NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Quality time takes on a whole new meaning after an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
“We just finished a two-week European River cruise,” Jim Morton said. “We had a wonderful time.”
Morton’s wife, Lynne, was among the first to receive new infusions that are slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease and are invigorating the Alzheimer’s Associations vision for the next decade.
“We’re going to see changes in the next 10 years that are going to eclipse everything that we have known about the disease up until this point,” Alzheimer’s Association President & CEO, Dr. Joanne Pike said.
Pike visited Norfolk this week for a roundtable discussion with local health care providers including, Dr. Hamid Okhravi who was recently elected to the Alzheimer’s Association’s National Board of Directors.
“I can’t really tell you how excited I am right now at the moment where we are with all of these different advancements,” Okhravi said.
During its discussion, the group discussed how the public might expect to see Alzheimer’s information and testing pop up in public places like, churches, barbershops and banks.
“Where people live, work, play and pray, and that’s how they want to see, deliver and receive care,” Pike said. “So the Alzheimer’s Association has really been thinking intentionally about, how do we build those bridges?”
With less stigma and more screening, they hope to deliver more patients quicker treatments.
Researchers are currently developing new blood tests for detection, which is crucial doctors said, as the two new drugs approved for treatment only work to slow the progression of the disease in early stages.
“Having the diagnosis and then getting into the infusion drugs certainly allows you to fight back,” Morton said. “In Lynne’s case, that’s given her hope.”
