Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia that causes memory loss and cognitive decline. There are a number of organizations in the United States that can offer support to a person with Alzheimer’s disease and their loved ones.
Dementia is a term healthcare professionals use to describe an impaired ability to:
- remember
- think
- make decisions
Alzheimer’s disease is the
This article outlines a few Alzheimer’s organizations in the U.S. that can provide support and information to people with Alzheimer’s disease and to individuals caring for people with Alzheimer’s disease.
It also explores some organizations that are dedicated to funding research into Alzheimer’s disease.
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The Alzheimer’s Association is an organization that is dedicated to:
- accelerating global research into Alzheimer’s disease
- driving risk reduction and early detection of Alzheimer’s disease
- maximizing quality care and support for people with Alzheimer’s disease
Support services
The Alzheimer’s Association offers help and support for people living with Alzheimer’s disease and for those caring for people who have Alzheimer’s disease.
They run a 24/7 helpline, which a person in the U.S. can call via 800-272-3900. Trained staff manage the helpline and can offer advice and support. They can also help with referrals to local community programs and services.
The Alzheimer’s Association also runs a number of local services in communities nationwide. These can include virtual and face-to-face support groups and educational programs.
These services may help inform and empower individuals in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Most of the local programs are free of charge and are available in multiple languages.
They also offer support for people who provide care for others with Alzheimer’s disease. They have online resources to help with this and can also offer advice and information via the helpline.
Research and Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI)
The Alzheimer’s Association also funds Alzheimer’s research to help accelerate the progress of new treatments and prevention methods while helping find a cure.
It is the only U.S. member of the organization ADI, which is the international federation of Alzheimer’s and dementia associations around the world. The ADI is in official relations with the World Health Organization (WHO).
The organization states that its vision is to help with:
- risk reduction
- timely diagnosis
- care and inclusion
- finding a cure
The AFA is an organization that is dedicated to providing support and services to:
- people with Alzheimer’s disease
- families that Alzheimer’s disease has affected
- people caring for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease
It has a national toll-free helpline that a person can call via 866-232-8484. Licensed social workers manage this helpline and can provide support and assistance to callers. They can also help connect people with resources in their area.
The AFA also runs a National Memory Screening Program. This offers free, confidential memory screenings at a number of sites across the country. This is a year-round service that has screened over 5 million people.
The screening is carried out by qualified healthcare professionals and provides a “healthy brain checkup” that tests memory and other thinking skills. The screening takes around 10 minutes and can indicate if a person may benefit from a more detailed medical evaluation.
The AFA also helps with training and education for professional caregivers to help improve the level of care that they provide. To date, the organization has trained and educated over 20,000 individuals using its professional training and community education programs.
The FCA offers support services to family caregivers of adults with cognitive and physical impairments, including Alzheimer’s disease.
The organization offers caregivers help with:
- direct care skills
- assessments
- respite services
- care planning
- wellness programs
- legal and financial consultation vouchers
The FCA states that it designed its services with caregivers’ needs in mind, and it is committed to offering the support and tools required to manage the complex demands of caregiving.
The ADDF is a charity that is solely focused on finding drugs for treating, preventing, and curing Alzheimer’s disease.
It helps fund breakthrough research in academia and the biotech industry. The organization has awarded almost $250 million in funding to over 720 Alzheimer’s endeavors, including:
- Alzheimer’s drug discovery programs
- biomarker programs
- clinical trials
The ADDF states that they have provided funding to 20% of the drugs in clinical development for Alzheimer’s disease.
The ABF invests in research into brain diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. They fund research into a broad range of brain diseases to help find better:
- treatments
- prevention methods
- cures
As part of their Cure One, Cure Many program, the ABF is working to help speed up progress in the diagnosis of Lewy body dementia (LBD), which is the most common form of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease.
Currently, medical professionals can only definitively diagnose LBD with a brain autopsy after death. The Cure One, Cure Many program aims to find a diagnostic test for LBD.
The BFF funds scientific research to help find cures for:
- Alzheimer’s disease
- macular degeneration
- glaucoma
The organization’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research (ADR) program has awarded almost $170 million since 1985 to support research in different fields, including epidemiology, molecular biology, and genetics.
Scientists can use this research and funding to help investigate ideas to help:
- understand Alzheimer’s disease
- diagnose Alzheimer’s disease
- treat Alzheimer’s disease
- cure Alzheimer’s disease
- prevent Alzheimer’s disease
The BFF also has online tools that offer expert advice regarding Alzheimer’s disease.
There are a number of organizations in the U.S. that can offer support to a person with Alzheimer’s disease.
A person with Alzheimer’s disease can receive support from the Alzheimer’s Association and the AFA. Both organizations offer telephone support. They also provide a lot of useful information on their websites.
Caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease can get support from the Alzheimer’s Association and the AFA. They can also receive support from the FCA, which can provide assessments, help with care planning and provide access to wellness programs and respite services.
There are a number of organizations that help fund research into Alzheimer’s disease. Organizations such as the Alzheimer’s Association, ADDF, ABF, and BFF provide funding for research into the diagnosis, treatment, prevention methods, and potential cure for Alzheimer’s disease.