Today is World Alzheimer’s Day, a day for making the…

Today is World Alzheimer’s Day, a day for making the general public more aware of the disease and its scale an estimated 44 million people in the world have Alzheimer’s disease, with an estimated 5.5 million people in the United States having the disease. Every 66 seconds, someone in the U.S. receives an Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Alzheimer’s is a progressive brain disorder, it slowly destroys memory and thinking skills. Eventually, someone with Alzheimer’s will lose the ability to carry out simple tasks. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia. At this time, science hasn’t found a cure, nor is there a way to prevent the disease.

As the disease advances, your loved one can begin to develop problems with speech, mood swings, behavioral issues, and disorientation. With this comes the life threatening behavior of wandering. In Oneida County we offer the Project Lifesaver Program, Project Lifesaver is a bracelet containing a waterproof radio transmitter. Participant’s transmitter is assigned a radio frequency that is unique to them. The bracelets can be worn on the participant's wrist or ankle. For more information, please visit https://projectlifesaver.org/ or contact the Community Affairs Office at 315-765-2220.