079. Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease impact on Women's health

Two-thirds of people diagnosed with dementia are women. Plus, 13 million women in the U.S. either live with Alzheimer’s themselves or are caring for someone who has it.

Dementia and Alzheimer’s expert Tanesha Tyler-Carr is back to discuss these statistics during Women’s History Month. As programs and services coordinator for the Alzheimer’s Association Dallas and Northeast Texas Chapter, she draws from her experience to discuss:

-Alzheimer’s and women

-Women as caregivers

-10 warning signs to look out for

Women often take on added responsibility as “sandwich generation” caregivers – that is, caring for their children as well as aging loved ones. This position can cause increased stress and the tendency to put their own health on the back burner. It’s important to stay on top of your health no matter your situation.

Topics discussed:

-Dementia and Alzheimer’s

-Women with Alzheimer’s

-Female caregivers

-Women’s health

-Low-income caregiving resources

Takeaways from this episode:

-Warning signs of Alzheimer’s includes short-term memory loss, extreme personality changes, and extreme changes in routine that causes significant disruption to everyday life.

-Care consultation is a free service offered by the Alzheimer’s Association, offering information about programs and services and one-on-one conversations about referrals and care plans.

-To apply for discounted or free aid, try reaching out to agencies at the beginning of the fiscal year, when there’s more funding available.

-Go through Social Security Administration to get paid as a caregiver and see if your loved one qualifies for Social Security Disability Insurance.

-Self-care is vital: You can’t care for someone else as effectively when you don’t care for yourself first.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Get 24/7 support from the Alzheimer’s Association:

1-800-272-3900

10 Early Signs and Symptoms of Alzheimer’s:

https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/10_signs

Department of Disability services:

https://www.usa.gov/disability-services

Area Agencies on Aging (AAA)

https://www.hhs.texas.gov/providers/long-term-care-providers/area-agencies-aging-aaa