Word in Black is a collaboration of 10 of the nation’s leading Black publishers that frames the narrative and fosters solutions for racial inequities in America.
The Alzheimer’s Association released a first-ever special report detailing estimates of the prevalence of people aged 65 years and older with Alzheimer’s dementia in all 50 U.S. states and 3,142 counties and, according to research, many people are grappling with the disease close to home.
“We found that the Eastern or Southeastern U.S. have the highest prevalence of Alzheimer’s dementia for counties with a population of 10,000 or more people,” said Dr. Carl V. Hill, chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer for the Alzheimer’s Association during a community forum on June 13.
The forum examined the prevalence of dementia in Maryland, particularly among the African American community.
The study reveals two Maryland locales have the highest prevalence of people with Alzheimer’s dementia in the country.
“Here in Maryland, we were able to find that the prevalence of Alzheimer’s and other dementia are among the highest in the United States, with Baltimore County and Prince George’s County being particularly high among residents in Maryland,” Hill explained.
Maryland accounted for the highest rampancy of Alzheimer’s dementia, with 12.9%, followed by New York (12.7%), Mississippi (12.5%) and Florida (12.5).
Alzheimer’s and dementia were found in Baltimore City, Maryland at 16.6%, tying with Florida’s Miami-Dade County and New York’s Bronx County. Prince George’s County, Maryland followed closely behind at 16.1%. Researchers found that there were more people living with Alzheimer’s in Prince George’s County and Baltimore City compared to any other parts of the country.
Hill suggests that higher percentages of older Black people and Black Hispanic residents in those regions may explain the rates of higher prevalence, but more research is required to confirm the reasons behind those figures from a geographic perspective.
Alzheimer’s disease is the fifth-leading cause of death among individuals aged 65 years and older, with an estimated 6.9 million older adults living with Alzheimer’s dementia. Between 2020 and 2021, Alzheimer’s deaths increased by over 140%, and among people aged 70, 61% of those with Alzheimer’s dementia are expected to die before age 80.
A Life-Changing Diagnosis
Former Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker has committed himself to the fight against Alzheimer’s after his late wife, Christa Beverly Baker, suffered a decadelong battle with the disease, succumbing to her illness at only 61 years old. Her battle has encouraged his support of the Alzheimer’s Association to help other families who are also suffering from the devastating disease.
“At first we just thought it was something normal. She was 48, so we didn’t even think about dementia or anything related to that. But as time went on, she kept having more and more problems. It wasn’t until [later] that she was actually diagnosed with this disease. We were totally unprepared for what awaited us as a family,” said Baker. “My wife had been a civil rights lawyer, very active. One of the stellars of the family and keeping everything together. In a short period of time, she was not able to contribute in the way that she used to. So for us, we went from this family of three kids, two parents working, to how do we deal with this disease that had no cure?”
Baker is not the only one who has lost a life partner to younger or early-onset Alzheimer’s, a form of dementia that affects people under the age of 65.
Native Washingtonian Michael Smith, Alzheimer’s Association National Capital Area Chapter community educator and support group facilitator, was in utter shock when his wife, Bernita Smith, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at 56 years old.
“I remember when the neurologist gave the diagnosis [of] early onset dementia. He said maybe we need to do further PET scan, but he said, ‘More than likely it’s early-onset dementia, Mrs. Smith, and so you’re going to have to do,’ this, this and this, without any sense of sympathy [in] the way he said it, and without any resources or referrals,” Smith told The Informer.
He recalled the feeling of getting such news.
“It was shocking, scary, upsetting. Bernita was scared, realizing she was only in her 50’s. Is she going to be around to see our sons grow older? See any potential grandchildren? We had that difficult conversation of [what would she want me] to do if it gets worse,” he said.
While statistics show African Americans are diagnosed with the brain disease at a significantly higher rate than their white counterparts, the science behind the higher rates of diagnosis are still unclear. However, scientists and physicians alike suggest potential factors could be caused by exposure to environmental toxins, stressors akin to racism and structural racism, and even sociocultural factors including the foods that people eat or lifestyle choices based on cultural influences.
Likewise, African Americans are typically diagnosed at later rates than other races.
Smith recalled the negligence his wife experienced during her earliest concerns signally Alzheimer’s. Practitioners waved off her forgetfulness to menopausal symptoms.
“I think that’s an issue with primary care physicians, that oftentimes you have maybe 15 minutes with the doctor, so if you’re presenting with a physical illness, they’re not going to do anything else to further assess what’s going on from a more holistic perspective,” said Smith. “Family members [often] believe what the doctor says, but we are our best self-advocates, if you will. So sometimes, the doctor says, ‘Oh, it’s just menopause,’ but maybe what we need to do is say to the doctor that ‘I think it’s something that I need to be referred to a specialist for.’
Further, the transition into caregiving responsibilities for those who are not in healthcare poses many challenges, as Smith was left grappling with the stark reality of caregiving for his wife, while simultaneously scrambling to manage everyday life and responsibilities. Upon learning his wife’s diagnosis, Smith reached out to the Alzheimer’s Association, which served as a beacon of hope and support.
Smith was able to find psychotherapy and an early-onset support group for people battling the disease. Today, Smith continues to volunteer with the Association to support other people and families who are also persevering through the experience.
“A lot of times I think caregivers think, ‘I can manage this. I’ve handled it all, I can handle this too.’ [But that can cause you to begin] neglecting [your] own health,” Smith said. “They need to give themselves grace to be able to self-care. Self-care is not being selfish. Because the reality is, if we, as caregivers, aren’t taking care of ourselves, we’re not in the best capacity to take care of our loved ones.”
Smith also emphasized the importance of planning for the unforeseen future, as families should avoid waiting for life-altering emergencies to put their affairs in order.
“We often think, ‘Oh, I won’t worry about the estate planning and getting my financial affairs in order until I’m older or near retirement. But in reality, we need to make sure we’re covering ourselves on both ends,” he said. “Do our parents have enough life insurance, good health insurance? Are we taking care of our children [through] generational wealth? Do we have our financial and legal affairs in order? A lot of family members don’t think about these things in advance.”
