Approximately 13% of Hispanics who are 65 or older have Alzheimer's or another dementia. Learn what the Alzheimer's Association is doing to address health disparities and provide support for Hispanic community members living with Alzheimer's or another dementia.

Quick facts

Like any other demographic group, Hispanic Americans have a variety of backgrounds, races, ethnicities and experiences. If you are a health care or services provider, advocate or otherwise serve people living with Alzheimer's or their families, there is no substitute for engaging local voices to learn what your community needs and how to meet those needs.

While Hispanics are 1.5 times more likely than Whites to have dementia, more research is needed to understand why.

One-third of Hispanic Americans (33%) report that they have experienced discrimination when seeking health care.

Almost 9 out of 10 Hispanics (85%) say it is important for Alzheimer’s and dementia care providers to understand their ethnic or racial background and experiences.

Almost 6 in 10 (57%) believe that a significant loss of memory or cognitive abilities is a normal part of aging.


For more information, please see our special 2021 report on Race, Ethnicity and Alzheimer's in America (PDF).

 

Participate in the Alzheimer’s Association TrialMatchA Hispanic family talking with a doctor.

These findings suggest there is a lot of work ahead to achieve better health equity. 

The solution is engaging, recruiting and retaining diverse populations in Alzheimer’s research and clinical trials. Learn more about the Alzheimer’s Association TrialMatch — a free, easy-to-use service that will let you search for studies, sign up for study updates or connect with researcher teams. Everybody can participate, including people living with dementia, caregivers and healthy volunteers without dementia. 

Don’t just hope for a cure — help us find one. Learn more about clinical trials.

 

Perceptions of clinical trials

Hispanics are underrepresented in clinical trials:
 
  • Just over half (51%) say they are reluctant to engage in clinical trials because they don't want to be “guinea pigs.”
  • Individuals are most willing to volunteer for a clinical trial if they are invited to participate (85%), want to contribute to the goal of research (83%) or have a family member with the disease (74%).
  • African Americans, Latinos and American Indians are significantly more likely to volunteer if asked by a person of the same race, and are more concerned than White Americans about disruption of work and family responsibilities and availability of transportation and childcare.
  • Commonly used Alzheimer’s clinical trial exclusion criteria have the potential to disproportionately affect African Americans and Hispanics/Latinos, which may play a role in their reduced enrollment in research.
For more information, please see data presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference 2021 and the Association's special 2021 report on Race, Ethnicity and Alzheimer's in America (PDF).

 

Volunteers and volunteer opportunities

Music Moments with Luis Fonsi

Luis Fonsi, one of the leading Latin music artists of his time, shares his connection to the song "Girasoles" ("Sunflowers") with Alzheimer's Association Music Moments.

Hear His Story
The Alzheimer's Association has volunteer opportunities available for a variety of roles and time commitments. You can deliver support and education, raise funds, advocate for Alzheimer’s and more.

Sonia Martinez volunteers as an advocate and community educator. She comments, "I love seeing our hard work come to fruition." 

Carlos Olivas III is a Walk to End Alzheimer's committee member and caregiver for his dad, who is living with Alzheimer's. He shares: "As an Alzheimer's caregiver, I am surrounded by other caregivers in communities of need who are also navigating the disease."
 

Association partnerships

At the Alzheimer's Association, we believe that diverse perspectives are critical to achieving health equity — meaning that all communities have a fair and just opportunity for early diagnosis and access to risk reduction and quality care. The Association is committed to engaging underrepresented and underserved communities and responding with resources and education to address the disproportionate impact of Alzheimer’s and dementia.

The Alzheimer's Association partners with many different organizations to better serve all communities in the United States. Its partners in serving the Hispanic community include:
 

Help is availableA Hispanic man talking on the phone

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's or another dementia, you are not alone. The Alzheimer's Association is the trusted resource for reliable information, education, referral and support to millions of people affected by the disease. For free bilingual care consultation in English and Spanish, call our 24/7 Helpline: 800.272.3900.