According to Puerto Rico's Department of Health Alzheimer's Registry, more than 2,300 cases of Alzheimer's, Huntington's disease and other dementias were recorded between 2008 and 2024 in the western municipalities of Aguada (743 cases), Moca (666), Añasco (594) and Rincón (297), all part of Representative District 18. To address this, patients, caregivers, family members and professionals will gather at the Cumbre de Alzheimer del Oeste ('For You and Yours: Educating, Preventing and Accompanying'), organized by District 18 Representative Odalys González González.
The event will take place Tuesday, September 29, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Rincón Cooperative Convention Center's Aguada branch. The summit results from a partnership between González González's office, the Puerto Rico Alzheimer's Association, the Department of Health, the Office of the Advocate for the Elderly, and the Lions Club.
Participating organizations will offer guidance on available programs and services for people living with Alzheimer's or other dementias and their caregivers. González González said the summit aims to bring communities information, training and essential services, and stressed that caregivers should know available resources and be able to identify cognitive changes early.