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November 6, 2014
News from the Alzheimer's Foundation of America

Alzheimer's Foundation of America Kicks Off 'Remember Together'

National Campaign Features Photo Contest, Education on Benefits of Memory Screenings

The Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA), has introduced Remember Together, a public awareness campaign that asks people to remember together the importance of keeping their cherished memories alive. The public is invited to recreate old photos of favorite memories and share them via social media using #RememberTogether. Photo recreations can be viewed here

 

Remember Together supports AFA's roll-out of free, confidential year-round memory screenings at community sites nationwide. The roll-out builds on the success of AFA's National Memory Screening Day, which falls this year on November 18, during National Alzheimer's Awareness Month, and which has provided memory screenings to hundreds of thousands of people since 2003. For a complete list of sites, visit www.RememberTogetherAFA.org.
 

"Remember Together is a friendly and impassioned call-to-action to the public to celebrate their memories, create new ones with family and friends, and help protect their memories and those of their loved ones by getting screened for memory issues," said Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., president and CEO of the Alzheimer's Foundation of America. "There is a persistent stigma associated with Alzheimer's disease that prevents people from talking about it and taking action that could ultimately help improve quality of life. We aim to reduce the stigma and encourage people to seek early detection and proper treatment."

 

The Remember Together campaign includes a photo contest that awards monthly prizes. People can submit photos through Twitter, Instagram or www.RememberTogetherAFA.org. Two winners will be announced every month, one chosen randomly and one by popular vote. Each winner will receive a digital photo frame perfect for displaying favorite memories. People can vote for their favorites on the RememberTogether site.

Update from the Advisory Council on Alzheimer's Research, Care and Services

Last week, the Advisory Council on Alzheimer's Research, Care and Services met for the last time this year. Among the topics covered was a review of long-term care services and how they are provided to people with dementia, including Medicaid and waiver programs. Additional presentations included long-term care settings and innovative care models. Click  here for additional details and slides.  


 
The meeting also included an update on the internal review of the National Alzheimer's Project Act Board's processes. The committee recommended the possibility of separating National Plan priorities into two lists: short- and long-term, as well as developing enhanced metrics to measure progress against Plan goals and ensuring that the "right" people are around the table.

 

Progress against the Plan's research goals includes the 2015 NIH Alzheimer's Disease Research Summit, which is scheduled for February 9-10, and the International Alzheimer's Disease Research Project (IADRP),which categorizes all Alzheimer's disease research worldwide that is now online. The meeting also included updates on international efforts to combat Alzheimer's disease.


 

The next meeting of the Advisory Council on Alzheimer's Research, Care and Services is slated for January 2015. 

News to Use

Toolkit Raises Awareness of Clinical Trials

The National Institute on Aging (NIA), the Administration for Community Living (ACL), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have released a toolkit, entitled, "Recruiting Older Americans into Research (ROAR)" to help aging services networks share information about research and clinical trials with older adults and caregivers-including those with diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds. The toolkit can be found  here

 

Free Teleconference: When It's Time to Give Up the Keys

This month's Care Connection free teleconference for family and professional caregivers will take place November 13, from 1-2 p.m. EST. The focus is a topic near and dear to many of us - when it's time for your loved one to stop driving. Matt Gurwell, founder, Keeping Us Safe, in Cleveland, Ohio, will share tips and techniques for navigating this challenging issue. To join, call 877-594-8353; guest ID: 46692951#.

 

News Updates

Small Sample Shows Dietary Cocoa Flavanols Reverse Age-Related Memory Decline

Recent research from Columbia University Medical Center scientists suggests that dietary cocoa flavanols have the power to reverse age-related memory decline in healthy older adults. The small study followed 37 people, ages 50 to 69, who ingested either a high-flavanol diet (900 mg of flavanols a day) or a low-flavanol diet (10 mg of flavanols a day) for three months. Brain imaging and memory tests were administered to each participant before and after the study. The group who received the high-flavanol diet outperformed the other. Read more

New Study Shows Cost of Family Caregiving in the U.S. is $522 Billion Per Year

A new study from the RAND Corporation estimates the monetary value of caregiving by family and friends of aging Americans to be $522 billion per year. As the Washington Post pointed out, that figure is 15 percent larger than the state of Virginia's economy. To arrive at this figure, the RAND Corporation considered the number of hours of elder care provided by family and friends and what the cost of those hours would be if performed by unskilled workers earning minimum wage. Read more 
Look Who's Lighting Up! 

Empire State Building Goes Teal for National Memory Screening Day


An iconic fixture of the New York City skyline, the Empire State Building, will light up teal, in support of Alzheimer's awareness on National Memory Screening Day, November 18. 

AFA is grateful for this honor. Additionally, other landmarks across the country will be lighting up teal, including: RSA Battle House Tower in Alabama; The Pylons at the entrance of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in California; SunTrust Financial Centre in Tampa, Fla.; Trump International Tower in Chicago, Ill.;  LaSalle Lookout Tower in Minneapolis, Minn.; Niagara Falls, New York and Canada; and the Allegheny County Courthouse and Executive Office in Pittsburgh, Pa.



Fundraiser Spotlight

Get Ready For Giving Tuesday

 

Now that November is upon us, the hustle and bustle of the holiday shopping season has begun. And, while many may be taking advantage of deals galore on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, what they may not know is that there is a designated day, during the holiday season, in which to give back.

 

This year, Giving Tuesday falls on December 2. It's an excellent time to make a year-end tax deductible contribution to AFA. Stay tuned to our Facebook and Twitter pages for additional details on what your gift will buy.

 


Upcoming Events
November 7-9 - National Commemorative Candle Lighting Weekend of Prayer
AFA's National Commemorative Candle Lighting Weekend of Prayer is an annual event to remember and honor Americans who have been or will be affected by Alzheimer's disease or related illnesses. It is held each November in recognition of National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month. 

Learn more

November 18 - National Memory Screening Day
  
On November 18, AFA will host its annual National Memory Screening Day.  Free, confidential memory screenings will be administered by qualified health professionals at local sites nationwide, including pharmacies, doctor's offices, libraries, long-term care settings, and houses of worship.  

For more information or to register as a site, visit:  www.nationalmemoryscreening.org.

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