Alzheimer’s Association: Walk to End Alzheimer’s
In this episode, we sit down with the Alzheimer’s Association to discuss the differences between dementia and Alzheimer's, preventative care techniques that can help caregivers and patients, resources provided by alz.org, and local support groups and events.
Kendall Givens-Little (00:18):
Hello, and welcome to the seventh episode of Just What the Doctor Ordered, the University of South Carolina School of Medicine's Greenville Podcast, where we discuss relevant news that you can use from the upstate. I'm your host, Kendall Givens-Little. In this episode, I'll be sitting down with Amber Morse, a volunteer with the Alzheimer's Association, as well as Kimberly Best a staff member with the same organization to discuss what Alzheimer's is, who is affected by it, and how people can get involved. We will also be joined by geriatric medicine expert Dr. James Davis, a geriatric physician at the Center for Success in Aging at Prisma Health. He will be speaking about how Alzheimer's affects individuals and standard preventative treatments. Now, let's get rolling.
Kendall Givens-Little (01:00):
So first and foremost, let's introduce yourselves. You can tell us a little bit about yourself. We'll start with you, Miss Kimberly.
Kimberly Best (01:06):
Yes. I'm Kimberly Best, the Senior Director of Development with the Alzheimer's Association's, South Carolina Chapter based here in Greenville. I've been with the association going on 14 years now, and I have with me today one of our wonderful volunteers, and I'll let her introduce herself.
Kendall Givens-Little (01:21):
Awesome.
Amber Morse (01:22):
Yeah. So I'm Amber Morse. I am an employee of The Aspens Verdae, which is an active adult community here in Greenville, but I have been volunteering with the Alzheimer's Association now for over 10 years. It's a very personal cause to me as I lost my mother to Alzheimer's a few years ago, and I believe in the cause I want to find a cure.
Kendall Givens-Little (01:40):
Awesome, awesome. And Dr. Davis?
James Davis (01:42):
So, yes, my name's James Davis. I'm a geriatrics physician. I have been working, caring for older people for over 40 years, initially at UCLA and for the last nine years here at Prisma Health in the Center for Success in Aging, where we have a memory care program aimed at diagnosing and caring for people with Alzheimer's disease.
Kendall Givens-Little (02:07):
Wow. We hear that word a lot, Alzheimer's. And I think we could all relate to it in some sense or fashion. I recall growing up in a home with an individual who suffered from Alzheimer's, and I know the effects of it. But I guess from a definition perspective, can someone explain exactly what is Alzheimer's and how does it affect a normal person?
James Davis (02:32):
The answer's kind of complicated. We're just talking about that. Again, it's a very common question that we get from people that we care for, is "What is the difference between Alzheimer's disease and dementia?"
Kendall Givens-Little (02:46):
Yes.
James Davis (02:47):
So sometimes those two terms are used interchangeably. Alzheimer's disease refers to a specific clinical disease where there's degeneration of nerve cells in the brain, and it has characteristic features of neurotic plaques and neuro fibrillary tangles. And it was identified as a specific disease many years ago, and there's been a great deal of research, and there are recent developments in terms of trying to understand what causes that specific disease. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia, but there's a number of other conditions that also lead to what many people call Alzheimer's disease, but would be more appropriately referred to as dementia.
Kimberly Best (03:35):
And I'd love to add to that being with the Alzheimer's Association. Believe it or not, that's actually the easier version of our name. We are actually registered with the US government as the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia Disorders Association. So I like to make people aware of that so that they understand that we don't only deal with Alzheimer's disease, we help people dealing with any form of dementia, as Dr. Davis just alluded to the many different types of forms.
Kendall Givens-Little (04:01):
Got you. And you've given an explanation already, but specifically if it's a form of dementia, but what differentiates Alzheimer's from all other forms of dementia? What is it that causes it to be called Alzheimer's?
James Davis (04:16):
Alzheimer's has very characteristic features clinically. By that, I mean, it has a very insidious onset. It develops slowly over a period of years. A primary symptom in most patients is memory loss. To make a pure diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, you have to exclude other conditions. So Alzheimer's disease often occurs with other types of pathologic changes, very commonly with vascular disease and vascular changes. But lewy bodies can be found in people with Alzheimer's disease and other pathologic changes can occur. So in the office, practically speaking, I can have a high degree of certainty about the diagnosis some of the time. But for many people that I see, often, as I review their records, as I look at their risk factors, as I look at the imaging studies that have been done, I often term determine that there may be multiple factors or multiple pathologies contributing to dementia of which Alzheimer's is a likely cause.
Kendall Givens-Little (05:31):
Got you.
Kimberly Best (05:32):
And I would say too, that from the Alzheimer's Association perspective, when we talk to the laypeople, we talk about Alzheimer's disease not only as a progressive degenerative disorder, but having some telltale stages that it has a typical progression. Now, when it's presents with these other types of dementia, that's when it gets complicated to be able to... But when we're talking to a layperson, that's how we lay out what Alzheimer's is. But then again, with the vascular dementia and everything added in, you can see changes that you don't see with the pure diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. And so I will say that in our research that we fund, we don't just focus on research that's going to bring about a cure. Much of the research, a great deal of the research at this point in time is around how to definitively diagnose or better diagnose the dementia or types of dementia that we're dealing with.
Kendall Givens-Little (06:25):
And that's a great segue because that's actually going into my next question was how do you diagnose a person with Alzheimer's? Or what are some of the signs that a person may be experiencing Alzheimer's? How can we see that?
Amber Morse (06:38):
So from a layperson who has been... I've been in healthcare now for over 20 years, and I have seen people, and very much at the beginning, it's very confusing to say, "Well, is she just aging and she forgot where she put her keys? Or is this Alzheimer's because she keeps forgetting where she leaves her keys? Or she put her keys in the freezer this time and she put the dog in the bathtub instead of in the dog crate." So it's very progressive and it's something that you'll see confusion and you'll see memory loss, and you'll see over time changes in how people are interacting with you and changes in the way they speak to you. And it's very normal for you to, for example, be in a conversation and forget a word and have to go, "Oh, what's that word I was thinking of?"
Amber Morse (07:33):
But when it happens continually and when it happens over and over and over again, that's a sign that there's something more going on than just, typically, "I'm doing 900 things that I can't remember this one thing."
Kendall Givens-Little (07:47):
Gotcha, gotcha.
Amber Morse (07:48):
If you forget you have a doctor's appointment, and then remember later in the day, "Man, I was supposed to see Dr. Davis this morning." That's typical, we all forget things. Just because you forget something, you shouldn't be worried that you have Alzheimer's. But when you forget that you have a doctor's appointment and you don't remember it later, or when you drive your car and you park in a parking lot and you've been to the same parking lot 15 times, you go to the same grocery store and you forget where the store is, you forget how to get home. Simple things like that, that's when you really need to speak with a professional, such as Dr. Davis or such as your primary care doctor, and really keep track of those things. And a lot of times it's other people noticing. So that's definitely something from a layperson standpoint. And from my standpoint, when I start seeing these things occur in people, that's when I tell people, "Hey, this is something you may want to talk to a professional about."
Kendall Givens-Little (08:45):
Well, let me ask a quick question, Dr. Davis. Is this irreversible? Are there steps that you can take to slow down the process of getting Alzheimer's? Or are there brain exercises you can do? Little quizzes? I know they have these new vitamins now, and that's supposed to stimulate your mind and brain boost. Does that stuff help or are there any other methods of maybe slowing down the process of Alzheimer's when you see it happening in a loved one?
James Davis (09:11):
There's two parts to that question. One, when you have diagnosed someone with Alzheimer's or one of the other dementias, of course you want to intervene in any way you can to mitigate that, to either slow the development of the disease. And I have to tell you, all of these conditions that lead to brain impairment in late life are progressive. They all get worse over time, regardless. But that said, there are things that can be done to help maintain function, maintain quality of life, and in some ways mitigate some of the progression of symptoms. For the rest of us who aren't quite there yet, who want to prevent Alzheimer's disease, there are very active lifelong habits we need to develop to try to prevent Alzheimer's disease. The World Health Organization estimates that a third of cases of dementia/Alzheimer's disease are preventable.
James Davis (10:13):
So they're referring to conditions where there are vascular risk factors involved. So if I were a 30 year old today and I had parents or grandparents who had diabetes or hypertension, and I was perfectly healthy, I would have it in my mind that for me to keep my brain functioning into my 60s and 70s and 80s, I would need to maintain a high level of physical activity. I would need to be very careful about managing all of these vascular risk factors lifelong. The changes that lead ultimately to vascular disease and to Alzheimer's disease begin in the 30s and 40s. So this idea of prevention is very powerful. Other preventive things to be thinking about are things like alcohol use, avoiding head trauma, wear a bicycle helmet.
Amber Morse (11:02):
Right? That's just the simplest thing in the world. Right?
James Davis (11:05):
Right. Wear a bicycle helmet. If you smoke, you can't smoke. There are very few doctors today who recommend cigarette smoking for [inaudible 00:11:14].
Kendall Givens-Little (11:14):
Wait a minute, [inaudible 00:11:15]. Doctors still recommend cigarette?
James Davis (11:16):
No, no, no.
Kendall Givens-Little (11:16):
I was like, "What?"
Amber Morse (11:19):
I've never met one.
Kendall Givens-Little (11:20):
I was about to say...
James Davis (11:21):
But again, the Alzheimer's Association has a wonderful handout on brain health. And it has like 10 or 11 recommendations on there. And we keep copies of that in our office. And so when I'm with a patient and a family, I'm saying, "Well, here's some things to do that will help you maintain your function." But I'm really looking at a caregiver who may be a middle aged person or younger and saying, "And here's some things that you can do exactly to keep your brain healthy." So yes, there's much to be done to prevent dementia. The incidents of dementia has actually declined in this country as we've been more aggressive about identifying vascular risk factors like high cholesterol and cigarette smoking, and reduced risk for stroke, reduced risk for heart attack.
James Davis (12:16):
Don't worry, we're not going to be out of work anytime soon because the prevalence of dementia and Alzheimer's disease is increasing dramatically because as the population ages, there are more people at risk and we got more work to do than we can keep up with.
Kendall Givens-Little (12:32):
Yes, you a lot of work to do.
James Davis (12:34):
So this will continue to be a major health concern for all of us going forward.
Kendall Givens-Little (12:39):
Actually, one of the things I heard as you were giving your description of things that we can do to prevent, it reminds me of what we're currently doing here at the School of Medicine Greenville, with our lifestyle medicine program where we're teaching preventative healthcare measures, teaching how to eat, what to eat, and not only that, but teaching that exercises movement, being active and starting in your early years to prevent diseases like Alzheimer's when you get older. So to hear you say that it's just confirmation for the university in what we're doing here. So I'm excited about that. But great segue into, you also mentioned caregivers.
Kendall Givens-Little (13:15):
We focus a lot of times on the individual who was diagnosed with the disease, but I don't think enough attention sometimes is given to those caregivers who sacrifice the amount of time needed to care for these individuals. I had a family member myself that I remember who literally just put her life to the side to take care of our family member who had Alzheimer's, and it was a full time job. So from your perspective, from the Alzheimer's Association, do you have any advice for the caregivers, what they can be doing to push themselves through that process or keep them encouraged through that process?
Kimberly Best (13:51):
Well, yes. I mean, of course, one of the biggest things we say is take care of yourself. You can't help others unless you are healthy and able to provide that help. So making sure that you take care of your own physical and mental health during the process of caregiving. The Alzheimer's Association provides a lot of help to those caregivers in the form of educational programs and resources to let them know what to expect and how to best care for their loved one as they progress through the disease. We have wonderful support groups. We have support groups for caregivers that are part of the sandwich generation that are caring for children and parents at the same time. We have support groups that are for spouses of people who have dementia, so spousal caregivers. We have support groups that are for the caregiver and the person with the disease when they're in the early stages.
Kimberly Best (14:38):
So all of these different groups relate to people differently to give them different types of support and assistance and resources along the way. And I would say that the majority of what we do in our local Chapter, so the association on a whole is such a powerful force for research and advancement of awareness. But locally, I think the greatest thing that we offer is the support to the caregivers through our support groups, educational programs, care consultations, and then referrals to places like the Center for Success and Aging.
Kendall Givens-Little (15:14):
Awesome. So if a person was interested in finding some of those resources, where would they go to find those resources?
Kimberly Best (15:20):
alz.org is our website. It is such a wonderful resource for the person that is concerned about having the disease themselves, about their loved one with the disease who wants to know about research, who wants to connect with a community of other people. It really is, no matter whether you come from the clinical side of things or the layperson side of things, it is such a wonderful, vast resource for everyone. So I highly recommend alz.org. And then of course, our 24 hour helpline. The phone number is +1 800-272-3900, and it is 24/7 nationwide, anywhere in this country you call that number, that phone is going to be answered either by your local Chapter or by our call center, which is staffed with master's level social workers. Again, 24/7.
Amber Morse (16:10):
And I'll have to say from my perspective, when I was going through this, when my mom, when she was first being diagnosed, the support I got from the local Chapter, the educational talks that were given, just having that education, just knowing some of the research that they were doing, just knowing that there were people there that I could pick up the phone and talk to was absolutely huge. The Alzheimer's Association was a huge support for me, for my family, and they continue to be, and they even do virtual support groups. So in this time of COVID, unfortunately, we have to think about that. So there's so many different ways to be connected and to get involved in the community and to have those resources. So that's absolutely wonderful.
Kimberly Best (16:54):
And I didn't mention our early stage support groups, specifically for the people living with the disease to be able to connect with one another, share what they're doing. Sometimes somebody might be involved in a study and want to share with other people how they can get involved in clinical studies. So it's just something great.
James Davis (17:13):
There're also special groups for early onset.
Kimberly Best (17:16):
Yes.
James Davis (17:16):
So when you have a young patient in their 50s, maybe tragically with Alzheimer's disease, the caregiver who might be a husband or a wife is really different from the older spouse we might see of a 70 or 80 year old.
Kimberly Best (17:31):
Absolutely.
James Davis (17:31):
So their needs are very different. I'm always struck by someone with Alzheimer's disease who may have children in high school or taking children off to college. And these are very difficult situations. And the Alzheimer's Association has really a focus and have people who really know how to work with them. One of the things, our Memory Health program, a major interest, and the main thing I do is these assessments. "Someone has a memory problem, let's do an evaluation and try to make a diagnosis and see what it is." But a bigger part of our program is what we call a care management program. So that program focuses on two things. One is symptom management, and treatment of the person with Alzheimer's disease, but really fits right in with the approach to the support and education of the caregiver. And so, of course, one of our main resources for education and support is the Alzheimer's Association. So it's hand and glove.
Kimberly Best (18:35):
Yes, absolutely.
James Davis (18:35):
Our social worker who works with us has been very active in the Alzheimer's Association.
Kimberly Best (18:40):
We love Diana Dorstyn.
James Davis (18:42):
Diana Dorstyn.
Kimberly Best (18:42):
We love us some Diana.
James Davis (18:46):
The other thing is that this approach of caring for persons with Alzheimer's and a chronic disease approach is very similar to diabetes management or heart failure management, or caring for people who have COPD or caring for children who have chronic disabilities, where you're working with caregivers and doing education and support to caregivers. So we're on call. We're available. We see patients five days a week, and we work with primary care. We don't take over the care of the person, but we work very closely with the primary care team. The medical conditions that people with Alzheimer's have need to be managed carefully and aggressively, because if you have diabetes or hypertension and Alzheimer's disease or dementia-
Kendall Givens-Little (19:37):
Yeah, that's a lot.
James Davis (19:38):
... then there are going to be differences in the way you manage those conditions.
Kendall Givens-Little (19:42):
So quick question, is there a specific age demographic for this particular disease? Or what's the age range where you typically start to see the dementia set in?
Kimberly Best (19:52):
I'll just say from a statistical standpoint, that there's six million Americans living with this disease, and about 500,000 of them are under the age of 65.
Kendall Givens-Little (20:03):
Wow.
Kimberly Best (20:04):
So it's definitely more common, 65 and older. But I know people, and I'm sure Dr. Davis does here in our local community under the age of 40 that have already been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. So it's not as common, but it is not totally an elderly person's disease.
Kendall Givens-Little (20:24):
Gotcha. And you touched on something earlier. You mentioned having pretty much a social space, a social community where people diagnosed with the disease can come and share and talk and learn. Tell me a little bit more about that social platform. Can they access that through that website that you gave earlier?
Kimberly Best (20:43):
Yes. There's an online community for people living with the disease through alz.org. It can be found there. But then we also have virtual support groups. So again, you can find local listings of virtual support groups at alz.org for every state. So there's alz.org/sc for South Carolina, so you can find things that are specific to South Carolina. And then one of our support groups that we actually have here in Greenville is at the Upcountry History Museum. They do a monthly support group for caregivers and the person with the disease to come out, and so they have an experience together and then have some support time of sharing with each other. So it's important to realize that the person is not only the disease, and it's important for caregivers for their lives to not only be the disease. So it's equally important for us to provide support for what they're facing with the disease, but and to help them live their best life as they progress through the journey.
Kimberly Best (21:44):
And that's one of the taglines that Alzheimer's Association in recent years has gone to the tagline of, "We're the brains behind saving yours." Which pretty powerful and hotty and truly we are. But the original tagline we had was, "There to stand beside you."
Kendall Givens-Little (22:00):
I like that.
Kimberly Best (22:00):
And I love that because that is what we do. We are there for the entirety of the journey. There are a lot of people that get diagnosed very late and progress rapidly through the disease, but then there are people who live for decade or more with dementia and that caregiver caregives over that entire period. So we want to stand beside them throughout that process and be their partner in the journey.
Kendall Givens-Little (22:24):
Awesome. Kimberly, I know you guys do a lot when it comes to research around Alzheimer's. Tell me a little bit about how you guys are going about and conducting some of your research.
Kimberly Best (22:35):
Yes. Well, the Alzheimer's Association is the world's largest nonprofit funder of Alzheimer's research. We don't conduct the research ourself, but we find researchers and support their efforts globally in the area. The only entities that outspend us in the area of research are the government of China and the government of the United States.
Kendall Givens-Little (22:55):
Okay.
Kimberly Best (22:55):
Not only do they have more donors than us, but the Alzheimer's Association actually advocates so that at the NIH, there is an understanding of where the research would be most beneficial. So we work with the NIH to petition the federal government so that the funds are available and supporting the efforts that need support.
Kendall Givens-Little (23:16):
Great.
Kimberly Best (23:16):
We're also the world's largest convener of Alzheimer's research, bringing together researchers from across the globe at our Alzheimer's Association International Conference, which is held each year at the end of July or the beginning of August.
Kimberly Best (23:32):
And then finally, on the area of research, I would say that we not only bring pharmaceutical companies together to share research with one another so they don't continue down the same rabbit hole that another one has already found not to be resourceful, but we also connect people with clinical trials through something called TrialMatch. And so I'm very proud of what the Alzheimer's Association has done just in my 10 year with the organization.
Kimberly Best (23:58):
We used to say that of the top 10 causes of death, this was the only one that there was no way to prevent cure or even slow down. Of course, in the last year, we've seen the release of a drug therapy that has proven in some instances to be able to slow some of the progression of types of Alzheimer's disease, of mild cognitive impairment. So it's not readily available at this point in time. It's something we're still advocating for coverage, for the administration...
Kendall Givens-Little (24:28):
Got to work out those kinks.
Kimberly Best (24:29):
Yeah. There's a lot to work out. But to have that milestone achieved, I think is just going to open the door for us to see so much more research, have successful outcomes in the near future.
Kendall Givens-Little (24:40):
So that's actually a great segue into our community involvement, community engagement. So it's very important to bring awareness to causes like this. And you guys have an annual Alzheimer's walk coming up-
Amber Morse (24:51):
Yes, we do.
Kendall Givens-Little (24:52):
... soon, could you tell us a little bit about that?
Amber Morse (24:54):
Yeah, absolutely. So Walk to End Alzheimer's is actually the Alzheimer's Association's largest fundraiser, but it's actually the largest support group of the Alzheimer's Association. And you think support group, "Well, how did that work?" Well, when you're gathering a thousand people or you're gathering a few hundred people or a few thousand people together, you're seeing that you are not the only one. So our Greenville walk gates open at 08:00. It's at Fluor Field, downtown Greenville, and just to see other people there. So we have flowers with the Walk to End Alzheimer's and we have five different color flowers. So each flower is representative of a different thing. One is for somebody who has the disease, one is for a caregiver of someone who has the disease, one is for somebody who's lost someone to the disease, and one is for an advocate or a partner who may not be directly related to Alzheimer's, but is still supportive.
Amber Morse (25:55):
And then the final flower is the white flower. And if you've seen any of the Alzheimer's ads, this is my favorite flower. I want to carry that white flower one day. That white flower is for the first survivor of Alzheimer's.
Kendall Givens-Little (26:07):
Wow.
Amber Morse (26:08):
And so right now, nobody is carrying that flower. But we get together for the Walk to End Alzheimer's, we raise money for research, for all these wonderful things that Kimberly has just told us all about, that the Alzheimer's Association does. But we also get together, we get to meet people. We have wonderful sponsors who come out, who are community partners and helping to support. And we know Prisma Health is one of our sponsors this year, and we appreciate the support of all our sponsors. But there are people there who can give resources, who can help with information, and who can just be there to give people a hug and say, "Hey, we're here for you and we're here to support you." So there are walks all across the country that happen every fall. So we're excited about that.
Kimberly Best (26:53):
And I'd love to point out that the Greenville Walk is actually presented locally by Prisma Health.
Kendall Givens-Little (26:59):
Go ahead. Prisma.
Kimberly Best (27:00):
Yeah, Go Prisma.
Amber Morse (27:00):
Yes.
Kimberly Best (27:01):
And we love to call it a support group because just like our support groups and our education programs, it is actually free of charge for people to register and participate in Walk to End Alzheimer's because we want people to come out and be a part of this event, even if they don't feel that they're at the moment to be able to financially support it. Now, it is a fundraiser, so we will ask for donations, but it is not a requirement to be a part of that day. And the funds, again, that we raise are the primary funder. Everything that we do, all of the things that we do at the association are free of charge, and that's because of the support we receive through things like Walk to End Alzheimer's.
Kendall Givens-Little (27:39):
Awesome.
Kimberly Best (27:40):
And I'd love to point out that Dr. Davis here with us doesn't just talk the talk. He walks the walk.
James Davis (27:45):
That would be...
Kimberly Best (27:45):
Tell us how Dr. Davis is walking the walk.Davis
Amber Morse (27:48):
Now, Dr. Davis, we have people who dress up for the Walk to End Alzheimer's. Will you be wearing the purple tutu leggings and headband?
Kimberly Best (27:56):
No.
Amber Morse (27:56):
What is your plan for wearing this year? What are you going to wear?
Kendall Givens-Little (28:03):
[inaudible 00:28:03].
James Davis (28:03):
I'm not big on Alzheimer's Coast play, but I'll be there suitably dressed, and I'm always very enthusiastic and I have a great time. Usually, a good group from our office where we work together here at Prisma Health gets together and some wonderful time to see someone in a different setting. And so I've done this for a number of years. We are recruiting. So anybody out there that wants to join the Prisma Health Walk group, please-
Kendall Givens-Little (28:35):
Join us.
James Davis (28:36):
... go online and look for us. We would love to see you. I look forward to meeting you, talking with you, and as always, trying to be helpful in any way.
Kendall Givens-Little (28:47):
And they can find the information for the walk on that same website?
Kimberly Best (28:50):
alz.org.
Kendall Givens-Little (28:50):
Alz.org.
Kimberly Best (28:51):
And again, specifically, you can go to slash walk if you want to. But alz.org is the landing place for everything.
Kendall Givens-Little (28:58):
Alz.org/walk. If you are interested in joining the end to Alzheimer's Walk, that is so awesome. And it's great you brought up Doc wearing the tutu with the leggings. But that energy, when folks get around, folks, and we can let our hair down and we can just be ourselves, and that positive energy, there's healing,
Kimberly Best (29:17):
There is.
Kendall Givens-Little (29:18):
In that there's healing event.
Kimberly Best (29:20):
And this is not a physical endurance event. It is a two mile walk through downtown Greenville, completely wheelchair and stroller accessible.
Kendall Givens-Little (29:28):
Awesome.
Kimberly Best (29:28):
And so it's really meant to be a time for people to come together and celebrate what we can do together. And we believe that together we can end Alzheimer's disease and all other forms of dementia.
Kendall Givens-Little (29:38):
That is so awesome. Well, I'm excited to have you guys here today joining us on our podcast. Is there any last thought or statement you guys would like to leave us with? I'll start with Dr. Davis here, being the Alzheimer's expert.
James Davis (29:51):
I just want to express my appreciation, in particular, the Alzheimer's Association one other effort that they are making is to improve the identification and care of persons with Alzheimer's disease in primary care. I was speaking earlier about the large number of patients we see in our Memory Care program, but we really are struggling to meet the demand in some ways. So I think one way to meet that demand would be to improve services in primary care. And there's an effort underway here at Prisma Health to do more within the setting of primary care for early diagnosis and treatment. And again, providing support to those caregivers within that setting.
Kendall Givens-Little (30:41):
Awesome. Well, we're excited about the work that Prisma Health is doing and even more excited about the work that the Alzheimer's Association is doing. So Kimberly, any last words you'd like to leave us with?
Kimberly Best (30:50):
Well, just encouraging people to come out and get involved with the Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer's is a great first step in that involvement. But that we have tons of opportunities for volunteers. We are a voluntary health organization, so we depend on volunteers that we train to deliver our education programs, run our support groups, advocate with our elected officials, help plan and conduct our events and our fundraisers and even connect people through TrialMatch with the science. So if people have any kind of connection to this disease and want to volunteer their time, there are opportunities for them to join us. And I will just say as someone who lost her great-grandmother, her grandmother and her father to Alzheimer's disease, every day I know I'm fighting for my future. So it's deeply personal to me, but I know that it's going to take all of us working together to see that day where we live in a world without Alzheimer's. And I believe we will.
Kendall Givens-Little (31:48):
I believe we will as well, Amber.
Amber Morse (31:50):
So I just want to thank you all for having us on. This is wonderful. Thank you so much. And I also want to thank all of the companies who allow people to volunteer. I know the The Aspens Verdae has been extremely supportive in letting me come out and volunteer. And that's so important, I think, for companies to hear. Have your people volunteer. It makes a difference. Even if you have an hour a month that you can maybe make five phone calls for us, every one of those phone calls is going to make a difference. We have volunteers and I say we like I'm part of the Alzheimer's Association.
Kimberly Best (32:25):
You are. She is.
Amber Morse (32:26):
But I'm a volunteer and I have been. But if you are an intern somewhere and you just have a couple of hours that you want to volunteer and you want to make a difference and you want to do something, the Alzheimer's Association is a volunteer led organization and being able to volunteer is absolutely huge. But I want to thank Prisma. I want to thank you here at the School of Medicine for supporting us and for having us on this podcast and for really bringing light to this topic. It's very important topic to...
Kendall Givens-Little (32:59):
Well, we're excited to have all of you here. And I want to extend a challenge to the Upstate for anyone who may know of someone who has Alzheimer's or experienced it or witnessed it, we could use your time in service. A lot of the times you think of service, you think you need to be seen. But we're looking for some behind the scenes folks who don't mind giving their time and giving time of themselves. So that website, again, is alz.org. If you're interested in joining or participating in the walk, that website again is alz.org/walk, alz.org/walk.
Kendall Givens-Little (33:37):
Well, thank you all again for joining us on today's podcast of Just What the Doctor Ordered. We're super excited about our partnership with the Alzheimer's Association and the Center for Success in Aging. If you're interested in participating in the walk, please visit alz.org/walk.
Kendall Givens-Little (33:55):
Again, that's alz.org/walk. I'm your host, Kendall Givens-Little. This has been episode seven of just What the Doctor Ordered. Thank you.