According to the Alzheimer’s Association’s 2010 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures, there are 120,000 people living with Alzheimer’s disease in Tennessee, and that number is expected to rise to 140,000 by 2025.

“Alzheimer’s is a significant threat not only for the nation – but also for the people of Tennessee,” said Marcia Massengill, the CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association’s Mid South Chapter.

The study on Alzheimer's said: family members provide care at home for about 70 percent of people with Alzheimer’s disease, the ripple effects of Alzheimer’s disease can be felt throughout the affected person’s entire family; according to Facts and Figures, in 2009, nearly 11 million Alzheimer caregivers in the U.S. provided 12.5 billion hours of unpaid care valued at $144 billion; in Tennessee alone, more than 252,000 caregivers, provided over 287 million hours of unpaid care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or another dementia valued at more than $3 billion.

The new report also reveals that more than 40 percent of family and other unpaid Alzheimer and dementia caregivers rate the emotional stress of caregiving as high or very high, compared with 28 percent of caregivers of other older people.

The report also said although whites make up the great majority of the more than five million people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, African-Americans and Hispanics are at higher risk for developing the disease; there are no known genetic factors that can explain the greater prevalence of Alzheimer’s and other dementias in African-Americans and Hispanics than in whites; conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes, which are known risk factors for Alzheimer’s and other dementias in all groups, are more common in African-Americans and Hispanics than in whites; high blood pressure and diabetes are potentially modifiable conditions and better management of these conditions could help to reduce the prevalence of Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

Although African-Americans and/or Hispanics are more likely than whites to have Alzheimer’s and dementia, they are less likely than whites to have a diagnosis of the condition.
Delays in diagnosis mean that African-Americans and/or Hispanics are not getting treatment in the earlier stages of the disease when treatments are most effective and they also miss the opportunity to make legal, financial and care plans.

The Mid South Chapter is committed to local outreach programs and resources that educate diverse populations about the importance of brain health and managing risk factors. Contact your local area office to find out what’s available in your area.

“Early detection, diagnosis and intervention are vital because they provide individuals the best opportunities for treatment, support and planning for their future,” said Ms. Massengill. “We know many families miss the warning signs or mistakenly assume symptoms are a normal part of aging. The Mid South Chapter is working hard to educate our community about those signs that may actually be cause for concern and warrant medical follow up.”

The full text of the Alzheimer’s Association’s 2010 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures can be viewed at www.alz.org. To reach your local area office, call 423.265.3611 or 800.272.3900.