ROGERS, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — With recent strides in the fight against dementia, people are finding new hope as they prepare for the upcoming Walk to End Alzheimer’s.

Early signs of dementia can be hard to spot and hard to accept.

“I think it’s easy for people to get really afraid of developing Alzheimer’s themselves. And so if you can’t remember somebody’s name or you can’t remember where you put your keys, you might panic, like oh my gosh, is that dementia,” The Alzheimer’s Association Arkansas Chapter’s Executive Director Kirsten Dickins said.

That is why the Alzheimer’s Association offers several educational programs on the topic.

“Our vision is a world without Alzheimer’s and other dementia,” Dickins said.

It is also the largest non-profit funder of research, and that dedication is starting to pay off.

“We now have therapies that are actually slowing disease progression. The issue with it is that they’re only appropriate for people in the early stages of the disease,” Dickins said.

It is progress, but there is still so much more work to do. That is why hundreds will gather for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s this month in Rogers.

“We’ve heard some people say that coming to a walk is almost like the world’s largest support group,” Dickins said.

With walks around the country, it is part of the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s. With that kind of reach, just going to the walk can have a big impact.

“It is reminding people that there is hope. There is definitely hope in the future that this is getting better every day as we learn more,” Dickins said.

The walk takes place on September 23rd. To learn more, click here.