Alzheimer's Disease and related dementias take a heavy toll on individuals and their caregivers. New medications offer hope, but raise accessibility concerns.
S1: It's time for Midday Edition on KPBS. On today's show , we're talking about treatment and caregiving for those with Alzheimer's disease and dementia. I'm Andrew Bracken in for Jade Hindman. Here's to conversations that keep you informed , inspired , and make you think. The number of people living with Alzheimer's and related dementias in San Diego is expected to pass 115,000 in the next six years.
S1: So I mean , I mean , one thing I think about is , you know , sometimes you might forget where your keys are , forget where you put your car keys , where your wallet is. Is that something that may not be as is , you know , much to worry about compared to some of these , a little bit more complicated tasks that you're describing. Absolutely.
S1: And Doctor Neil , I want to turn to you now. I mean , there has been some skepticism about these medications. S1: I mean , we hear a lot about , you know , sort of like brain training games and apps and all that stuff. S2: Um , there is , uh , evidence and information supporting the idea of higher cardiovascular risk factors. So other medical conditions and risk factors for dementia , uh , the patients who are or Latino origin have and the we don't know exactly , uh , the extent to which , uh , this additional medical conditions are driving the increased diagnosis in the population.
S4: Well , at first I was very happy because a lot of people will benefit from it. But unfortunately , when it came to my parents who were diagnosed when they were in the moderate stage , uh , couldn't benefit from it. S5: Medicare is crucial for patients hoping to afford Lacombe , especially with that high price tag. Even though Medicare is picking up the majority of the bill , many patients are still responsible for 20%. So that means that they still have to pay more than $5,000 annually in out-of-pocket cost. And that's still a significant cost , especially for Black and Latino Medicare recipients. About 25% are reported to live on incomes near the federal poverty level.
S4: I didn't hear about too much about the risks that were involved. Um , and I didn't even hear too much about the benefits either. All I was told was that this is the medication that that health care provider was allowed to give. And , um , she would take it every day. And that was about it. S4: My mom fortunately progressed at a very slow rate. But my dad , once he was diagnosed , um , and unfortunately came very fast.
S6: I will say that one of my favorite parts about my job at the Glen center is I do get a long , a long term relationship with the family caregivers that we serve. So part of our program is actually , you know , calling and checking in on the family caregivers.
S6: We always try to remind our caregivers , you know we can't pour from an empty cup , so caring for yourself is also caring for your loved one with dementia. S5: You know , many people mistake it for a natural part of aging. And so they avoid , you know , avoid the diagnosis altogether. But in the Latino community , particularly among men , there is a reluctance to admit that they need help. And so there's an issue there. But also in the Latino community , there is this deep respect for your elders. So it's trying to talk about the issue without disrespecting them.
S4: So when I take my mom out , those activities are for me too. So I , I try to really engage in that while I can still watch my mom , which is still kind of hard. But fortunately , I've met friends in the community that attend these concerts also , and they will watch my mom. As you know , I can get up and do some dancing myself. Um , and caring for my dad.
S6: Yeah. It is so important for caregivers to figure out what works for them. It's definitely not a one size fits all. And oftentimes , you know , we throw around words like self-care. Um , but that can also feel very overwhelming for a caregiver who is trying to be the sole provider and , you know , maintaining the safety and health of their loved ones.
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