Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s
The Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Fort Worth is Oct. 28 at the Panther Island Pavilion.
For more information: www.alz.org/northcentraltexas/
Now that longtime banking executive Tim Carter has stepped down as president of the North Texas region for Southside Bank, he’s raising awareness about a critical health issue for businesses and the community: Alzheimer’s disease.
Carter, honorary chairman for the 25th anniversary Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Fort Worth, has not only seen the repercussions of the disease in business, but has also dealt with the disease on a personal level.
Carter’s mother, Ned Carter, died from complications of Alzheimer’s disease 10 years ago.
“My mother suffered with the disease for six years, which seemed like an eternity,” he said. “Alzheimer’s is a scary disease and, unfortunately, it’s the new epidemic.”
After his mother’s death, Carter began noticing that many people, including employees and businesses, were being affected by the disease.
In addition to the personal toll on employees, businesses take a double hit from the effects of the disease, Carter said. “From a business standpoint, it takes away from productivity and adds to health care costs. So, as a business I would recommend doing all you can when your employees are caregivers or are dealing with the disease themselves.
“Don’t ignore it.”
Alzheimer’s disease affects 6.6 million employees who provide care for relatives with the degenerative brain disease. Many caregivers reported making major changes to their work schedules because of their caregiving responsibilities.
Alzheimer’s disease costs businesses $61 billion per year – $24.6 billion directly related to costs associated with health, long-term and hospice care, and $36.5 billion to lost productivity, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
Carter said he also recommends seeking help and resources at the Alzheimer’s Association to make the journey easier for those affected by the disease.
“I never realized what the association could do during my mom’s struggle with the disease,” he said. “Many people don’t know how much of a resource it is, and that’s why I think participating in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s and promoting the association is so important.”
The Alzheimer’s Association-North Central Texas Chapter is one of 81 local chapters of the Alzheimer’s Association, which has its national headquarters in Chicago. The local chapter serves 40 counties. Fort Worth is headquarters for the chapter and regional offices are in Abilene, Waco and Wichita Falls.