Walking for a Brighter Tomorrow
Ending Alzheimer’s One Step at a Time
Lisa Patrick
The Ashland Beacon
Alzheimer’s is a “brain disorder that gradually destroys memory skills and eventually the ability to perform everyday tasks.” But in reality, it is an unfair disease that can rob an elderly person of the ability to enjoy the life that they built and the life that they should be able to live in their golden years. It’s the most common cause of dementia in older adults. The Alzheimer’s Association is hoping to one day be able to stop the disease and celebrate the first survivor.
The Walk to End Alzheimer’s is one way that The Alzheimer’s Association works toward raising awareness of the disease and fundraising for the research for a cure. The local Walk to End Alzheimer’s will take place this Sunday, Oct. 13 at Central Park in Ashland, KY. The ceremony starts at 1:30 p.m. Teams can sign up online or register at the welcome table. Fundraising is appreciated but unnecessary to come and join in the walk.
The money raised from fundraising is kept in local communities served by the chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association that covers 125 counties in Kentucky and southern Indiana. The staff of 10-12 is “small but mighty” to keep overhead costs low so that 96% of the money raised goes to grants for research according to Jerrica Valtierra, the Communications Manager for the Alzheimer’s Association. There is a lot of research being done in hospitals across Kentucky with global impacts.
Besides fundraising, the walks bring people to “the biggest support group.” Valtierra said that “so many people have met and formed” friendships and “little coffee groups.” People coming to the walks can sometimes have the opportunity to speak to people with Alzheimer’s or that have been affected by Alzheimer’s. Valtierra refers to the walks as “emotionally driven and charged.” What is great about these walks is the fact that people like you and me have the opportunity to see firsthand the effects that Alzheimer’s can have on people right here in our own community. The walks are also a way of “mobilizing volunteers” because we “can’t be everywhere even though the disease is everywhere” explained Valtierra.
The Alzheimer’s Association doesn’t just provide education and awareness. They also supply resources through their 24/7 helpline with master level clinicians. They can ask for a “care consult” and get answers to questions like how to get a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, help to prepare for the disease, how to go about getting a medical Power of Attorney, and so many other questions that come up with the varying parts of Alzheimer’s disease.
There are some health issues that are known risk factors for Alzheimer’s like Type two diabetes and high blood pressure. Living a healthier lifestyle can help avoid the risks of Alzheimer’s. Valtierra said that she has learned that “what’s good for your heart is good for your brain.”
There are currently blood tests that are 90% accurate in finding Alzheimer’s disease. However, they are still in clinical trials, so they have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration yet. Valtierra hopes that they get approved soon and then she will help work with Medicare and Medicaid providers to get the tests covered. The Alzheimer’s Association hopes these will help focus on early detection and prevention because the risk of getting Alzheimer’s doubles at age 65 and then goes up again every five years after that.
Valtierra said that “age and growing older are the goal” and that one day, “we want to be able to raise the white flower for our first survivor of Alzheimer’s.”
You can sign up for this weekend’s walk at act.alz.org/ashlandky to register your team or to donate to another team. The local chapter website is alz.org/kyin and the 24/7 helpline number is 1.800.272.3900.
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