Alzheimer’s Association

Overview:

About the Alzheimer’s Association

The Alzheimer’s Association® is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Founded in 1980 by a group of family caregivers and individuals interested in research, the Association includes our home office in Chicago, a public policy office in Washington, D.C. and a presence in communities across the country.
An estimated 55 million people worldwide are living with dementia. In the United States alone, more than 6 million have Alzheimer’s, and over 11 million are providing unpaid care. The Association addresses this crisis by providing education and support to the millions who face dementia every day, while advancing critical research toward methods of treatment, prevention and, ultimately, a cure.

We provide care and support to those affected.
• Our free 24/7 Helpline (800.272.3900), staffed by master’s-level clinicians and specialists, provides confidential support and information to all those affected in over 200 languages.
• Our website, alz.org®, is a rich resource designed to inform and educate multiple audiences, including those living with the disease, caregivers and professional health care providers.
• We conduct online and face-to-face support groups and education programs in communities nationwide, while ensuring these services reach underserved populations.
• We provide innovative resources to support those living with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers, working alongside partner organizations to prioritize outreach efforts to diverse and underserved communities so that all those affected get the help they need.
• We make it easy for families to find programs and services using the Alzheimer’s Association & AARP Community Resource Finder, a comprehensive database of dementia and aging-related resources.
• To help individuals receive an accurate and timely diagnosis, and to improve access to care, we provide tools for clinicians, including continuing medical education and a cognitive assessment toolkit.

We accelerate research and create a path for global progress.
• As the world’s largest nonprofit funder of Alzheimer’s research, the Alzheimer’s Association is currently investing $300 million in 920 best-of-field projects in 45 countries. This commitment provides funding for critical advances, such as the development of Pittsburgh Compound B (PIB), which made amyloid buildup, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s, visible in the living brain through a PET scan.
• We advance the field by convening the annual Alzheimer’s Association International Conference® (AAIC®), the world’s largest and most influential forum for the dementia research community.
• We play a key role in increasing knowledge about prevention and risk reduction. In 2018, the Association funded and implemented U.S. POINTER, a two-year clinical trial designed to evaluate whether lifestyle changes can protect cognitive function in people at risk of developing dementia. The Association is also funding SPRINT MIND 2.0, a study to clarify the role of lowering blood pressure in reducing dementia risk.
• We accelerate research through TrialMatch® a free clinical studies matching service for people living with the disease, caregivers and healthy volunteers.
We advocate to improve the lives of all those affected by Alzheimer’s and dementia.
• Working with the Alzheimer’s Impact Movement (AIM), a separately incorporated advocacy affiliate of the Alzheimer’s Association, we assemble and train a nationwide network of advocates who engage elected officials.
• We help pass landmark legislation such as the National Alzheimer’s Project Act, which mandated the creation of a national plan to fight Alzheimer’s and coordinates efforts to prevent and effectively treat the disease by 2025.
• In government fiscal year 2022, Alzheimer’s and dementia research funding at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will be more than $3.4 billion annually. The Alzheimer’s Association, AIM and our advocates have driven bipartisan support for this rapid increase.
• We fight to protect people living with Alzheimer’s and dementia. The Alzheimer’s Association, AIM and our advocates championed the Promoting Alzheimer’s Awareness to Prevent Elder Abuse Act, which requires the Department of Justice (DOJ) to develop training materials for professionals who encounter and support individuals living with Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Learn more and join our cause. Visit alz.org.