Key points from today’s guests:

Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer, The University of Kansas Health System; executive vice chancellor, The University of Kansas Medical Center

• Dementia is a disease of the brain that affects memory and thinking, and ultimately, your ability to function daily.
• Caregivers of people with dementia are sometimes referred to as “invisible second patients” because their burden is so great that it often impacts their own health.
• In the United States, nearly half of family caregivers of people with dementia suffer from depression or anxiety disorders.
• Among Latinos, who also are at higher risk for dementia than non-Latino white people, the proportion of caregivers who have depression or anxiety is even higher.
• It is important during this Thanksgiving season to remember the combination of faith, hope, science, and love.

Carlos Olivas III, caring for his dad

• Carlos shared his journey of caring for his father with Alzheimer's, highlighting the isolation he felt.
• Carlos recounts the moment he received a call from his father's dentist, alerting him to his father's decline in oral hygiene, which was a red flag for cognitive decline.
• He moved back to Sacramento to care for his father, facing challenges such as isolation and the need to care for himself to be an effective caregiver.
• He is grateful for the support he received from CareTEXT, a bilingual text messaging program for caregivers.
• The program, funded by an NIH grant, aims to reduce depression and distress among Latino caregivers.
• CareTEXT provided him with timely support and guidance, helping him manage the challenges of caregiving.
• He emphasizes the importance of self-care for caregivers and the need for more men to promote awareness of Alzheimer's and related dementias.

Jaime Perales Puchalt, Ph.D., director, Latino Brain Health Lab, The University of Kansas Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center

• As the principal investigator on a five-year, nearly $4 million grant awarded this year from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), this program tests a virtual way to provide more support to Latino caregivers.
• My colleagues at the KU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and the JUNTOS Center for Advancing Latino Health at KU Medical Center have developed CuidaTEXT, the first text-message program designed to support Latino caregivers of people with dementia. In addition to the version in Spanish, there is an English version known as CareTEXT.
• CareTEXT aims to provide accessible support to Latino caregivers, who often face high rates of depression and lack of access to caregiver supports.
• The program includes interactive text messages that provide education, coping strategies, and resources for caregivers, with coaches available to respond to messages.
• We see positive results of the pilot test of CareTEXT, which showed high satisfaction rates and decreases in depression and distress among participants.
• The success of the pilot test led to a new NIH-funded grant to further test the efficacy of CareTEXT. The new grant will involve a randomized controlled trial to compare the effectiveness of Care Text with a control group.
• We have great research happening here involving the Latino community and we encourage more Latinos to get involved.
• To contact Jaime about support for caregivers info – 913-588-3716 or jperales@kumc.edu.

Mariana Ramirez, director, Juntos Center for Advancing Latino Health

• There was recently a successful vaccination event for Latinos in Garden City, Kansas, organized by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Mexican consulate.
• It is important to vaccinate Latinos against COVID-19, flu, and other viruses to protect them from disease outbreaks.
• There is a need for continued education and vaccination efforts to address misinformation and vaccine hesitancy among Latinos.
• Community health workers and organizations play a huge role in reaching out to Latinos and providing them with access to vaccines and health information.
• The community needs to better understand that the COVID vaccines are now a yearly recommendation and are very effective.
• Carlos is an example of what it means to participate in research and activities to help the Latino community.

Dr. Mario Castro, division chief, Pulmonary Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, The University of Kansas Health System; vice chair, Clinical & Translational Research, The University of Kansas Medical Center.

• There is significant underrepresentation of Latinos in research and there are several barriers that prevent them from participating.
• It is important to build trust and familiarity with research among Latinos through community outreach and relationship-building.
• Participation in research has benefited Latinos by providing them with valuable information about their health and the impact of diseases on their bodies.
• We are also embarking on a lung health study to better understand how people develop lung cancer over time.
• Research is how we advance in the field and better help communities.
• Those who are interested can call 913-588-2899 or contact jradell@kumc.edu.

Infectious Disease Updates

Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director, Infection Prevention & Control, The University of Kansas Health System

• We have entered respiratory viral season which consists of viral infections such as RSV, influenza, other common cough and cold viruses, and COVID.
• Overall, we are seeing about the same activity at The Health System as last week.
• We expect flu and RSV to increase heading into the winter.
• There was a peak of COVID infections in the summer, so people may be seeing some immunity now from that, but vaccinations are still important.
• When it comes to food safety, contamination can occur at any point on the food supply chain – production, processing, distribution, or home preparation.
• Follow FDA food prep safety tips.

Monday, Dec. 2 at 8 a.m. is the next Morning Medical Update. An aggressive cancer needs an aggressive approach. For one man, a second opinion revealed a new treatment option that kept him active and working during treatment.

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