The Alzheimer’s Association Iowa Chapter will host a virtual community forum next week to discuss and hear from rural Iowans about their experience with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia care and about the support in their local communities.
The free forum will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 30. It will include expert panelists from across the state including: Jim Feauto, administrator at Regency Park of Carroll; Kari Bateman, administrator for Emmet County Public Health; Andrea Turnbull, Home Care Nursing Division manager for Cerro Gordo Public; and Coletta Weeda, a dementia caregiver from Denison.
To register for the virtual community forum, visit here.
According to the association’s Iowa chapter, the average Alzheimer’s prevalence rate in individuals aged 65 and older in the state is 11%. The chapter cited data released in 2023 in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.
However, many rural counties across the state face higher rates than urban and metro areas. The highest rates occur the most in Iowa’s northwest counties including Monona County (12.6%) and Mitchell and Osceola counties (12.5%). However, the highest single prevalence rate is found in the south-central Ringgold County (12.9%).
Today, nearly 7 million Americans live with Alzheimer’s disease, including over 62,000 in Iowa. Additionally, more than 11 million family members and friends are serving as caregivers, including nearly 100,000 in Iowa.
In announcing the health forum, the Alzheimer’s Association Iowa Chapter said rural Iowans also face more challenges when it comes to diagnosis of the disease, medical care, long-term care options and local support services to help caregivers. The forum aims to help Iowans better understand these challenges, shed light on the need for more support across rural Iowa, and start finding solutions to decrease higher prevalence rates and increase access to medical and support services.
The chapter is committed to tackling this growing problem in rural Iowa and is working on initiatives right now. To help, the chapter is offering local support groups for caregivers in some rural communities as well as two virtual support groups and education programs available statewide.
For more information on the Alzheimer’s Association, visit alz.org or call (800) 272-3900.
