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Get the awareness pin
	Limited offer: FREE lapel pin with donation The pin represents the Alzheimer's Assocation. Wear it proudly and help spread awareness about the cause to end Alzheimer's.

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Public Policy Forum
When: March 23-25, 2009
Where: Washington, D.C., Omni Shoreham Hotel
 
With a new Congress and president, and competing national priorities demanding attention, it is more important than ever that you attend the Public Policy Forum. We know that as a caregiver, as a person with the disease and as an advocate, no one tells your story better than you.

So come to Washington and raise awareness of the disease, and tell our elected officials directly why they must make Alzheimer's a national priority.
 
http://www.alz.org/publicpolicyforum/09/overview.asp

Gary Helminski is doing something amazing in the spirit of Memory Walk--he's trekking over 1000 miles from Wichita, KS to Jacksonville, FL.

Check it out: http://strongmindmemorywalk.com/

Please, send this on to your friends and family and help Gary raise money for Alzheimer Research.

Reposted from The Kansas City Star http://www.kansascity.com/238/story/882535.html

Dear Abby | Mom's Alzheimer's consumes daughter's life

DEAR ABBY: My beautiful, loving mother is now in the middle stages of Alzheimer's disease. This cruel disease has robbed her of her memories as well as the ability to reason and function.

I want to support her the way she has always supported me. But caring for Mama is becoming more and more difficult as she drifts further and further away. Not only am I caring for my mother, but I also have a career and three children.

From the financial considerations to the behavioral challenges to safety concerns, I can't keep my head above water. Please tell me what to do. — Overwhelmed in Cincinnati

DEAR OVERWHELMED: Although you feel alone and overwhelmed right now, the truth is you are not.

Today an estimated 10 million Americans are caring for someone with Alzheimer's or another dementia. More than 40 percent of them rate their emotional stress level as high or very high.

Some signs to be aware of: feeling you have to "do it all yourself"; withdrawing from friends and activities that you used to enjoy; worrying that the person you care for is safe; feeling anxious about money and health-care decisions; denying the impact of the disease and its effect on your family; feeling grief or sadness that your relationship with the person isn't what it used to be; becoming frustrated and angry when the person continually repeats things and doesn't seem to listen; and having health problems.

If any of these apply to you, talk to your doctor and contact the Alzheimer's Association, because it offers a full range of services. The toll-free number is 800-272-3900 or visit www.alz.org and take the Caregiver Stress Check interactive quiz. You will find with it a list of helpful referrals there.

© Universal Press Syndicate 11/10

Dear Abby runs Monday through Saturday.

Friends and colleagues:

I need your help.  

I am on a quest to get 200 people to donate $25 before Nov. 15 to the Alzheimer's Association. My team's fundraising goal for Memory Walk is $15,000, and we're a mere $5,000 away. I know we can do it.  

So I'm asking you to do two things:  

1.      Donate $25 (or any amount you can).

2.      Forward this to 10 people. 

 Thank you in advance for your support!

 Click here to donate now!--> https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=265838&lis=0&kntae265838=D82D9DEE16034ABB863A15A8E523966E&supId=0&team=2789114

The passion of one Cardmember
We are also extremely grateful to Jay Smith, the American Express Cardmember who submitted the project and named the Alzheimer's Association as the fulfilling organization. Jay's passion for fighting Alzheimer's is fueled by the experiences of his wife, Patti, who was diagnosed at the age of 51 – two years after she first exhibited the signs and symptoms of the disease. Patti is a past member of the Association's Early-Stage Advisory Group.

The fight continues
This victory is only a small accomplishment in our larger fight against Alzheimer's disease. Five million Americans are living with Alzheimer's, and millions more suffer the emotional and financial consequences when a loved one is diagnosed.

More about the Early Detection Matters project
The Alzheimer's Association will receive $1.5 million from American Express to begin an education campaign highlighting the importance of early detection among physicians and the general public. This is a positive step toward helping those who go undiagnosed for many years, losing valuable time that could be spent planning for the future and starting treatment.

Funds from the American Express Members Project will enable the Alzheimer's Association to:

• Collaborate with other health leaders to get the word out and combine resources.
• Engage people with Alzheimer's to be advocates, allowing them to spread awareness about the importance of early detection.
• Increase public education about early detection via paid advertising, public relations and other forms of proactive communications.
• Promote participation in clinical trials of groundbreaking treatments.
• Empower those who suspect they may have Alzheimer's to find the help and hope they need.
• Educate physicians about the 10 Warning Signs® and patient support services.

Finally, the Final 5!

CONTACT:  Toni Williams, 202-638-8666, toni.williams@alz.org

ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE SUPERSEDES DIABETES AS SIXTH LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN THE UNITED STATES

CHICAGO, June 12, 2008 -- Alzheimer's disease is now the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics.  The CDC estimates that 72,914 Americans died of Alzheimer's disease in 2006. With an unprecedented historic population shift of 78 million aging baby boomers in the country and this disease poised to strike 10 million boomers - it is clear this escalating epidemic must be addressed now.

Today, as many as 5.2 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease. The Alzheimer's Association's 2008  Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures report revealed one out of eight baby boomers will develop this disease that currently has no effective disease-modifying treatments to halt or delay its progression. Experts predict by 2010, there will be almost a half million new cases of Alzheimer's disease each year; and by 2050, there will be almost a million new cases each year.

"The CDC's announcement that Alzheimer's disease jumped from the seventh to the sixth leading cause of death should serve as a wake-up call to the nation," said William Thies, PhD, vice president of Medical and Scientific Relations at the Alzheimer's Association. "The fact that there are no effective treatments for Alzheimer's has allowed the disease to pass diabetes.  It is vitally important that we increase Alzheimer's research funding to slow or stop the progression of this devastating disease."

Researchers are closing the gap in developing accurate ways to diagnose and treat Alzheimer's.  Although there are several promising drugs currently in Phase III clinical trials, insufficient research funds are committed to research focused on Alzheimer's disease treatment and prevention.  This situation is further compounded by the fact that for the past five years the NIH budget has been essentially flat. The personal and economic impact of Alzheimer's is so large that no one entity can solve the problem alone.  It will require all levels of government and the private sector working together to diminish the human and economic cost. It must begin with accelerating research.

The CDC also reported that while deaths from Alzheimer's disease were on the rise, other chronic conditions were on the decline.  Between 2005 and 2006, the largest decline in age-adjusted death rates occurred for influenza/pneumonia (12.8 percent), and also included chronic lower respiratory diseases (6.5 percent), stroke (6.4 percent), heart disease (5.5 percent) diabetes (5.3 percent), hypertension (5 percent), chronic liver disease (3.3 percent) and cancer (1.6 percent).

The Alzheimer's Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer care, support and research.  Our mission is to eliminate Alzheimer's disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health.  Our vision is a world without Alzheimer's.  For more information, visit www.alz.org.