Vital Stats: 2M Number of U.S. citizens age 65 and older suffering from Alzheimer’s disease (Source: Alzheimer’s Foundation)

With 15 percent of Bronx residents 65 and older, and a population that’s living longer, Montefiore Health System is preparing for what it’s dubbed a “looming crisis” in the number of impending sufferers of Alzheimer’s disease.

“When the first wave of baby boomers reach age 85, which is about 2031, there’s going to be more than 3 million people age 85 and older with Alzheimer’s disease,” said Dr. Jessica Zwerling, associate director of neurology at Montefiore’s Center for the Aging Brain in Yonkers.

Alzheimer’s disease stands as the most common form of dementia, leading to a gradual decline in memory and ultimately death. The condition remains irreversible with no cure, leading experts to collaborate on how to pinpoint its presence early on.

“What the center is doing that’s really important is trying to get these patients in who may have early signs and symptoms,” said Zwerling. Tracking neurological changes is one of the center’s key tenets to identify Alzheimer’s disease. In some cases, genetic and spinal tap testing is available to determine whether a patient with memory problems will develop the disease. Advanced genetic testing now shifts the focus on assessing Alzheimer’s onset from the standard age of 65 and older to age 40.

The center also delves into the needs of the caregiver, whose burdensome nursing duties can affect their well-being, according to Zwerling. “They really have an increased risk of mortality and morbidity, and there’s been some studies showing an increased risk of heart attack and stroke,” said Zwerling, who works with a team of doctors that include neurologists, neuropsychologists, psychiatrists and rehabilitation doctors. Geriatric and psychiatric services are available at the center, offering consultations that range from memory disorders to declining health. Home care visits go so far as to ask whether firearms are in the house.

Its counterpart in the Bronx is at the Memory Disorders Center in Morris Park, a community that’s also surrounded by several Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities. With two grants from The Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation Inc., the center hired a social worker, care coordinator, and a Spanish-speaking neuropsychologist.

“There’s a high proportionate of the Hispanic population, and we need to have validated measures and testing in their native language to really understand how a patient functions,” said Zwerling. But even before entering the center, Zwerling recommends starting a conversation with a loved one vulnerable to Alzheimer’s. “Having that one-minute conversation gives you so much information about [Alzheimer’s disease] that you may have missed throughout the year when everyone is so busy,” she said.

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