NM Aging agency announces forums on dementia-related illnesses
The New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Services Department will host three community forums throughout the state over the next three months to hear about experiences with Alzheimer's disease and other dementia-related illnesses and connect people with available services.
The free forums, jointly produced by the aging department and the Alzheimer's Association, will be held in Silver City, Clayton and Tucumcari.
'No one should have to face Alzheimer's alone,' Emily Kaltenbach, secretary of the Aging and Long-Term Services Department, said in a statement. 'Whether they are caregiving for a loved one or facing a diagnosis themselves, we hope that we can start to break the silence around Alzheimer's, promote early detection, and ensure that everyone has the resources they need.'
Silver City
March 26, 3 to 5 p.m.
Silver City Public Library, 515 W. College Avenue
Clayton
April 16, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Clayton Civic Center, 124 N. Front Street
Tucumcari
May 8, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Tucumcari Convention Center, 1500 U.S. Route 66
RSVP to the forums by calling 505-404-9857.
According to an ALTSD news release, organizers encourage attendees to share their stories of living with dementia, caring for someone with dementia, voice concern and ask about available services.
Joey Long, aging department spokesperson, told Source NM an Alzheimer's Association's representative will be on hand at all three forums, as well as staff from the department's Consumer and Elder Rights Division, who will provide information about Medicare and Medicaid options, home-delivered meals, prescription drug assistance, caregiver assistance and legal service options. Kaltenbach will attend the Silver City and Clayton forums, while Deputy Secretary Antoinette Vigil will attend the Tucumcari event.
During the recently completed legislative session, lawmakers passed several bills that will impact seniors in the state, including House Bill 131, which would tighten background checks for potential caregivers; and House Memorial 53, which requests more research be done on Alzheimer's disease, clinical trials and early detection, and asks the Aging and Long-Term Services Department and the Department of Health to work together in disseminating information to New Mexicans. Both passed and HB131 awaits a signature from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.
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For all the administration's expressed concerns about the cost of medical care, they may not have heard the adage that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. And while Preventive Services Task Force recommendations have the added bonus of promoting health equity due to the lack of patient financial responsibility for the identified health services, its approach is rooted in science, not ideological agendas. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and U.S. Preventive Services Task Force are critical in ensuring equitable access to care for preventive services for both infectious and chronic disease management. But despite their immense impact, they operate less in the public eye and elicit fewer protests and phone calls from Americans who benefit from their guidance than did explicit repeal efforts. Given Republicans' repeated failures to undermine the Affordable Care Act through legislative action or litigation, these stealth attempts constitute an effective, though dangerous pathway for Republicans to evade substantial scrutiny when undercutting critical access to affordable medical care for large swaths of the population. Not all Americans will understand why they can no longer access live-saving healthcare, but they will know they are not being made healthy again. Miranda Yaver is a political scientist and an assistant professor of Health Policy and Management at the University of Pittsburgh. Elizabeth Jacobs is an epidemiologist and professor emerita at the University of Arizona, and a founding member of the advocacy group Defend Public Health.
