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May 21, 2015
News from the Alzheimer's Foundation of America

Deadline Approaching: Family Respite Care Grants

The deadline for Alzheimer's Foundation of America's (AFA) family respite care grant applications is fast approaching. AFA's nonprofit member organizations can apply for family respite care grants to provide scholarships to families in need in their communities. Studies have shown that respite services-such as adult day programs-can help maintain quality of life for both caregivers and the people for whom they provide care.

 

In fact, in a 2013 study profiled in the Gerontologist, family caregivers reported they were less stressed and had less bouts of anger on days when their loved ones attended a day program. Further, when stressors, such as issues at work, did pop up, they took less of an emotional toll.

 

To learn more about AFA's family respite care grants or to apply, click here 

 

Submissions must be received or postmarked by June 1.

Washington Update 

Senators Form New NIH Caucus

Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) will co-chair a new caucus in the Senate that is dedicated specifically to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The bipartisan Senate NIH Caucus will offer an opportunity for Senators to educate their colleagues on the importance of NIH and seek a strategy to restore the agency's purchasing power. According to the Senators, "sequestration and flat budgets" have resulted in NIH losing 25 percent of its purchasing power since 2003, impacting vital research on conditions such as Alzheimer's disease.

 

AFA has called for doubling Alzheimer's disease research funding at NIH to more than $1 billion in fiscal year 2016, with a pathway toward $1 trillion a year by 2025. These meaningful investments are necessary if we are to meet the goal of the national Alzheimer's plan for cure or modifying treatment by 2025. The creation of the Senate NIH Caucus will help spread this message and reinforce the need to increase vital funding in research.

 

 

Administration For Community Living Issues Profile of Older Americans

Each year the Administration for Community Living (ACL) compiles a profile of the adults over age 65 in the U.S., using Census data. The latest report, "A Profile of Older Americans: 2014," was released this week.

 

Among the findings in the report, the U.S. population age 65 and over increased approximately 25 percent during the last 10 years, from roughly 36 million in 2003 to 45 million in 2013, with states Nevada and Alaska experiencing greater than 50 percent increases. Another notable finding is that the population aged 100+ grew faster than the population over age 65 between 1980 and 2013.

News to Use

Learning from Cancer to Advance Neurodegeneration Drug Discovery and Development

Does having cancer decrease your risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases? Why do many cancer drug targets overlap with targets for neurodegeneration? 

 

On June 11, the New York Academy of Sciences is hosting an interdisciplinary meeting that seeks to answer these questions and help attendees learn from the mechanistic insight and years of research on cancer biology to advance new therapeutic development for neurodegenerative diseases. 

 

Speakers will address how their research relates to both cancer and neurodegeneration and what we can learn about cell biology and function from these seemingly disparate diseases. Talks will also discuss cancer drug repurposing opportunities for Alzheimer's and related dementias. 

 

For more information or to register, click here

We Remember

From all of us at AFA, a very Happy Memorial Day to everyone! Please take some time out from the festivities this weekend to remember why we celebrate and to think of those who bravely gave their lives in service.




 

Did You Know?

AFA took its Remember Together campaign to the streets, setting up in Manhattan's Flatiron Plaza last Saturday for a day of family fun and brain health awareness.

 

Hundreds of people made new memories by placing themselves in iconic pop culture scenes from history, via a photo booth. 

 

People also took advantage of free, confidential memory screenings on-site, a great first step in being proactive about brain health.

 

 


Board Member Spotlight

Paul Eibeler is chairman of COKeM International, one of the largest interactive games distribution companies in North America. Mr. Eibeler also serves as Chairman of the Long Island Alzheimer's Foundation (LIAF), which recently became a subsidiary of the AFA.

 

Eibeler's mother-in-law and father were both affected by Alzheimer's disease. He joined LIAF's board in 2007, after attending the organization's annual Remembrance Ball and was appointed to AFA's board last fall.

 

He resides in Glen Cove with his wife and three children. 


 

Fundraiser Spotlight

Dennis Harkey

Berry, Ala.

 

On June 4, Dennis Harkey will embark on a most memorable journey, raising awareness of Alzheimer's disease and raising money for the Alzheimer's Foundation of America. To honor his parents, Doyle and Bonnie, Harkey is kicking off the "Ride to Remember," which will take him from his home in Alabama to Alaska on his dad's motorcycle.

 

Doyle Harkey, Dennis' father, loved to ride motorcycles and he and Bonnie covered more than 500,000 miles and nearly every state during their riding years. Sadly, Doyle is now living with Alzheimer's disease and can no longer ride.

 

Dennis Harkey expects the 10,000-mile round trip will take him about a month. For more information about the Ride to Remember, click here 

 

 

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