Philosophy and Disclaimer
Our Treatment Philosophy – After 40+ years of heavy pharmaceutical research for an Alzheimer’s drug, the current pharmaceutical products of our day only slightly delay the progression of dementia, and typically only treat the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease rather than the underlying biology . One of the nation’s leading Alzheimer’s researchers now suggests that cognitive dysfunction results when neuron destruction outpaces the neuron genesis (growth) in the brain. These challenges can be different for every person, resulting in the need for a systematic and personalized approach for identifying the various sub-optimal root causes of Alzheimer’s dementia. We follow this research closely and have worked with many clients. We look for ways to personalize this approach for each of our clients. This is the basis for The Enhance Protocol®.
The Cancer Model – If you were diagnosed with cancer, how would it feel if your doctor said, “There is nothing that can be done. Nothing works! No medicine, no treatment, no approach, no intervention, no hope!” Fortunately, we live in a day when the standard of practice is to be honest with a patient, stage the cancer, and the recommend some form of treatment, even if the treatment does not guarantee complete success. Depending on the cancer, we are often offered chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, or a mix of all possible interventions combined. Physicians are usually straight forward, and they often project the odds and attempt to estimate the length of time you can expect to live. They spare no expense in recommending treatment and they are applauded in their efforts. “You may not live much longer than a few years, but we will work to give you the best years possible,” is a common refrain. That is a noble goal, and an honorable approach. Patients and families alike respect and appreciate the help.
Well… this is how we approach dementia!
The Dementia Model – Many clients find us because they (or a loved one) have been diagnosed with dementia. Unlike the cancer diagnosis, this is what they often hear from their doctor: “There nothing that can be done. Nothing works! No medicine, no treatment, no approach, no intervention, no hope!” Individuals and families are left scrambling, searching for anything that can help alleviate their misery and decline.
Fortunately, at A Mind For All Seasons, we have changed the standard of practice for treating dementia! Just as with cancer, we work to be honest with our clients, we stage the dementia, and we identify and recommend various treatment options, even if the treatment does not guarantee complete success. Depending on the type of dementia (we are skilled at helping to identify the type and causes of dementia), we offer recommendations for medication adjustments, dietary guidance, nutritional supplementation, stress management, brain training recommendations, physical rehab considerations, herbal remedies, integrative treatment options, or a mix of all of these interventions combined.
In addition, we offer a weekly coaching service to participants and family members. Just like physicians who treat cancer, we are straight-forward, and we try to project outcomes. We are clear to our clients, “You may not live free of dementia, but we will work to create as many good years as possible. We’ll try to keep you out of assisted living or the local nursing homes. We’ll do our best to help you remember your kid’s names and help you remember how to dress and feed yourself.”
Do we succeed in every case? Of course, we don’t. But just like those who treat cancer, we don’t go down without a fight. That is our noble goal, and our clients respect and appreciate the help. As of June 2019, we have worked with and coached over 300 clients. The results have been impressive enough to continue the fight.
We don’t think that dementia should be any different than the approach to cancer. When a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s is identified, the typical response from the physician is, “There is NOTHING that can be done. Go home and get your affairs in order. We think this is completely unacceptable and the research suggests that we are on to something. Every client is different. Some are diabetics, some have had strokes. Some of our clients are 80 years old, others are only 45. Our youngest client was 31. Some come to us because their mom had dementia and they want to prevent it. Others come to us because they feel like something is off, and their primary care doctor suggested they were just depressed and offered them another prescription. Every person is different, and it is likely that there is so much that can be done to help you! You are not expected to live the next 10 years of your life with no hope, no treatment options, no NOTHING.
Testing the Limits of Conventional or Pharmaceutical Medicine – Health care providers are well-intentioned and want to make a difference. However, when it comes to dementia and cognitive decline, many health care providers are limited in their ability to make a difference by the pharmaceutical drugs they prescribe. There are very few drugs that are FDA approved for the treatment of Alzheimer’s dementia, and none that are impressive or very helpful. In fact, the Journal of American Medicine recently published a study suggesting that when two of the most common FDA approved drugs for Alzheimer’s disease are used together, patients actually get worse!
Health care providers who rely heavily on pharmaceuticals are left with NO RESPONSE for their patients with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. However, health care providers who have followed the most current research and who have embraced the functional medicine model dig deep to identify the root causes of disease so that real solutions can be recommended. This model has turned the dementia research upside down! Increasing numbers of health care providers are embracing the fact that more can be done to identify and correct the root causes of dementia. This is what we do, and we are good at it.
Our Approach – We work with clients and family member who are fed up with the ‘take this pill’ model of medicine. We help oversee and administer a logical, process-driven protocol to identify and treat an individual’s vulnerabilities that put them at risk for or may lead to Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. These vulnerabilities include inflammation, sub-optimal hormone levels, the loss of essential brain nutrients, and toxic loads or exposures . The Enhance Protocol is complex and it take a lot of time and coaching to establish an individual approach which is customized to each participant.
Our Guarantee – The Enhance Protocol offers a personalized approach for cognitive enhancement and may offer hope of slowing or halting cognitive decline. There are many things that we can guarantee:
- We guarantee to gather medical history about your current illness, symptoms and presentation.
- We guarantee that we will help you to establish a personalized plan that identifies and works to address your vulnerabilities.
- We guarantee that we will spend the time necessary to accomplish the goals above.
- We guarantee that we will do everything in our power to help you improve your cognitive functioning.
- We guarantee that we will work tirelessly to find answers for you.
BUT THERE IS NO GUARANTEE OF IMPROVEMENT OR SUCCESS, AND WE MAKE NO SUCH WARRANTY. Successful outcomes are relative to the participant’s or family member’s perspective and many other factors, including but not limited to:
- The level of cognitive impairment at the time The Enhance Protocol is started.
- The participant’s level of cooperation (if the individual chooses not to follow dietary or other recommendations, chances of improvement are limited).
- The participant’s current medical health status. The more physically sick and impaired the individual, the less successful the projected outcomes. If a participant has suffered a debilitating stroke and does not speak or walk, successful outcomes with The Enhance Protocol are severely limited.
- The participant’s dining preferences (picky eaters have less success than residents with broad food likes and tastes).
- The length of time a participant follows the protocol. Most participants and family members often begin to notice elements of improvement within 90 days. If no improvement is noted in 90 days, the chance of obtaining improvement goes down markedly.
Coordination with Primary Care Providers: The professionals of A Mind For All Seasons, LLC WILL NOT SERVE as a participant’s primary care provider, but we are happy to coordinate with and talk through concerns with respectful practitioners. We are not interested in lengthy conversations with primary care providers who are critical and closed-minded before reviewing the research. We welcome conversations with Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, or Physician Assistants who are open-minded and willing to learn about the power of diet, supplements, and integrative medicine applications. Memory coaches assigned to work with participants of The Enhance Protocol can make arrangements to have our medical practitioners speak with your primary care providers when appropriate.
It is common for our medical experts to offer considerations to fine-tune or alter medication treatment plans. However, it is the responsibility of the participant to take these recommendations back to their primary care provider for approval and application. We often provide detailed, personalized recommendations as part of The Enhance Protocol. This is what makes us unique. However, your primary care provider (PCP) MUST APPROVE all treatment recommendations before they can be implemented. Some recommendations may require additional consent prior to start (medication reductions, bio-identical hormone replacement, supplements, detox protocols, etc.).
Your Memory Coach – Since many primary care providers are unfamiliar with Dr. Bredesen’s ReCODE Protocol, and may not follow the expanding reservoir of research about cognitive decline, dementia, etc., we will assign an Enhance Protocol Memory Coach to work with each participant to help explain, communicate, review and coordinate the elements of The Enhance Protocol that have been personalized to each participant. Memory coaches can schedule telephone calls, video conferencing, or onsite visits at the AMFAS Headquarters in Boise, Idaho. Many participants speak with their memory coach weekly. After participants are more familiar with the elements of the protocol and they feel more self-sufficient, communication can occur as preferred.
Quarterly Fees – The Enhance Protocol is charged in quarterly increments (every 3 months). New participants sign up and pay for the initial 3 months of coaching and services with the understanding that subsequent quarters will be automatically billed. Clients are free to cancel their service at any time via a written request to their memory coach via email or regular post to 13601 W McMillan Rd, Suite 102-184, Boise, ID 83713. Please see our enrollment guarantee for details.
