Standing by the front door of the City Library downtown is a giant “forget-me-knot.”
It stands about six and a half feet tall, with wisps of purple ribbon tied to a wire frame. Each ribbon holds the name of an individual who has suffered from Alzheimer’s disease.
Kate Nederostek, program director for the Utah chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, said the disease is an “important issue throughout the country.” That’s why Nederostek planned the “You Are Not Alone: Join the Fight Against Alzheimer’s” event last Thursday, co-hosted by KUED-7 and the City Library, to raise awareness.
“There are over five million Americans living with the disease,” Nederostek said. “It’s extremely important in Utah because our numbers are growing.”
According to the Alzheimer’s Association national statistics, there are 32,000 reported cases of Alzheimer’s in Utah, and of those cases, nearly half of the patients are under the age of 85.
Rachelle Anderson, community and outreach coordinator for KUED-7, said Utah women older than 55 are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s than breast cancer.
“To me, that’s very eye-opening,” she said.
The Alzheimer’s Association is one of the largest resources for anyone affected by the disease or dementia. The association is also the largest nonprofit funder of related research, providing support groups and educational programs on a national level.
“Our goal is to eradicate the disease,” Nederostek said. “Everything we do is to raise awareness of how many people are affected by Alzheimer’s and how the disease progresses.”
Anderson added, “It’s not just the person it affects but the support group around that person. The life of their spouses, their family and their friends. I think people need to know more about this issue — not just from the diagnosis of the individual but how it affects everyone around them.”
The “You Are Not Alone” event was structured around three main components: the interactive “forget-me-knot” display, a free film screening of “POV: The Genius of Marian” and a discussion led by Richard King from the Center for Alzheimer’s Care.
King said Utah is “very underserved” in Alzheimer’s care and hopes the event highlighted the deficiency.
“This event brings public awareness and gives people the opportunities to become aware and start a dialogue,” King said. “Alzheimer’s disease is a devastating disease. People who have it lose their ability to talk and reason, and eventually they lose themselves within the disease.”
In hopes of combating the disease, King and Nederostek advise concerned citizens to talk to local representatives and initiate awareness with the local and federal government.
September is known as World Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. The Utah Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association will host a “Walk to End Alzheimer’s” every weekend in September to raise awareness.
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