An Accidental Advocate-Arthena Caston Talks Early Onset Alzheimer’s Disease
Welcome to today’s Experts Dig in with Doggies for Dementia! Today’s guest, Arthena Caston has an infectious laugh, joy all around her and a story to make you sit up and listen.
What would you do if you were faced with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease at the age of 51-early onset Alzheimer’s Disease?
After a time of mourning, she visited her local Alzheimer’s Association, and her life would not be the same. I suspect your life won’t be the same after you hear Arthena’s inspirational story.
Arthena recognized memory problems at work and home for more than four years before being diagnosed. Unlike many of us, she sought medical evaluation early on. Sadly, diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease and other types of dementia are difficult to diagnose. Symptoms come on slowly and can come and go. If you are like me, you’ve been tired, stressed and have so much on your plate that you forget things and feel a little brain fog. When you are in your forties and seek medical care for memory problems, the most likely causes (stress, fatigue, depression…) must be ruled out. If you are stressed or fatigued, the advise will be to work on your overall health first. Most of us see an improvement. Arthena’s condition did not improve and she continued to find an answer. She knew of her BIG family history of Alzheimer’s Disease, bu
t her father and his siblings were all diagnosed later in life. Want to know more? Nobody can tell the story like Arthena. Lucky for us, you can see for yourself in the video below.
When Arthena was finally diagnosed and after a time of mourning, something life changing happened. She went to her local Alzheimer’s Association. Her life would never be the same!
Some Important Facts About Alzheimer’s Disease and African Americans
African Americans are often diagnosed later in the course of dementia, if at all.
African American populations age 65 and older will grow 224% by 2030, compared to a 65% growth rate for white Americans. Alzheimer’s Disease is under-reported in blacks.
Hypertension, diabetes, stroke, and coronary artery disease are all risk factors for Alzheimer’s Disease. What happens to any part of our body, happens to another. While we would like to consider each part of our body as it’s own unique part, we can’t forget that every organ is inter-related to the other. High blood pressure impacts the heart, lungs, our blood vessels and our brain, for instance. Obesity is more than carrying around extra weight. It impacts every single organ leaving us at higher risk for other serious problems. All the more reasons to live a healthy life. A healthy lifestyle may reverse some of the damage , however high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease are chronic conditions which must be carefully managed to prevent further body damage. This takes work and it means we can’t just sweep it under the rug and pretend it doesn’t exists. The previously mentioned chronic diseases are more prevalent in Latinos and African Americans compared to other Americans, resulting in African Americans being two times more likely and Latinos being one and a half times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s Disease than white Americans.
Despite these crazy high numbers, African Americans and Latinos with Alzheimer’s are, on average, less likely than white Americans to seek medical care and also to be diagnosed. Why?
- Stigma, misunderstanding, and difficulty managing our often complicated healthcare system are some of the reasons Alzheimer’s Disease and other dementia diagnosis is different for people of color. Diagnosis rates, access to quality treatment, and clinical research and trial participation are often much lower for African Americans and other people of color. I witnessed this when I was a nurse practitioner helping families navigate a dementia diagnosis.
- Common issues for Underserved Communities:
- Many specialist offices are located near major hospital systems making transportation a challenge. Potential Obstacles:
- Driving into a city
- Navigating parking
- Long walks into the clinics
- Waiting for the provider
- Copays
- Public transportation is a challenge for all of us and nearly impossible for someone with Alzheimer’s Disease.
- Families need to take time off of work
- There is no cure, and patients and families often see no real reason for visits.
- Clinical trials may not be available close to them.
- The added expenses of all the above may be enough for some to avoid medical care.
- Families may be worried about being judged. Some confided in me that they thought they were the only ones having problems learning to care for their loved one and they worried about being “forced’ to put their loved one in long term care. For these reasons, they may not only avoid medical care but may also avoid reaching out to support groups and social services for assistance.
These posts and facts are about numbers AND about people. Some people find healing and choose to go public with their experiences even if they simply speak to their local groups.
You don’t want to miss what Arthena has to say about the data and what needs to be done.
About Doggies for Dementia
Doggies for Dementia is a 501c3 corporation with a mission to provide beautiful experiences and memories for those impacted by dementia using photography. We are also advocates with sights on raising awareness through education, so nobody has to experience the pain of stigma, isolation and loneliness. Experts Dig in with Doggies for Dementia is our program with interesting and informative interviews with experts from all realms including family members and professional caregivers. Grab a cup of coffee, pull up a chair and join us!
Doggies for Dementia Foundation is located in central Texas between Austin and Waco. We are looking for individuals who would like to learn photography and be a part of Doggies for Dementia in their own communities. Doggies for Dementia Foundation will take our advocacy on the road once it is safe to do so. Your contributions go toward GIFTING families with photography sessions and prints to last generations. Their stories become legacies as we together raise awareness from a place of compassion. We are growing and plan to train others in the United States and beyond to join arms with us, and provide these opportunities to families impacted by dementia in their communities.
How We Raise Awareness
This Blog!
Our YouTube Channel, Doggies for Dementia
Our YouTube Channel playlist, Experts Dig in with Doggies for Dementia
Our Social Media Platforms on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Carmen Davailus, our founder is also active on LinkedIn.
Carmen is also a speaker and presents to groups in the United States and internationally.
We are a values based company, and everything we do from fundraisers to the photo sessions and beyond is done with our values front and center.
We believe our world can be more compassionate, kind and loving for those impacted by Alzheimer’s Disease and other forms of Dementia. This is a BIG mission and we can’t do it alone. THANK-YOU to all who have supported us. We are anxious to safely get back out, and show families some love as we continue to grow across America.
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