Latinos Projected to Have the Steepest Increase in Alzheimer’s Disease – 50% More Likely to Develop Dementia Than Whites
In Truth, Lies & Alzheimer’s – Its Secret Faces, behavioral specialist Lisa Skinner—along with her co-author Douglas W. Collins—now provide solutions for dementia care to the Latino community through a newly released Spanish translation of their books that national book reviewer Gary Roen calls ‘groundbreaking.’
“Alzheimer’s disease is a global crisis that need native-language resources which help family members and caregivers improve their ability to manage the challenging symptoms and behaviors associated with brain disease,” says Skinner. “Many Latino caregivers end up being family members, as many Latinos live in multigenerational households — homes that include two or more adult generations. By utilizing the tools in our book, Verdad, Mentiras Y Alzheimer – Sus Caras Secretas, family members can resume spending quality time with their loved one, and that’s the real magic.”
“Language, lack of resources and cultural differences are often roadblocks to quality dementia care,” Skinner noted. The Alzheimer’s Association statistics revealed that Hispanic people are about 50% more likely to develop Alzheimer’s than non-Latino whites but are less likely to pursue treatment for the disease. Instead, they tend to rely on informal care from family and community members. This can lead to poor health outcomes because of low awareness of the disease and its symptoms as well as limited access to medical resources. “To provide local caregivers in the Hispanic community additional resources, we’ve made the companion workbook for Truth, Lies & Alzheimer’s also available in Spanish,” Skinner adds.
As the family grows, Anthony Big Tony LeoMorte assumes the de facto role as family patriarch. His drive, ambition and cunning elevate him from the son of a bread baker to the pinnacle of his Italian neighborhood. His only motivation is his obsession with the success and protection of his family. His mantra, Family is everything! permeates his counsel to his children; but it also serves as the impetus for falling on the other side of the law.
Puerto Rican recording star Luis Fonsi’s abuelita (grandmother) suffers with Alzheimer’s disease. Fonsi is now a spokesperson for the Alzheimer’s Association.
“We should talk about it, and we should take time and read about it and learn. I did not know that us Latinos were more affected,” Fonsi told People, referring to the data in the 2022 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report. “I hope the song (Girasoles) will resonate not only for those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s but also for their loved ones and caregivers who also need that love,” the singer/songwriter added.
“As a caregiver, having an Alzheimer’s diagnosis means you could be in for the long haul. On average, a person with Alzheimer’s lives four to eight years after diagnosis but can live 20 years or more,” shares Skinner. “That will impact Latinos’ ability to stay in the workforce because caregiving is often a full-time commitment. There’s not yet a cure or an effective way for early diagnosis either. Changes in the brain related to Alzheimer’s begin years before any signs of the disease.”
$2.35 Trillion Economic Impact
The growing number of Latinos diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease will have the fewest resources to manage it, according to a report by researchers at the University of Southern California and LatinosAgainstAlzheimer’s, a coalition of Hispanic organizations focusing on raising awareness of the disease as an urgent health issue. The economic impact of Alzheimer’s on the Latino community will reach a cumulative amount of $2.35 trillion by 2060, according to the study.
About the Author
Best-selling author Lisa Skinner is a behavioral specialist with more than a quarter-century of experience in the field of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. She is a Certified Dementia Care Trainer through the Alzheimer’s Association.
Lisa has appeared on such national and regional media broadcasts including CBS News, NBC News, Fox News, ABC News, USA Today, Health & Fitness, and many others.
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