CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Keep the conversation going about Alzheimer’s.
That is what Sharon Rotenberry, the Executive Director of Alzheimer’s Association WV Chapter said is one of the most important steps to take in fighting the disease.
She spoke those words and gave an update of where they stand in the fight in front of a crowd of supporters at the annual Reason to Hope Breakfast by her association in Charleston on Thursday.
“Get the information out and talk about it,” Rotenberry told MetroNews what one of her messages are. “People don’t talk about this disease enough. If they don’t talk about it, they don’t know the resources and there are resources.”
She said the annual mission breakfast is to show supporters what the association is doing with the funds that are raised by them and want to let the volunteers know that their work is making a difference with this disease.
Rotenberry said both state lawmakers and public officials are making strides in making a difference with the disease as well.
The West Virginia Legislature has passed resolutions urging that Alzheimer’s and dementia be recognized as a public health issue, and Rotenberry said that the Bureau for Public Health under the direction of Dr. Cathy Slemp is helping to distribute information.
The association said there are 38,000 people diagnosed with the Alzheimer’s disease in West Virginia and 106,000 caregivers providing more than 121,000,000 hours of free care for those affected.
According to Rotenberry, that is one of the highest percentages per population in the country.
Rotenberry, whose grandmother lived with the disease for nine years, said there is only a 45 percent chance of being properly diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and of that percentage, only 50 percent are told they have the disease.
She said that must change.
“I think sometimes the feeling by the doctor and family is that there is anxiety to know its there,” Rotenberry said. “I think most of us fear what we don’t know.
“But if we know what is coming and if we know what we can do and there is help and support out there, it makes it a lot less scary and you don’t feel like you’re all alone.”
To learn more, visit alz.org/wv or call 1-800-272-3900.