As life expectancy increases and the U.S. population goes grayer, more people live longer with degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. This disease is not just tragic, it’s fatal. Right now Alzheimer’s in the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S; it affects more than 5 million Americans, and it’s hitting Latino families with full force. In this piece, we examine the social and cultural factors that place special burdens on Latinos who are directly affected by Alzheimer’s. María Hinojosa spent time with the Obando family in Queens, New York to get a glimpse of what it’s like to live with Alzheimer’s. This story is produced by Nusha Balyan, edited by María Emilia Martin, and mixed by Jones Audio Productions. It’s part of a year-long series examining health issues facing Latinos. Latino USA’s year-long look at Latinos and Health is made possible by funding from Pfizer Helpful Answers®, a family of patient assistance programs for the uninsured and underinsured who need help getting Pfizer medicines.

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