The Bridge Alzheimer’s Dementia and Resource Center &
The Center for Brain Health at LSU Health Shreveport
Join Forces to Provide a Single Resource Location for
Alzheimer’s Patients, Families and Caregivers
Shreveport – Two local leaders in the field of Alzheimer’s and dementia have joined together to create a single location where patients, their families and caregivers can receive education, support services and access clinical trials: The Bridge Alzheimer’s & Dementia Resource Center and The Center for Brain Health at LSU Health Shreveport. A ribbon cutting and tour will take place at 851 Olive Street on Thursday, Nov 4 at 1:30 pm. The media and public are invited to attend.
The National Institute of Health characterizes Alzheimer’s disease as a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and eventually the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. In most people with Alzheimer’s, symptoms first appear later in life. Estimates vary, but experts suggest that more than 6 million Americans, most of them age 65 and older, may have dementia caused by Alzheimer’s.
In Louisiana, 92,000 people are believed to be living with Alzheimer’s of which 13.6% (12,512) are individuals aged 45 and older with subjective cognitive decline. 204,000 family caregivers bear the burden of the disease in Louisiana. 318 million hours of unpaid caregiving are estimated to be provided by unpaid caregivers driving the need for access to accurate, and impactful resources.
“Our organization has grown into a full-service center providing assessments, client coaching, dementia education, caregiver support groups, and outreach speaking,” stated Paulette Freeman, executive director of The Bridge Alzheimer’s & Dementia Center. “We are thrilled to have a new home in the heart of Highland at 851 Olive Street and that the Center for Brain Health is onsite with us, which gives us the opportunity to provide a comprehensive support system for those affected by dementia.”
The Center for Brain Health which was established in 2019 at LSU Health Shreveport strives to expand neuroscience-related education, provide comprehensive data for brain disorders, and provide pioneering clinical trials in North Louisiana. Scientists continue to unravel the complex brain changes involved in Alzheimer’s disease. Changes in the brain begin a decade or more before symptoms appear.
“Our new “one stop shop” is a game changer for patients, their families and caregivers. We are improving awareness and increasing access to clinical trials, which brings the latest available treatments and virtual caregiver support to our community, all free of charge” stated Liz Disbrow PhD, Director of the LSU Health Shreveport Center for Brain Health
Without clinical trials, there can be no better treatments, prevention, or cures for Alzheimer’s disease. Recruiting and retaining trial participants is now the greatest obstacle, other than funding, to developing the next generation of Alzheimer’s treatments. Individuals with dementia, caregivers and healthy volunteers are all needed to participate in clinical studies focused on Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
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