Smith County alliance promotes dementia awareness for World Alzheimer’s Day

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) – World Alzheimer’s Day, observed annually on Sept. 21, is a global initiative aimed at raising awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.

“Alzheimer’s disease is a disorder of memory and cognition,” said Allison Hennigan, a Neurologist at UT Health East Texas. “It is a disorder specifically where the biggest factor in Alzheimer’s disease is that the ability to make new memories is impaired.”

Alzheimer’s Alliance of Smith County helped spread awareness of this upcoming day with a pinwheel garden set outside of CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler on Friday. “We are speaking with people today and asking which color represents how they have been impacted by the disease,” said Rebecca Smith, the marketing and education coordinator for the Alzheimer’s Alliance of Smith County.

Each colored pinwheel represents a specific meaning. “Purple is for people who have lost someone to Alzheimer’s,” said Smith. “Yellow is for current caregivers. Blue is for people living with dementia, and orange is for people who just wish to see a cure in the future if they haven’t been personally affected.”

It’s estimated 1 in 3 seniors will have some kind of dementia at some point after they turn 65 years of age. There are over 300 types of dementia, said Hennigan. “Alzheimer’s is the biggest bucket under that umbrella of dementia. It is the dementia that we know the most about. It is the most prevalent dementia.”

East Texan Rudolph Jacobs lost his sister in a battle with Alzheimer’s dementia. He cherishes his sister’s memory, honoring her full life beyond the disease. “It’s real sad,” said Jacobs. “You know, to think a person changed that much in a shorter time.”

Spreading awareness of this disease helps highlight the impact on individuals and families, as well as recognizing support for caregivers and on-going research.

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