SPEAKER FROM WNY ALZHEIMERS ASSOCIATION
Leilani Pelletier works with the Alzheimer's Association of WNY. She talked to us about dimentia and alzheimers. Dimentia is a state where someone has trouble thinking and reasoning. Leilani gave us a very good demonstration in the form of a test to help us to understand how a person with dimentia feels, thinks and reasons. Without the ability to properly communicate, it's extremely difficult for a person with dimentia to function, and there are many different forms of dimentia. There are 55,000 people in WNY diagonosed with dimentia, and probably many many more who go undiagnosed. These people are confused and get easily upset because they can't figure out how to properly communicate what they think, see and feel.
While there are many reasons a person becomes afflicted with dimentia, some of the "preventable" reasons are heavy smoking (1-2 packs per day will increase a person's odds by a factor of 157%), stroke, and multiple head trauma.
People can call a helpline free of charge to speak to a coach.
Alzheimers is a neurological disorder, which means that changes take place chemically in the brain. It also means that it is possible that it is both cureable and preventable. The Alheimer's Association believes that with much research, it can be stopped. Unfortunately when it comes to funding research in the medical field, Alzheimers research is the least funded.