The number of Latinos suffering from Alzheimer’s could increase 600% by 2050

Washington, DC—Dr. Yanira Cruz, President and CEO of the National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA)— the leading national organization working to improve the lives of Hispanic older adults, their families, and caregivers— made the following statement regarding National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month and National Family Caregivers Month:  “Dementia has become an increasingly growing public health crisis in the Hispanic community, yet we have barely scratched the surface to begin to understand the complexity of the situation, and much less how to effectively address it.

“The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that the number of Hispanic Alzheimer’s patients will increase six-fold by 2050. Therefore, we must act quickly, and collectively, to ensure that all seniors have access to early detection tools and screenings.

“We also need to conduct linguistically and culturally appropriate outreach to ensure older adults and caregivers are aware these resources exist and are available.

“Moreover, as the Affordable Care Act continues to be implemented, we all have a role to play so that Latinos with Alzheimer’s, their families, and caregivers are aware of new health benefits and become active participants of the health care coordination that Patient Centered Medical Homes (PCMH) promises to deliver.

“Given that families and caregivers are a crucial part of discussion surrounding Alzheimer’s and dementia, it is appropriate that both awareness for the disease and the recognition of family caregivers are commemorated this month.

“There are nearly 15 million Alzheimer’s and dementia caregivers in the country, who combined dedicate billions of hours to care for patients, many of which are family members and loved ones.

“NHCOA salutes these dedicated individuals who bring comfort and care to some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. We are working to increase the volume of research on Alzheimer’s disease by conducting a study to understand the attitudes, level of stigma, level of knowledge, and challenges within the Hispanic community as it relates to caregivers and health care providers.

“It is our hope that the findings will serve as the basis for interventions designed to ensure early detection of Alzheimer’s in the Hispanic community.”