Alzheimer's Association

Did You Know?

• The AIM Advocacy Forum is an annual spring gathering in Washington, D.C., featuring training sessions, celebrity guests, the National Alzheimer's Dinner, and a lobby day where volunteers meet with members of Congress.
• The Alzheimer's Association, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is distributing a $25 million grant to local organizations to provide and improve respite care for dementia patients.

History

The Alzheimer's Association traces its roots to 1970, when Jerome H. Stone’s wife was diagnosed with the disease. At that time, public knowledge about Alzheimer’s was scarce, and only a handful of support groups existed. After meeting with the National Institute on Aging in 1979, Stone brought together seven independent groups made up of researchers, physicians, caregivers, and humanitarians. They gathered on December 4, 1979, to discuss how to improve information, care, and find a cure.

The organization was officially incorporated as the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association on April 10, 1980. That same year, the NIH allocated $13 million toward Alzheimer’s research. In 1982, President Ronald Reagan established the first National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Week. Today, the association operates chapters across the country, with its national headquarters in Chicago and a public policy office in Washington, D.C. In January 2023, Joanne Pike became the first woman to serve as the association’s president and CEO, succeeding Harry Johns.

Events

Do What You Love to End ALZ, formerly called The Longest Day and rebranded in 2025, is a fundraiser where participants engage in an activity they enjoy to benefit the association's efforts. RivALZ powder puff football began in 2005 with a blonde vs. brunette rivalry, later rebranded in 2014 to allow traditional rivalries such as north vs. south; it raises awareness and funds for the association.

Publications

The Alzheimer's Association publishes Alzheimer's & Dementia, an open access, peer-reviewed journal that provides a collaborative forum for the research and patient community. In June 2024, it released "Revised criteria for diagnosis and staging of Alzheimer's disease," advocating a shift from symptom-based diagnosis to testing for amyloid plaques. This approach is widely respected among researchers for incorporating validated biomarkers and recognizing Alzheimer's as a disease beginning years before dementia develops, but it is controversial because older adults can carry amyloid plaques without ever developing symptoms.