VERO BEACH — City Hall will be illuminated in purple during the entire month of June at night time for Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month.
The move serves to honor those living with Alzheimer’s, along with their caregivers and to raise awareness about the debilitating disease. The City Council at Tuesday’s meeting proclaimed June as Alzheimer & Brain Awareness Month and encouraged the community to wear purple — Alzheimer’s signature shade — in support of finding a cure and to find ways to help neighbors affected by the illness.
More than 6,500 Indian River County residents are currently living with Alzheimer’s dementia. The city and organizations that promote a cure and offer support services want affected residents and their caregivers to know they aren’t alone in the fight against Alzheimer’s.
“We want Vero Beach residents to know we are here for them at any time of the day or night,” Yarissa Reyes, vice president of communications for the Alzheimer’s Association Florida region, said in a statement. “The Alzheimer’s Association helps families and friends navigate challenges and considerations at each stage of the disease, through face-to-face conversations with experts in local communities.”
The organization — whose mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research, provide and enhance care and support for all affected and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health — has a free 24/7 helpline at 1-800-272-3900 and comprehensive support and resources on alz.org.
Every 65 seconds someone in the U.S. develops Alzheimer’s disease, according to the association. The disease is America’s sixth leading cause of death, affecting more than five million Americans and 16 million caregivers. Florida is at the epicenter of the disease with the second highest prevalence affecting 560,000 residents living with Alzheimer’s.
The initial symptoms of Alzheimer’s vary from person to person. Memory problems are typically one of the first signs of cognitive impairment related to Alzheimer’s disease. Decline in non-memory aspects of cognition, such as word-finding, vision/spatial issues, and impaired reasoning or judgment, may also signal the very early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, according to the National Institute on Aging.