GREEN VALLEY, Ariz. (KGUN) — As Arizona continues to see the fastest-growing rate of Alzheimer’s in the country, community members in Green Valley gathered Tuesday for a special talk aimed at raising awareness and improving care for those affected by dementia.
Hosted by Senior Helpers of Green Valley, the event welcomed Gwen Mikinski from the Alzheimer’s Association, who spoke about lifestyle changes that can reduce the risk of dementia and support brain health. Mikinski, who manages the Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Tucson and Yuma, emphasized that while there is no cure yet, there are proactive steps people can take to maintain cognitive function.
“Keeping your brain healthy and engaged involves eating right, sleeping right, and doing mental challenges,” Mikinski said. “It’s a lot like being an athlete.”
The message comes at a critical time for Arizona. Currently, over 1 in 10 adults over the age of 65 in the state are living with Alzheimer’s, a number expected to climb in the coming years as the population continues to age.
June is nationally recognized as Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month, a time dedicated to education and advocacy around all types of dementia. For many attendees, the information hit close to home.
Jack Jeffrey, a Green Valley resident, shared that his wife has shown increasing signs of memory loss over the past three years. “She’ll agree to something and then forget… I want her to be happy, but I don’t know what to do,” he said. “That’s why I’m here.”
For those like Jeffrey, Senior Helpers offers a tool called Senior Gems, a system based on Teepa Snow’s Positive Approach to Care (PAC). It helps caregivers identify the different stages of dementia and adapt their support accordingly. Lynne Cote, the branch manager, explained how the program helps personalize care by focusing on the individual's abilities and interests.
“We’re identifying the characteristics of each stage, from normal aging to the end stages of Alzheimer’s, and matching them with meaningful activities,” Cote said. “We want to focus on what they can do, not what they can’t.”
Mikinski also encouraged participants to prepare for this year’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s, scheduled for October 25 at Reid Park in Tucson. The event is both a fundraiser and a symbol of community support for the estimated 150,000 Arizonans currently living with Alzheimer’s.
Mikinski says funds raised go toward important medical research into the causes and treatment of Alzheimer’s. She mentions a blood test to identify Alzheimer’s risks, which was cleared by the FDA last month.
The blood test can reliably predict the presence or absence of amyloid pathology, or deposits of amyloid proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
Currently, the test is limited to those showing signs of early dementia, but in the future may be available more broadly to the public.
To learn more about Alzheimer’s prevention, caregiving tools and local events, visit Alzheimer’s Association’s website.
——
Joel Foster is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9 who previously worked as an English teacher in both Boston and the Tucson area. Joel has experience working with web, print and video in the tech, finance, nonprofit and the public sectors. In his off-time, you might catch Joel taking part in Tucson's local comedy scene. Share your story ideas with Joel at joel.foster@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
