The Northwest Ohio chapter Alzheimer’s Association held its first community forum on Wednesday. The event
opened the eyes of the nearly capacity crowd at the Wood County Committee on Aging as well as the
organizers.
“We need to do more education. I heard that loud and clear,” said Pamela Myers, the program director for
the local association, after the forum.
She said she was surprised that not one of the people in attendance felt there was enough information
available for those with Alzheimer’s, their caregivers, nor the general public.
But Myers was pleased with the event.
“The forum went great. There was some great conversation, some great feedback and some great ideas hared.
I was thrilled at the turnout, the room was full, it was awesome.” Myers added.
She said the goal now is to take the suggestions and ideas heard and put them into practice.
The Northwest Ohio district covers 24 counties and Myers said they will be holding additional forums
throughout the district.
Lynn Ritter, Ph.D., of the Alzheimer’s Association, gave a presentation on Understanding Alzheimer’s and
Dementia.
She said that Alzheimer’s is often used interchangeably with the word dementia. But it is only one form
of several diseases under the broad umbrella of dementia. It is the most common.
Alzheimer’s is also the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. Between 2000 and 2015, deaths
from heart disease have decreased by 11 percent; during the same time frame deaths from Alzheimer’s has
increased 123 percent, killing more people than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined.
Ritter said one the first indicators of Alzheimer’s is the obvious loss of memory; however, not all
memory loss can be attributed to Alzheimer’s.
“Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of aging,” she said.
The disease actually eats away brain tissue and can have detrimental results for just about any function
of the body. It is classified as a progressive brain disease. It causes nerve cells in the brain to die
which leads to shrinkage in the brain.
Alzheimer’s also can affect the person’s planning, behavior judgment and can also inhibit proper
swallowing.
“Ultimately Alzheimer’s is always fatal,” Ritter said.
There is no cure and there are only five medications on the market that even can treat some of the
symptoms.
Statistics show it can be diagnosed in people under age 65. It is also statistically more likely to be
diagnosed in women as well as those of Mexican or African descent.
Hispanics are about 1.5 times as likely as whites to develop Alzheimer’s. African-Americans are about
twice as likely to develop the disease and almost two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer’s are women.

Among Ritter’s suggestions for minimizing the opportunity to develop Alzheimer’s is to maintain overall
good health including exercise and proper nutrition.
During the question-and-answer section of the program, audience members shared their experience as
caregivers.
Two men both said their physicians did not seem to have any real knowledge of diagnosis procedures or
treatment and respite services available.
The services provided by the association are free of charge; though some assistance programs do require a
fee.
Myers said that the organization will provide lists of available services and facilities.
“The important thing to remember is that you are not alone, we can give you support,” Myers said.
The hotline is 800-272-3900.