Resources for Alzheimer’s

  • Alzheimer’s AssociationThe first and largest organization dedicated to finding prevention methods, treatments and an eventual cure for Alzheimer’s.
    • Support Groups
    • Education programs
      • Caregiver training
      • Understanding Alzheimer’s
    • 24-hour help line: 800-272-3900
  • ADEAR. Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral Center. U.S. National Institute on Aging. ADEAR maintains information on Alzheimer’s disease research, diagnosis, treatments, clinical trials and federal government programs and resources. AD Lib, ADEAR ‘s literature database, has nearly 8,500 materials related to Alzheimer’s disease that includes fact sheets, textbook chapters, journal articles, brochures, teaching manuals, directories, videos and other media, bibliographies, program descriptions, monographs, newsletters and reports.
  • Alzheimer’s Disease Centers (ADCs) Directory. National Institutes of Health. Alzheimer’s Disease Centers offer diagnosis and medical management; clinical research and drug trials; and information about the disease, services and resources.
  • Healing Moments: Alzheimer/Dementia Education and Advocacy. Organization created by Rev. Jade Angelica from lessons she learned in caring for her mother who had Alzheimer’s. The organization has seminars and trainings for professional caregivers, family caregivers and faith communities which focus on being present, noticing and accepting what is, saying “Yes,” and meeting persons with Alzheimer’s or other diseases of dementia in their reality.
  • Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI). ADI is an international membership group of Alzheimer associations. The ADI site links to member association sites throughout the world. It also provides information in several languages, statistics on the number of people with dementia worldwide, and the implications for the distribution of research funding, especially in developing countries.
  • Alzheimer Society of Canada The Alzheimer Society of Canada is a nationwide, not-for-profit health organization dedicated to helping people affected by Alzheimer’s disease. The Society develops and provides support and educational programs for people with the disease, their families and their caregivers.
  • Alzheimer’s Society UK The Alzheimer’s Society is the UK’s leading care and research charity for people with dementia and those who care for them. The Society provides information and support for those living with the disease, as well as training for professionals. The organization funds Alzheimer research and helps build awareness through its campaigning efforts.
  • Alzheimer Research Forum This Web site reports on the latest scientific findings, from basic research to clinical trials; creates and maintains public databases of essential research data and reagents; and produces discussion forums to promote debate, speed the dissemination of new ideas, and break down barriers across the numerous disciplines that can contribute to the global effort to cure Alzheimer’s disease.
  • Drug Information. MedlinePlus Health Information. This Web site lists generic and brand names, precautions and side effects for more than 9,000 prescription and over-the-counter drugs from the United States Pharmacopeia (USP), a government agency that establishes standards for the make-up and use of medicines.
  • Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research. Fisher’s site is a comprehensive portal for caregivers, family members, people living with Alzheimer’s and the general public.
  • Mayo Clinic Alzheimer’s Disease Center. The Mayo Clinic Alzheimer’s Disease Center has easy to understand, practical in-depth information on Alzheimer’s and care-giving.
  • Sleep Problems and Dementia. From Web-MD.com
  • Web MD.com Alzheimer’s Health Center. This site has a broad range of information, with an emphasis on information for individuals who are concerned about memory problems or have Alzheimer’s disease.
  • A Crisis Guide for Caregivers of Seniors with Alzheimer’s or Other Dementia Having dementia puts older adults at risk of several types of crises, including wandering, increased aggression, hallucinations and depression. This guide covers the most common crisis situations and offers tips for preventing them.
  • Website: Website of Rev. Katie Norris, whose ministry focuses on caring for people with dementia
  • Movie: Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter, by Deborah Hoffmann. With profound insight and a healthy dose of levity, this movie chronicles the various stages of a mother’s Alzheimer’s Disease and the evolution of a daughter’s response to the illness. The desire to cure the incurable-to set right her mother’s confusion and forgetfulness, to temper her mother’s obsessiveness-gives way to an acceptance which is finally liberating for both daughter and mother. Neither depressing nor medical, Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter is much more than a story about Alzheimer’s and family care giving. It is ultimately a life-affirming exploration of family relations, aging and change, the meaning of memory, and love.
  • Book: Where Two Worlds Touch: A Spiritual Journey Through Alzheimer’s Disease, by Jade C. Angelica. Both a spiritual memoir where Angelica shares the wisdom and hope she gleaned from caring for her mother and from many years working closely with Alzheimer’s patients and caregivers, and a pastoral guide for those who love someone with Alzheimer’s. Boston: Skinner House Books, 2014.
  • Book: Understanding difficult behavior: some practical suggestions for coping with Alzheimer’s disease and related illnesses, by Robinson, A.; Spencer, B.; White, L. Explores problem-solving strategies for a variety of Alzheimer behaviors and the importance of good communication skills. Ypsilanti, MI: Geriatric Education Resource Center of Michigan, 1992.
  • Book: The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for Persons with Alzheimer Disease, Related Dementing Illnesses, and Memory Loss in Later Life, by Nancy L. Mace, Peter V. Rabins. Helps families cope with this progressive and irreversible disease. Wellness Central, 2006.
  • Book: The Living End: A Memoir of Forgetting and Forgiving, by Robert Leleux. St Martin’s Press, 2012. When Robert Leleux’s grandmother began to lose her memory it felt like the beginning of the end, but it also turned out to be the beginning of something truly beautiful.