Next month, Texas voters will weigh in on a plan to put billions into dementia research through Proposition 14, which could significantly impact local families affected by the condition.
Dementia isn't just about memory loss — it's a term used to describe a range of symptoms that affect how a person thinks, remembers, and functions day to day.
"Impairment with memory, thinking, even the ability to care for oneself and it can also cause personality changes," said Jessica Dominguez, assistant clinical professor at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Nursing Practice Department.
The most common cause is Alzheimer's disease, which makes up about 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases. While it affects the individual, it also takes a serious toll on families.
"Overtime the patient becomes unable to care for themselves and it puts a financial burden and emotional toll on these patients and their families," Dominguez said.
In Texas, about 11 percent of people over 65 live with dementia — and that number is even higher in Nueces County, at more than 13 percent, according to the Alzheimer's Association. Dominguez says genetics and lifestyle play a role, and local research is helping experts understand those factors even more.
"Currently we have research that's focusing on the prevalence of dementia in our Mexican American population compared to our non hispanic adult population," Dominguez said.
She says long-term funding is crucial — and that's where Proposition 14 comes in. If approved, it would create a new state fund for cancer, Alzheimer's, and other brain-related research — investing up to $1.5 billion over the next several years.
"When you have sustainable funding that can allow researchers to build those teams and come up with treatment plans and hopefully prevention strategies," Dominguez said.
Proposition 14 wouldn't change taxes, but it would let the state issue bonds to support this kind of research — including studies like the ones happening in the Coastal Bend.
Understanding the facts behind dementia is just the first step. Early voting starts on Monday, October 21st and lasts two weeks.
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