The Northwest Ohio chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association will host a virtual forum on June 29 to address dementia risks among veterans.
Veterans with dementia are more than twice as likely to be hospitalized than other veterans — and hospital stays are, on average, more than twice as long, a press release from the Alzheimer’s Association said. In addition, the average number of outpatient psychiatric visits is three times greater among veterans with dementia than veterans without.
Pam Myers, program director for the Alzheimer’s Association, mentioned in the release the group’s ongoing work to respond to the risks of dementia among service members. Via its Alzheimer’s Military Task Force, the association works to educate veterans, promote early detection, and connect veterans and their families to free resources.
“Caring for someone with dementia can be very isolating,” Myers said in the release. “This program will help people understand the support services available to help them.”
The free forum will summarize facts about Alzheimer’s disease and dementia as well as the caregiver support resources offered by VA Medical Centers and the Alzheimer’s Association.
Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or traumatic brain injury have a 60% greater chance of developing dementia. PTSD is two to five times more common in veterans compared with the general population.
The forum runs from 5–6:30 p.m. on June 29. To register, call the Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 Helpline at 800-272-3900. After registering, a Zoom link will be provided to join the session. The educational event; which is for veterans, their caregivers and interested family members; is supported by the Ohio Department of Veterans Services, the VA Medical Centers and AARP Ohio.
