Winter 2026
It Takes a Village: A Community Approach to Aging with Dignity
Dementia doesn’t just affect individuals—it affects families, neighborhoods, and the entire community. That’s why it must be addressed at the community level. Everyone has a role to play in making sure people living with memory loss, and the family members and friends who care for them, can stay connected, respected, and engaged in everyday community life.
A supportive community creates spaces where people can continue to participate, be seen, and feel valued, no matter where they are on their journey. This is what makes a community "dementia friendly" - a place where residents are informed and respectful of people living with memory loss, understanding of the needs of caregivers and families, and offering practical, compassionate options that protect dignity and improve quality of life. Simply put, it’s a community that looks out for one another, especially our elders.
Winter 2026
A New Concept with Global Roots
The Dementia Friendly approach began in Japan in the early 2000s, when leaders there recognized that doctors and nursing facilities alone were not enough to meet the needs of older adults with memory loss. Families needed support too, and community spaces needed to be more welcoming and informed. From there, the idea spread across Europe and reached the United States in 2015 through a national initiative known as Dementia Friendly America.
This movement encourages everyone — businesses, churches, healthcare providers, libraries, transportation workers, law enforcement, and neighbors — to learn how to recognize memory-related challenges and respond with patience, respect, and understanding. The goal is to increase awareness, reduce stigma, and make sure people living with memory loss and their caregivers can continue to live, engage, and thrive in the community.
Why This Matters for African American Communities
African American families experience higher rates of dementia, yet often have fewer resources and less access to support along the journey. Cultural stigma, lack of information, and caregiving responsibilities that fall heavily on families can make the experience even more challenging.
Recognizing this need, the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center outreach team partnered with the New Town neighborhood of Jacksonville back in 2017 to strengthen community knowledge, reduce stigma, and support family caregivers. That partnership led to ongoing programs rooted in trust, culture, and community leadership. At its heart, this work is about honoring our elders, preserving their place in the community, and making sure no one’s story is forgotten.
What Does It Take to Build a Dementia Friendly Community?
The first step is listening. We begin by bringing together residents, faith leaders, business owners, caregivers, and local organizations to talk openly about memory loss. These conversations help uncover what people already know, what concerns they have, and how families are being affected.
The ideas shared in the listening sessions are summarized and brought back to the community, where residents decide together what matters most. Goals may include: Offering education and awareness programs; Creating a local resource directory; Building caregiver support and skill-building opportunities; Organizing social and cultural activities; Or even launching a community newsletter like the one you’re reading now! Once goals are set, volunteers research what it will take to make them happen. The community then decides which priorities to move forward based on need and feasibility.
Community-Led, Community-Sustained
A powerful part of this approach is that programs are created, led, and sustained by community members themselves. One shining example is the long-running Memory Café and Caregiver Support Program, led by Ms. Marcia Ellison and Ms. Tina Logan of the New Town Success Zone. Their leadership shows what’s possible when communities care for their own.
Today, the Mayo ADRC outreach team is partnering with Brentwood Neighbors and Second Mile Ministries to build a new dementia friendly community in Brentwood. We look forward to sharing updates and progress of this partnership with readers in future newsletters.
Additional Support in Jacksonville
The Memory Disorder Clinic at Mayo Clinic Florida and the Jacksonville Task Force of the Florida Dementia Care and Cure Initiative (DCCI) are working to increase awareness of services and resources for people living with memory loss and their caregivers.
In partnership with the local arts community, DCCI offers creative engagement opportunities such as Artful Moments at the Cummer Museum and Wild Wonders at the Jacksonville Zoo, which are programs designed to bring joy, connection, and meaningful experiences to individuals with memory loss and their families.
Visit our calendar of events to learn more about upcoming programs and opportunities to get involved.
Mayo Clinic scientists create tool to predict Alzheimer's years before symptoms begin
Mayo Clinic researchers have developed a new tool that can estimate a person's risk of developing memory and thinking problems associated with Alzheimer’s disease years before symptoms appear. The research, recently published in the journal The Lancet Neurology builds on decades of data from the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging, which is one of the world's most comprehensive population-based studies of brain health.
The investigators combined several factors that are each known to convey greater risk of dementia, including age, sex, APOE genotype, and brain amyloid levels (measured by PET scan). The team found that they could accurately calculate someone’s likelihood of developing dementia by looking at these four factors together. Of all the predictors evaluated, amyloid levels were the most predictive.
Amyloid is a normal protein that the body makes and clears away every day. In healthy brains, amyloid is broken down and removed without causing problems. But in some people, amyloid doesn’t get cleared as well. When this happens, pieces of the protein can stick together and form clumps. These sticky clumps are called amyloid plaques, and a build-up of these plaques is an early and important feature of Alzheimer’s disease.
APOE genotype was also important. APOE is the name of a gene that helps your body move cholesterol molecules to where they need to go. Everyone has the APOE gene, but people can have different versions of it. These versions are called E2, E3, and E4. You inherit one APOE version from each parent, so every person has a pair. The E4 version is associated with a higher risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease, and people who have two copies of it (one from their mother, one from their father) have the highest risk.
This new predictive tool is currently used only as a research instrument, but it represents a major step toward more personalized care and efforts are underway to try to create a version of the test that could someday become easily available in doctor’s offices.
Meet a Community Champion Duo
Hansler and Irmatine Bealyer
In this edition we welcome Mr. and Mrs. Bealyer as our first Community Champion duo! In addition to commitments to the community, family and each other we are thrilled that they participate as ADRC Ambassadors as well.
Please tell us about yourselves.
We have been married 41 years and are the parents of an adult son and daughter, both with exciting careers. Irmatine holds a bachelor’s degree in Dietetics and Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Health Administration. She has been a Licensed/Registered Dietitian for over 40 years, providing hospital-based patient care, assessments, grand rounds, counseling, and full scope nutritional services including intravenous feeding. She has strengthened her expertise through Joint Commission recognitions, inspections, and national public health standards, and has led CDC-related health management programs, participated in numerous health fairs, and served as an invited conference speaker. She has also taught as an adjunct instructor at FSCJ, created nutrition curriculum for UF, and authored Management Skills for Public Health Clinicians: Health System’s Resource. At Woodlawn Presbyterian Church, she serves as a Sunday School teacher, Ordained Elder and Deacon, committee member, and founder of the church Facebook page.
Hansler was born and raised in Alabama and married Irmatine there before they moved to Jacksonville in 1991, when he accepted a position with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. One of the most rewarding parts of his 34-year career has been deploying to major hurricane disaster sites in Florida and Puerto Rico, beginning with Hurricane Andrew, to support affected communities. He recently retired on December 31, 2025. For approximately 33 years,
he has been an active member of Woodlawn Presbyterian Church, serving as an Ordained Elder, working on various committees, and currently volunteering as the church van driver for children from Callaway Gardens.
What inspires you to be involved in community awareness and activism? Irmatine: Community awareness and activism is a major component of my public health career and is an extension of who I am. My health career promoted community awareness, learning, teaching and encouraging desired outcomes.
Hansler: I’ve had the opportunity to participate in numerous groups/organizations with the purpose of helping others in the community throughout my life. I consider myself blessed and the opportunity to help others is very rewarding. I will never forget the opportunity I had to help a young woman who was responsible for cleaning rooms at the hotel we were staying at in Puerto Rico during a hurricane response. She needed water for her family. My job allowed me to provide her family with a trunk full of water. I was so blessed to be able to help.
What attracted you to becoming involved with the ADRC both as a Community Ambassador and as a participant in clinical research?
Irmatine: I was invited to participate in Brain Health Research by one of our Mayo Clinic friends. What attracted me was the ability to learn new information, improve my health through new health research findings, and share that knowledge with others, especially with my children and other family members to aid in prevention and improving their health outcomes.
Hansler: Volunteering along with my wife in Mayo Brain Health Research has been very rewarding as we have had the opportunity to work with others in the community in promoting brain healthy programs. I signed up to be a participant in clinical research before I knew of the ADRC. I felt it was important find and identify cures for diseases such as the various types of cancer, Alzheimer's… too many to list. Being a little selfish, anything I can do to help with research, could provide a cure that one day may save the life of one of my children. Being a part of ADRC has been so educational to me and the opportunity to spread that knowledge is a blessing.
What do you enjoy the most regarding your ADRC outreach activities?
Irmatine: To ensure that others African Americans will have current resources and knowledge of this research and desired outcomes. To inspire them to participate in research by sharing my knowledge gained. It is important to me that African Americans share in the processes and benefits of cutting-edge information, methodologies, and new findings regarding our health.
Hansler: It’s easily assumed that everyone can look at news, participate in community gatherings and know what is going on. That is not the case. Outreach allows one to reach those who are now aware of what’s happening in the world of health research. The opportunity to help others learn is self-rewarding.
…anything I can do to help with research, could provide a cure that one day may save the life of one of my children."
Why do you think clinical research is important?
Irmatine: Clinical research is important because it generates new health information, enhances my knowledge and awareness, and informs both emerging and established treatment approaches that can improve quality of life for people as they age and become vulnerable to diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Hansler: Clinical research is the door to finding cures for current disease and those that have yet to be fully identified. Would it not be great to have no diseases?
Any final thoughts?
From both of us, thank you for our opportunity to participate and learn more about African Americans' role in improving health outcomes in the greater Jacksonville, Florida communities.
Meet an ADRC Team Member
Dr. Christian Lachner
"I learn and grow by the example set by patients who experience Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, who display such courage and optimism despite their cognitive vulnerabilities."
Dr. Lachner is an Assistant Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. He has more than 20 years of clinical experience evaluating and treating patients with dementia syndromes and neuropsychiatric disorders. He holds certifications in Behavioral Neurology & Neuropsychiatry and Geriatric Psychiatry. Dr. Lachner is a consultant within the Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry, full-time clinician researcher, and Program Director for the Behavioral Neurology Postdoctoral Fellowship at Mayo Clinic in Florida.
Dr. Lachner’s clinical and research expertise in combination with his Latino background (originally from Costa Rica) has allowed him to address the needs of a growing patient population and their caregivers as a bilingual clinician researcher. His research efforts focus on brain health, Alzheimer’s disease and Related Dementias (ADRD), early detection, diagnosis, and characterization of neurocognitive syndromes.
Dr. Lachner’s research interests became a reality while closely collaborating and learning from Drs. Neill Graff-Radford and Gregg Day after joining the Division of Behavioral Neurology full-time in 2022. His research interests matured while seeing the struggles of many patients and their families through years of clinical practice: “I learn and grow by the example set by patients who experience ADRD, who display such courage and optimism despite their cognitive vulnerabilities. I also learn and I am humbled by their families and caregivers who bring to life the meaning of true love, this gives me hope and reflects humanity at its best”. He enjoys efforts to better understand brain functioning and potential mechanisms leading to diseases that affect “not only the brain, but the person at their core”. Dr. Lachner feels very privileged to collaborate and be a part of the Mayo Brain Health and Memory Center. “I’m truly honored and motivated to work side by side with colleagues who devote their time, energy and abilities to advance ADRD science, in hopes that we may improve disease and alleviate suffering for millions of people.”
Dr. Lachner understands that ADRD does not affect all people equally, and that Black & African American and Hispanic & Latino communities experiencing higher dementia risk and disease burden. Historically, these communities have been underrepresented in ADRD research, limiting our understanding of potential contributions and solutions to this health disparity. Dr. Lachner notes that “our center decided to tackle this problem head on and we designed the Mayo Advancing Research Engagement in ADRD Study (MAREAS Jax).” This two-part NIH-funded program is led by Dr. Lachner, together with Drs. Minerva Carrasquillo and Richard White. The goal of MAREAS Jax is to better understand the influence of exposures throughout our lives (including social factors like education, financial stability, adversity, access to health, medical problems, etc.) and our genetics, on the risk of developing ADRD.
The first part of the project focused on the development of best practices in the outreach, recruitment and engagement (ORE) of Black & African American and Hispanic & Latino individuals in the Jacksonville metro area. “We closely collaborated and are grateful to our Black & African American and Hispanic & Latino ambassador teams who, through their time and commitment provided valuable information via meetings and focus groups concerning the need to better educate our community about brain health, ADRD, and the need and responsibility to participate in ADRD research to address this problem.” In conjunction with our ambassador teams and other community action networks (community leaders and self-less advocates) the MAREAS Jax team deployed a community survey to better understand barriers and facilitators to research participation, gaps in education and other important social factors, and the potential benefit of a brain health report to provide to future MAREAS Jax participants. The team was able to successfully complete this project and were awarded funding for the second phase.
“During the second phase, we plan to recruit 100 cognitively normal or very mildly impaired (eg, Mild cognitive impairment) individuals, 45 years-old or older, from the Jacksonville metro area. Participants will belong to “high risk populations” (HRP) for dementia, and will include those who identify as Black, African American, Hispanic, or Latino. Participants will be invited to complete important questionnaires (selected using community feedback from phase 1) to better understand individual social and health factors. They will participate in Neurological and cognitive evaluations, blood tests (including genetic markers), brain MRIs and specialized PET scans (very safe imaging studies) to detect ADRD. Participants will be invited back each year and will receive $50.00 compensation per completed imaging study. Over the span of 3 years, we will study these participants with the aim to discover factors, genetics and molecular signatures associated with ADRD in HRP.”
We are very thankful to the MAREAS Black & African American and Hispanic & Latino ambassador teams for their hard work, leadership and commitment to this project. We would also like to highlight Victor Cora (MAREAS Jax Outreach, Recruitment and Engagement leader) and our research coordinator Kim Bryant. MAREAS Jax participants will also be co-enrolled in the Mayo ADRC study, further extending and potentiating more broadly their contributions to ADRD science.
Caregiver Corner
This issue of Let’s Talk Brain Health (LTBH) marks the beginning of a new, regular feature that will focus on the health and well-being of those who provide support for loved ones with dementia - the family caregiver.
A family caregiver serves as the first line of support, the anchor in difficult moments, the navigator through uncertainty, and the essential link that keeps care moving forward. Caregivers come in all varieties. They can be young or old, a spouse, child, sibling or other relative. They may still be working or cutting back hours.
Becoming a family caregiver does not come with a playbook, an action plan or a paycheck. Caregivers sometimes neglect their own well-being to keep their loved one safe and well. Caregivers need support. Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or a Related Dementia (ADRD) is rewarding in many ways, but can become overwhelming and stressful if you try to do it all by yourself
In each new issue of LTBH we will bring our caregiving readers the support, education and tips they need to create the best quality of life for their loved ones, themselves, and their families.
Some helpful resources for caregivers include:
Alzheimer’s Association
www.alz.org
24/7 Helpline (800) 272-3900
African Americans Against Alzheimer’s
www.usagainstalzheimers.org/networks/african-americans
(202) 410-5199 National Advocacy Center
Alzheimer's and related Dementias Education and Referral Center (ADEAR)
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/about-adear-center
AARP Caregiving Resources
www.aarp.org/caregiving
National Alliance for Caregiving
www.caregiving.org
National Association of Area Agencies on Aging
www.n4a.org
ElderSource 24-hour Helpline
(888) 242-4464
What's Cooking?
Courtesy of Mayo Clinic Staff
Tuscan White Bean Chili
Serves 6
A great idea for a chilly winter’s night. Lots of lean protein and flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (about 1 pound) dried cannellini or other white beans, picked over and rinsed, soaked overnight, and drained.
- 6 cups water
- ½ teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup coarsely chopped yellow onion
- 3 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 ½ cups vegetable stock or broth
For the croutons:
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, quartered
- 1 slice whole-grain bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Directions
- To make the croutons, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large frying pan. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes to infuse the garlic flavor into the oil. Remove the garlic pieces and discard. Return the pan to medium heat. Add the bread cubes and sauté, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
2. To make the soup, combine in a soup pot the white beans, water, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover partially and simmer until the beans are tender, 60 to 75 minutes. Drain the beans, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Discard the bay leaf. Place the cooked beans into a large bowl and save the cooking pot for later use.
3. In a small bowl, combine the reserved cooking liquid and 1/2 cup of the cooked beans. Mash with a fork to form a paste. Stir the bean paste into the cooked beans.
4. Return the cooking pot to the stovetop and add the olive oil. Heat over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion and carrots and sauté until the carrots are tender-crisp, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Stir in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, the pepper, chopped rosemary, bean mixture and stock. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the stew is heated through, about 5 minutes.
5. Ladle the stew into warmed bowls and sprinkle with the croutons. Garnish each bowl with a rosemary sprig and serve immediately.
Community Pages
Holiday Food Drive. The ADRC Outreach team has been busy this winter helping our partners who support community members in need. A key component to brain health is a diet containing fresh fruits and vegetables and lean protein, and this holiday season we were grateful to help support The Potter’s House, Second Mile Ministries, Three Grains of Rice, Edward Waters University Schell Sweet Community Center, St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church, Woodlawn Presbyterian Church, Sharron Nursing Academy, and The Way Clinic on their food distribution efforts.
Celebrating Partnership
On December 5, the Mayo Clinic ADRC celebrated another year of community outreach, honoring the volunteers who generously share their time and talents as our community advisors, ambassadors, partners, and neighborhood action teams. This annual "Voices of Advocacy" event brings together all those who create and help sustain the framework of dementia-related community services we provide each year. We are grateful for their support, commitment, and hard work!
Calendar of Events
NEW TOWN SUCCESS ZONE COMMUNITY IMPACT DAYS
1401 Grunthal Street
Jacksonville, FL 32209
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
January 17, 2026
February 21, 2026
March 21, 2026
SCHELL SWEET COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER FOOD DISTRIBUTION
1697 Kings Road, Jacksonville, FL 32209
9:00 AM - Noon or while food lasts
January 10
February 14
March 14
MEMORY CAFÉ
Socialization and support for those with memory loss and their caregivers
3rd Saturdays of each month at 11:00am (unless otherwise noted)
Wallace Small Community Center
1083 Line Street, Jacksonville, FL 32209
Saturday, January 17,2026 - Dementia 101-Speaker-Dr. John Lucas
Saturday, February 21,2026-Nutrition and Healthy Eating – Speaker -Ms. Powers
Saturday, March 21,2026-Mental Health Concerns – Speaker-Ms. Buxton
Contact: Marcia Ellison (904) 866-3363 or Willetta Richardson (904) 470-8899 or Tina Logan (904) 651-5075
VISION KEEPERS
4th Thursday of the Month
6:00-8:00PM
Dinner always served
Call (904) 470-8899 for details
Welcome to Mayo Clinic Florida Brain Health
Mayo Clinic Florida promotes research and education about healthy brain aging, mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease (AD), and AD-related dementias (ADRD). Together with our community partners, we offer education and support programs for people with memory loss and their loved ones. We also offer opportunities for the community to participate in clinical trials and research discoveries to better understand brain health and develop effective treatments for those with memory disorders
Spread the Word About Brain Health!
If you or someone you know would like to receive this newsletter, contact us through any of the methods described below to be added to our distribution list. If you have received this newsletter in error, or otherwise do not wish to receive future issues, please let us know. You can also reach out to us if you would like to:
- learn more about obtaining a memory evaluation or diagnosis of dementia
- speak with someone about caregiver resources
- learn more about research opportunities
Simply point your Smartphone camera at the QR code below and touch the link that comes up on your screen. Select your choice of information and delivery options.
Other ways to reach us:
- Email: FLAMayoADRC@mayo.edu
- Phone: 904-953-6523
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