FARMINGTON – After being taken to the hospital from an assisted living center, an Alzheimer’s patient calls a loved one whispering into the phone, “I’ve been kidnapped. I don’t know where I am but they are trying to give me pills.”

That’s a story shared by Darlene Field, an education specialist from the Maine Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association during a break from a day-long workshop held Wednesday for health-care providers and others at Franklin Memorial Hospital.

When someone enters the hospital, transition can be disturbing so approach is everything, she said. In the past, chemical restraint was thought to be in the best interest of the patient, but now Field along with Dr. James Donahue, a geriatrician, were there to propose that there are other things that can be done to deal with the challenges and behaviors of someone unable to identify their own needs.

Educating the community is part of the role of the Maine chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, which sponsors 50 support groups across the state, said Peg Gagnon, an outreach specialist.

Many people are affected by the disease, she said, as she shared the numbers of people diagnosed with it in the region: Franklin County, 700; Oxford County, 1,200; and Androscoggin County, 2,400.

Wherever there’s an elderly population, there will be more people with Alzheimer’s, she said.

Age is one risk factor. People 85 or older have a 50/50 chance of contracting the illness. Of people 65 and over, one out of eight people will develop it.

Along with age, other risk factors include head trauma, diabetes and vascular issues, said Field. With every heart beat, 25 percent of the blood is sent to the brain. It’s now understood that a better cardiovascular system helps the brain.

“What’s good for the heart is good for the brain,” she added, as she recounted similar things that can be done to reduce the risk for Alzheimer’s: Keeping lower numbers for blood pressure, cholesterol, weight and blood sugars and also eating more vegetables, less fat and more omega 3 fats, just as heart patients are advised.

Normal aging is to forget where you left your keys, Field said. With Alzheimer’s, one forgets what keys are for. The patient may understand and interact but doesn’t store the information, she said.

Alzheimer’s is one form of dementia. There are many forms, Donahue said. The disease was named after a German physician with a young patient who displayed symptoms of Alzheimer’s in the early 1900s. After her death, an autopsy revealed her brain was not consistent with a young person’s brain.

Until the late 1970s-’80s, an aging person was considered senile and often ended up in a mental institution, Field said. Advanced techniques of studying tissue then revealed the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s as discovered by the German physician.

The association offers a 24-hour help line to answer anyone’s questions or needs, Gagnon said. The number is 1-800-272-3900.