Laura Perez and Courtney Ranger from the Alzheimer’s Association
Patti Smith
The Living Well Committee was pleased to present “Future Predictions and What You Can Do” during the April monthly speaker series. Courtney Ranger, Director of Programs & Services with the Alzheimer’s Association, educated the audience on what is dementia and what is Alzheimer’s.
Courtney began her presentation with the statistic that nearly seven million people are currently living with Alzheimer’s, and that number is expected to increase to nearly 13 million by 2050. Health and long-term care costs for people living with dementia were projected to reach $360 billion in 2024 and nearly $1 trillion in 2050.
I’ve often wondered what the difference is between Alzheimer’s and dementia. At the presentation, we learned that dementia is an umbrella term that describes a collection of symptoms, and Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia.
Whether you have general questions about this disease or care about a person dealing with the disease, the Alzheimer’s Association offers a variety of resources and support at their website www.alz.org. The association also provides support through their around-the-clock Alzheimer’s disease information and support helpline. The 24/7 helpline can be reached by calling 800-272-3900.
Your Living Well Committee hosts a speaker on the first Thursday of every month. Upcoming speaker information can be found at our website www.rrlwc.weebly.com. On June 5 the speaker will be from the UNT Department of Hearing and Speech. The committee will take July and August off for vacations and will be back with another speaker on Sept. 4.