Delivering on its mission, the Alzheimer's Association provided care and support more than 10 million times in FY24 through channels including alz.org, care consultations, information and referrals, support groups, education programs and information. In this new era of treatment, the Association remains committed to ensuring people in every stage of the disease have access to programs and services to diagnose and treat dementia, as well as support through their journey. Surveys indicate that constituents are highly satisfied with Association programs and services and would recommend them to others.

Nearly 4,500 trained Alzheimer's Association community volunteers provided our awareness, education and support programs. These volunteers were supported by outreach volunteers who ensure that communities have education, information and support where they live, work and play. Our volunteers donated nearly 180,000 hours of service valued at more than $5.7 million contributed dollars and provided more than 423,000 interactions with people living with Alzheimer's and their families.

The Association's free 24/7 Helpline (800.272.3900) is available around the clock, 365 days a year. Specialists and master's-level clinicians received over 223,000 calls, emails and online chats, offering confidential support and information to people living with dementia, caregivers, families and the public. The service is partially funded by a five-year, $10 million federal grant awarded by the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living.

Through a five-year, $25 million grant — the largest in Association history — from the Administration on Community Living (ACL), part of the Department of Health and Human Services, the Center for Dementia Respite Innovation fosters innovation in respite care models and enhances respite services for people living with dementia and their caregivers, particularly in underserved communities. The center works to address the disparity and burden of care faced by many families of those living with Alzheimer's and other dementia and is a key element of our effort to reduce disparities.

The Association worked with 400 health systems to increase equitable access to care and improve the quality of care through changes in systems, policy and practice. The Association's health systems initiatives benefited more than 16.48 million covered lives — a 23% increase over FY23. Of these covered lives, an estimated 4.5 million benefited from our efforts to engage over 50 payers for access to new treatments. 

The Association expanded its Project ECHO® program to increase influence and equitable access to diagnosis, care and support. The Association became the first ECHO Superhub for dementia, equipped to train new and existing ECHO hubs to establish their own dementia-focused programs. In addition, the Dementia Care Global ECHO Collaborative grew to 31 partners across three continents. The Association's Alzheimer's and Dementia Care ECHO Program trained medical professionals and professional care providers in a telementoring format, resulting in over 500,000 influenced lives. In addition,the Project ECHO for Public Health Professionals was held for the first time, in collaboration with the Public Health Center of Excellence on Dementia Risk Reduction, to increase knowledge on dementia risk factors and integrate messaging into chronic disease prevention efforts. 

In partnership with the Association, the Joint Commission launched Memory Care Certification for Assisted Living Communities (ALCs). The voluntary, specialty certification recognizes Joint Commission-accredited ALCs that meet its standards to support the delivery of high-quality care for residents diagnosed with Alzheimer's or another dementia. The new certification requirements reflect current evidence-based practices in memory care, align with the Association's Dementia Care Practice Recommendations and build on existing requirements for the Joint Commission's Assisted Living Community Accreditation Program. 

The Association was successful in its applications to two states — Indiana and Montana — and was awarded over $380,000 in Civil Monetary Penalty (CMP) dollars. The CMP Reinvestment Program uses federal government fines collected from nursing homes to fund projects that improve resident quality of life in skilled nursing facilities in every state. These funds will support over 70 nursing homes and 1,500 professional care staff over the next two to three years with a comprehensive model of training, certification and family support.

The Association launched the Dementia Care Navigation Roundtable with nearly 30 member organizations, including health care providers, payers, researchers and other stakeholders who are committed to advancing the delivery of high-quality, person-centered dementia care navigation. The roundtable promotes shared definitions, standards and best practices; identifies challenges and opportunities for ongoing research and innovation; and ensures all voices are heard and represented in developing guidelines for care navigation.

The Association partnered with Rippl, a health technology company with expertise in on-demand dementia support, to create the Dementia Care Navigation Service. The service was chosen by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) through a competitive application process to participate in an eight-year pilot program, Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model, led by the CMS Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. The Dementia Care Navigation Service helps people living with dementia and their caregivers access clinical and care management, caregiver education and support, and respite services.

Nearly 3,000 professional care providers working in long-term and community-based care settings completed the online essentiALZ® – Alzheimer's Association Training and Certification program, now also available in Spanish. Learners who complete the essentiALZ training and certification can claim credit for continuing nursing education (CNE), National Association of Long-Term Care Administrator Boards (NAB), and continuing education for social work, physical therapy, psychology, occupational therapy and nutrition to continue to improve the quality of care for those living with Alzheimer's and other dementia.

The Association launched an in-person English version of its evidence-based education program The Empowered Caregiver. The program teaches caregivers how to navigate the responsibilities of caring for someone living with dementia and features five topics, including building foundations of caregiving, supporting independence, communicating effectively, responding to dementia-related behaviors, and exploring care and support services.

The Association's interactive online tool, ALZNavigator™, creates customized action plans for all individuals impacted by the disease and offers specific resources for LGBTQ+ individuals, veterans, people living with younger-onset Alzheimer's and people who do not yet have a diagnosis. FY24 saw over 38,000 sessions conducted by nearly 31,000 users, almost all of whom were new to the platform.

ALZConnected®, the Association's free online community, provides a space where people living with dementia and their caregivers can post questions about dementia-related issues, offer support, and create public and private groups around specific topics. The community welcomed over nearly 14,000 new users, a more than 10% growth in membership.

Constituents engaged in more than 500,000 sessions using the Alzheimer's Association & AARP Community Resource Finder, a growing database of dementia and aging-related resources. Community Resource Finder connects individuals living with dementia and their caregivers with local programs and services. 

Over 25,000 people have registered for ALZ Talks, the Association's free webinar series featuring friendly and insightful conversations on a variety of topics with people living with Alzheimer's, caregivers and dementia experts. To date, ALZ Talks has received nearly 65,000 on-demand views through YouTube and over 9 million views on Facebook.

The Alzheimer's Association National Early-Stage Advisory Group comprises individuals living in the early stage of Alzheimer's or another dementia who share their experiences through media outlets and other public channels to raise awareness, reduce stigma and provide guidance on the development of Association programs and services. Among other activities, members from across the country spoke about their lived experience and ensured the voice of people living with the disease remains at the center of our work. Advisors advocated for approval of and access to treatments that can slow disease progression, including speaking to the FDA Peripheral and Central Nervous System Drugs Advisory Committee to encourage the committee to consider the personal experience and impact of the disease on those living with it and their families as part of their decision-making process.

The Association addresses Alzheimer's as a public health issue by promoting brain health, increasing access to early detection and diagnosis, and supporting people living with dementia and their caregivers. The 10 Healthy Habits for Your Brain campaign launched in English and Spanish, encouraging audiences of all ages to take charge of their brain health. 

The third cohort of Healthy Brain Initiative Road Map Strategists was selected to build capacity within its 10 local health departments and tribal health organizations to address brain health in their communities. The Alzheimer's Association Public Health Center of Excellence on Dementia Risk Reduction completed the pilot of its Community Convenings project with local health departments and launched the new Risk Reduction Learning Collaborative to increase the knowledge and confidence around dementia risk reduction among public health officials working in communities.

Over 200 community members and experts were engaged to shape the new Healthy Brain Initiative: Road Map for American Indian and Alaska Native Peoples. The publication will help professionals conducting public health work with tribes, nations, pueblos, bands, villages and urban Indian organizations select and pursue strategies for the American Indian and Alaska Native communities they serve to improve brain health, improve detection, address dementia and better meet the needs of caregivers.