ALZHEIMER’S FOUNDATION OF AMERICA INTRODUCES REMEMBER TOGETHER

ALZHEIMER’S FOUNDATION OF AMERICA INTRODUCES

“REMEMBER TOGETHER”

National Public Awareness Campaign

Invites People to Recreate Photos of Cherished Memories,

Encourages Early Detection of Memory Issues

at Free Screenings Nationwide

The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA), a nonprofit dedicated to providing optimal care and services to individuals confronting dementia, and to their caregivers and families, today launched Remember Together, a public awareness campaign that asks people to remember together the importance of keeping their cherished memories alive. The public is invited to recreate old photos of favorite memories and share them via social media using #RememberTogether. Photo recreations can be viewed at www.RememberTogetherAFA.org.

Remember Together supports AFA’s rollout of free, confidential year-round memory screenings at community sites nationwide. The rollout builds on the success of AFA’s National Memory Screening Day, which falls this year on November 18, during National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, and which has provided memory screenings to hundreds of thousands of people since 2003. For a complete list of sites, visit www.RememberTogetherAFA.org.

“Remember Together is a friendly and impassioned call-to-action to the public to celebrate their memories, create new ones with family and friends, and help protect their memories and those of their loved ones by getting screened for memory issues,” said Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., president and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. “There is a persistent stigma associated with Alzheimer’s disease that prevents people from talking about it and taking action that could ultimately help improve quality of life. We aim to reduce the stigma and encourage people to seek early detection and proper treatment.”

The Remember Together campaign includes a photo contest that awards monthly prizes. People can submit photos through Twitter, Instagram or www.RememberTogetherAFA.org. Two winners will be announced every month, one chosen randomly and one by popular vote. Each winner will receive a digital photo frame perfect for displaying favorite memories. People can vote for their favorites on the RememberTogether site.

AFA carries out memory screenings in collaboration with organizations and healthcare professionals across the U.S. Participating sites include Alzheimer’s agencies, doctors’ offices, senior centers, long-term care residences, in-home care agencies, hospitals, houses of worship, libraries, pharmacies, and other community organizations. AFA provides all the necessary tools—at no cost—so that healthcare professionals can seamlessly and effectively carry out the memory screenings.

Memory screenings are a significant first step toward early diagnosis. Screenings consist of a series of questions and/or tasks designed to test memory, language skills, thinking ability, and other intellectual functions. A free 10-minute memory screening can help reassure a healthy person or direct people who need follow-up testing to a clinician. Early detection allows people to participate in legal and financial planning discussions with their families, share their care wishes, and take control of treatment to improve quality of life. It also opens up options such as participating in clinical trials for drug and behavior modification therapies. It’s important to note that a screening result is not a diagnosis; rather, it can signal if a person should follow up with a physician for a thorough evaluation.

Remember Together supports AFA C.A.R.E.S. (Community Memory Screening and Awareness-Raising Education: The Road to Early Detection and Care), a new program to expand memory screenings year-round. AFA C.A.R.E.S. is made possible with a grant from the Edward N. and Della L. Thome Memorial Foundation, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee.

Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA)
The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, based in New York, is a national nonprofit organization that unites more than 1,700 member organizations nationwide with the goal of providing optimal care and services to individuals confronting dementia, and to their caregivers and families. Its services include a toll-free hot line staffed by licensed social workers, educational materials, a free quarterly magazine for caregivers, and professional training. For more information about AFA, call toll-free 866-232-8484, visit www.alzfdn.org, follow us on Twitter (@alzfdn), and “like” us on Facebook.