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As More Americans Face Alzheimer's, What's The Value Of An Early Diagnosis?

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Today, there are 5.8 million Americans who are impacted by Alzheimer’s disease. That number is expected to grow by more than half.

Yet how do we know the right questions to ask to get a timely diagnosis in order to plan for the future? We hear from advocates who want to see additional training for primary care physicians so they recognize the signs of dementia earlier.

This hour, we talk with doctors, caregivers, and researchers. And we want to hear from you. Do you have an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, or are you taking care of a loved one with dementia?

African Americans and other minorities suffer from higher rates than white Americans, yet Alzheimer's researchers have far less data on minority patients. We'll talk with a researcher who is trying to help address the data deficiency and better understand this disparity.

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

GUESTS:

  • Christy Kovel - Interim Executive Director and Director of Public Policy at the Connecticut Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association (@christykovel)
  • Dr. Kristina Zdanys - Geriatric psychiatrist; director of the Geriatric Mental Health Clinic, and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at UConn Health
  • Dick Helstein - Caregiver; his wife Sue has been living with an Alzheimer’s diagnosis for five years
  • Dr. Lisa Barnes - Professor and cognitive neuropsychologist at the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center in Chicago (@beyoung40)

READING LIST:

Alzheimer’s Association: 2019 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures – “Millions of Americans have Alzheimer’s or other dementias. As the size and proportion of the U.S. population age 65 and older continue to increase, the number of Americans with Alzheimer’s or other dementias will grow…The baby boom generation has already begun to reach age 65 and beyond the age range of greatest risk of Alzheimer’s dementia; in fact, the oldest members of the baby boom generation turn age 73 in 2019”

Chicago Tribune: Lisa Barnes battles burden of Alzheimer's in minorities – “‘African-Americans have a higher burden of many kinds of diseases,’ she said, ‘but we know that they also seem to be more burdened by Alzheimer's disease, and we're not really sure why that is.’”

Chion Wolf contributed to this show.

Lucy leads Connecticut Public's strategies to deeply connect and build collaborations with community-focused organizations across the state.
Carmen Baskauf was a producer for Connecticut Public Radio's news-talk show Where We Live, hosted by Lucy Nalpathanchil from 2017-2021. She has also contributed to The Colin McEnroe Show.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

Fund the Facts

You just read trusted, local journalism that’s free for everyone, thanks to donors like you.

If that matters to you, now is the time to give. Join the 50,000+ members powering honest reporting and a more connected — and civil! — Connecticut.

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