Cultural Awareness: The Black Perspective and Dementia (with Dr. Fayron Epps)

Individuals within the black community are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease as their white counterparts, but it is less commonly acknowledged and diagnosed, creating large disparities in education, support, and care. We chat with Dr. Fayron Epps, an Assistant Professor at Emory University and founder of Alter, about her inspiration to research the impact of dementia on the black community, and how she took on the responsibility of educating and supporting those people in it. She acknowledges what she calls “Black Superwoman Syndrome” that some caregivers feel, refusing help from others, adding additional stress and burden to them, and encourages them to activate their community, including their faith community for support. She talks about the “Caregiving While Black” course she helped develop, focused on empowering black caregivers to properly advocate for their person when they interact with the health system, educate them about insurance and coverages, and provide resources.

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