A new report from the Alzheimer’s Association shows older, non-Hispanic Blacks and Hispanic Americans are more likely than older white Americans to have Alzheimer’s Disease or other dementias.  

What You Need To Know

The 2022 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures Report was released this week. It shows an estimated one in nine people 65-years-old or older have Alzheimer’s. That’s 6.5 million Americans living with the disease so far in 2022, a number that doesn’t include early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease, which affects those younger.

The report also states 18.6% of Blacks and 14% of Hispanics age 65 and older have Alzheimer’s dementia, compared with 10% of White older adults.

According to the report, it’s not necessarily genetics behind these numbers, but possibly health and socioeconomic disparities that lead to the same kind of chronic conditions, like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, that are associated with higher dementia risk.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, cultural tendencies may also factor into diagnosis and treatment.

Black families tend to insulate within the families if grandma shows signs of dementia,” said program manager Makeba Huntington-Symons. “We’re going to take care of grandma in the family. We’re not really going to talk too much about it. Maybe we’ll talk to our pastor or someone very very close to us about what’s going on but we probably won’t seek much help.”

It’s something Huntington-Symons said could not only delay proper care, but ultimately add stress to those taking on the role of caregiver.

“There are lots of resources out there and the earlier you get those resources, the better it is for the family,” Huntington-Symons said. “This could also be a financially catastrophic disease for many families. And so there are resources out there that could help you with the caregiving, provide respite, provide financial assistance.  It’s just a matter of reaching out and getting to know those organizations.”

Forty-six-year-old Christina Williams shared with Spectrum Bay News 9 her journey in getting her own mother a proper diagnosis.

Williams said she started noticing early signs of dementia in her mother back in 2014. But she said others in the community brushed off those signs.

“A lot of people were telling her these are just normal signs of aging,” Williams recalled.  “Like when she would say ‘Oh I forgot this’ and she would ask other people their opinion and some of her peers would say ‘I forget that too June, that’s not a big deal.’”

Research by the Alzheimer’s Association shows this is fairly common, with an estimated 55 percent of Black Americans believing significant cognitive ability and memory loss is just a natural part of aging.

“Other diseases that have been commonly associated with our ethnicity and culture like high blood pressure, diabetes - people acknowledge and accept and seek treatment for,” Williams points out.  “But memory issues, it’s still one of those taboo things that people feel shame associated with.”

It was four more years before Christina’s mother was diagnosed with dementia.  Six months ago, her family moved her into an assisted living facility.

“I’m not just a caregiver full time. I get to be simply a daughter,” Williams said of the current situation.  “Remembering who my mom was and who she is.”

For more information on Alzheimer’s Disease, including early symptoms and resources available to help, visit the Alzheimer’s Association website.