A Call to Connect

The calendar in my phone has two alerts that pop up every year on this day. One is “Mother’s Day!” and the second is “Call Mom!” Turns out I’m not the only one. Mother’s Day is the single highest call volume day in the United States, amounting to a 37% spike in phone traffic. Even though my mother passed away two years ago from Alzheimer’s disease, I can’t bear to delete the reminder in my calendar to call her. Seeing it there makes me somehow feel closer to her. My mom was one of my favorite people to talk to

The Power of Faith in Alzheimer’s & Dementia

During my time with UsAgainstAlzheimer’s, I’ve had many conversations with people living with and caring for those with dementia or Alzheimer’s. From these conversations, I’ve learned that faith is integral to how they cope with the tremendous uncertainty, decline and loss that invariably accompanies this disease. In response, many faith communities, denominations, and organizations across the country have implemented creative, meaningful ways to support the spiritual life of these families and educate their communities about Alzheimer’s disease. Emerging scientific evidence is telling us that Alzheimer’s and dementia may be delayed or even potentially prevented through proactive, risk-reducing actions taken across

Addressing Injustice in Alzheimer’s and Bringing Brain Health Equity to Communities of Color

April is National Minority Health Month, and it presents a good opportunity for all of us to reflect on the numerous challenges and injustices communities of color face when it comes to healthcare in the U.S. For example, African Americans and Latinos are at higher risk than non-Hispanic whites for some of our country’s most common health problems, including obesity, heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, high blood pressure, and stroke. To understand and address these disparities, greater attention is being given to the role of social determinants like income inequality, housing and food security, and educational opportunity. A growing appreciation of

Creating an Optimal System of Care for Brain Health

Creating an Optimal System of Care for Brain Health We’ve defined the problem. Now it’s time to fix it. By Kelly O’Brien Executive Director, Brain Health Partnership The results are in: There is growing consensus that we need to fundamentally change how we approach brain health in our nation and across the globe. At UsAgainstAlzheimer’s, we’ve firmly established that Alzheimer’s disease is a growing epidemic and the defining health crisis of the 21st century. We called on President Trump to declare a state of emergency on Alzheimer’s during his 2019 State of the Union address, just as President Nixon did

Angels in Arms

Greg O’Brien is living with early onset Alzheimer’s. He recently spoke at a provider conference, and recounted the story of his travel home…