- The Florida Department of Health's charts show the rate of age-adjusted deaths from Alzheimer's in Wakulla County is nearly double the rate for the entire state.
- In 2022, the department of health says 10 people died of the disease in Wakulla County.
- Watch the video to see who is working to help neighbors living with the disease locally and around the state.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
This is Brain Bus. It travels across Florida raising awareness about Alzheimer's and giving support.
Tuesday, more than 100 advocates and law makers were at the Florida State Capitol to talk about the impact that disease having on our community. Kristal Cooley is the program manager with the Alzheimer's Association. She spends her time, "Going to all these communities, especially rural areas to deliver information about our resources and help people living with dementia."
The Alzheimer's Association says Florida has the second highest number of residents living with the disease in the nation, with more than 580,000.
I checked with the Florida Department of Health. In 2022, 10 people in Wakulla County died of Alzheimer's. That's the most recent count available.
Cooley tells me resources are especially important in rural areas like Wakulla County, where other organizations like the Senior Center work to give people access to help.
"I try to get programs out there but there's The Senior Center that does a phenomenal job just helping people out getting them signed up for different services that you know beyond dementia if they need."
Resources like this are needed in areas like Wakulla County.
The Florida Department of Health's charts show the rate of age-adjusted deaths from Alzheimer's in Wakulla County is nearly double the rate for the entire state.
Those numbers are why advocates like Cooley focus on helping these areas by, "letting people know that we're here and just really trying to give them as much information as possible so they can live their best lives."
Now, the Alzheimer's Association is working to preserve $491,614 in funding for the Brain Bus that travels throughout the state.
