CHICAGO, June 6, 2023 — The Alzheimer’s Association and
The Links, Incorporated, recently announced a new partnership aimed at providing Alzheimer’s disease information and resources to Black American communities.
Currently, there are more than six million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease. Black Americans are about twice as likely to have Alzheimer's and other dementias as older White adults. In addition, they are more likely to have missed diagnoses of Alzheimer’s and other dementia than older White Americans.
Working with members of The Links, Incorporated, the partnership will seek to maximize support for individuals and families impacted by Alzheimer’s and other dementia.
“At the Alzheimer's Association, we believe that engaging diverse perspectives is critical to achieving health equity — meaning that all communities have a fair and just opportunity for early diagnosis and access to risk reduction and quality care," said Joanne Pike, DrPH, president and CEO of the Alzheimer's Association. "We are leading the way by developing strategic partnerships with trusted national and local organizations to create a pathway to greater health equity, mission engagement and inclusion for everyone. We look forward to working with The Links, Incorporated to achieve this objective.”
According to the
Alzheimer’s Association Facts and Figures report, Black Americans are less concerned about developing Alzheimer’s (35%) when compared to White Americans and Black Americans are twice as likely as White Americans to say they would not see a doctor if experiencing thinking or memory problems.
The Links, Incorporated’s commitment to increasing awareness about the diseases and conditions that negatively impact health in the Black community is reflected in its participation in the partnership.
“Our organization recognizes that addressing Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia in the Black community is very important work,” said Ethel Isaacs Williams, national president of The Links, Incorporated. “Not only does this cruel disease affect minds, bodies and quality of life for those diagnosed, it also impacts entire families. By partnering with the Alzheimer’s Association, The Links will increase its efforts to offer education about early detection and support to those we serve as we work collaboratively to reduce health disparities in our community.”
“The Alzheimer’s Association is excited to partner with The Links, Incorporated,” said Carl V. Hill, chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer, Alzheimer’s Association. “We will leverage the partnership to reach more African American communities with disease-related information and resources, while engaging in meaningful discussions that address health equity and health disparities, particularly as it relates to dementia care.”
The partnership is one of mutual support where each entity seeks to raise awareness and provide support through members and events. Its initial work will focus on three primary objectives:
- Increasing concern and awareness of Alzheimer’s and other dementia by educating members and communities about brain health and cognitive aging, changes experienced by an individual that should be discussed with a health professional, and benefits of early detection and diagnosis.
- Raise awareness of the existence of care and support available through Alzheimer’s Association programming, including promotion of the Association’s free 24/7 Helpline to offer families disease-related information, referrals to local resources and care consultation.
- Increasing community engagement in Alzheimer’s and dementia research to ensure more equitable representation of Black Americans in clinical trials and disease research.
In conjunction with the partnership, the Alzheimer’s Association was a participating sponsor in The Links, Incorporated’s inaugural Black Family Wellness Expo, which offered health information to nearly 21,000 persons nationwide earlier this year. In addition, the Alzheimer’s Association joined the Links in a national discussion about the impact of Alzheimer’s and dementia on the Black community via a webinar and Facebook Live broadcast for members and the community at large.
About the Alzheimer's Association
The Alzheimer’s Association is a worldwide voluntary health organization dedicated to Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Our mission is to lead 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®. Visit alz.org or call 800.272.3900.
About The Links, Incorporated
The Links, Incorporated is an international, not-for-profit corporation, established in 1946. The membership consists of more than 17,000 professional women of African descent in 299 chapters located in 41 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, and the United Kingdom. It is one of the nation’s oldest and largest volunteer service organizations of extraordinary women who are committed to enriching, sustaining and ensuring the culture and economic survival of African Americans and other persons of African ancestry.