NHCOA Applauds Announcement of First-Ever Comprehensive National Plan to Fight Alzheimer’s Disease

Washington, DC—The National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA)— the leading national organization working to improve the lives of Hispanic older adults, their families, and caregivers— commends the Obama Administration for unveiling the first-ever national plan to fight Alzheimer’s disease as mandated by the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA), which passed with significant bipartisan support and was signed into law last year.

“Alzheimer’s Disease is a terrible condition that does more than rob patients of their memories,” said Dr. Yanira Cruz, NHCOA President and CEO. “It also places great burden on patients’ families and loved ones. Given that Hispanic patients, families, and caregivers are disproportionately affected by Alzheimer’s, NHCOA commends the Obama Administration for taking solid, meaningful steps toward preventing and treating this disease.”

The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that the number of U.S. Hispanic Alzheimer’s patients will increase six-fold by 2050, from 200,000 to 1.3 million. This is because Latino seniors are the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. aging population.

“Latinos are about 1.5 more times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than non -Hispanic whites, which makes yesterday’s announcement extremely relevant to our Hispanic older adult and caregiver population,” said Dr. Henry Pacheco, NHCOA Director of Medicine and Public Health. “Therefore, we are ready to answer HHS Secretary Sebelius’ call to the public and private sector to be a part of this national response to alleviate the burden of Alzheimer’s in our communities through the development of effective prevention and treatment approaches for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias by 2025.”

NHCOA has recently been working to learn about Alzheimer’s disease within the Hispanic community. The organization is conducting research to understand the attitudes, level of stigma, level of knowledge, and the unique challenges the disease presents to Hispanic caregivers and health care providers. These findings will serve as the basis for culturally, linguistically, and age appropriate interventions designed to ensure effective management of Alzheimer’s within the Hispanic community.

Some of the key initiatives that are part of the national plan announced today include NIH funding for new research projects focused on key areas in which emerging technologies and new approaches in clinical testing now allow for a more comprehensive assessment of Alzheimer’s disease; high-quality training for doctors, nurses, and other health care providers on recognizing the signs and symptoms of the disease and how to manage it; easier access to information to support caregivers through the Department of Health and Human Services’ new website www.alzheimers.gov; and an awareness campaign to reach family members and patients in need of information on Alzheimer’s disease.

For more information on the national plan to address Alzheimer’s disease, visit www.alzheimers.gov.