Understanding Alzheimer's and Dementia

Ingrid Villeda is a Program & Community Engagement Specialist at the Alzheimer’s Association (Northern CA & Northern NV). She’s spent 8+ years serving older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers—especially in Latino and rural communities—building partnerships and delivering bilingual education that actually reaches families. In this episode, Ingrid breaks down what Alzheimer’s is (and isn’t), who’s at higher risk, and how new anti-amyloid therapies are changing the timeline for early-stage patients. We dig into the realities of rural care—limited specialists, long travel, internet deserts—and the concrete fixes that work: training primary care, leveraging Project ECHO, phone-first education, and meeting families where they already are (consulates, food banks, schools). You’ll leave with playbook-level ideas to expand access, support caregivers, and drive earlier detection in hard-to-reach places. What You’ll Learn From This Episode: Overview of Alzheimer's Association Understanding Alzheimer's and Dementia Risk Factors and Research Diagnosis and Treatment Options Challenges in Rural Communities Addressing Rural Healthcare Obstacles Behavioral Symptoms and Care Strategies Resources and Conclusion Connect with Ingrid Villeda: LinkedIn Resources https://www.alz.org https://uspointer.net https://www.dementiacareaware.org https://projectecho.unm.edu/initiatives/alzheimers-and-dementia-care-echo/ The CSRHA has been a go-to resource for rural healthcare and community leaders since 1995. The CSRHA brings an accumulation of actionable insights to the next generation of rural healthcare leaders. For more behind the scenes of this podcast follow @CSRHApodcast on Twitter or @csrha.advocate on Facebook. If you enjoy This Is Rural Health, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review, and share it with someone who needs to hear this! Learn more about the CSRHA at csrha.org.