Walk to End Alzheimer’s is set for Saturday at Merlin Olsen Park

Medical experts are predicting that more than 42,000 Utahns will be victims of Alzheimer's disease or related dementia by 2025, necessitating care-giving by more than 150,000 family members.

LOGAN – The annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s is slated for Saturday at Merlin Olsen Park in Logan.

Sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association, the event is held annually in more than 600 communities across the nation, says Wendy Farr, the new development director of the local Alzheimer’s Association.

The world’s largest fundraiser for Alzheimer’s care, research and support, the walk calls on participants of all ages and abilities to join the fight against the disease.

Alzheimer’s disease is the fourth leading cause of death in the state of Utah,” according to Amy Z. Anderson, the director of outreach for the Sunshine Terrace Foundation here in Logan.

“That means that 42,000 Utahns over the age of 65 will be living with dementia by 2025, which is not very far off.

“It also means that more than 150,000 people in our state will be caregiving for someone with dementia-related disease. That costs our state about $160 million a year in Medicaid.

“So you can see that this disease has a significant impact on our community,” she adds.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Current estimates are that about 5.8 million people in the United States have Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. That includes about 5.6 million aged 65 and older and about 200,000 under age 65 with early-onset Alzheimer’s.

The Walk to End Alzheimer’s festivities will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday. A kick off ceremony is slated for 10 a.m., followed by the walk to begin at 10:30 a.m.

While there is no fee to register for the walk, Farr says organizers are encouraging all participants to help to raise critical funds that allow the Alzheimer’s Association to provide around the clock care and support for victims of the disease. The walk also funds advanced research toward methods of prevention, treatment and, ultimately, a cure.

The local event currently has 72 registered participants and 20 teams of various sizes. The local organizers’ goal is to raise $27,300. As of now, the walk has raised $9,312.

“The Walk to End Alzheimer’s is a way that you can show support for caregivers and those who are suffering from the disease,” Anderson says.

Having had the experience of caring for a family member with Alzheimer’s, Anderson adds that her personal emphasis is on providing support for caregivers.

“It’s a struggle for many people,” she explains. “There’s a lot of emotional strain. There’s also a lot of physical strain, which leads to increasing health problems.

“Family members are usually the primary caregivers (for dementia patients) and that burden usually falls on wives and daughters.”

To relieve some of that strain, Anderson and her Sunshine Terrace colleague Dennis Wildman will offer Dementia Dialogues seminars at Logan Regional Hospital during the month of October.

Those sessions will be a four-part basic training course designed to educate anyone who cares for a person with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia.

The Dementia Dialogue seminars are free and open to the public, but would-be participants should call 435-754-0233 to register.

Sponsored by Sunshine Terrace, those sessions will be held from 3:30 to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays (Oct. 4, 11, 18 and 25).

Those seminars will be in addition to the regular support group for caregivers sponsored by Sunshine Terrace, which meets every Tuesday at 1 p.m.

Farr adds that local organizers of the Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Saturday want to assure participants that their health and safety are their top priorities. They pledge to continue to closely monitor the Centers for Disease Control, state and local authorities to ensure that their event will adhere to the latest guidelines to prevent the transmission of COVID-19.

Merlin Olsen Park is located at 300 East Center Street in Logan.

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