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Alzheimer’s and dementia impact the brain, cognitive activity, and memory.
As of 2026, 7.4 million Americans 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s or dementia, according to the Alzheimer’s Association’s Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report.
These numbers are set to increase to 13.8 million by 2060, according to the report.
Not only is Alzheimer’s a very prevalent disease, it’s also the 6th leading cause of death for older adults, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month.
In honor of the month, we are raising awareness by sharing 9 resources to help prevent, navigate, and treat Alzheimer’s and so much more!
1. Make Lifestyle Changes to Decrease Your Alzheimer’s Risk
Your chances of developing Alzheimer’s and dementia at an older age depends on a lot of factors such as family history, background, health status, and more.
But did you know that what you do right now can also determine your risk for the disease?
Getting the right amount of sleep, exercise, and eating the right foods can all have a positive impact on your cognitive health and lower your risk for Alzheimer’s.
2. Familiarize Yourself with Early Warning Signs
Alzheimer’s and dementia look different for everyone.
Some may show early signs of cognitive decline like forgetting names or appointments, making occasional errors with big repercussions, and needing help doing routine things.
Others may not exhibit any obvious changes.
That’s why it’s important to familiarize yourself with the symptoms that may appear, progress, or get worse over time.
The Alzheimer’s Association has a guide that can help your identify symptoms in your loved one so you can determine if it’s time to seek medical help.
You can also contact their 24/7 helpline for guidance and support at 800-272-3900.
3. Track Symptoms
While understanding early symptoms of Alzheimer’s and dementia is crucial to helping your loved one be diagnosed, it’s just as important to dig deeper into the nuances of the present symptoms.
To help you and your loved one’s doctor get a better understanding of these symptoms, Rexulti, a pharmaceutical company, has a questionnaire to guide you on the best next steps to take in your loved one’s health journey.
The questionnaire breaks down the main symptoms and how these symptoms manifest.
For instance, your loved one may be displaying verbal aggression. But what form is it taking?
You can view your responses and print them so you can review them with your loved one’s health care provider.
4. Talk to Your Children About Alzheimer’s
An Alzheimer’s diagnosis doesn’t just affect the person with the disease; it impacts the entire family.
A loved one’s diagnosis can be hardest on children, who may not understand why their family member is acting differently or may not remember who they are.
Otskuka, a pharmaceutical company focused on advancing patient care, created a ton of resources geared toward families to help them have the difficult conversation about Alzheimer’s.
Resources include interactive videos, conversation starters, crafts, and more.
5. Learn How to Care for Someone with Dementia
As Alzheimer’s advances, the person you’re caring for may become increasingly frustrated, agitated, anxious, and angry.
This can increase stress on the caregiver and make it hard to communicate and care for your loved one.
That’s why it’s important to know what to do in those situations.
Alzheimers.gov has developed a guide with tips to help caregivers and families navigate how to care for those with Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Tips include how to deal with changes in communication and behavioral changes, how to help someone with Alzheimer’s stay active, home safety, how to relieve caregiver stress, and more.
6. Start a Conversation About Alzheimer’s
One of the hardest parts about Alzheimer’s is confronting your loved one about their diagnosis.
How do you approach the subject?
How will they react?
How do I make sure I get them the help they need?
Those are all very real questions for families going through Alzheimer’s.
Given the disease’s prominence in the state, the Texas Department of State Health Services developed a 4-step process to help you get started.
The guide was designed to help families navigate the tough conversation with sensitivity, grace, and respect for your loved one and their condition.
The resource walks someone through the best way to bring up the topic to ways to reassure your loved one that you will support them.
7. Help Other’s Understand Alzheimer’s
Dealing with a loved one’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis is difficult.
Helping family members and friends understand your loved one’s diagnosis can also be challenging.
How do you approach the topic? How do you break the news? What kind of directions can you give that person when they come visit?
All these questions and more are answered on the National Institute of Aging website in English and Spanish.
8. Stay Informed About the Latest Alzheimer’s Research
There are still so many unknowns when it comes to Alzheimer’s, who it impacts, and what causes it.
Researchers are hard at work learning how different factors impact someone’s risk for Alzheimer’s.
Stay informed about the latest Alzheimer’s research efforts by visiting the Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Population Aging and Social Studies (CAPAS) website at UT Health San Antonio.
Led by Drs. Rebeca Wong and Fernando Riosmena, CAPAS seeks to bring together multidisciplinary groups of experts and research networks in demography, sociology, AD/ADRD epidemiology, neuropsychology, public health issues, and experience conducting longitudinal studies for AD/ADRD research and Latino aging.
“By combining our strengths, we can address Alzheimer’s disease from every angle — from molecules and biomarkers to families, neighborhoods and communities,” Dr. Wong told UT San Antonio Today.
9. Participate in an Alzheimer’s Clinical Trial
In addition to research, scientists are currently examining the impact of new therapies that can help mitigate and manage Alzheimer’s symptoms.
These are known as clinical trials and they need your help to make an impact.
“Volunteers in clinical trials are not only helping themselves, but they’re also building a future with better treatments that can help their families in the future,” said Dr. Amelie Ramirez, director of Salud America! and the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio.
However, when the pool of participants doesn’t reflect the entire population, these groups may miss out on the benefits that come from these studies.
The reality is that too few overlooked populations, such as Latinos, volunteer for clinical trials or research studies.
Visit our clinical trials page to find a clinical trial, read about hero volunteers, and more!
In San Antonio, visit the Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s & Neurodegenerative Diseases at UT Health San Antonio, log on to the Mays Cancer Center website for more on cancer clinical trials, and navigate the UT Health San Antonio website for all open clinical trials.
On a national level, visit clinicaltrials.gov to find a clinical trial near you.
LEARN MORE ABOUT CLINICAL TRIALS!
Editor’s note: This blog post was curated and published by Salud America! with support from the San Antonio Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Population Aging and Social Studies (CAPAS) at UT Health San Antonio, funded by the National Institute on Aging. CAPAS is striving to address issues related to the aging Latino population in South Texas.
By The Numbers
142
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Expected rise in Latino cancer cases in coming years
