Her mom was an attorney — a “brilliant, brilliant, bright star.” They used to talk every single day. “She was my cornerstone — she always had the best advice,” said Jil Wexler.
But now, “She’s disappeared.”
Alzheimer’s disease is a slow death, a long goodbye, a soul-crusher as the people we know and love fade before our eyes. It’s one of the leading causes of death in California, and the Alzheimer’s death rate here is among the highest in the nation — eclipsed only by Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, Tennessee, Washington and Utah, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As people live longer, the number of folks with Alzheimer’s is expected to grow exponentially — and, disturbingly, more young people are being diagnosed with early-onset dementia and Alzheimer’s, according to a sobering 2020 study by Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Though the numbers were small, diagnoses among insured folks aged 30 to 64 increased 200% over just five years, with women more heavily impacted than men, the study found.
Luckily — for those of us who are not getting any younger — Southern California is a hotbed of Alzheimer’s research, and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America is hosting a free Educational Conference for Southern California from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, April 19 at Hilton Irvine, 18800 MacArthur Blvd.
Folks can learn about the latest science from experts at UC Irvine, how to mobilize local support for the sometimes-overwhelming job of caregiving from folks at Alzheimer’s Orange County, explore how young folks can get involved and get tips on keeping the brain in tip-top shape. Advance registration is highly recommended at www.alzfdn.org/tour.
Over the next 20 years, the impact of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias on the state of California will increase dramatically, said a recent study from the California Department of Public Health.
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