El Portal Northwest Serves Latinos with Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias

Janet Ceballos, El Portal Northwest

A recent article in the New York Times highlighted the increased risk of dementia among Hispanics/Latinos in the United States, a fact which the Alzheimer’s Association Western and Central Washington State Chapter has long recognized. In response to this increased risk, the Alzheimer’s Association collaborated with SeaMar Community Health Centers to create “El Portal Northwest,” a program to help the Latino community better understand and respond to the impacts of dementia.

Mr. Julio Parra, Sr.

Participants in the El Portal program meet with a professional Care Consultant who is fluent in Spanish. The Care Consultant provides information, education and support to families and individuals who are facing the devastating effects of dementia. The main goals of El Portal NW are to inform people that some types of memory loss are not part of normal aging, and that caring for someone with memory loss could be eased by finding the right support in their community.  

Over 120 families have received culturally and language appropriate services from El Portal Northwest since its inception in 2006. One of those families is the Parra family, who have been caring for their father Julio for the last five years.

Mr. Julio Parra is in his 80s and has always been a healthy individual. His yearly physicals confirmed that he was in excellent health—normal cholesterol levels, no diabetes and very good blood pressure. The only problem the family noticed was that Mr. Parra was increasingly prone to forgetting recent events, and he began exhibiting erratic behavior. When the family met with the El Portal Care Consultant, Mr. Parra was experiencing unusual and puzzling symptoms, such as having increased difficulty communicating with and recognizing his own children. 

This was a struggle for the family, and more so for the eldest daughter Rosi, who was the main caregiver at the time. She was feeling overwhelmed by her father’s clinging and erratic behavior. Rosi had a difficult time understanding why her father’s temperament had changed. After the meeting with the social worker, the family began to understand that their father’s behavior was a result of his disease and not his own volition. With the help of the Care Consultant, the family was able to go back and pinpoint situations and attitudes when Mr. Parra had displayed early signs of dementia. 

Rosi was especially surprised that her father had an illness and reported, “I really didn’t know how serious and real my father’s problems were until now.”

During that initial meeting one thing was clear—the family needed respite from their caregiving duties. El Portal provided a referral to Elderhealth Northwest, a local adult day health program. Initially, Mr. Parra attended twice a week, but soon began attending what he calls “school” five days per week. This break gave Rosi time to take care of herself, and she began to understand she could not do it all on her own.

The family began working together, and Rosi was able to step back while her brother Julio Jr. took on a larger share of the caregiving responsibilities. One year later, Julio Jr. has done a wonderful job taking care of his father while being supported by his loving wife Michelle and his sisters Rosi and Ana Maria. Their schedule is such that they all take turns caring for Mr. Parra in the evening and on the weekends. 

Julio Jr. has been attending a support group for caregivers since the fall of 2007. By attending the support group and continuing to talk and meet with the El Portal Care Consultant, he has learned how to cope with communication problems and behavior issues. More importantly, the whole family has learned to work together. 

Not everything is ideal, however. Alzheimer’s is an ever-changing and challenging disease process, and adjustments need to be made to facilitate changing routines. Last summer Julio Sr. was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and since then the family has noticed a decrease in his cognitive abilities. This change in condition has prompted the family to think of the future and begin planning their next step. 

Despite their hope and commitment to keep their father home, the family is able to understand and accept that long term placement will be needed, and that their role as caregivers will be somewhat altered. However, they also know that their devotion to and love for Julio will never change. 

For more information about El Portal, or to make a referral, please contact Janet Ceballos at (206) 356-0173 or (800) 848-7097, or by email at janet.ceballos@alz.org.

Janet Ceballos is a Care Consultant for El Portal Northwest, Alzheimer's Association Western and Central Washington State Chapter