On September 30, the Alzheimer’s Association is premiering Memories of My Grandfather (Recuerdos de mi abuelo), a mini telenovela (soap opera) encouraging Latino families to have open conversations about memory loss, diagnosis and caregiving across generations, according to a news release.

 

Alzheimer’s is a progressive illness that affects parts of the brain that control thought, memory and language and is the most common type of dementia. It can begin with mild memory loss that may lead to an individual’s inability to converse and react to the environment and can interfere with his or her ability to handle routine daily tasks.

 

About 10% of U.S. adults ages 45 and older experience cognitive decline and worsening memory, according to the American Heart Association. For Latino adults, that rate is about 11.4% higher compared with other racial groups. Despite this, stigma and limited culturally relevant awareness often prevent Latino families from seeking help.

 

To spark conversations about Alzheimer’s in Latino communities, the Alzheimer’s Association produced Memories of My Grandfather, a five-episode telenovela told through the lens of a multigenerational Latino family.

 

Available in both English and Spanish, the telenovela follows the family’s journey after their grandfather is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. What’s more, the series aims to encourage Latinos to participate in memory loss research.

 

“We hope that this series will spark connections to the Alzheimer’s Association and the many resources that we can provide,” said Carl Hill, PhD, MPH, chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer at Alzheimer’s Association, in the release. “We want this series to encourage important conversations about how families can be proactive in addressing cognitive concerns so that affected family members can get a diagnosis, treatment, care and support they need in a timely manner.” 

 

The family drama stems from a collaboration between the Alzheimer’s Association and the University of Houston Engaging Communities of Hispanics/Latinos for Aging Research (ECHAR) Network.

 

“One of the key goals of the ECHAR Network is to engage, educate and inspire Hispanic and Latino communities to participate in Alzheimer’s research,” Luis D. Medina, PhD, said. “This telenovela is an important first step. It puts a human face on the disease and presents it in a culturally relevant way that we hope will resonate with families and help bring conversations about Alzheimer’s into the open.”

 

Go here to register for the webinar and panel discussion on September 30.

 

To learn more, click #Alzheimer’s Disease or check out Tu Salud’s Health Basics on Alzheimer’s. It reads in part:

 

What are the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease?

 

Some typical signs of Alzheimer’s include the following:

  • Memory loss that disrupts daily life, especially forgetting recently learned information or important dates or events;
  • Changes in the ability to follow a plan or solve problems;
  • Difficulty completing familiar chores, duties or work;
  • Losing track of time, dates and places, resulting in confusion and uncertainty;
  • Trouble reading, understanding visual images and judging distance;
  • Problems speaking, repetitiveness during conversations and struggling with words;
  • Misplacing objects and being unable to backtrack to find them;
  • Poor judgment and decision-making and changes in mood and personality or inappropriate behavior;
  • Withdrawing from work or social activities that were previously enjoyable or routine.

 

How is Alzheimer’s disease diagnosed?

Alzheimer’s is diagnosed via a thorough medical assessment that includes an evaluation of an individual’s physical and mental status, a neurological exam and special testing, including brain imaging, to exclude other possible causes of dementia symptoms.