More than 88,000 Minnesotans over the age of 65 are currently living with Alzheimer’s Disease, according to figures presented by ACT on Alzheimer’s, a state-wide volunteer group that is working to educate communities and individuals about the personal, social and budgetary impacts of the disease as the numbers continue to grow into the future.  A major goal of the organization is to help communities that are seeking to become more “dementia-friendly’ as the number of cases expands.

 

In Becker, a group of volunteers are currently working on a four-phase project that will survey between 75 and 100 individuals in the community, including elected officials, city managers, business owners, medical professionals and school administrators, as well as community residents.  The group first met in April, and has completed the assessment and analysis phases of the first portion of the program according to Tami Kolbinger, one of the six volunteers working in the Becker area.

 

The experience of seeing her father pass through the stages of Alzheimer’s had a life-changing effect on her, Kolbinger said, setting her on a new career path at the Good Shepherd Community in Sauk Rapids and motivating her to join the ACT group.  The Becker survey team is being led by Keith Marten, and also includes Denice Freih and Lori Lestina from Faith in Action in Becker and Jerry Brunn, Kolbinger said.  Thursday, she also made a presentation to the Becker High School National Honor Society students, alerting them to the opportunities available in collecting data for the survey as a group project.

 

Freih also wrote the successful grant application for the project, and Faith in Action is the fiscal host for the Becker operation.  The grant is funded through Blue Plus, an HMO affiliate of Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Minnesota, the Medica Foundation and the Greater Twin Cities United Way, and is administered through the Central Minnesota Council on Aging.

 

The grant has $18,000 available, with the first portion being $8,000 that is being used to complete the first three phases of the survey, including assessing community needs and developing a plan of action.  In March, 2015, the Becker group will present its findings and apply for the remaining $10,000, which will be used to pursue priority goals.

 

There are five shared goals for the project, which include increasing detection and improving care, sustaining caregivers, equipping communities to handle the rising number of cases, raising awareness and reducing the stigma of the disease, and indentifying and investing in promising new approaches for treatment.

 

Figures provided by the organization estimate that the current population of Becker is 4,629, with 426 of those age 65 or more, while Becker Township has an estimated 4,948 residents, 376 over age 65.  ACT estimates the total population in the Becker School System at 11,437, 951 of which are now age 65 or older.  Current demographics provided show that 1.9 per cent of the Minnesota population is age 85 or older, which indicates a total of 217 people over 85 in 2014.  The Minnesota Dept. of Health estimates that those numbers will double by 2030, according to the ACT data.

 

Based on the equation the organization uses to quantify population data and Alzheimer’s rates, there are currently 82 people aged 65 to 84 with Alzheimer’s in the Becker School District, 72 now over 85 and 22 age 65 and older who have the disease and are currently living alone.

 

For more information, contact the organization on-line at www.ACTon ALZ.org.