ABOUT THE WALK
The Walk to Remember, hosted by Alzheimer’s Services of the Capital Area since 1994, is the largest awareness and fundraising event for Alzheimer’s and related forms of dementia in the Greater Baton Rouge Area. The Walk is a LOCAL event! As an independent nonprofit, not affiliated with a national organization, all funds donated stay in our service area to help Alzheimer’s Services provide education and support for the 20,000+ families affected by Alzheimer’s right here. Your participation in the Walk has a direct impact here at home and makes a difference for families you know.
Alzheimer’s Services of the Capital Area is the LOCAL resource, serving East Baton Rouge and the surrounding nine parishes. Our mission is to teach, care for, and connect with those in our community affected by Alzheimer’s disease and other memory-related impairments. From support groups and educational programs to Charlie’s Place Activity & Respite Centers in Baton Rouge, Gonzales, and opening soon in Baker, Alzheimer’s Services has helped improve the quality of life for affected individuals and their caregivers in our community since 1983.
WHAT IS ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE?
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain that results in memory loss, impaired thinking, difficulty speaking, and personality changes. There is no diagnostic test, effective treatment, or cure.
10 WARNING SIGNS YOU SHOULD KNOW:
- Recent Memory Loss That Affects Job/Life Skills or daily activities
- Difficulty Performing Familiar Tasks
- Problems With Language
- Disorientation of Time and Place
- Poor or Decreased Judgment
- Problems with Abstract Thinking
- Misplacing Things
- Changes in Mood or Behavior
- Changes in Personality
- Loss of Initiative
CAUSES AND TREATMENT
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain that results in memory loss, impaired thinking, difficulty speaking, and personality changes. The disease affects 1 in 10 individuals over the age of 65 and is the most common form of dementia.
The cause of Alzheimer's disease is currently unknown. Some suspected causes include diseased genes or a genetic predisposition, abnormal protein build-up in the brain and environmental toxins.
Although no cure for Alzheimer's disease is presently available, proper education, good planning, and support can ease the burdens on the patient and family.
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE FACTS & FIGURES
• Approximately 20,000 families in the 10-parish service area are affected by Alzheimer’s disease.• More than 1 in 9 (11.3%) people age 65 years and older develops Alzheimer’s disease; 11.6% of these are women.
• Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia and accounts for 60 – 80% of cases.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ALZHEIMER'S AND DEMENTIA
Dementia is a general term for a group of brain disorders. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia, accounting for 50 to 70 percent of cases.
- Occurs from a higher level (for example, the person didn’t always have a poor memory)
- Severe enough to interfere with usual activities and daily life
- Affects more than one of the following four core mental abilities:
- Short-term memory retention
- Language
- Visuospatial function (correct interpretation of visual cues)
- Executive function (problem solving, planning
