Pinwheels in downtown Jefferson City raise awareness of Alzheimer's disease

Christa Roehl walks through the Alzheimer's pinwheels to straighten them as she and four other volunteers were out very early Tuesday morning to plant multicolored daisies in a two-block stretch in downtown Jefferson City. The pinwheels commemorate Alzheimer's Awareness Day. The day kicks off activities leading up to Sunday's Walk to End Alzheimer's at Ellis-Porter Riverside Park.
Christa Roehl walks through the Alzheimer's pinwheels to straighten them as she and four other volunteers were out very early Tuesday morning to plant multicolored daisies in a two-block stretch in downtown Jefferson City. The pinwheels commemorate Alzheimer's Awareness Day. The day kicks off activities leading up to Sunday's Walk to End Alzheimer's at Ellis-Porter Riverside Park.

Pinwheeling multicolored daisies popped up along two blocks of High Street in downtown Jefferson City on Tuesday morning.

They're reminders.

Reminders Alzheimer's disease affects more than 100,000 Missourians.

"It's tragic how many Missourians get robbed of their later years in life," said Joe Pallikkathayil, manager of local Alzheimer's Association Walks, "and how many caregivers are forced to watch their loved ones decay - in inches."

Each of the whirligigs' colors represented a connection to the disease - orange for people supporting the fight, yellow for people caring for Alzheimer's patients, blue for Alzheimer's patients and purple for people who have died of the disease.

Alzheimer's disease and dementia are the sixth-leading killers of Americans. The disease is always fatal, Pallikkathayil said.

There's no treatment, no prevention, no cure, said Christa Roehl, 2019 Walk to End Alzheimer's for Jefferson City chairwoman.

Jefferson City businesses participated in Tuesday's awareness day, the two said.

Central and Jefferson banks' employees wore purple in recognition of the day, Roehl said. So did employees at Salon Va'Lise, Central Dairy, Primrose Retirement Community and elsewhere.

"We hope we'll start something that becomes a beautiful annual tradition here," Pallikkathayil said, "something that does an important job of casting a light on the prevalence of Alzheimer's in our community."

Alzheimer's disease - a progressive disease that begins with mild memory loss and possibly leads to loss of the ability to carry on a conversation and respond to the environment - is the most common type of dementia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It affects parts of the brain that control thought, memory and language and can seriously affect a person's ability to carry out daily activities.

It is estimated up to 5 million Americans had Alzheimer's disease in 2014, according to the CDC website.

Although uncommon, young people may get Alzheimer's disease. Typically, the disease can first appear after age 60. Risk increases with age.

The cause of the disease is unclear. Age is its best known risk factor. Genetics may play a role in development of the disease.

Changes in the brain may begin years before symptoms first appear.

Researchers are studying whether education, diet and environment play a role in developing the disease, according to the CDC. Evidence shows physical, mental and social activities may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

The Walk to End Alzheimer's in Jefferson City is to be held Sunday at Ellis-Porter Riverside Park. On-site registration begins at 11 a.m. Or, go to alzjc.org to register yourself or your team to participate in the walk. The organization also accepts donations at the site.

The walk has a goal this year of raising $100,000.

Sixty-two teams are already signed up for the walk, as are 325 participants. Money raised in the walk stays in the Jefferson City area.

Funds raised go to research and building up care systems in the local community. The revenue helps cast light on the lack of treatments or cures for the disease, Pallikkathayil said.

"We're de-stigmatizing Alzheimer's so we can, hopefully, improve the quality of care for people who are going through it," Pallikkathayil said. "And we're able to be more supportive to the caregivers."

Caring for patients takes a physical, emotional and spiritual toll on people helping family members they are losing.

"As we are curing other ailments and living longer lives, we are seeing a rise in (Alzheimer's disease)," Roehl said. "Alzheimer's should not be the price we pay for longer lives."