The Alzheimer's Association East Central Iowa Chapter dedicates donations to providing information, support, programming and services for the more than 16,000 affected by Alzheimer's who are in the 19 counties we serve. We also provide information on living a brain-healthy lifestyle and research into the cause, treatments, preventions and cure for Alzheimer's.

The impact of Alzheimer's - both long-lasting and far-reaching - causes us to continually expand our programs, services and support to meet the new and changing needs of those we serve wherever they are in the disease process:

Today, Alzheimer's affects 5.3 million Americans, including the over 16,000 people with the disease, their families and caregivers in the area we serve. By 2025,  researchers say as many as 16 million Americans could have the disease.

• An estimated 5.3 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease.
• Every 70 seconds, someone in America develops Alzheimer's disease; by mid-century someone will develop Alzheimer's disease every 33 seconds.
• The average lifetime cost of care for an individual with Alzheimer's is $174,000.
• In a Gallup Poll commissioned by the Alzheimer's Association , 1 in 10 Americans said that they had a family member with Alzheimer's and 1 in 3 knew someone with the disease.
• Nearly 10 million Americans provide 8.5 billion hours of unpaid care, valued at $94 billion.
• 1 in 8 people age 65 and older has Alzheimer's and nearly 1 in 2 over age 85 has it.
• From 2000 to 2004, deaths from Alzheimer's diesease increased by 32.8 percent while deaths from heart disease, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and stroke all decreased.
• Alzheimer's is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States.

We Offer Help

• 24-hour support via our 24/7 Helpline
• Information on resources in your community that saves you time
• Support groups where you can share with and learn from others
• Education and support for people with mild memory loss
• Assistance with locating respite services
• Safe Return®, an identification bracelet to protect your loved one with dementia and assist in getting the person safely back to you

We Offer Guidance

• Education classes from understanding the disease and facing caregiving challenges to finding the right care for your loved one
• Education classes for the professional to improve care for persons with the disease
• One-on-one care consultations when the family needs extra help discovering options or making decisions

We Offer Hope

• Funding research to find a treatment or cure
• Improving quality of care through consulting services to care providers
• Ideas about how you can maintain a healthy brain
• Reaching decision makers - in the state and in Washington, D.C.

Thank you, for your support and for helping us serve thousands of families affected by Alzheimer's today and for helping us achieve our vision of a world without Alzheimer's disease