NEW YORK CITY (WABC) — Thousands of Alzheimer’s patients, caregivers and advocates are expected to gather in Central Park on Saturday for CaringKind’s annual Alzheimer’s Walk and Brain Health Day, where organizers will offer free brain health screenings for the first time.
Organizers expect at least 2,500 participants, more than double the number who registered a year ago. CaringKind officials said awareness generated by Eyewitness News anchor Bill Ritter’s public discussion of his Alzheimer’s diagnosis helped drive increased interest in the event.
The walk comes as an estimated 7 million Americans have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Organizers say one goal of this year’s event is to encourage people to think about brain health the same way they think about other aspects of preventive care.
“We’re trying to change the narrative here, right?” said Stephanie Shivers, CaringKind’s chief programming officer and chief innovation officer. “We’re launching our pre-screening this year.”
Mike Marza has more on the simple brain health test.
Shivers said many people regularly monitor their blood pressure and cholesterol but do not routinely assess their cognitive health.
“We’re excited to be kind of going into this space of really optimizing people’s brain health and really encouraging early pre-screening and starting those conversations with your doctor early because we just need to normalize brain health in a way that we haven’t,” she said.
The screenings are not intended to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. Instead, organizers say they can provide a baseline assessment that participants can discuss with their physicians.
“You know a lot of what emphasis Bill is talking about…if you’re not diagnosed early you can’t access some of the medications that will slow the progression,” Shivers said.
The event will also feature actor David Hyde Pierce and Eyewitness News anchor Mike Marza, who is serving as emcee.
Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. Organizers say information about the event is available at ckwalk.org.
Supporters say the gathering is designed not only to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s disease but also to remind patients and caregivers that they are not alone.
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