Celebrate With Us: 25 Years of Leadership in Progress and Hope

The Alzheimer’s Association celebrates its 25^th anniversary this year and continues moving forward to uncover the mysteries of Alzheimer’s, ways to prevent and treat it, and better ways to support and care for those affected by the disease.  When the Alzheimer’s Association was incorporated in 1980, Alzheimer’s disease and its impact were little known; diagnosis was rare and required excluding all other possibilities; no treatments or services were available; few scientists investigated it; and there were no practice guidelines for treatment and care. 

“In the past 25 years, the Alzheimer’s Association has been catalyst for changing that landscape,” said Kent Barnheiser, president and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Illinois Chapter.  “Our work has always been about people and science and we’re working harder than ever to achieve our mission to eliminate Alzheimer's through research and to enhance care and support for people with the disease, their families and caregivers.”

Below are highlights of Alzheimer’s Association achievements.   Click here for more Alzheimer’s Association milestones from the past 25 years.

• Our toll-free, 24-hour Helpline is a vital resource for information, assistance, care consultation and referrals.

• Association staff and volunteers work from 300 points of service coast-to-coast providing care consultation, information and more than 100,000 annual hours of education and support programs to people with dementia, family members and caregivers.

• Our Alzheimer’s Association Safe Return® is a nationwide identification, support and enrollment program that provides security for those who may wander.

• Our annual national fund-raiser - Memory Walk® - brings together volunteers to raise millions of dollars to fund education and support programs.

• Our Maintain Your Brain™ consumer education campaign encourages Americans,  especially baby boomers, to keep their brains healthy and potentially reduce their risk of developing Alzheimer's.

• Our online community connects people from all across the country who share their experiences and find support and friendship with others living with Alzheimer's.

• The Alzheimer's Association Green-Field Library is the nation's largest library dedicated to Alzheimer's disease, with a wide variety of free information services to the public.

• Our annual Dementia Care Conference provides a valuable forum for health care and social service professionals. Our annual International Research Conference brings together the world's best scientists to exchange ideas and present breakthrough research.  This year, we will convene the first-of-its-kind conference on Alzheimer’s disease prevention, the International Conference on Prevention of Dementia.

• Since our founding in 1980, we have invested more than $165 million to support Alzheimer research.  Our peer-reviewed research grants program has funded more than 1,300 studies into the science that may lead to causes, treatment and preventions.

• We are advancing research and care through our collaborative partnerships with corporations, foundations, the pharmaceutical industry, the scientific community and the federal government. The Alzheimer’s Association Research Roundtable is one example of how we bring leaders in the Alzheimer research field together to exchange ideas and information.

• Our Coalition of Hope brings together millions of advocates from hundreds of social, labor, ethnic, community and religious organizations to increase public awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and to advocate for increased research funding and public policy initiatives.