As I scroll through my timeline in my downtime, one thing I cannot help but notice is how often Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia come up. It is actors, musicians, world leaders, and even people we know personally. Almost every week another family shares that someone they love has been diagnosed.

It is easy to think, “At least they will not remember.” But dementia is about so much more than memory. Families watch someone they love slowly forget names, faces, and moments they shared. The person is still there, but little by little the disease begins to change who they are.

For caregivers, it can mean years of physical, emotional, and financial strain, while grieving the gradual loss of someone who is still alive.

Anyone who has cared for a relative living with dementia knows this reality. It is a disease that not only affects the person diagnosed. It affects spouses, children, grandchildren, neighbours, and friends. It changes families.

One of the latest public figures to confirm a dementia diagnosis is renowned United States airline pilot Captain Chesley “Scully” Sullenberger, now 75. He famously landed US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River in New York after the aircraft’s engines were disabled by a collision with a flock of geese shortly after take-off, saving all 155 people on-board.

“For now, this means a name may not come easily to me. I may forget a story I have recently told, and I do not sleep as well, but I am in the beginning of this long journey,” he wrote on his website on July 14, 2026.

His story reminds us that dementia does not discriminate. It affects people from every background and every profession — teacher, farmer, nurse, or public servant, the impact on families is often the same. That is why we must pay more attention to the people doing the caring.

Across Jamaica, more families are taking on the responsibility of caring for loved ones with dementia, often with little training or support. Recognising that need, the Ministry of Health & Wellness launched its Family Caregiver Programme at Bustamante Hospital for Children. More than 1,000 caregivers have already registered, and we have now expanded the programme to Spanish Town Hospital so even more families can benefit.

Dementia is the general term used to describe the loss of memory and thinking abilities that become severe enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s is the most common form, accounting for almost 70 per cent of cases. Other forms include vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, and frontotemporal dementia.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 57 million people are living with dementia worldwide, with more than 60 per cent living in low- and middle-income countries. Around 10 million new cases are diagnosed every year.

Here in Jamaica, a 2025 study by Mona Ageing and Wellness Centre found that 7 per cent of our population is affected by dementia. Among Jamaicans aged 80 and older, the figure rises to almost one in three.

Behind every one of those numbers is a family trying to cope. Professor Denise Eldermire-Shearer of the Mona Ageing and Wellness Centre has said that caring for someone with dementia requires patience, understanding, and knowledge of the disease. Those are not things that come naturally to everyone, which is why caregiver training is so important.

Families should not feel that they must figure this out on their own.

The Government is also expanding geriatric clinics to provide assessments and care for issues such as falls, incontinence, immobility, declining mental function, and other conditions associated with ageing. I have said a number of times that our older citizens deserve to age with dignity, and that remains a commitment of this Government.

I also want to acknowledge the tremendous work of the Mona Ageing and Wellness Centre at The University of the West Indies. Its research and advocacy have helped shape how we think about ageing in Jamaica, and my ministry will continue to work closely with the centre.

Professor Eldermire-Shearer has also highlighted another reality. Dementia changes relationships. As the disease progresses, families often struggle to stay connected with the person they have always known, and the demands on caregivers — physical, mental, financial, and emotional — become greater.

That is why I have tremendous respect for the thousands of Jamaicans who quietly care for parents, spouses, and other loved ones every day. Much of what they do happens behind closed doors and often go unnoticed.

Sadly, there are also cases of abandonment of elderly relatives at public hospitals. It is difficult to understand, but it serves as a reminder that one day any one of us could find ourselves depending on someone else’s care.

Fact is, Jamaica’s population is getting older. We now have more than 375,000 people aged 60 and older, and that number will continue to grow. Dementia is no longer something we can think of as affecting only a few families. It is becoming an important public health issue.

There is encouraging news, however. The WHO now says that almost 45 per cent of dementia risk is linked to factors we can do something about, including smoking, harmful alcohol use, physical inactivity, social isolation, high blood pressure, and diabetes. That is encouraging because it reinforces many of the health messages we have been promoting for years.

We all want to grow older with our independence, our memories, and our quality of life. While there is still no cure for dementia, there is growing evidence that healthier choices today may reduce our risk tomorrow.

Exercise regularly. Keep your blood pressure and diabetes under control. Stay connected with your family, church, or community. Eat well. Avoid tobacco and limit alcohol. These are not just habits that help us live longer. They can help us live better.

Dr Christopher Tufton is Jamaica’s minister of health and wellness.