Was Live Thu, Jun 13, 2024 | 11am PST
Related Coverage
- Barriers to Alzheimer’s Care for Rural Californians
- YouTube Playlist of Highlights from this Briefing
Guest Speakers
- Dr. Rita Nguyen, Assistant Health Officer for the State of California and Director of Population Health, California Department of Public Health
- Carmen Estrada, Executive Director, Inland Caregiver Resource Center (San Bernardino)
- Maria Cortez, caregiver for family member with Alzheimer’s, resident of Glenn County and client of The Peg Taylor Center for Adult Day Health Care in Butte County
- Hagar Dickman, Senior Attorney, Justice in Aging
Event Overview
As more people live longer lives, more Californians will face living with Alzheimer’s disease than ever. The number of people living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRDs) is projected to double over the next 20 years.
Californians living in rural and remote regions face additional challenges in accessing preventative, screening, diagnostic, and caregiving services, healthcare providers, and resources compared to Californians living in urban communities. There are long wait times to see ADRD specialists that can provide a diagnosis. Lack of public transportation means longer commute times to access these critical healthcare services and resources. This can impact not only the person experiencing signs of Alzheimer’s, but their families as well.
In this briefing, Alzheimer’s healthcare providers, researchers, and advocates will discuss how they’re working to address these disparities in access and meet the needs of California’s underserved, rural communities as its population ages and grows.