word about Chris's work spread like wildfire in the community of people with disabilities. It wasn't long before Chris founded The Ability Center. A sensory fitness center whose mission is to increase the natural ability of those with physical, mental and developmental disabilities. They do this with sensory sounds and lights, imaginative activities, and specially-designed gym equipment.

Chris was our most recent guest on Talking Solutions, and he talked about his passion for the people he works with. He gave details about The Ability Center and his future goals for those with disabilities. He also talked about why physical fitness is so important for people with disabilities, and even shared some fitness tips.

The Ability Center has partnered with other local organizations that serve people with disabilities, including Opportunity Village and the Special Olympics Nevada. He hopes to expand and invites the community to help in his cause with donations and volunteering. To contact Chris, call 702-525-8453 or email Chris@abilitycenternv.org. You can also stop by the center to check it out, by appointment. Address is 5980 South Durango Ste 131. Follow them on Instagram @ability_center_nv.

This podcast originally aired on January 1, 2023.

The Cleveland Clinic Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas is participating in a new trial aiming to delay the onset of Alzheimer’s symptoms. The trial is happening for the next four years in Las Vegas. The Cleveland Clinic, a large health organization in Las Vegas, is currently looking for volunteers to participate in the trial.

It is estimated that about 49,000 Nevadans live with Alzheimer’s disease. And just under that number of people are caretakers for these patients. The Cleveland Clinic has been testing a drug called Lecanemeb on patients with Alzheimer's and have had positive results. The drug has been effective in treating those who currently live with the symptoms of Alzheimer's.

Now The Cleveland Clinic wants to take it a step further. They want to do a trial testing Lecanemeb on patients who don't yet show the signs of the disease. They are looking for people over the age of 55 who have a family history of Alzheimer’s. Especially if they have noticed some changes in themselves lately.

What they will do first is a blood test on any potential participant to see if they have a protein called amyloid in their blood. If they do, the next step is to get imaging of the participant's brain. This will tell whether the amyloid protein is being accumulated in the brain. If it is, the participant will begin the trial.

Lecanemeb has effectively removed the amyloid protein in the brain's of people already experiencing Alzheimer's symptoms. Now The Cleveland Clinic wants to see if the same drug can help people before they experience symptoms. In an interview with Fox 5 Vegas, Doctor Charles Bernick with the Cleveland Clinic said, “The idea is if we can get the amyloid out of the brain early before people have symptoms, we can actually impact the disease and possibly prevent or delay the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.”

To participate in the trial, click here. –Wendy Rush

Here are 10 early signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's, according to the Alzheimer's Association.

This is defined as memory loss that disrupts everyday life. Including asking the same question multiple times, or forgetting important dates or events.

Includes trouble following a recipe someone has done several times or keeping track of their regular bills. Also taking much longer than usual to do things than before.

If someone is struggling to drive to a familiar location or suddenly forgets the rules to a favorite game, they may be experiencing the early signs of Alzheimer's.

These symptoms can look like losing track of where they are or what season it is. Or confusion about how someone got to where they are.

Vision issues are common for some with Alzheimer's. Depth perception, color differentiation, or difficulty with balance or reading are reported as effects of this.

Following a conversation has been reported as a struggle for those with Alzheimer's. Watch for things like stopping in the middle of a conversation, uncertain of how to proceed. Or someone repeated themselves or calling things by their wrong name.

People with the disease have often reported putting things where they don't normally go, and not knowing how to retrace steps to find missing items. Sometimes the disease causes so much confusion here that people can accuse others of stealing their items.

Sometimes those with Alzheimer's stop making good decisions. Including things like impulsive spending or getting lazier about personal hygiene.

Struggles in having conversations with others can sometimes lead someone to withdraw from engaging with other people.

Those with Alzheimer's can have big changes in personality, including confusion, suspicion, depression, fear or anxiety. Especially when out of their comfort zone.