The document discusses the aging brain and Alzheimer's disease, providing information on risk factors, symptoms, diagnosis, and ways faith communities can help. Key points include that Alzheimer's risk increases with age and family history, symptoms involve cognitive decline, and faith leaders can support those with Alzheimer's through flexible practices, memory boxes, and caregiver respite. The document emphasizes the importance of lifestyle factors like exercise and social engagement in maintaining brain health.

1. The Aging Brain and What
the Faith Community Can Do
 International Association of Ministers‟
Wives and Ministers‟ Widows, Inc.
 July 1, 2009

2. Health Power’s
Definition of Health
 Physical Health +
 Mental Health +
 Spiritual Health .

3. Health Power‟s Key Focus
 Disease Prevention
 Early Disease Detection
 Disease Control

4. Hallmarks of Health Power’s
Approach
Customized health information and
promotion messages that are:
 Authoritative - user-friendly - culturally
relevant
 Focus on physical, mental and spiritual
health

5. Hallmarks of Health Power’s
Approach (Continued)
Focus on disease
prevention, early detection and
control
Web-based and other multi-
media health communications

6. Risk Factors for Alzheimer’s
• Age
 10% of persons over 65 years of age;
50% of persons over 85 years of age.
 Since the number of African
Americans over 64 years will
double in the next 30 years, it‟s
a coming silent epidemic.

7. Risk Factors for Alzheimer’s
• Family History
 A history of Alzheimer‟s in a first
degree relative is consistently
associated with Alzheimer‟s.
 Yet, one can never know for sure.

8. A Rapidly Changing Demographic Picture
Growth of Multicultural Populations
40 36  U.S. Trend1:
35 29.3
30 24.8 Increasingly, a racially and
ethnically diverse nation;
25
 Result: Unless major action is
20 taken to eliminate racial and
ethnic health disparities:
15
10 - A less healthy workforce
and society,
5
0 - A further increase in the
spiraling cost of health care,
1990 2000 2015 for all2.
Source 1: U.S. Census Bureau; Source 2: Multiple Reports

9. How Alzheimer’s Affects the
African American Community
• A “Silent epidemic” in the African
American community
• May disproportionately affect African
Americans
• There’s often later diagnosis and
treatment, if at all.

10. What Alzheimer‟s Is (Continued)
• Alzheimer‟s is not a normal part of
the aging process.
• Alzheimer‟s is a progressive
disease that gets worse over time.

11. What Alzheimer’s Disease Is
• The most common form of
dementia;
• A progressive, degenerative brain
disease with gradual onset;
• The disease can last from 7 to 20
years.
The average duration is 7 to 12 years.

12. Key Alzheimer’s Information:
Causes brain damage as a result
of:
 Fragments of plaques and
tangles causing nerve cell
death, and
 Decreased levels of chemicals
being involved in sending
brain messages.

13. What Happens During Alzheimer’s
There’s a steady decline in the ability
to:
 Remember and Learn
 Think and Reason
 Communicate and Respond
 Live independently

14. Three Key Causes of Dementia
 Alzheimer‟s Disease
 Vascular Dementia*
 Alcohol-Related Dementia*
* Related to lifestyle and health practices

15. Risk Factors for
Vascular Dementia
 Hypertension (High Blood
Pressure)
 Diabetes
 Smoking
 Peripheral vascular disease
 Age
Cardiac disease

16. Alcohol-Related Dementia
Alcohol-related dementia results from
brain damage. Key causes of damage:
- Toxic effects of alcohol on the liver
and brain;
- Secondary damage to other organs
from alcohol abuse, increased
vitamin deficiency, risk of stroke.

17. About the Normal “Aging Brain”
 A slower pace of learning.
 Need for new information to be
repeated, and possible tendency
to repeat past experiences.
 Some also have some cognitive
decline (have greater risk of
dementia.

18. Ten Warning Signs of Dementia
• Memory loss
• Difficulty in doing familiar tasks
• Problems with language
• Confusion about time and place
• Poor or decreased judgment

19. Ten Warning Signs of Dementia
(Continued)
•Problems with abstract thinking
•Misplacing things
•Changes in mood or behavior
•Changes in personality
•Loss of initiative

20. Importance of Early Diagnosis
of Dementia
May help the person with dementia:
 Educate him/herself on the disease to
decrease fear;
 Participate in their own care planning
 Make legal and financial arrangements

21. Importance of Early Diagnosis
of Dementia
 Although there is no cure for
Alzheimer‟s, with early
treatment some medications
can improve symptoms or slow
the disease down.

22. Ways to Help a Loved One with
Alzheimer‟s/Dementia
 Be flexible about the way the person
talks or what he or she says.
 Make connections through songs or
old hymns.
 Have a quiet room where the caregiver
can take the person if he/she becomes
anxious during the service.

23. Ways to Help a Loved One with
Alzheimer‟s/Dementia
 Plan short frequent (home)
visits.
 Encourage the person to
continue taking part in service
and social events (choir, etc).

24. Ways to Help a Loved One with
Alzheimer‟s/Dementia
 Createa memory box with old
family pictures and other
special events.
 Create an atmosphere of joy,
trust and comfort.

25. Helping the Caregiver
 Care-giving with dementia can
be very stressful.
 Clergy and other faith
community presence and
support help a lot.
 Encourage respite care.
 Encourage use of support
groups.

26. Special Care Issues
 Agitation, often associated with
difficulty in carrying out usual
personal care tasks.
 Wandering, or getting lost.
 Difficulty getting to sleep at night.

27. Looks of Advanced
Alzheimer’s/Dementia

28. How to Decrease One’s Risk of
Alzheimer’s Disease?
• Stay informed and active.
• Maintain healthy lifestyle
• Partner to support research:
• Become a volunteer – to an
individual or organization.

29. Recent Research Findings on
Improving Brain Health
 Stay physically healthy.
 Controlyour hypertension (high
blood pressure)
 Participate in social activities.

30. Tips to Keep the Memory Sharp
- Make, and use „Things To Do‟ lists.
Planning tasks in advance. It exercises
the mind.
- Use note pads and calendars.
- Exercise regularly.
- Limit alcohol intake. Heavy drinking
over time can cause permanent
memory loss & brain damage.

31. More Tips to Keep the
Memory Sharp
- Develop hobbies and stay involved
in them. If they stop, being enjoyable,
select new ones.
- Do activities that reduce stress,
anxiety, and depression. If they don‟t
work, or stop working, talk to your
doctor.

33. Women’s Health Channel
Channel Editors

34. Men’s Health Channel
Channel Editor

35. Joint Organizational Opportunities
 Cross-linking our web-site with
yours:
- For Information Exchange and
- To help narrow the “Digital
Divide.
 Other possible collaborations;
 Membership in “The Health Power
Network”.

36. Health Power looks forward to
working with you and yours.
Remember:
Knowledge + Action = Power !
www.healthpowerforminorities.org