The Alzheimer's Association recently launched a new campaign to raise awareness about the disease within Hispanic communities.
Latinos are 1.5 times more likely to develop Alzheimer's than other races, according to the Alzheimer's Association. Per the association, the disease is also more often diagnosed in its later stages among Latinos, due in part to a lack of access to health care.
The bilingual campaign aims to help Hispanics recognize the difference between typical signs of aging and symptoms of Alzheimer's.
"I encourage those loved ones that are usually the first to notice when something may be off about their loved one," said Yarissa Reyes, the director of diversity, equity and inclusion for the Alzheimer's Association. "We want to be able to make sure that they recognize the early warning signs, and that they can open up a conversation with their loved ones and possibly with their medical providers as well."
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The campaign — titled "Some Things Come with Age" — launched last week ahead of the start of Hispanic Heritage Month on Sept. 15. It also includes online bilingual resources such as a list of detection signs, like memory loss that disrupts daily life, difficulty completing familiar tasks, losing the ability to retrace steps and other warnings.
The goal is to help families recognize these signs and provide medical access that can help slow the progression of Alzheimer's.
"Alzheimer’s disease in the Hispanic community tends to be diagnosed at the later stages," Reyes said. "And usually, it's a combination of different factors, but we know that there are barriers to accessing care. And we also know that the Hispanic community in particular tends to wait until there's an emergency or something's really wrong before they seek a diagnosis. And with this campaign, we're hoping to change that mindset."
