Banner Boswell hosts Alzheimer's awareness seminar Nov. 20

Banner Boswell Medical Center invites the community to a free seminar on Alzheimer’s disease from 1 to 3 p.m. Nov. 20 in the Volunteer Services Activity room on the hospital’s first floor, 10401 W. Thunderbird Blvd. in Sun City.

The event is part of the Life Enrichment series sponsored by Banner Boswell’s Volunteer Services department. Call 623-876-5387 to reserve your seat.

Registered nurse Kay Spofford, director of Banner Alzheimer’s Residence in Peoria, will discuss how to identify and address signs of dementia and speak to issues faced by caregivers. Currently, an estimated 5.3 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, and nearly 10 million Americans provide unpaid care for a person with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia.

“Caregivers require all the help they can get in identifying the problem, treating the problem with the appropriate health care professionals, identifying the stressors that contribute to the difficulties of their role, and accessing whatever help they can leverage to deal with the stressors,” Spofford said.

Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder resulting from damaged cells in the brain. It is the most common form of dementia, which is characterized by loss of or decline in memory and other cognitive abilities. While there are treatments that slow down the progression of the disease, there is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s.