Banner Alzheimer's Institute offers free bilingual community event Sept. 21

In recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month, Banner Alzheimer's Institute played host to a free bilingual community event on Sept. 21, in Peoria.

“Alzheimer’s in the Hispanic Community: Prevention, Care, and How You Can Help,” focused on brain health and Alzheimer’s disease prevention and treatment.

The event aimed to educate those interested in learning more about navigating life before and with Alzheimer’s disease. Presentation topics included prevention, diagnosis, current treatments, caregiving for a loved one with Alzheimer’s and related dementias, and opportunities for participation in research. All educational presentations were in both Spanish and English.

The event included dementia care specialists, resources and community partners who are working together to end Alzheimer’s without losing another generation.

Research from the National Council on Aging shows that Latinos may be 50 percent more likely to develop Alzheimer’s, but they are less likely to pursue treatment for the disease, resulting in poor health outcomes.

Hispanic Americans are 1.5 times more likely to develop Alzheimer's or another dementia than White Americans, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, and at least 1 in 10 Hispanics who are 65 or older have Alzheimer's or another dementia. Yet Latinos make up only 2% of participants in clinical trials on Alzheimer's and related dementias, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Visit BannerHealth.com/AlzheimersHispanicCommunity for more information.

Since its inception in 2006, Banner Alzheimer’s Institute has sought to find effective Alzheimer’s disease prevention therapies without losing another generation, establish a new model of dementia care for patients and family caregivers, and forge new models of collaboration in biomedical research. It has made groundbreaking contributions to the unusually early detection, tracking, diagnosis and study of Alzheimer’s, and aims to find an effective prevention therapy by 2025. It includes the pioneering Alzheimer’s Prevention Initiative, an extensive profile of research studies and clinical trials, comprehensive clinical, family and community service programs, a leading brain imaging research program, and strategic partnerships with public and private research organizations around the world. Learn more at www.bannerhealth.com/Alzheimers.