Chair Bell's town hall on Alzheimer's & related diseases

Published on March 25, 2021

Alzheimer's patients and their caregivers face numerous challenges, but help is available from many sources experts said during a Wednesday, March 24 town hall presented by Wayne County Commission Chair Alisha Bell.

"There are over 16 million people who are unpaid caregivers and, even though we are in a pandemic, there are issues we need to address," Chair Bell said.

The event, What You Need to Know About Alzheimer's/Dementia and Resources for Caregivers, featured panelists from local agencies serving dementia patients and caregivers.

Those participating in the town hall included:

• Lisa Dedden Cooper, manager of advocacy, AARP Michigan.
• Dr. Paula Duren, CEO of Universal Dementia Caregivers.
• Ronald S. Taylor, president and CEO of the Detroit Area Agency on Aging.
• Lisa Whitmore Davis, director, Wayne County Senior Services.

Among the highlights:

Cooper noted that dementia is not a common part of the aging process, but the result of a various diseases that affect memory, cognitive and communication skills.

African Americans, she noted, are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's Disease as caucasians. They are also at increased risk for vascular dementia, which is caused by reduced blood flow often preceded by a stroke or series of small strokes.

AARP offers a guide for patients and caregivers which is available at AARP.org/midementia. Duren, whose organization offers caregiver training, noted that caregivers must take time to meet their own health and social needs while remaining their loved one's best patient advocate.

Just being physically and emotionally present is important for caregivers and patients. Additional information is available at http://www.pauladuren.com/contact-us

Both speakers noted the importance to maintaining a nutritious diet for all seniors, not just dementia patients and their caregivers.

To that end, Taylor and Whitmore Davis highlighted Meals on Wheels programs available for those 60 and older.

Taylor, whose agency serves residents of Detroit, the Grosse Pointes, Hamtramck, Harper Woods and Highland Park, noted the Detroit Area Agency on Aging also provides community-based services for active and home bound seniors, including aid legal assistance, transportation and ombudsman services for nursing home patients. Information is available at https://www.detroitseniorsolution.org/ or by calling (313) 446-4444.

Davis, whose agency serves all other Wayne County communities, noted the county Meals on Wheels program includes halal meals and has recently been expanded to twice-per-week deliveries during the pandemic. Information is available at seniornutrition@waynecounty.com, or by calling (800) 851-1451.

The meeting was conducted via Zoom. It can be viewed at Alzheimer's Town Hall 3/24/21.

Chair Bell's town hall on Alzheimer's & related diseases(PDF, 169KB)