Alzheimer's Association Awards $47,000 in Grants for Chapters

Alzheimer's Association
Friday, 26 January 2001

The Alzheimer's Association has awarded more than $47,000 in grants to six of its chapters nationwide to provide information, programs and services about Alzheimer's disease to help reach thousands of older Americans living in rural communities across the United States.

Grant recipient chapters include those located in rural communities and states, as well as chapters serving metropolitan and rural communities. Chapters proposed one or more innovative ways to better serve rural communities with Alzheimer's disease education and outreach programs, as well as partnerships with community organizations. Funded programs range from videoconferencing education, to partnerships with mobile health clinics and rural electric cooperatives.

"One of every four Americans lives in a rural county – a disproportionately large number of older Americans live in many of those rural counties," said Michael Splaine, director of advocacy programs and administrator of the Rural Initiative at the Alzheimer's Association. "Our education and outreach efforts must focus on older Americans living in rural communities."

"Older Americans are more at risk for Alzheimer's disease than other age groups," he said. "After age 65, one in 10 Americans has Alzheimer's, and after age 85, almost half of us will. Right now Alzheimer's disease affects four million Americans; by mid-century, it's estimated that the disease will affect 14 million – an increase of 350 percent."

Families in rural or remote locations face difficult challenges in getting to specialized diagnostic services, treatment programs and community-based services. "One of the barriers to healthcare service delivery we hear about is transportation, especially for the rural elderly, and especially those with Alzheimer's disease or caring for a loved one with the disease," he added. "The grants will help crumble barriers for thousands of families."

For more information, or to contact Alzheimer's Association, see their website at: www.alz.org