Tarrant County is hosting a free educational event Aug. 19 to provide the public with resources, informational sessions, and health services to increase their awareness on the disease that affects 6.7 million Americans.
This is the eighth year that County Commissioner Roy Charles Brooks has hosted the one-day event.
The event is a part of his Healthy Lives Matter initiative, which originally focused on prostate cancer. Brooks decided to begin the Alzheimer Education Series after his mother died of Alzheimer-related complications.
“That experience of taking care of my mother pointed out to me that there was a need for people who are less resourced,” he said.
Brooks said the main purpose of the seminar is to teach caregivers about the progression of the disease and to educate them about where the community resources are available to help them take care of their loved ones and themselves.
The event will have a variety of medical and health experts to speak about the disease and will also feature an Alzheimer's Congressional update from U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 6.7 million Americans age 65 or older are living with Alzheimer’s in 2023 and 400,000 of them live in Texas. They predict that, as the population of those 65 or older increases, so will the number and proportion of those affected by Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia.
Healthy Lives Matter is partnering with the Alzheimer’s Association North Central Texas Chapter to put on the event and will be offering Continuing Education Units (CEU’s) to nurses, social workers and other medical professionals.
The event will also include the Dementia Live Experience which aims to simulate the experience that those with dementia have by limiting the user’s external stimuli. Brooks said he found the experience to be eye-opening.
“It helps you to understand what people who are going through dementia are actually experiencing in real time,” he said.
The event will be held at the Tarrant County College Trinity River Campus from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is providing a continental breakfast and lunch. While it is a free event, they ask that those interested register at https://www.tarrantcountytx.gov/alzevent or they can call (817) 370-4500 or (817) 531-5600 for more information.
Gloria Farris covers Fort Worth and Tarrant County. Got a tip? Email Gloria at gfarris@kera.org.
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