𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐥𝐳𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞

Story and photo by Joycelyne Fadojutimi

The Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce Medical Committee took its road show to a non-
profit organization, Alzheimer’s Alliance of Smith County. Chamber President Henry Bell, Chief Operating Officer Grant Bell, Regional Director, Marketing and Clinic Operations Jess Mowery;
UTT Associate Vice President for Government Relations Courtney Smith and many others were
in attendance.

“We are just scratching the surface of the need,” she says. “We want to be able to grow to serve more and more clients as the cases increase.”

Alzheimer’s Alliance of Smith County’s Marketing and Education Coordinator, Rebecca Smith

The organization’s Marketing and Education Coordinator, Rebecca Smith, spoke to the
audience and made clear their goal – to “provide life-changing support to people living with
dementia and their caregivers.” “We are just scratching the surface of the need,” she says. “We
want to be able to grow to serve more and more clients as the cases increase.”

The Alliance serves approximately 1200 clients/patients annually, with half being return
patients and half are newcomers. Since Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia cause
irreversible damage, some clients die yearly. Hence, the Alliance provides memory screenings,
case management, respite services, counselling, and monthly support groups for caregivers,
training for caregivers, a Day Club program, and assistance to patients in the early stages of
dementia. This is a vital resource since, according to Smith, a conservative estimate of
dementia victims who will need help in the near future is 4500.

The Alzheimer’s Association provides the sobering, tragic figures that six million
Americans are currently living with Alzheimer’s. Even more, one in every three seniors who die
annually are dementia patients. So far in 2025, Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia have
cost the nation a whopping $321 billion. Barring advances in effective treatment, this could
balloon to $1 trillion by 2050. Alzheimer’s already kills more people than breast and prostate
cancer put together.

Some Alzheimer’s Alliance of Smith County team members: L-r: Katie Tucker, LMSW
Case Manager and Project Lifesaver Coordinator; Heather Adams, Administrative Services
Director; Rebecca Smith, Marketing and Education Coordinator; Tanya Dixon, Client Services
Director; Bonnie Varner, Executive Director, and Kathy McCabe, LPC, Counselor

This dire situation is especially relevant to the East Texas region. According to UT Health Northeast, the incidence of Alzheimer’s is slightly above the national average in Texas, and even higher here in East Texas.

“Sadly, a majority of our clients don’t come to see us until the dementia has progressed
significantly and they are in crisis mode,” Smith says. “It kills me when I ask seniors if they
would like to do a free, ten-minute memory screening, and they back away saying, ‘Oh no, I
don’t want to know.’ I do understand it’s a scary prospect, but getting a regular memory
screening is a great way to catch Alzheimer’s or other dementia in the early stages. When you
start interventions early, you can better insure a good quality of life for as long as possible.

Memory screenings are especially crucial for those who have already noticed one or
more of the ten symptoms of Alzheimer’s. Memory loss that disrupts one’s daily life. Simply
forgetting why, you walked into a room is probably nothing to worry about, but people who
constantly repeat themselves, become dependent on post-it notes to achieve daily functions, or
need someone else to remind them of things, however, is worrisome.

Other ominous developments are difficulty in problem-solving and performing functions
such as going to familiar places may indicate early onset and should be professionally
diagnosed. Being confused by time beyond merely having trouble keeping track of dates, difficulty in comprehending visual images and spatial relationships, difficulty speaking, reading,
and writing, misplacing familiar objects, and being unable to retrace steps are all causes for
concern.

Making flagrantly poor decisions and/or judgement, unwise financial moves, neglecting
personal hygiene, withdrawal from social functions, and changes in mood and personality
should all be examined.

Smith explained that a memory screening is not a drastic, intimidating procedure, and
can even be taken online. They consist of a simple list of questions and assignments that
evaluate memory, command of language, thought processes, and additional brain functions
compose the evaluation and can determine whether further examination is needed.

The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America describes how “four tests meet accepted criteria
for use as a screening instrument: effective, easy to administer, and validated by research. They
are the General Practitioner Assessment of Cognition (GPCOG), MINI-COG, Memory
Impairment Screen (MIS), and Brief Alzheimer’s Screening (BAS).

Testing is also available locally from the Alzheimer’s Alliance of Smith County by
appointment. Those who give the tests will review the results with the person being screened
and recommend whether the tested person should undergo further examination by physicians or
clinicians. Results of these screenings are strictly confidential. The participant will be given
his/her test results to present to healthcare professionals at additional examinations and to be
placed in medical files. Such memory screenings do not specifically diagnose conditions and
cannot replace person-to-person consultation with a doctor.

According to Smith, an additional objective of the Alzheimer’s Alliance is the well-being,
emotional state, and training of caregivers. The National Institute of Health reports: “Levels of
psychological distress and stress are significantly higher, and levels of self-efficacy, subjective
well-being, and physical health are significantly lower in dementia caregivers than in other
caregivers. These differences are even higher when compared with non-caregivers.”

“We see caregivers carry a huge burden of guilt, and many exhaust themselves,” Smith
says.

Despite the heartbreaking prevalence of dementia cases, Smith reports medical
research is producing highly effective tools to combat this disease.

“I’ve seen research that [indicates] that experts believe 40% of cases can be prevented
with healthy lifestyle changes,” she says. “Taking care of yourself is so important for your brain.”

For additional information on the Alzheimer’s Alliance of Smith County and how to use its
resources, visit alzalliance.org