• Today, 5.4 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's.
• Every 69 seconds another American develops Alzheimer's; by 2050 that will be every 33 seconds!
• It is the 5th leading cause of death for those over 65.
• One in eight older Americans develops the disease; 43% of Americans over 85 have Alzheimer’s.
• In 2000 there were 411,000 new cases of Alzheimer’s; by 2030 new cases will increase to 615,000!

With Alzheimer's, it is not just those with the disease who suffer. It can be devastating to their caregivers.

Caring for a person with Alzheimer’s poses special challenges. Although memory loss is the best-known symptom, this disease also causes loss of judgment, orientation and the ability to understand and communicate effectively. Personality and behavior are affected as well. Individuals require increasing levels of supervision and personal care, and many caregivers experience high levels of stress and negative effects on their health, employment, income and financial security. The close relationship between the caregiver and the impaired person — a relationship involving shared emotions, experiences and memories — may particularly place caregivers at risk for psychological and physical illness. More than 60 percent of Alzheimer's and dementia caregivers rate the emotional stress of caregiving as high or very high; one-third report symptoms of depression. The 24/7/365 aspect of caregiving can be daunting as most people survive an average of four to eight years after an Alzheimer's diagnosis, but some live as long as 20 years with the disease.

Who is the Alzheimer's cafe for?

Why is there a need?

What happens at the Alzheimer's Cafe?