SALT LAKE CITY - Experts predict Utah will have one of the highest increases of Alzheimer's disease in the next decade. Doctors say that while there's no cure yet, early detection can help families manage the disease.
In Utah, the number of Alzheimer's cases will increase by 127 percent by 2025 and it's one of the top 10 killers in the U.S.
The Emeritus Senior Center recently sponsored a brain fair earlier this week to help potential victims.
"Our goal is to raise awareness of ways to try and stay as healthy as possible, knowing that Alzheimer's disease is going to increase," said Jill Driesel with the Emeritus Senior Center.
Residents learned about things like fraud prevention and the importance of preserving social and family connections.
"It's so valuable to recognize there's problems early because things can be done and even though it's not a disease we can cure, there's a lot of interventions we can do to help people's quality of life and their family's quality of life," said Dr. Carole Baraldi.
The holidays are a good time to watch for signs of Alzheimer's and talk about support that can be given to family members with Alzheimer's disease.
For more information on the Utah chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, visit www.alz.org/utah/ or call their 24/7 hotline at 1-800-272-3900.
