One community event at a time, the Alzheimer’s Association Central New York Chapter is disseminating information about this brain disease. The section is facilitating its “ALZtogether” social commitment program.
These events are held to bring together not only Alzheimer’s patients but also those who are affected by the disease. Due to the distinct dynamics that are established between each pair, the organization refers to these individuals as “teams.”
Care Administrations Director, Lori DiCaprio-Lee communicates how these occasions unite individuals from the Alzheimer’s people group.
“The ALZtogether social program is a chance for those teams to get out of the house, break from the routine, and participate in something fun and different. DiCaprio-Lee stated, “It is social support, but it is not a support group.”
The organization hopes to raise awareness of the disease among more people.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts that the number of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease will reach 14 million by 2060, with the majority of those affected being members of minority groups. According to research, the number of cases among African Americans will quadruple over current estimates.
Research likewise showed ailments, for example, coronary illness and diabetes might represent these distinctions, as they are more normal in the Hispanic and African American populaces.
According to the CDC, people with lower levels of education, higher rates of poverty, and increased exposure to adversity and discrimination may also be more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.
At the beginning of June, the Alzheimer’s Association announced a partnership with Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. for a period of two years to assist Alzheimer’s patients and their families.
Willis L. Lonzer, III, Ph.D., General President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., stated, “We are excited for the opportunity to partner with the Alzheimer’s Association to promote brain health as well as to offer education and awareness about those who are suffering from this disease.” Alpha Phi Alpha, with its rich history of service and leadership in the African American community, has long recognized and fought for the importance of cultivating partnerships that create meaningful opportunities for community engagement.
Willis stated, “This partnership not only aligns with our overall mission, but also with our Brother’s Keeper Fraternity-Wide Program, which aims to advocate for and improve the quality of life for our senior Brothers, their spouses, widows, and other vulnerable community members.”
The fraternity will connect local chapters of each organization for volunteer, education, and engagement opportunities as part of the partnership. The most recent Alzheimer’s and dementia research and data, as well as their impact on our communities, will also be shared by the fraternity.
Dr. Carl V. Hill, chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer of the Alzheimer’s Association, stated, “The Alzheimer’s Association is proud to partner with Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. to address health disparities and health inequities, particularly as it relates to Alzheimer’s and other dementia.”
For a number of years, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity has been a reliable and useful supporter of our mission. With this new partnership, we will be able to reach even more Black and African American families with information about the disease and our resources for care and support for Alzheimer’s and other dementia families.
The Alzheimer’s Association’s director of diversity, equity, and inclusion engagement, Yarissa Reyes, explained that the goal of this partnership is to bring information from the national leadership level down to the local communities.
“It’s really vital to arrive at the Dark and Earthy colored networks since they’re bound to foster the illness and less inclined to have the assets and backing that they need,” she said. ” So, my job is to go out and meet individuals where they are and carry the assets to them.”
The award-winning playwright Garrett Davis wrote Unforgettable, which is a stage play about a family dealing with changes in the matriarch. Reyes claims that an event held in conjunction with this film enabled the Alzheimer’s Association and the fraternity to leverage their partnership to provide the community with additional information about the disease.
“At the appearance of Remarkable, a play that talks a smidgen about the disgrace around the sickness, we held an occasion the night prior to the play, and it was only a pleasant occasion to get the local area together,” Reyes said.
“A great deal of the data that comes out [is] exceptionally weighty science and Alzheimer’s is an extremely complicated infection, so through the organization, we’re ready to do things like this, as truly get into the local area.”
Reyes talked about how “being able to use the arts” and working with an organization like the fraternity can make information and awareness accessible to the community.
Reyes stated, “The fraternity giving us this opportunity to reach their members like this opens the door for people who may not otherwise reach out for support. When they leave, they leave with more information, local contacts, resources, and support.”
At the public level, the Alzheimer’s Affiliation has extra organizations with Divine Nine clubs and sororities including Omega Psi Phi, Zeta Phi Beta and Sigma Gamma Rho.
“I think, in particular, working with the Divine Nine and other civic organizations that share our values, such as partnerships with the Links Incorporated, 100 Black Men, National Association of Hispanic Nurses, Hispanic Council on Aging, and others. We need to bring the resources to the communities that may not otherwise know where to start. She stated, “We have these partnerships with strategic groups that can open doors in communities that we might not otherwise be able to reach about the impact of Alzheimer’s disease in particular on the Black community.”
