Dear Readers,

In many ways,New York City is an extraordinary place to live, full of the richness of many cultures living and working closely together, while still maintaining their distinctly different traditions. As New Yorkers, we have a unique opportunity to appreciate the history, cultural traditions, and, of course, foods from all over the world.

The NYC Chapter office is just a few blocks from the United Nations and our neighborhood is filled with visitors from all over the world. Their presence reinforces the fact that Alzheimer’s is not just a disease that affects Americans. The worldwide impact of Alzheimer's Disease is growing. Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) estimates that there are currently 24 million individuals worldwide living with Alzheimer's Disease and other dementing illnesses. If we don’t find a way to prevent this illness, or to cure it, that number is projected to increase to 81 million by 2040. It is interesting and not surprising, given their large populations, that India and China, and their south Asian and western Pacific neighbors, will experience the largest growth in the number of elderly, and therefore the number of persons with Alzheimer's Disease in the next decades.

The NYC Chapter office is just a few blocks from the United Nations and our neighborhood is filled with visitors from all over the world. Their presence reinforces the fact that Alzheimer’s is not just a disease that affects Americans. The worldwide impact of Alzheimer's Disease is growing. Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) estimates that there are currently 24 million individuals worldwide living with Alzheimer's Disease and other dementing illnesses. If we don’t find a way to prevent this illness, or to cure it, that number is projected to increase to 81 million by 2040. It is interesting and not surprising, given their large populations, that India and China, and their south Asian and western Pacific neighbors, will experience the largest growth in the number of elderly, and therefore the number of persons with Alzheimer's Disease in the next decades.

Recently, the Chapter has expanded our Latino programs to train Spanish-speaking home care workers. Thanks to a generous grant from the New York Community Trust, we are developing and piloting a culturally sensitive and linguistically appropriate Dementia Home Care Training program for Spanish speakers. Alison Reynoso, our Spanish language Dementia Care Trainer, is creating the first program of its kind in the country.

From the very beginning, we understood the importance of providing information, support and resources consistent with culturally appropriate traditions and caregiving. I am proud to be a founding Board member of the Latino Alzheimer’s Coalition of New York. In that role, I recognize the Coalition’s hard work to reach the large multi-national Latino community in New York City. This includes supporting community events, including our own annual Memory Walk.

Two years ago, the Chapter hired an African-American Outreach Program Manager, Rosemary Irving. Rosemary has developed strong relationships in the community and brought our message of information, education and support to Harlem and Brooklyn. As a result, support groups, MedicAlert + Safe Return registration, care consultation, community education programs and other services are thriving in these communities.

We know that there is a “demographic imperative” to reach out to these communities of color, as there is evidence that Alzheimer’s is more prevalent in African- Americans and in Latinos of Caribbean descent.

There are several theories about the cause of this. The most frequently mentioned is the relationship between heart disease and brain disease: the cerebral-vascular theory. As Latino and African-American populations have a greater incidence of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes and other risk factors for heart disease, it may be that these risk factors put them at higher risk for Alzheimer’s or vascular dementia.

Our next major outreach effort will be to connect with New York City’s Chinese population. We have been told that in the Chinese-American population, there is a dearth of information about Alzheimer's Disease, and that in many ways it remains a hidden problem. Again, respecting cultural attitudes toward a cognitively impairing disease, asking for information and help, and family patterns of caregiving will guide us in developing the most sensitive approach to providing support and education.

But our work has just begun. New York has many other groups that need information communicated in their own language, both literally and figuratively, including members of the rapidly growing Russian, Korean and East Asian communities.

As you read through this issue of the Newsletter, remember that our 24-hour Helpline provides support in 140 languages. Please don’t hesitate to call if you or anyone you know needs information or help. No one needs to manage Alzheimer’s disease or dementia on their own. We are here to help all New Yorkers, no matter what their traditions, their language or their cultural origins.

— Jed Levine
Executive Vice President,
Director of Programs & Services

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