One in eight Virginians will get Alzheimer’s Disease, Jane Dalton of the Rappahannock Rapidan Service Authority told club members at the Aug. 18 meeting.
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Unique program supports Alzheimer’s caregivers
Those 85 or over have a fifty-fifty chance of contracting the disease, she said.
Ms. Dalton is program manager for the Connections program, which provides support and training to family members caring for Alzheimer’s patients in Orange, Culpeper, Fauquier, Madison and Rappahannock counties.
About 130,000 people in Virginia have Alzheimer’s Disease and 80 percent of them are in the are of family members rather than professional caregivers.
Ms. Dalton, a retired U.S. Navy officer, said exercise, eating right and maintaining a robust social life can be of great benefit to those with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia.
She distributed a pamphlet called “Basics of Alzheimer’s Disease,” which contains a wealth of information about the signs of the disease and treatment options.
Ms. Dalton pointed out that there is a support group for caregivers in Lake of the Woods and encouraged her audience to attend a hearing on public policy regarding Alzheimer’s from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Aug. 30 at the Culpeper Library.
The club was pleased to have several members of the community as guests at the meeting at the Woods Center.
More information about Connections or aging services in the region is available by contacting the Rappahannock Rapidan Community Services Board at (540) 825-2100 or visit the agency’s Web site at www.rrcsb.org.