DES MOINES, IA, January 20, 2025 – The Alzheimer’s Association Iowa Chapter is hosting a virtual community forum on January 30th at 11-a.m., to discuss and hear from rural Iowans about their experience with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia care and support in their local communities. The forum will include expert panelists from across the state including Jim Feauto, Administrator at Regency Park of Carroll; Kari Bateman, Administrator for Emmet County Public Health; Andrea Turnbull, Home Care Nursing Division Manager for Cerro Gordo Public; and Coletta Weeda, a dementia caregiver from Denison.

In Iowa, the average Alzheimer’s prevalence rate in individuals aged 65 and older is 11% according to data release in 2023 in Alzheimer’s & Dementia®: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association. However, many rural counties across the state face higher rates than urban and metro areas. The highest rates occur the most in Iowa’s northwest counties including Monona county (12.6%) and Mitchell and Osceola counties (12.5%). However, the highest rate is found in the south-central county of Ringgold (12.9%).

Rural Iowans also face more challenges when it comes to diagnosis of the disease, medical care, long term care options and local support services to help caregivers. The purpose of this community forum is to better understand these challenges, shed light on the need for more support across rural Iowa and start finding solutions to decrease higher prevalence rates and increase access to medical and support services.

The Alzheimer’s Association Iowa Chapter is committed to tackling this growing problem in rural Iowa and is working on initiatives right now to help, including offering local support groups for caregivers in some rural communities as well as two virtual support groups and education programs that anyone across the state can join.

To register for the virtual community forum, visit https://tinyurl.com/RuralForumJan2025.

Today, there are nearly 7 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease, including over 62,000 in Iowa. Additionally, more than 11 million family members and friends are serving as caregivers, including nearly 100,000 in Iowa.