On July 14, 2018, the Muslim Community Center Seniors Committee gathered in the masjid’s Main Hall for a discussion on memory loss, dementia, and Alzheimer's disease. The afternoon began with a lunch, where attendees were given a chance to enjoy conversation with other attendees before the presentation.
The event was in collaboration with the Alzheimer’s Association and was led by Diane Vance, the programs and services manager for the District of Columbia and Montgomery County, who has been researching dementia and memory loss for approximately 20 years. She explained that the discussion was part of the outreach plan for the Alzheimer’s Association to educate and foster connections with marginalized communities in the area.
“There seems to be a greater number of cases of Alzheimer’s, it’s an epidemic...a pandemic really,” said Vance. It’s estimated that $27 million is spent per hour on Alzheimer’s research. While there has been an increase in the number of people suffering from the disease, medicine is limited. There have been no medical advancements made thus far that are able to treat Alzheimer’s, explained Vance. Prevention is always best and it is important to take care of blood pressure, heart health, and regularly use cognitive functions, she added.
Throughout the course of the discussion, attendees were given the chance to ask questions and voice their concerns about memory loss and aging. “It’s important to know the differences between memory loss, dementia, and general aging symptoms,” said Vance. Before age 65, Alzheimer’s is considered early onset, whereas over 65, it is considered more typical.
Other questions that were brought up included: whether or not there is any correlation between the languages spoken by individuals, if insurance covers expenses related to Alzheimer’s disease, and if there is any specific diet that helps prevent memory loss. Vance said that there has been no evidence of certain languages holding off dementia but generally individuals will revert back to native language. Additionally, insurance only covers medical costs or expenses directly related to the disease, such as, daytime sitters; and there have been no diets proven to actually prevent Alzheimer’s.
After the end of the discussion, one attendee personally thanked Vance for all of the information shared, due to the fact her mother is currently suffering from Alzheimer’s. The guest mentioned how difficult it had been for her to help care for her mother and how the presentation gave her some insight so that she can be better prepared.
The MCC Seniors Committee is quite active, holding monthly meetings and planning regular dinners and activities. For more information about the committee, Dr. Ashraf Sufi can be contacted at ashrafsufi7861@gmail.com.
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