UsAgainstAlzheimer's Blog

Stay up to date on the latest from UsAgainstAlzheimer's on our blog. Read about what our team is working on, the latest advancements in research, and what you can do to join the fight.

Working with UsAgainstAlzheimer’s and Voices of Alzheimer’s, Jay Reinstein takes you with him to better understand a day in the life of someone living with Alzheimer’s.

View Jay's Journal.

April 18, 2017 - Jill Lesser

WomenAgainstAlzheimer’s Mourns Passing of Adored and Inspirational Founder, Trish Vradenburg

As many of you know, our beloved founder, Trish Vradenburg passed away yesterday. Our hearts are broken. In my grief, I wanted to reflect on her life and what she meant to me and to our community. There are simply no words to fully express my grief and the deep sense of empathy I feel for her husband, best friend, lover and soul mate George Vradenburg. Trish was a rare breed, the perfect combination of consummate lady and inveterate ball buster – she was smart, loving, devoted and most of all, hilarious. She could take even the most serious subject
March 24, 2017 - Jason Resendez

Brain Health & Inequality: Reflections on the Aspen Summit on Inequality & Opportunity

The 2017 Aspen Summit on Inequality & Opportunity brought together a diverse mix of policymakers, thought leaders, social entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and practitioners to address the nation’s widening opportunity gap. Tucked between to-be-expected panels on manufacturing and hunger, was a 15 minute talk by Dr. Sarah Enos Watamura, Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Denver and Director of the Child Health & Development Lab, on the biology of adversity. (Continue reading on Medium.)
March 15, 2017 - Haley Richman

Kid Caregivers

My grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease when I was 4 years old. (I am now 9 years old). I wanted to help care for her, so my mom gave me easy puzzles to solve with my Grandma. I felt like I was doing a good thing because when we worked on puzzles we were both very happy. As the years went by, I learned about different ways of helping my grandmother. For example, “Go into her world.” My grandfather passed away, but Grandma asked me, “When will Grandpa come home from work?” If I told her the truth she
March 07, 2017 - Jason Resendez

Out at Sea: Two Stories of Dementia and Caregiving

There are over 15 million family caregivers providing care for a loved one living with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia yet these stories are rarely found in the media, particularly the experiences of the black and brown folks that often struggle to access a diagnosis, treatment and care support. (Continue reading on Huffington Post) Jason Resendez is the Executive Director of the LatinosAgainstAlzheimer’s Network & Coalition - a network of UsAgainstAlzheimer’s.
February 28, 2017 - Jill Lesser and Stephanie Monroe

Heart Health, Black History Month and Brain Health: An Unlikely Connection

Two major advocacy campaigns are underway in February: Black History Month and Heart Health Month. While their connection to Alzheimer’s disease may not be obvious, each is vitally important. ( Continue reading in Morning Consult.) Jill Lesser is president of WomenAgainstAlzheimer’s and has been a caregiver for the past nine years to her mother, Barbara Lesser, who has Alzheimer’s disease. Stephanie Monroe is executive director of AfricanAmericansAgainstAlzheimer’s, the first national network created specifically to respond to Alzheimer’s disease and its disparate impact on African Americans.