Alzheimer’s Association, Spanish Action League, La Casita to Co-Host Forum To Discuss Growing Needs For People Living With Dementia in the Hispanic Community

Hispanics are one and one-half times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than non-Hispanic whites. While this was once regarded as an older person’s disease, more people in their 40s and 50s are being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias.

The Alzheimer’s Association, in partnership with the Spanish Action League (La Liga) and Syracuse University’s La Casita Cultural Center, will host an interactive discussion about the needs of Hispanic individuals and families impacted by Alzheimer’s disease and the community’s response. The Alzheimer’s Community Forum takes place on March 25 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the La Casita Cultural Center, 109 Otisco St., Syracuse. Spanish language translation will be made available, as well as light refreshments.

Registration is not required to attend the forum. For questions about the event, call 315.472.4201 and press zero.

“Our goal is a robust discussion,” said Catherine James, chief executive officer for the Alzheimer’s Association, Central New York Chapter. “The Hispanic and Latinx community in Syracuse has been faced by healthcare disparities and we want to provide a platform to bridge those gaps when it comes to the issues of living with and caring for someone that has Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia.”

Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth-leading cause of death in America. There are 5.8 million people nationwide, including 400,000 in New York, living with Alzheimer’s disease. More than 1 million New Yorkers provide unpaid, informal Alzheimer’s care. According to the 2019 Alzheimer’s Association Alzheimer’s Disease Facts & Figures, Alzheimer’s disease care in the United States will cost $290 billion.