The Alzheimer’s Association is here to help.

Helpline

The Alzheimer's Association Helpline operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in 140 languages. Our staff is highly trained and knowledgeable about all aspects of Alzheimer’s disease. Call us if you have questions about:

• Alzheimer’s disease or memory loss, medications and treatment options, brain health and care options

• How the Association can help you

• Caregiving tips and respite care options

• Services available in your community and referrals

You can also call us for emotional support –– as often as you need. We know that living with Alzheimer’s can be overwhelming at times. Remember, we are here for you –– all day, every day.

Care consultation

Our professional staff is dedicated to helping people navigate through the difficult decisions and uncertainties people with Alzheimer’s and their families face at every stage of the disease. We can provide care consultation services to you by telephone, e-mail or in person. These include:

• Assessment of needs

• Assistance with planning and problem solving

• Supportive listening

Contact us for more information:

Phone: 1.800.861.7826

Support groups

We offer a variety of support groups for all individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease. Groups are facilitated by trained volunteers. Many locations offer specialized groups for children, those with early-onset and early-stage Alzheimer’s, adult caregivers and others with specific needs.

Support group listing.

Message boards

The Alzheimer’s Association message boards and chat rooms provide an online community for persons with Alzheimer's, caregivers and care providers. Our message boards have thousands of registered members from around the United States and thousands more who refer to the stories and information that is available 24 hours a day.

Join the Alzheimer’s Association online community.

Educational programs

We offer many educational programs each year that address the specific interests of the general public, individuals with the disease and their families.

Education program listing.

Professional training

We offer classroom and Web-based training for healthcare supervisors and direct care workers in assisted living and nursing homes. Many programs allow you to earn CEUs.

Professional training listings.

Multilingual information

Alzheimer’s disease and other disorders that cause dementia know no boundaries. Many individuals and families in ethnic and cultural minority groups are in need of solid information about Alzheimer’s disease and health resources.

• Chinese educational materials

• Korean educational materials

• Spanish educational materials

Safe Return®

Alzheimer's Association Safe Return® is a nationwide identification, support and enrollment program that provides assistance when someone with Alzheimer's or a related dementia wanders and becomes lost. Assistance is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If an enrollee is missing, one phone call immediately activates a community support network to help reunite the lost person with his or her caregiver.

Learn more about Safe Return.

Local resources and referrals

We maintain updated information on home care, adult day care, care coordination, assisted living, skilled nursing facilities, eldercare lawyers and transportation available in the community. Our staff and trained professionals can help assess whether a specific care provider meets the needs of an individual with Alzheimer’s.

The Southeast Florida Chapter has a variety of resources available locally. They include books, videos, DVD's, brochures, and guides. They are available at the Karp lending Library. The library is located in the Chapter's downtown West Palm Beach office.

Copies of the popular PBS series, "The Forgetting - Alzheimer's: Portrait of an Epidemic", are available.

Stop by and see us! Special thanks to The Karp Law Firm.

For more information, please contact us:

By phone: 1.800.861.7826

Clinical trials index

• Clinical studies – what they are, why participate

• Nationwide clinical trials index

Clinical trials are a common component of research studies, pursuing treatments and cures for Alzheimer's disease. Read the article below for an overview of what clinical trials offer for those who wish to participate.

Do You Know About Alzheimer's Research and Clinical Trials?

Over 4.5 million people in the United States have Alzheimer's disease. In an effort to bring relief to both patients with Alzheimer's and their caregivers, considerable strides in neuroscience research have been made and have thus far yielded several moderately effective treatments. However, medical experts agree that newer therapies are needed.

What is a Clinical Trial?
All prescription drugs that are on the market have gone through clinical research trials in order to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These trials, overseen by the FDA, are studies that provide safe ways to discover treatments and help to improve the quality of life for many people with Alzheimer's. Every day, research uncovers new information about Alzheimer's and possible therapies.

Why Should One Participate?
Each year, thousands of people volunteer to participate in Alzheimer's clinical research studies. Volunteering to participate in a clinical research study is an important link in contributing to the understanding of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders, the development of new drugs, and ultimately thousands may benefit from the willingness of those who choose to become involved. Participants receive study-related physical and neurological examinations, laboratory evaluations and study medication at no cost. Neither participants nor insurance companies are ever charged for involvement in a study.

How Can One Participate in a Clinical Research Trial?
Volunteers for studies can be referred by physicians, family members or friends, or by responding directly to newspaper, radio, television and Website advertisements. Potential study participants are prescreened via phone and have an opportunity to ask questions. If he or she meets the particular inclusion criteria, as specified by the sponsor, an appointment is made for an office visit.

What is Informed Consent?
The Informed Consent must be obtained from each participant before that person participates in the research study. It is a process designed to give study participants and their caregivers the information that they need to decide about participating in a research study and provides the opportunity for the volunteer to exchange information freely with the clinical coordinator.

Who is the Institutional Review Board (IRB)?
The IRB is a group of healthcare professionals and members of the community, charged with the responsibility of protecting the safety and rights of study participants. It must carefully review and approve a clinical study before it begins.

What are the Latest Alzheimer's Research Studies?
Currently there are clinical research studies being conducted to slow the progression of the disease by many pharmaceutical companies, including Axonyx, Envivo, Elan, Neurochem, Sirna Therapeutics, Vasogen, Teva, Corcept, Cortex, Praecis, GlaxoSmithKline, Centaur, Bristol, Mitsubishi, Myriad, Forest, Ceregene, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Roche, Johnson & Johnson, Sanofi-Synthelabo and Eli Lilly.

Can I Search for an Alzheimer's Research Study Locally?
Contact the Alzheimer's Association, Southeast Florida Chapter, at 1.800.861.7826, check newspapers for advertised studies (South Florida Sun-Sentinel or Miami Herald), or visit www.alz.org/Resources/ClinicalTrialsIndex.asp for a list.

Can One Contact a Clinical Research Facility Directly?
Neurology Clinical Research is one of several experienced neurological research facilities in Southeast Florida that conducts clinical trials for Alzheimer's disease and related nervous system disorders. The two principal investigators who conduct studies for pharmaceutical sponsors are Richard P. Singer, MD, FAAN and Barry J. Cutler, MD, both Board Certified Neurologists. Neurology Clinical Research is located at 3540 N. Pine Island Road, Sunrise, FL, 33351. Call 1.954.475.8171, ext. 132, send an e-mail to clepurage@neuroresearch.net, or visit www.neuroresearch.net for more information.