In light of National Alzheimers Disease Awareness month, the Alzheimer’s Association will host a free webinar that will shed light on the impact of the disease within indigenous communities.
The free webinar will be hosted via Zoom on Nov. 15 at 1 p.m. Those interested in attending can register by visiting bit.ly/3TXCy64. The webinar is co-hosted by the International Association of Indigenous Aging, Indian Health Service and the National Indian Council.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, people aged 65 and older now comprise 15% of the overall Native American population, compared to 4.8% in the 1970s. Some Native American languages don't even have a word for "dementia."
About two-thirds of Native Americans say that they know somebody with Alzheimer’s, and only 25% of Native Americans say that they are worried about developing Alzheimer's disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. However, more than one-third of Native Americans say that they do not expect to live long enough to develop Alzheimer's.
The webinar will cover how Alzheimer's and dementia-related diseases are being addressed in the community, and the resources that are available at the Alzheimer’s Association for people diagnosed with the condition and their family caregivers.
For information about the San Diego chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, visit alz.org/sandiego or call (619) 678-8322.
