Catholic Charities Hawaii has been awarded a three-year, $1 million dollar grant to help persons living with and those at high risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias and their caregivers.
The grant from the Administration for Community Living/Administration on Aging Alzheimer’s Disease Program Initiative will increase dementia awareness in the community and address service gaps for this serious public health crisis.
“Catholic Charities Hawaii sees the impact of dementia on families and individuals in our work with over 4,000 older adults each year,” said Diane Terada of Catholic Charities’ Community and Senior Services Division.
She said the funding will provide training for caregivers of persons with dementia, as well as support for persons with dementia who live alone.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association’s 2018 Facts and Figures, an estimated 5.7 million individuals in the U.S. are living with Alzheimer’s disease. By 2050 this number is projected to rise to nearly 14 million.
Every 65 seconds someone in the U.S. develops the disease, which is now the most expensive chronic condition in the nation.
Hawaii has 28,000 persons diagnosed with Alzheimer’s dementia in 2018. It is estimated that approximately 60-80 percent of the people with memory loss have not received a diagnosis.