Mayor Newsom to address Alzheimer's summit meeting

San Francisco City Hall                                                                             Liz Macera

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom will speak at the first Alzheimer’s Dementia Summit Wednesday, July 8th at San Francisco City Hall. The meeting is sponsored by the Family Caregiver Alliance, a non-profit agency dedicated to assisting those who care for elderly loved ones.

According to Alzheimer’s Disease Facts an Figures in California, 2009 (http://www.alz.org/norcal/in_my_community_16655.asp), one in 8 baby boomers (born 1946-1964) will develop Alzheimer’s disease (AD) at some point in his or her lifetime.  Over the next 20 years the number of people in California with AD will double from the current number of 590,000 to 1.2 million by 2030.

Family caregivers provide three-quarters of the direct care needed by Californians with AD-- $72.7 billion worth of care out of an estimated total cost of $104 billion to cover all the needs of Californians with AD. Currently there are there are 1.1 million family caregivers in California caring for loved ones with AD.  These numbers will increase proportional to the increase in AD over the next few years.

Family caregivers have poorer health status than their peers who are not caregivers. They suffer high levels of stress and depression due to the physical and financial burdens of caregiving. Significant numbers of family caregivers miss work days or must change jobs to meet the demand of caring for someone with AD.

The purpose of the summit is to bring together family caregivers, health professionals, and others concerned with issues regarding aging to create a dialogue on how we can work together to solve the financial, personal, and social problems associated with AD in San Francisco.

In the morning an expert panel will address current research on AD; services, systems, and finances needed now and in the future; and prevention. In the afternoon an overview of AD will be presented in three languages—Spanish, English, and Cantonese. The day will end after break-out sessions addressing challenges for caregivers, such as dealing with difficult behaviors. There is a break out session on LGBT caregiver concerns.

The event is free of charge, thanks to funding from the California Department of Mental Health, San Francisco Department on Aging and Adult Services, and the California Department of Aging. To date almost 200 participants are registered and the summit can accommodate approximately 450. Mayor Newsom is scheduled to address the audience at 10:40 am.

Lunch is provided; a $5 donation is requested but not required.

For more information:
Go to www.caregiver.org/caregiver/jsp/content_node.jsp and register online for free.
For more information contact Education Coordinator Jennifer Hull at the Family Caregiver Alliance or call register with Program Assistant Jessica Moore (415) 434.3388 or (800) 445.8106.