New 5K to raise awareness for Alzheimer’s

Alzheimer’s disease turns family roles upside down, as Joan Baucom has seen firsthand.

Her grandfather was a cotton and cattle farmer who dedicated his life to caring for not just his family but also many others around him. Her stepfather was a strong and tall man, she said. But by the end of both of these men’s lives, they were totally dependent on others for their most basic care. 

“My mother was [my stepfather’s] caretaker, and it was very difficult for her emotionally, physically and financially,” Baucom said. “This is a horrible disease that robs individuals of their souls. Lifetime memories are lost. They eventually lose their ability to do most things on their own.”

Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior that worsen over time. Baucom noted how much the disease affects families. 

“It’s so sad to see a parent who no longer knows their child,” she said.

There are more than 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s today, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Early-onset Alzheimer’s affects about 200,000 people in their 40s and 50s. 

To raise awareness and funding for research for the disease, Baucom and other members of the Alzheimer’s Research and Care Society are holding a Mindbender 5K run and walk at Homewood Central Park on March 28. The group is encouraging people to form teams to support the cause.

Alzheimer’s is one of the most expensive diseases to treat, yet government funding for it is a fraction of what is spent on more manageable diseases such as AIDS, Baucom said. Accordingly, the group’s fundraising goal for the event is $30,000.

“With prevalence growing and funding low, it will really be a burden to Medicare, Medicaid and personal wealth in this country,” she said. “So until there is an effective treatment, cure or prevention for Alzheimer’s, we need to be proactive and be the voice for the many who are affected.”

The group is currently following researchers who are studying neuroprotective agents, the role of APOE genes, the causes of amyloid plaques and tangling in the brain and what will untangle them, as well as drugs currently on the market.

For more information on the event, visit alzarcs.org.