Support ACA’s Lindy Harrell Pre-Doctoral Scholars program at UAB! (see more info below) We will be raffling off $1,000 Amazon gift card, tonight at 8 pm. One chance for $25 or 5 chances for $100. https://alzca.org/ales-raffle/. The drawing will be held at Ales for Alzheimer’s, hosted by our Junior Board, at Brock’s Gap Brewery, September 19, 6 – 9 pm. 500 Mineral Trace, Hoover, 35244. $5 suggested entry fee. Live music by “What She Said” (blues and rock). Silent auction, food trucks, games and fun! You do not have to be present to win the raffle. https://alzca.org/ales/
Watch CarePatrol’s webinar on the new Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model, a landmark initiative from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). This session will detail how the GUIDE model is building a better future for individuals with dementia and their families. Learn how this alternative payment model aims to increase access to services, enhance care coordination, and reduce strain on caregivers, allowing more people to remain in their homes and communities. September 22, noon – 1:00 pm CT. Click to register:(https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Y1X9nXnCRQWwn1LE-28XjQ)
Breaking Barriers: Enhancing Quality of Life in Dementia Care with Nicole Ruggiano, PhD, MSW, FGSA, conference, September 30, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm, Jasper Civic Center. Free, in-person training designed for caregivers, professionals, and community champions who support individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias. For more information, contact Monica Houston at 205-659-4002.
Support Group Meetings:
- ACA’s support group with Miller & Vance, Tuesday, September 23, 11:00 – noon CT. There Call (205) 871-7970 ormpiggott@alzca.org. Join us on zoom:https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85247427423
- CJFS CARES, Mondays at 3 pm, contact Pam Leonard,pam@cjfsbham.org.
- St Lukes Episcopal Church on Tuesdays at 10:15. Contact Betsy Smith (smith35213@gmail.com) or Janis Cole (janiscarole3@aol.com).
- West Alabama Area Agency on Aging, Caregiver Support Group, Tuesdays, contact Robin Montgomery, robin.montgomery@westal.org.
- M4A’s Caregiver Support Group, 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month, 10 – 11:30 am, Montevallo. Contact Robyn James,rjames@m4a.org.
- The Oaks on Parkwood, 4th Tuesday’s, 10:00 am, Contact: Karen Glover, karenrglover@gmail.com.
- CJFS CARES, Tuesdays, 7:00 pm, contact Pam Leonard,pam@cjfsbham.org.
- United Way Area Agency on Aging of Jefferson County, 3rd Tuesday of each month 11:30-12:30, contact Valarie Lawson, vlawson@uwaaa.org
- Eastaboga, 2nd Tuesday, 6:00 pm. Contact Julie Slaglejslagle@lakesidehospice.org
- Trussville, 3rd Tuesday, 6:00 pm. Contact Julie Slaglejslagle@lakesidehospice.org
- Covenant Presbyterian Church, first Wednesday of the month, 10 am, church parlor, Contact Kristian Hatley at Khatley@covpress.com.
- M4A virtual support group, 3rd Wednesdays 2:00 – 3:00 pm. Contact Chalane Mims, cmims@m4a.org.
- Asbury United Methodist Church 1st and 3rd Thursdays at 1:00, contact Maggie Dunaway at mdunaway@asburyonline.org.
- AFTD support group, second Tuesday of the month. Amber Guy: 251-281-5344.
- Holy Apostles Church, Hoover, 2nd and 4th Thursdays 10:30-noon, contact Michele Elrod: Michelerelrod@att.net.
- St. Mark’s UMC, Vestavia Hills, Fridays at 1 pm. Contact Donna Baird: (205)717-9880.
Alzheimer’s News:
September is World Alzheimer’s Month, and World Alzheimer’s Day is Sunday, September 21. Join us now by donating to fund research at UAB. With the support of our Junior Board, ACA is funding our eighth Lindy Harrell Pre-Doctoral Scholar in Alzheimer’s research at the University of Alabama at Brimingham (UAB) Department of Neurology for a total of contribution of $350,000 since 2019. We are proud to honor Dr. Lindy Harrell’s legacy by supporting student research. Dr. Harrell has been a part of ACA since its inception and made the first donation to ACA, which was used to publish our first newsletter. The same year ACA was founded (1991), the UAB Alzheimer’s Disease Center (ADC) was chartered by the Board of Trustees, with Dr. Harrell as the founding director. She led the ADC until 2005 and retired in 2013, when she was appointed Professor Emerita by UAB. She continues to serve as ACA’s Vice President of Research. https://alzca.org/donate-now/
ACA’s 2025 Lindy Harrell Scholars:
- Ryan Tuckey is our 2025-2026 scholar. He is studying two of the strongest risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), APOE and TREM2, to determine how they cause increased AD risk. Part of his research also involves testing and validating new therapeutics targeting these risk factors. His findings are relevant to ongoing AD clinical trials and could also identify new therapeutic targets for future AD research.
- Samira Ramshe is our 2024-2025 scholar. She is working on potential strategies to protect brain cells from dysfunction and death by activating the function of lysosomes, the recycling centers of the cell that clean up cellular debris. This may have relevance to both Alzheimer’s disease (AD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and maybe even other neurodegenerative diseases.
Another easy way to celebrate September, World Alzheimer’s Month: Did you know that the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Semipostal stamp is one of only four awareness and fundraising stamps issued by the US Postal Service? ACA supporter Lynda Everman worked for over 10 years to make this a reality! To date the USPS has sold 12.5 million stamps raising more than $1.7 million for NIH funded research. During World Alzheimer’s Month and beyond we can all join Lynda in our efforts to fund critical research supporting prevention, care, and, hopefully one day, a cure for dementia. Order a sheet or more online today: https://store.usps.com/store/product/buy-stamps/alzheimers-S_564204
In celebration of its 10th anniversary, AlzAuthors is launching its first film festival centered on dementia. AlzAuthors is a comprehensive educational and community-building resource for authors and caregivers impacted by dementia. The community has grown to around 400 authors across six continents since its founding. AlzAuthors’ film festival features five films and discussions with each of the filmmakers. There is a small fee (less than $6) to view three of the films; two are free. https://alzauthors.com/alzauthors-activities/shining-a-light-on-alzheimers-and-dementia-the-alzauthors-film-festival/
Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) represent significant public health challenges globally that affect the quality of life and independence of millions of older adults, their families and healthcare systems. Approximately 57 million people had dementia worldwide, with global costs related to dementia estimated at $1.3 trillion. In the United States, an estimated 7.2 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s dementia, with total medical and long-term care expenditures for those ages 65 and older with ADRD projected to reach $384 billion. Due to rapid population aging in the United States and worldwide, the number of older adults with dementia is projected to increase substantially over the coming decades. Despite these demographic projections, there is growing evidence that suggests the prevalence and incidence of ADRD are declining, and the average age at which ADRD is diagnosed is increasing, resulting in older adults, on average, spending a greater number of their late-life years cognitively healthy. These encouraging trends suggest that greater educational attainment, better management of chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, and reduced rates of smoking have had positive population-level effects regarding ADRD. In the United States, population aging has coincided with growing racial and ethnic diversity. Recent population projections from the U.S. Census Bureau indicate that racial and ethnic minority groups ages 65 and older are expected to experience the highest rates of population growth. Many minority groups are projected to have the highest prevalence of Alzheimer’s dementia in the coming years. https://generations.asaging.org/the-new-brain-economy-promoting-cognitively-healthy-life-expectancies/
Having a strong sense of purpose in life may help protect the aging brain, according to a new report. The study found that people who reported a higher sense of purpose in their lives were about 28 percent less likely to develop memory and thinking problems as they aged compared to their peers who had little sense of purpose. Having a strong sense of purpose in life is regarded as a marker of psychological well-being. A sense of purpose in life – that believing what you do matters, and that you are doing good and on a meaningful path – has been shown in earlier studies to protect against heart disease, promote better overall health and prolong life. https://www.alzinfo.org/articles/prevention/a-sense-of-purpose-may-bolster-the-brain/
Access your free digital copy of the 2025 World Alzheimer Report. The 2025 World Alzheimer Report explores the important topic of dementia rehabilitation, examining how the concept is defined and implemented, as well as practical considerations of how to best adapt rehabilitation practices for people living with dementia in different contexts. It offers a global, practical roadmap for “reimagining life with dementia” through rehabilitation, clarifying what rehabilitation means in dementia care, why it matters, and how tailored, goal-oriented approaches can support people in maintaining function, independence, and participation across settings and stages. Download your free digitial copy: https://www.alzint.org/resource/world-alzheimer-report-2025/
Exposure to fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) was associated with more advanced Alzheimer’s disease neuropathologic changes (ADNC) and faster cognitive decline, a large brain autopsy study showed. Higher PM2.5 at a person’s last known address was associated with more severe amyloid and tau pathologies after just 1 year of exposure compared with changes observed in individuals exposed to lower levels of air pollution. This study shows that air pollution doesn’t just increase the risk of dementia — it actually makes Alzheimer’s disease worse. As researchers continue to search for new treatments, it’s important to uncover all of the factors that contribute to the disease, including the influence of the environment in which they live. Air Pollution Tied to Worse AD, Faster Cognitive Decline
Dementia increases sharply with the number of comorbid psychiatric disorders, with mood and anxiety disorders posing the greatest risk, new research showed. Compared to individuals with a single psychiatric disorder, those with two were twice as likely to be diagnosed with dementia, whereas those with three disorders were more than four times as likely. Four or more psychiatric disorders were associated with an 11-fold increased likelihood of developing dementia. In addition, the combination of mood and anxiety disorders poses the greatest risk, with up to a 90% probability of dementia in some subgroups. Dementia Risk Rises With the Number of Psychiatric Disorders