Westchester faces a tsunami of Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer”™s disease is a progressive and irreversible illness that can”™t be prevented, cured or slowed. One of the most devastating diseases of our time, the ailment affects more than 5.3 million Americans, including more than 1 in 10 residents who are 65 or older.

According to the Hudson Valley chapter of the Alzheimer”™s Association, 40,000 people in the region are affected. Westchester has its share of facilities that care for people affected by the progressive disease that steals memories and takes a huge emotional toll on family members. But are we ready for the growing wave of people with Alzheimer”™s and other memory disorders that is approaching?

Boomers bringing a wave of Alzheimer”™s

Unless a cure is found, that wave will grow rapidly as the baby boomers reach their senior years. Age is the biggest factor in developing the disease. More than 95 percent of Americans affected by Alzheimer”™s ”” 5.1 million ”” are at least 65 years old. The number of seniors affected is expected to almost triple to 13.8 million by 2050.

At United Hebrew of New Rochelle, we are taking a leap forward in the care of memory disorders with the opening this spring of Willow Gardens, Westchester”™s first nonprofit residence devoted entirely to people affected by Alzheimer”™s and other dementias.

Such residences will be needed in this region. With a populace that is slightly older than the country as a whole, Westchester is sure to continue seeing its share of Alzheimer”™s disease and other dementias. The Hudson Valley chapter of the Alzheimer”™s Association projects that by 2025 there will be 50,000 people in the region with the disease.

While we can”™t cure Alzheimer”™s yet, there is much that we can do. We can treat those affected by it with skill, wisdom and compassion. If we operate facilities that treat each person for whom he or she is ”” not a statistic, but an individual with a lifetime of experiences as a mother, a father, a grandparent, a sibling.

Living with dignity

That kind of care requires institutions and health care professionals who are trained to extend care, respect and understanding to each person to help them live with dignity and a high quality of life. It also means having the training to help family members cope with the realization that their aging parent, aunt or uncle may not recognize them and may behave in ways that seem strange to them.

As geriatric specialists, we recognize that one-size care does not fit all. People”™s needs evolve as they age and the level of care must increase. Understanding this, our organization has evolved, too, offering different levels of supportive care on one campus: independent living, assisted living, short-term rehab facilitated by Burke Rehabilitation & Research in White Plains, and long-term nursing care.

It Takes a Village

Residences that focus exclusively on people with Alzheimer”™s and memory impairment are the logical next step in meaningful care. Research shows that socialization is key to maintaining and enhancing a person”™s quality of life. Alzheimer”™s is less jarring and easier to cope with when people affected by it spend their days among others with similar conditions.

At United Hebrew of New Rochelle, our experience has shown that it is beneficial to train everyone who interacts with people affected by dementia ”” not just the nurses and other health care professionals ”” to understand the disease and how it affects a person. Our staff members are taught to show patience in the face of the frustration that comes as the disease takes away a person”™s memories and ability to perform even simple functions. They are taught that a resident who repeats a question may have no memory of having asked it just a short time ago.

We have been caring for memory-impaired residents in dedicated spaces throughout our 90-plus-year history. Willow Gardens will bring the next step in our growth, bringing them together in one dedicated residential community. Residents with midlevel dementia will live on the first floor while those with advanced conditions will reside on the second.

The separate residence on our campus will allow the staff to focus solely on caring for people with dementia. To offer them the attention they need, the residence will be run with seven staff members for each resident, a higher ratio than the skilled nursing home. Residents will benefit from the freedom to roam the residence and to stroll in a secure walking garden on the ground floor. They will be kept engaged with activities such as music and art therapy will be tailored to meet their needs.

Countering “sundowning”

People with Alzheimer”™s often show symptoms that increase or intensify in the afternoon or evening. To counter such “sundowning” or late-day confusion, therapeutic and recreational activities at Willow Gardens will continue into the night, ending at 7 or 8 p.m.

Soon there may be a cure for Alzheimer”™s. Every day, it seems, researchers make advances in understanding the condition. Let”™s hope they bear fruit.

But until the day comes when the disease is wiped out, health care professionals must continue to provide more places where residents affected by Alzheimer”™s and other dementias can enjoy a high quality of life, remain active and even find moments of joy.

Rita Mabli is, president and CEO, United Hebrew of New Rochelle. She can be reached at 914-632-2804 or rmabli@uhgc.org.