Disclaimer: This Inside South Florida segment is sponsored by AlzInColor. All opinions and views are of the advertiser and does not reflect the same of WSFL-TV.
Memory and thinking issues that come with age may seem small at first and are often easily dismissed. But for many families — particularly in Black and Latino communities — those changes can become more noticeable and progress over time, and the conversations needed to address them are not always happening.
Dr. Fayron Epps, a dementia care expert, says paying attention to brain health needs to start before symptoms appear.
"Black Americans are twice more likely than their white counterparts to be affected by dementia. In the Latino community, one and a half times," Epps said.
Epps says that while Alzheimer's does not discriminate by race, its impact is not felt equally — and a lack of open conversation within communities is part of the problem.
"Many times, these conversations around this are avoided in our community. And one of the things is it's not the getting the proper information out to the communities, and also these families not having access to resources and supportive programs," Epps said.
A new initiative: AlzInColor
To help close that gap, Epps is part of a new campaign called AlzInColor, focused on bringing brain health conversations directly to Black and Latino communities.
"We have a campaign that's focused on brain health conversations in Black and Latino communities, and we're focused on empowering communities with authentic storytelling. You'll be able to get resources and education materials through our webinar. You'll hear testimonies, and then also we'll have families — they can share their own testimony, because sharing is a way to really heal our communities and change this narrative," Epps said.
For more information and resources, visit AlzInColor.com.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
