The number of New Jersey residents with Alzheimer's and dementia is expected to increase by almost 17 percent by 2025, and researchers say the numbers are disproportionately felt in the African-American community.

Experts discussed the findings today at the Rutgers University campus in Newark.

The partnership between the Alzheimer's Association and Rutgers is designed to raise awareness in the community.

Experts, church leaders and researchers inside the campus hall presented their findings and hope the message spreads.

According to the National Alzheimer's Association, providing medical care to patients costs billions of dollars.

The goal of the workshops is to identify early warning signs and risk factors, and the events are specifically aimed at the African-American community, where diagnosis rates continue to climb.

"African-Americans have two to three times the rate of Alzheimer's than the general population," says Neuroscience professor Mark Gluck. "It's preventable through lifestyle changes in diet, exercise and stress levels."

For more information on how you can participate, click here.