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Alzheimer’s care in the Hispanic community: a credible voice

Alzheimer’s care in the Hispanic community: a credible voice
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June 2, 2023
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Despite facing 50% higher odds of developing Alzheimer’s disease, Hispanic-Americans are less likely than their White counterparts to seek a diagnosis. They often don’t feel understood by the doctor evaluating them.

Research has shown that a sizable number of Hispanics (one in three) report they are reluctant to see a doctor because they’ve faced discrimination when it comes to health care. Another reason for their reluctance is that over half of Hispanics surveyed reported they believe that a loss of memory or cognitive abilities is just another inevitable part of aging. 

Those factors provide inspiration for Dr. Fabian Consbruck and drive him to commit his time and energy as a volunteer educator at the Alzheimer’s Association to serve a community that is close to his heart. 

DrFabianConsbruck.jpg“I truly believe that as an expert in dementia it is my community responsibility to offer educational talks,” he said. “Volunteering is an important activity that I picked up while serving in the U.S. Air Force. Giving to the community in which we reside is not only great for altruistic purposes, but it's an investment into one's community.”

A clinical neuropsychologist at Hidden Peaks Psychology in Castle Rock, Dr. Consbruck can relate to his clients and enjoys the connections he forms with older adults.

“I moved to the U.S. from Brazil at a young age with my mother,” said Dr. Consbruck. “We worked as house cleaners in Boca Raton, Florida. Our clients were business owners and veterans, they would chat with me, imparting their knowledge, between homework while my mother cleaned.”

After completing his graduate training at the Florida Institute of Technology, Dr. Consbruck’s postdoctoral fellowship took him to Salud Family Health Centers in Colorado, where the majority of patients receive medical and psychological services in Spanish. The fact that he can communicate in English, Spanish and Portuguese “allows me to transcend many community barriers to education and access to care,” he said.

Reducing health-compromising behaviors
Dr. Consbruck’s specialty area of medical psychology works with the understanding of illness through the mind and body connection. His work is based on reducing health compromising behaviors (i.e. smoking, binge eating and sedentary lifestyle) and increasing health promoting behaviors (including sleep hygiene, medication compliance and exercise). 

“Health promoting interventions include enhancing motivation, accepting one's condition, committing to a valued lifestyle, and using mindfulness to manage grief, denial, avoidance and phobias,” he said. 

Dr. Consbruck uses that same approach in working with patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

“These tenants of medical psychology are incredibly useful at learning how to manage illness and disease,” he said. “It's not based on the medical model of responsive treatment to symptoms, but a psychological approach to learning how to ‘deal’ with being sick and still live a fulfilling life.

“Receiving a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease encompasses so many mixed feelings and terrifying thoughts,” he said. “Because these are manifested as signs of grief, depression, anxiety and, at times, anger, psychological approaches are often the best course of action to managing dementia.” 

Serving the Hispanic community
The necessity for the Hispanic community to receive these educational services in their native Spanish is emphasized by the heightened risk of dementia correlated with trauma, stress, health habits and poor nutrition, noted Dr. Consbruck, adding that these are modifiable health factors best addressed in the patient’s own language.  

“By growing the community's awareness and understanding about dementia, we're effectively improving the overall quality of life for our elderly population,” he said.

After receiving an Alzheimer’s diagnosis
While the medical community is still searching for a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, Dr. Consbruck believes there are positive steps people can take after receiving a diagnosis, with a specific focus on minimizing stress.

“The best advice I offer patients and their families regarding Alzheimer's disease is to manage one's stress,” he said. “Whether we are in the preventative stage or actively caring for someone with dementia, healthy stress management is the strongest factor to success. Chronic stress induces cortisol, the stress hormone that causes inflammation in the brain. Patients with Alzheimer’s dementia show elevated levels of cortisol. Also, unhealthy stress negatively affects how we relate and respond to others. In other words, stress can be an immense barrier to taking care of one's self and caring for others.”

To learn more about the programs and services offered at no charge by the Alzheimer’s Association, go to alz.org or call the Association’s free 24/7 Helpline at 800-272-3900.

Alzheimer's Association

The Alzheimer's Association leads the way to end Alzheimer's and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer's and all other dementia.™ For more information, visit www.alz.org or call the 24/7 Helpline at 800.272.3900.

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