As Connecticut Population Ages, Alzheimer’s Cases Spike

August 19, 2016

By 2025, at least one in five Connecticut residents will be older than 65, according to Connecticut’s Legislative Commission and the CT Data Collaborative. With a spike in the over-65 demographic, cases of Alzheimer’s disease are also expected to rise from the current 74,000 with dementia-related illness to 91,000 by 2025, according to the Connecticut chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.

“Alzheimer’s, once you’re 65, you have a 1 in 9 chance,” says Patty O’Brian, Alzheimer’s/Dementia Specialist from the Hartford HealthCare Center for Healthy Aging. “At 85, you have a 1 in 3. Those numbers are significantly high.”

Learn more about the risks of Alzheimer’s and the caring for people with dementia-related illness:

Video: Patty O’Brian speaks about the high rates of dementia in Connecticut 

 

Check Your Alzheimer’s Risk

Do you know your risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease or a related disorder? Here is a quick screen, so you can learn your risk factors and see what you can do to minimize your risk.

  • Do you have more memory lapses than you did five years ago?
  • Have you experienced sad moods for more than two weeks?
  • Have you had changes in your sleep habits?
  • Are you a smoker?
  • Do you have a first-degree relative (parent/brother/sister) with dementia or Down syndrome?
  • Have you ever had a head injury or loss of consciousness for more than 5 minutes?
  • Are you being treated for cholesterol problems, high blood pressure or diabetes?
  • Are you more than 20 percent over your ideal weight?
  • Do you have stress on a regular basis?
  • Could you have a vitamin deficiency (B12, thiamine) or thyroid disorder?
  • Are you over age 65?

Results:
Yes answers:
0-2: Minimal Risk
3-5: Moderate Risk
6-10: High risk

Determine which of your risk factors are modifiable and learn what you can do today to minimize your risk of getting dementia.

For more information, visit The Connecticut Center for Healthy Aging. Or contact one of the Center’s three locations:

The Hospital of Central Connecticut at
Bradley Memorial
Toll Free: 800.273.0078
Phone: 860.276.5293

The Hospital of Central Connecticut at
New Britain General
Toll Free: 877.4AGING1
Phone: 860.224.5278

MidState Medical Center
Phone: 203.694.5721
Fax: 203.694.5910

Windham Hospital
Phone: 860.456.6784