• by Les Luchter , August 16, 2023

 “Adding your own flavor to fashion comes with age. Forgetting how to add doesn’t.”

“Losing the fear of looking foolish comes with age. Losing your way in your own home doesn’t.”

Those statements are part of “Some Things Come With Age,” an Alzheimer’s Association/Ad Council PSA campaign designed to help Hispanic audiences recognize the difference between normal signs of aging and possible early signs of Alzheimer’s or other dementia.

The campaign, created by the Lopez Negrete agency, launches Aug. 16, with :30 and :60 spots, both available in either English or Spanish, for TV, radio, out-of-home, and digital sites.

“As Latinos, we tend to expect certain illnesses with aging. The ‘waving off’ of early signs of any disease, Alzheimer’s in this case, in the name of normal aging is keeping many Hispanic families from having the necessary conversations and doctor consultations," explains Lopez Negrete President and Chief Executive Officer Alex López Negrete in a press release.

"We’re hoping this campaign will open an important conversation about what getting older really brings, so we can avoid misconceptions that also reinforce ageism.”

The Alzheimer’s Association notes that Latinos are about 1.5 times more likely than non-Hispanic whites to develop Alzheimer’s disease, and cites an AARP report which found Latinos to be the fastest-growing group of older adults in the U.S.

“Hispanic and Latino Americans are disproportionately affected by Alzheimer’s, but are diagnosed later in the disease or not at all,” states Carl V. Hill, the Alzheimer’s Association’s chief diversity, equity & inclusion officer.

The ”Some Things Come With Age” campaign also includes a website --10signs.org in English and 10señales.org in Spanish -- with more information and resources, including 10 symptoms of Alzheimer’s and how they differ from normal aging.

For example, “sometimes forgetting names or appointments, but remembering them later” is typical of people getting older, but “memory loss that disrupts daily life” is not.

The Alzheimer’s Association and the Ad Council have run numerous campaigns since first partnering in 2019.